Movies - TV
Clint Eastwood Buying Unforgiven Was A Roll Of The Dice For Writer David Peoples
By ERNESTO VALENZUELA
David Peoples, who wrote the script for “Unforgiven,” felt a level of uncertainty about Clint Eastwood's adaptation of his story. Peoples was familiar with Eastwood's work, and upon the director's purchase of his script, the writer saw the potential film as either being deeply about the story at hand or a film that was made for the sake of box office revenue.
In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment in honor of the film's 30th anniversary, Peoples expressed his opinion on Clint Eastwood, saying, "When he bought 'Unforgiven,' I hoped I would get the terrific Clint Eastwood because there were some Clint Eastwood movies I didn't love. I thought, 'Well, I hope he does something good,' but there are never any guarantees in the movie business."
Unbeknownst to Peoples, the gamble he believed he was taking with the actor-director would end up becoming both a critical and financial success. “Unforgiven” would turn into a compelling Western that subverts expectations while telling an intimate story and go on to win four Academy Awards in 1993, which included Best Picture and Best Director.