Video Interview: Simon Beaufoy (127 Hours)

Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy was kind enough to sit down with me for an interview following a screening of his latest film 127 Hours. It was a pleasure indeed, for 127 Hours is one of the best films of the year so far. Beaufoy had a difficult task at hand when it came to this assignment. Before he came on board, he was given a six-page treatment written by director Danny Boyle, hence the co-writing credit. Beaufoy, along with another Slumdog Millionaire collaborator, producer Christian Colson, were very apprehensive about taking on the project until reading this treatment, as they knew the story to be about a man stuck in one place for the entire time.

Boyle’s treatment though was the genesis of a magnificent story, screenplay, and visual masterpiece of a film that they would collaborate on. After being easily swayed by the treatment, Beaufoy started his work on the screenplay by going hiking with Aron Ralston. Beaufoy had some background here, being a climber himself. The big tipping point for him was when Ralston showed them all the original video tapes he recorded while stuck in the canyon. Few outside of the Ralston family have seen those tapes, as Beaufoy describes how brutal, and obviously personal, they are. All of this inspiration went into the film.

Together, all of these artists devised a well-constructed, at once wildly outside the box, but also completely archetypal story that will garner much awards season attention. Next, Beaufoy is writing a television show for HBO (Emergency Sex) that is being produced by Russell Crowe, and looking for his next film project. His adaptation of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen will be directed by Bill Condon for New Regency. Rumors of a Susanne Bier project are unfounded, and any other adaptations that he has been reported as working on he says are on hold.