While making the rounds trying to sell their DRIVE ANGRY script, writer/director duo Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer (MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D) were asked by producer Mike De Luca to give the planned Ghost Rider sequel a go. So they did, calling it “Ghost Rider: Riders on the Storm.” While their take was eventually rejected for the best reason a Ghost Rider movie could possibly be rejected, Farmer has been kind enough to share the pitch process and full treatment with the world via his blog.
“During one of our many meetings [for DRIVE ANGRY, Mike] De Luca, who had produced Ghost Rider, suggested we come up with a pitch for Ghost Rider 2. We said yes with much enthusiasm. So Mike set a meeting with Avi Arad that we might meet and discuss the franchise. And we had a blast. We met Avi and his son Ari (who sat with me and Tom Jane during the My Bloody Valentine premiere). We talked superheroes and what made Ghost Rider different. We talked through what villains we could legally draw from. It was a perfect meeting.
Patrick and I returned to the ghostcave and worked our magic. We decided to not only create a pitch but since there were so many entities involved (Avi, Marvel, Sony and De Luca) we would create a document we could leave behind. A doc that would represent our story, our characters and our tone. And that’s what we did. When we returned we were pumped. We had nailed it. It may seem arrogant to say that but DUH. Isn’t that the point? Why would you ever go back if you didn’t think you nailed it? During the initial chit chat I said something along the lines of, “We know there are several entities involved here but we think we’ve found a story that fulfills everyone’s concerns.” Avi then informed me that there was only one entity that mattered. Everyone laughed. I gulped.
And the pitch was fun! We knew De Luca dug it. Later we heard that Sony loved it. But in the end Avi passed. He said it was too violent. Hate not getting the job but I’ll take TOO VIOLENT as the reason any day of the week.”
Farmer and Lussier’s entire treatment, which is very much worth the read, can be downloaded right here.