It’s been a gratifying awards season for writer/producer Anthony McCarten who last month earned his first career Oscar nominations–Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay–on the strength of The Theory of Everything (Focus Features), which tells the remarkable story of renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Directed by James Marsh, The Theory of Everything is based on Jane Wilde Hawking’s memoir, "Travelling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen." The movie has earned a total of five Academy Award noms, the others being for Best Leading Actor (Eddie Redmayne), Best Leading Actress (Felicity Jones) and Best Original Score (composer Johann Johannsson).
McCarten has also earned three BAFTA Award noms for The Theory of Everything: Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film. Theory additionally landed a PGA Award nomination for Outstanding Producer of a Theatrical Motion Pictures.
McCarten’s first international success came years back with his play Ladies Night. Translated into 12 languages, it is his native country New Zealand’s most commercially successful play of all time. In 2001, Ladies Night earned McCarten France’s premiere theatre award for comedy, the Molière Prize.
His novels have been translated into 14 languages. His first, "Spinners," was voted one of the Top 10 novels of 2000 by Esquire Magazine. In 2005, his second novel, "The English Harem," became an international bestseller. His third novel, "Death of a Superhero," won the 2008 Austrian Youth Literature Prize and was a finalist for the 2008 German Youth Literature Prize.
McCarten adapted, from his novel, and executive-produced Death of a Superhero; the feature was directed by Ian Fitzgibbon and starred Andy Serkis, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Aisling Loftus. The movie was nominated for three Irish Film and Television Awards: Best Film, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor (Michael McElhatton). McCarten also adapted, from his novel, the feature The English Harem; directed by Robin Sheppard, the film starred Martine McCutcheon and Art Malik.
McCarten wrote and directed Show of Hands, adapted from his novel; the film starred Craig Hall and was nominated for three New Zealand Film and TV Awards, including Best Feature, Best Actress (Melanie Lynskey), and Best Director. He also adapted and directed the feature Via Satellite, from his own play, starring Karl Urban and Danielle Cormack; the film won two New Zealand Film and TV Awards, for Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Dorday) and Best Editing.
SHOOT: How did you become involved in The Theory of Everything?
McCarten: I initiated the project in 2004 after reading Jane Hawkings book, "Travelling to Infinity." I thought I knew Stephen Hawkings’ story. I knew who he was. I knew something of his achievements and his battle with ALS. But in reading Jane’s book, everything I thought I knew was eclipsed by everything I didn’t know. It’s an incredible story of two people working together and refusing to let this brutal disease silence important work. And it was a one-of-a-kind love story. I thought if I could marry these extremely sensitive insights into their lives with the story of the science and of the disease, it would make for an interesting mix of ingredients for a film.
So I decided to become a stalker. I got on a train and presented myself at Jane Hawkings’ door as a stranger. I begged her to let me obtain the movie rights to her book. I naively imagined that my charm would elicit a signature that afternoon. But it took eight years for her to finally sign. On that first afternoon, though, she went so far as to say, “I will let you write a script.” But there were no assurances, no guarantees.
I showed her a draft and a couple more after that. Otherwise I spent years building trust with her, staying in touch, reassuring her, later bringing her children on board and eventually Stephen himself. By that time I had teamed with producer Lisa Bruce whom I was introduced to through my agent. From there we went to James Marsh who said he was surprised by the script. He had expected a standard biopic but instead read about an interesting and unorthodox marriage. With James on board [as director], the whole landscape changed–from one of disinterest and being pigeonholed into a small TV movie to all of a sudden investors seeing the real potential of this story. We were suddenly overwhelmed with offers, including the commitment from Working Title, a preeminent film company.
SHOOT: What were the biggest challenges this project posed to you as a writer?
McCarten: There were so many challenges. For one, corralling 27 years of married life into two hours. Another was somehow getting myself to the point of understanding the science enough to make it cinematic and for a general audience. And rendering the love story was an extremely delicate process. It felt like micro-surgery. It’s a love story, a horror story about a disease, a story of science.
SHOOT: Would you reflect on what the two Oscar nominations mean to you?
McCarten: There’s the human thrill of being acknowledged for doing something worthwhile and interesting. Hopefully it will open up new opportunities, new stories, the chance to work with the best people.
SHOOT: What’s next?
McCarten: There are different projects in development, including my working on a screenplay for Hack Attack, with George Clooney directing.
