‘Song Sung Blue’ & ‘Predator: Badlands’ Producer John Davis On Dad Marvin, Net Points & Frank Capra’s Advice On What Works In The Movie Biz – Crew Call Podcast
Producer John Davis tells it all, going back to his early beginnings of the business, his oil tycoon father Marvin Davis who owned 20th Century Fox from 1981-1984, his days as a Fox production exec of low-budget films, his mentor Frank Capra, and more.
What was the best advise that Capra gave him?
“Make movies about ordinary people who do extraordinary things, that’s the best way you an connect with an audience” which brings us to Davis’ latest release, Song Sung Blue, based on the real-life Wisconsin couple Mike and Claire Sardina and the Neil Diamond tribute band that they had. They’re played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in the Focus Features release which comes out on Christmas Day.
Davis says that Capra added, “‘But remember, you also have an obligation. You also have an obligation to say something important and meaningful. An obligation that will say humanity is something special.’”
Song Sung Blue is the type of heartfelt moving drama that the studios don’t make any more — but this one has Jackman and Hudson slaying with Diamond tunes. Davis shares the story about how he pushed the title through the studio system (“I think when you read a script and you cry, that means there’s a lot of amazing emotion in this story”); the film repping a reteam with Dolemite filmmaker Craig Brewer who first became inspired by a documentary about the Sardina’s story. When it came to Davis getting the Diamond songs cleared he had an ace in the hole: His 90 year-old mother, Barbara Davis, who was close with the performing artist from her charity galas.
We also chat with Davis about propelling Predator: Badlands to become the highest grossing title in the 38-year-old franchise with close to $183M WW. Not only does he give props, of course, to the series new captain, filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg, but also the director who launched the original movie, John McTiernan.
Beams Davis, “We made it for $15 million. I had net points. It was my first movie as a producer. I had net points. You know how bad net points are? I made so much money on my net points on that movie. You can’t believe it.”
