欧美视频

From left, 欧美视频 alumnus and former Warrensburg resident Grant Curtis, as an executive producer, and actor Ethan Hawke, who portrays Arthur Harrow in Marvel Studios鈥� six-part 鈥淢oon Knight鈥� series, were part of a production team that was excited to introduce their project on Disney+ streaming service this spring.

WARRENSBURG, MO 鈥� While Moon Knight first appeared in a comic book in 1975, this character may not be on the tip of the tongue in comparison to superheroes like Captain America, Spider-Man and many others who went from the printed page to the big screen. With help from a production team that includes 欧美视频 graduate Grant Curtis, a new spotlight is shining on this unique character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Curtis, who earned a master鈥檚 degree in mass communication from UCM in 1997, serves as one of the executive producers for Marvel Studios鈥� new six-part 鈥淢oon Knight鈥� series. He worked with individuals such as prominent Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab, who is making his U.S. directorial debut, and a cast that includes Golden Globe庐 winner Oscar Isaac in the title role, Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow and May Calamawy as Layka El-Faouly. The series was introduced March 30 exclusively on the Disney+ streaming service.

鈥淚t鈥檚 different, which continues to be the success of the Marvel Studios brand,鈥� Curtis said about the series, which he describes as 鈥渁 bit spookier, a little bit darker and a bit grittier鈥� than most MCU presentations.

In the series, the audience follows mild-mannered museum gift-shop employee Steven Grant, played by Isaac, on a trek that unfolds into a psychological thriller after he experiences blackouts followed by memories of a life that far exceeds the mundane existence he has known. Steven, who has Dissociative Identity Disorder, discovers that he shares a body with his exact opposite, Marc Spector, a former marine and CIA operative who became a mercenary and ultimately the earthly avatar of Khonshu, the Egyptian god of the moon and vengeance. Steven and Marc learn how to navigate their complex identities and become part of a battle waged among the powerful gods of Egypt, with many enemies converging upon them. 

Curtis鈥� work on this project is part of a long history of involvement in film. The author of two books, his background as a movie producer has included movie projects such as the widely acclaimed 鈥淪pider-Man鈥� trilogy with director Sam Raimi for Columbia Pictures, 鈥淥z: The Great and Powerful鈥� for Walt Disney Pictures and 鈥淭eenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows鈥� for Paramount Pictures. He also directed, wrote and produced 鈥淒elaney,鈥� a documentary for ESPN Films 鈥�30 for 30 Shorts鈥� about a former Kansas City Chiefs player who drowned saving a child, and was an executive producer on Disney鈥檚 鈥淟et鈥檚 Be Tigers.鈥� These are just a few of many projects in which he has been involved. 

Curtis said he was excited about the opportunity to introduce 鈥淢oon Knight鈥� to a new audience. The main character appeared for the first time nearly 50 years ago in the comic book 鈥淲erewolf by Night鈥� (Issue 32). Development of this superhero has taken various iterations over the years, although the relationship between Khonshu and Moon Knight has remained consistent. Working hard to stay true to that relationship, Marvel Studios鈥� production team creatively pulled together for its screen presentation several character attributes, gleaned from decades of written materials, to create one of the most unusual superheroes of all time.

鈥淥ne of my first tasks was going through and reading every comic book Moon Knight ever appeared in, whether that was 鈥榃erewolf by Night,鈥� or whether that was his [comic book] run that started in 1980 with 鈥楳oon Knight鈥� No. 1,鈥� Curtis said. He added that he and the writers on this project were intrigued by the intense character study the film series offered.  

The series combines adventure, drama, mystery and a bit of comedy to keep the audience engaged in each new episode. True to the comic book tradition, the screenplay weaves plenty of unpredictability into this multipart story. 

鈥淥ne thing the writers always do very well, just when you think you鈥檝e got everything figured out on page 22, you turn to page 23 and realize that nothing you thought is as you expected, and it always keeps you on your toes,鈥� Curtis said. 鈥滻t鈥檚 never a gimmick. It鈥檚 always through the character鈥檚 point of view as he鈥檚 going on these adventures and having to try to figure out what鈥檚 going on.鈥� 

In addition to creating a fast-paced adventure that keeps the audience guessing, there are many other reasons the creators of 鈥淢oon Knight鈥� are excited about this project.

