Max Botkin
Max Botkin is an American screenwriter and producer. Botkin's original script for What Happened to Monday? was featured on the 2010 Blacklist for best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.
Career
He began writing for TV with Wolverine and the X-Men.[1] What Happened to Monday? was filmed by Tommy Wirkola and starred Noomi Rapace, Glenn Close, and Willem Dafoe.[2] The film was released theatrically in Europe and Asia and Netflix bought the streaming rights to the film for the United States as well as the U.K. and Latin America.[3][4] He also wrote Robosapien: Rebooted (originally scheduled to be released in 2009,[5] the film was released in the US on May 28, 2013) and Opposite Day.[6] [7]
In 2015, Max sold his original screenplay Ponce to Lionsgate/Pantelion and is executive producing, with Eugenio Derbez attached to star, produce and direct.[8] In April 2017, Botkin inked a deal with award-winning multimedia company 1stAvenueMachine to produce films with them through a first of its kind directors incubator.[9] In 2016, he co-wrote Show Dogs. The film was released in the United States on May 18, 2018,[10] directed by Raja Gosnell.
Show Dogs controversy
The film Show Dogs was criticized for plot themes which involve humans fondling the genitals of the main character, a dog, against his will. In the film, other characters "teach" him not to think about it and to go to his "zen place" whenever that happens. Prior to release, an online magazine Macaroni Kid reviewed a test screening for the film. Spurred on by this review, other professional reviewers agreed that the child-grooming implications were "disturbing and serious". Botkin says he did not write those scenes, that the original script was "heavily rewritten by 13 other writers", and strongly condemned the themes in question.[11]
In response, Global Road Entertainment, the film's distributor, announced they were re-cutting the film and resubmitting it to theaters in time for its second weekend. The company said:
Responding to concerns raised by moviegoers and some specific organizations, Global Road Entertainment has decided to remove two scenes from the film Show Dogs that some have deemed not appropriate for children. The company takes these matters very seriously and remains committed to providing quality entertainment for the intended audiences based on the film’s rating. We apologize to anybody who feels the original version of Show Dogs sent an inappropriate message. The revised version of the film will be available for viewing nationwide starting this weekend.[12]
References
- "Wolverine & the X-Men imdb page". imdb. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
- Richford, Rhonda (31 July 2015). "Willem Dafoe Joins Glenn Close, Noomi Rapace in 'What Happened to Monday'". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
The Oscar-nominee boards the sci-fi thriller as it starts principal photography in Romania.
- Setoodeh, Ramin; Lang, Brent. "Toronto: Netflix Buys 'What Happened to Monday?' With Noomi Rapace (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- "'Seven Sisters' Trailer Shows off Noomi Rapace's Strong 'Orphan Black' Vibes". 2 June 2017.
- "Robosapien: Rebooted Plot Details and Poster". sfluxe.com. San Francisco Luxury Living. January 5, 2009. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- "imdb page". imdb. Amazon. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Allmovies listing". Allmovies.com. Allmovies. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- "Variety Ponce article". Variety. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
- "Screenwriter Max Botkin Inks Deal With Production Company 1stAveMachine (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 9, 2017). "Open Road Changes Release Dates for 'Midnight Sun', 'Show Dogs' & 'Playmobil'". Deadline. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
- Gonzales, Sandra (May 22, 2018). "'Show Dogs' sparks criticism over perceived message about sexual abuse". CNN. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 23, 2018). "'Show Dogs' Getting Re-Cut By Global Road In Response To Concerns Over Inappropriate Sex Abuse Message". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
External links
- Max Botkin at IMDb
- Max Botkin on Twitter