Dustin Lance Black on movie plans for “8”

Dustin Lance Black wrote and directed the film Virginia which opened in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York last Friday.

He talks about the film in a new interview with The Advocate. Here is a portion of the interview about the play 8 which he wrote based on the transcripts from the trial which successfully challenged California’s Proposition 8.

The Los Angeles production of 8 in March was a huge success. How much money has the show raised for AFER so far?

One million dollars in New York and 2.5 in L.A so 3.5 million dollars all together. If you go to 8theplay.com, you  can see where it’s being produced around the country. I gave that away. My poor lawyers! It’s royalty-free. It’s now just an educational outreach tool. We’ll see what the state of the case is in six months and if we go to the Supreme Court with it, we may do it again as a fundraiser. For now I think it’s time to educate the country on why this case is so historic.

I understand there’s a film adaptation in the works with Rob Reiner directing. What can you reveal about it?

Thankfully, there was some studio interest and through Rob Reiner’s company Castle Rock so we’re creating a film version of 8. It will have to be more personal. The play is built for a theater audience, who has to be patient listening to the legal arguments that unfold. With a film audience I think it’s important to personalize it more. It will still have all the legal arguments, but I want to delve more into our plaintiffs’ lives. They’re pretty remarkable. The more you get to know them the more unlikely their romance and the more lovely they seem. Rob and I went up Easter weekend and interviewed Chris and Sandy, the two lesbian plaintiffs for two days. I already loved them but after spending two entire days with them hearing their stories, I fell desperately in love with them. I’m very excited to bring their story to the big screen.