“I want to give the fans what they want, just not the way they think they want it,” declares “Twisted Metal” co-creator and showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith about all of the pressures and expectations that are inherent in adapting a beloved video game. For our recent webchat he adds, “It’s a tough challenge, especially with the video game community, who are extremely outspoken. I made jokes before the show came out that I hope I don’t get doxxed,” he laughs. “The one benefit of ‘Twisted Metal,’ being a fan of the games, is that they always changed every iteration, like no two iterations were the same, so that kind of gave us a license, so to speak, to change it up a little bit, and that’s how I approached it. We have these characters Sweet Tooth, John Doe and Calypso. How would these characters exist in this specific world that we’ve created?” We talked with Smith as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&A event with 2024 awards contenders. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
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“Twisted Metal” was developed by Smith, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, based on the Sony video game franchise of the same name. The post-apocalyptic action comedy stars Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Seanoa, Emmy nominee Will Arnett, Neve Campbell, Emmy nominee Richard Cabral and Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Thomas Haden Church. After a large-scale cyber attack, the world has been reduced to rubble, with cities becoming walled fortresses to keep criminals exiled outside the cities in a largely desolate lawless wasteland. John Doe (Mackie) is one of many “milkmen” who transport goods between cities, who is sent out on a mission to traverse the country to deliver a mysterious package. While John embarks on his journey while suffering with amnesia, he faces a life-altering opportunity while confronting ruthless marauders in deadly and destructive vehicles to secure a chance at a better future.
Smith was keen to lean into the series’ mix of subversive characters, action-packed drama and irreverent and often funny storylines. “Part of it came from the fact that there’s a lot of post-apocalyptic shows out there and a lot of them are very dark and dreary and depressing and heavy and weighty. I came at this show wanting to create something else, wanting to find a different kind of post-apocalyptic show that was more fun and upbeat,” he explains about striking the right tone for the show. “‘Mad Max’ is obviously a big inspiration of mine in the show,” Smith reveals. “‘Mad Max’ is about a character who does not talk very much. So it was fun to think about what would be the opposite of that? What is the kind of hero that would use comedy and use quips and a sense of humor to survive the apocalypse and compartmentalize the fact that he’s constantly getting shot at,” he says.
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