鈥淎nother aspect that appealed to us is the Egyptology, and the backdrop. We all seem to be fascinated with all things Egyptian,鈥� Curtis said. 

The writers鈥� room was filled with numerous reference books on ancient Egyptian culture and deities, Curtis said. Experts in areas such as Egyptian archaeology visited with writers regularly to help ensure authenticity, and the same care was given to the backdrop. Much of the movie was actually shot at Origo Studios in Budapest, Hungary, where there were many sound stages and access to field-specific experts who had vast knowledge of ancient statuary, pottery and hieroglyphics. A team of sculptors from Italy was brought in and spent three months creating the statues of Egyptian deities that stand in the Chamber of the Gods, a prominent setting for action sequences.   

Similar attention to detail was given to helping the team develop its main characters. Curtis noted, for example, because the series addresses a mental health issue through the character of Marc Spector, the writers and the cast wanted to approach this topic with sensitivity.

鈥淲e wanted to be very reverential and respectful to a very serious issue, so we brought in consultants to help guide us on that,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur head writer, Jeremy Slater, always led the charge from day one about being authentic and respectful, and Oscar Isaac, our lead, had to act these parts on the screen in the same way.鈥�

This is the first time Curtis has worked on a multipart series. He said it was a valuable opportunity to explore his craft as a producer, but it was not without challenges, particularly considering the way filming is scheduled. 

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 film in sequential order. You don鈥檛 start on page one and shoot that on day one,鈥� said Curtis, who has devoted approximately three years to this project. 

He noted that scenes are shot according to what is best for production, and sometimes a scene can be moved to a different place in the film. Such was the case for the opening scene in which Harrow is seen putting on a pair of shoes filled with broken glass. These images were actually intended for inclusion further into the film, but were moved to the front for a more powerful effect and to provide early insight into the character of Spector.

鈥淭hat scene was not supposed to go there,鈥� Curtis said. 鈥淎s we were looking at the whole film in post, we realized if we put that scene up front then that would inform the audience about this character from the very first time you meet him in the Alps. You realize from the beginning that this guy is a little off center.鈥�

Curtis, who grew up in the Warrensburg area, spoke fondly about his time at UCM, where his father, Dr. Dan Curtis, taught for years as a professor of communication and was a former department chair. Grant Curtis came to UCM, known then as Central Missouri State University, in the 1990s after completing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in marketing at the University of Missouri-Columbia. While working on his graduate degree at UCM, he developed close working relationships with faculty members who became his mentors.

鈥淭here were two influential teachers in particular 鈥� Keith Mellinger and John Graves. They were the reasons why I went back to UCM to get my degree. Keith was a screenwriter who got his MFA from UCLA, one of the top screenwriting schools in the world. Dr. Graves worked in Hollywood for decades on numerous TV shows. It was his knowledge and experiences in this whole community that I gravitated toward,鈥� Curtis said.

As he was finishing his master鈥檚 degree, Curtis landed in Los Angeles in 1997 for an internship on 鈥淭he Late, Late Show With Tom Snyder鈥� and to finish work on a screenplay, which was a requirement in his  graduate program. While residing in LA, a friend who lived next door told him famous director Sam Raimi was searching for an assistant. Curtis believed his opportunity to work with Raimi was a stretch, but the great director saw something in him. Curtis went from being an assistant to Raimi to much tougher decision-making roles on films such as the 鈥淪pider-Man鈥� trilogy, 鈥淭he Gift鈥� and others. He built within five years after earning his graduate degree the kind of resume that gets noticed, leading to his selection in 2002 as a UCM Outstanding Recent Alumnus. 

Adding 鈥淢oon Knight鈥� to his lengthy film resume is a great source of pride for Curtis. He spoke enthusiastically about his role as an executive producer on the project and the opportunity to bring the main character to the forefront for the first time in many people鈥檚 entertainment experience.

鈥淔rom 1975 until now, there鈥檚 been a lot of Moon Knight stories told by great artists and writers, and we think we reflected that in the Disney+/Marvel streaming episodes,鈥� Curtis said. 鈥淲e think we also brought a new thread to this tale.鈥