(The following excerpts are from a Premiere interview with John Woo.  For the complete article, check out the June 2000 issue of Premiere magazine.)

...You and a series of writers -- among them Wesley Strick, William Goldman, Michael ATolkin, and Robert Towne -- worked on the scropt.   It's about Ethan Hunt saving the world from a lethal virus?
They changed the whole story to fit my style.  I really appreciate that.  After Tom finished shooting (Eyes Wide Shut) we met again in Los Angeles, and he gave me the new story.  It was about good and evil, two men in love with the same girl.  "Oh," I said . "Fantastic."  We both had the same thought: We want to make a very classic, romantic spy movie.  Tom wanted to do a real hero who really cares about what he believes and what he loevs.  So the story is not only about saving the world, but saving the girl [played by Thandie Newton].   She's not like a piece of furniture -- it's a very romantic role.  And we came up with some ideas to change the image of Tom; he has long hair -- he looks so charming, more real.  We threw the story back and forth.  Robert Towne became involved; he's great at dialogue; he's a great storyteller.  They worked on the script, and I worked on my storyboards, creating the action.

How badly did Dougray Scott get hurt?
He had never done a big action movie before, and when he sees Tom do anything by himself, he also wants to try.  He was driving the motorcycle and coming very fast, and he needed to stop but couldn't, and he fell off the bike and almost broke his neck.  He hurt his back and his ribs.  It took a month and a half of rest before he could shoot again.

Were you hoping to persuade the studio to let oyu make an R-rated picture?
We all agreed before we started shooting to make a PG-13 movie.  Tom likes my style; he wanted me to make a film that's more calm.  The action is the same; it's just a different treatment.  We don't do the overly violent kind of thing.  Tom and I really didn't want to have a bad influence on young people.  [Laughs]

Which souls are saved in M:I-2?
I cannot tell you.

© 2000 Premiere