David Koepp Says Kristen Stewart-Rupert Sanders Media Frenzy Was 'Sad For All Involved'
Don't tell David Koepp that scandal is good for box office.
The screenwriter (Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones: The Return of a Legend) and director of this week's Premium Rush told Movieline that speculation that the media scandal involving Kristen Stewart, her Twilight co-star and reported off-screen beau Robert Pattinson and her Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders is somehow good for business is "a cynical response" to the situation.
"The people involved in any kind of scandal like that might want to respond, Who gives a shit? I didn’t say you could eat my head. You know?" Koepp told me.
John Kamps, his writing partner on Premium Rush, agreed: "I think historically scandal has never done well for movies."
When I asked Koepp what he made of the media frenzy surrounding Stewart, Sanders and Pattinson, he replied: "I think it was sad for all involved."
Koepp was hired by Universal to write a script to Snow White and the Huntsman but explained that he departed the project on friendly terms because the producers wanted to pursue a different direction. "I felt like there was a good path with her, but they wanted to explore a different thing I had no ideas for," said Koepp, who told me he couldn't picture SWATH 2 without Stewart and, therefore, "couldn't follow through."
Koepp observed that the proliferation of social media has made it difficult for just about anyone, not just Twilight cast members, to maintain privacy. "In the past — in the long past now — actors were able to keep their private lives much more separate," the filmmaker said. "Now, no one really has a private life. I don’t think it's just actors. I have teenage sons and they’re of the social media generation. That sort of living out loud is just weird to me.
"I can’t understand why you would want so much of yourself revealed to just anyone, because it is inevitably — inevitably — a target of derision. It’s impersonal, but hurtful," he said. "You see people really get hurt by Facebook attacks. Particularly in the junior high sort of level."
Noting that "Hollywood kind of is junior high," albeit with more money and drugs, Koepp added: "There’s a lot of pain out there for people who are exposed. I feel very bad for actors in that regard. I think it’s a suckie part of the job and, when people say, Well, you asked for it — no they didn’t.
"They asked for a bunch of other stuff and were willing to make a bunch of other sacrifices," he said. "Just because you’re in the public eye doesn’t mean that you agree that there will be a complete abrogation of decency."
Nell Alk is an arts and entertainment writer and reporter based in New York City. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Manhattan Magazine, Z!NK Magazine and on InterviewMagazine.com, PaperMag.com and RollingStone.com, among others. Learn more about her here.
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Comments
yor a f**khead there is way to many adult women that love robert pattinson we pay attention more than the teens. i wont be seen watching your movies from now on
Can you say psycho? You need help lady! You are making the fandom look crazy. He has a right to his opinion. He does work in the industry so I assume he knows what he is talking about. Go sit down somewhere!!
Koepp has a point regarding social media's role in this and obviously he has a right to his opinion.
But the reality is this, Kristen Stewart is not a victim. Any suggestion she is, is self-justifying PR trotted out to keep 12 years old happy.
Stewart was clearly in a sexually intimate relationship with Sanders and she was in it consensually.
This idea that she was “lured” or compelled into cheating is an insult to the millions of truly abused children who really don’t have a choice in that. Bottom line, Stewart is not a child and this is not a sexist issue.
It’s about deception, lying, entitlement, greed in a way and a total lack of integrity. If those pictures hadn’t come out Stewart would still be lying to her partner – the one she said she "respects" so much – and dealing a fatal blow to a family with two children are at stake.
If there is any pity going around, save it for them.
Well it takes 2 to tango and i dont see him getting half as much abuse as kristen she done wrong and she atleast was woman enough to stand up and say sorry , yes she shouldnt have but then whos perfect and iam betting the ones out there in the world judging her need to sit bk and think am i perfect ? Do i have sketdons in my wardrobe cox no one in this world can say they have never made a mistake however big or small and i totaly agree with koepp
I totally agree with his sentments on this whole situation. Actors/Actresses did not ask for you to come in their home, but they invited, no themselves but their ART to come into yours at your choosing. They don't lambast you if you say nope I'm not interested in their movies being any part of my personal life so why is that we can't give them the choice as well. Human beings die in some way inside or in life over bullying. I hope everyone understands this. So if the outcome of these two lives don't make it, I hope you can live with it.
Supposedly, Rob loved Kristen - she was his one and only true love. Well if he truly loves her, then he would be trying to fix this. Not just walk away. If you are actually in love you can't just walk away. If he loves her, he needs to hear Kristen out, and try to reconcile things - more than anything else in his life. He would need this - even more than his ego, his fame, his career. That's what a person who is really in love with someone else does. Rob is acting like Rob is just in love with the idea of being in love, or maybe just in love with himself. If Rob doesn't even try to let Kristen fix this - then Kristen is better off without him.
what? are you 12? in the real world things don't work like that.
Well said thank you. 'Jo' all I can say to u is yes the real world could work EXACTLY like that. Rob and Kristen will work through this incident and move past it together or apart.... Their decision to make not ours. I personally think Kristen would be so much better off without Rob. Rob can spout about love all he wants but when times get rough and challenge your relationship then u don't just walk away. He is right when he called himself a pussy. Stay strong Kristen!
Good god when will this end,??kristen did a really stupid thing.....its over why keep beating a dead horse? If robert pattinson cannot move past it then he should move on ....there are millions of screaming fans out there who want a crack at him...after watching him interviews over the years he seems to very immature and goofy....I agree that he is great looking that doesn't last long and in the end you may crave more than just a pretty face. Kristen may be really sad now but she wiil move past this.... Like her or not she is a beautiful girl and she wii find someone else to love....probably quite a few guys happy that she is free...i think robert pattinson has more growing up to do....i could never understand how kristen put up with all of his running around with his female friends....not many girls around that would be happy about that ..he was damn lucky to get away with that.... i bet the next one tightens the reins....could be the reason kristen was with that creep .maybe he made her feel like no one else mattered but her!!! He is ugly but sometimes women need to feel like they are god's gift to thier man.....guess rob needed more female adulation than just one woman
David Koepp wrote Panic Room the first big movie Kristen starred in didn't he? Maybe he feels some loyalty too. I don't know. I think its a suckie situation particularly for Rob and Liberty because they have been hurt terribly and can't even grieve properly, but it wouldn't have been as bad if the director wasn't married. So since he was Kristen's getting just as much hell as Leann Rhimes.
It's a real shame that amongst the one or two sensible comments left here, children also feel the need to weigh in. Please do all of us a favor and stay on Twitter and tumblr where you belong.
Koepp is right, this scandal has got out of control. The blame for that though is not really with social media, that's just a reaction. It rests with Stewart and Sanders, two liars who thought they could have it all.
First of all Kristen was not in an affair....she is not married and did not have a sexual extended relationship with Ruperv. They never had sex...period. Show me the proof that they did if u disagree.....oh yeah there isn't any, so stop saying they had an affair. They did have a makeout session. BIG FUcKING DEAL. Kissy face in her car doesn't mean shit. Boo hoo poor Rov.....not. Take care of your woman Rob and she won't need anyone else. I agree that Rob and Kristen need to work this out. So what if Rob got publically embarrassed. Not as bad as the shitstorm that Kristen has been through and totally uncalled for. Psycho fans. Agree with Mr. Koepp totally...this is a private issue. Maybe if Kristen was royal Brit blood like Harry then she would get an atta girl by the press. Just sowing some wild oats like Harry. At least Kristen kept her clothes on. Harry is classless and a cad. Everyone will excuse his behavior of course....sad.
See what I mean.
Fans who call themselves KStew, Krew blah blah, use capitilized profanity (always impressive), then, weirdly, insult Pattinson (when he has done nothing wrong), should be summarily shushed and given dolls to play with.
Stewart would not be given an "atta girl" in any circumstance because there is nothing to "atta girl" her for. She is a liar, a cheat - and moreover - is using PR to pretend she was "lured" into a non-sexual relationship.
Anyone who believes that deserves to go out with her. Get out while you still have enough heart to try again Pattinson. .
Just do yourself a favor and google Pattinson and girls in the past two years. You will be surprised, ignorant! There are pictures, people, of him making out with girls who are not Kristen. It's sad, that bias. A shame.
To brieftaube... We have searched the Internet high and low for the past few Years, there are no pictures of Rob P. "making out" with other women. Lots going on with Kristen at Cannes film festival 2012, though.
Yes! I utterly agree with you, K.K. The relationship between Pattinson and Stewart was never even an official one. The only person who "cheated" was Sanders, an adult, twice the girl's senior, married with children. And EVERYFREAKIN' ONE knows that Pattinson has been with quite a number of girls/women in the past years. He is the one cheating now: He is simply taking advantage of the scandal, ignoring that he is ruining Kristen's life. People - there was a reason why Kristen needed Sanders' affection. Pattinson is not a man, he is a youngster. All his interviews are awkward and unmanly. Sanders took advantage of Kristen, recklessly. She apologized in shock - after waking up from the lure. Poor honest girl. I want to see her in many more movies. But I won't watch Pattinson. Or anything Sanders will make. Sanders hasn't had the guts to stand up and apologize to Kristen. They made out, yes, but: HE was all over HER! Are you blind, people? And he is her director! It's called "Authority". Who knows what really went on. One day, we'll know.
You might be interested with their page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristen-Stewart-and-Rupert-Sanders-Cheating-Video/261947927258962