R.H. Stavis is on a mission these days. Take a quick look at all of the projects she's involved in (or rumored to be involved in), and her goal becomes abundantly clear to take the world of multimedia entertainment by storm through any media necessary. It's a daunting task for anyone to try and tackle the worlds of print, film, and interactive entertainment. Thankfully, it looks like Stavis may just have the talent to accomplish what she's setting out to do. We recently had the chance to sit down with R.H. to separate fact from fiction while talking shop about comics, games, movies, and a little bit she might be doing with that other magazine with "Play" in the title.
So Rachel, if the buzz around the entertainment industry is any indication, you've been pretty busy lately, dipping your fingers into all sorts of comic, video game, film, and print projects. How do you find the time to get any sleep?
R.H. Stavis: Sleep? What is sleep?! Actually, its been very hectic, which is great but I do try to lead a balanced life. That means friends, dog, and a few hours of rest per night!
For those out there who may not be familiar with your work, give us a little background on yourself and what you've worked on.
I wrote the back story for Lara Croft, which is something people still remember me for. Even after years, fans at Comic-Con will say, Thats the Tomb Raider girl! when they come up to see me. After that, I wrote novels for a while, including my 2005 book Daniels Veil, which is a paranormal fiction. From there, I worked on comics and film scripts, and today, I work in cross media, meaning that I write comics, novels, video games, film, and television. I never get bored!
Daniel's Veil seemed to cross a lot of different boundaries, blending science and supernatural with horror and romance, making the book a little hard to categorize. If you had to describe the type of story to someone who's never picked it up, how would you do it?
It is difficult, because as you said, theres so many different aspects of it, and everyone who reads it seems to interpret it in his or her own way. To me, the book is the story of two men whove lost their way in life, and find their paths through extraordinary circumstances. It deals with multiple dimensions and beliefs concerning the afterlife, but it also questions who we are, and why we are.
Well, apparently your formula worked with both readers and with the higher ups in Hollywood. I've heard a lot of talk about a few different studios itching to bring Daniel's Veil to the big screen. Any truth in that?
There is some truth to that, yes. Ive been in talks with various studios and production companies who have enjoyed the book. Id love to see it brought to life!
You also mentioned that you spent some time writing short stories based on the Tomb Raider video game franchise. Talk in Hollywood is that Warner Bros. is looking to reboot the feature film adventures of Lara Croft. What's your take on that news and how would you handle it if Warner came to you to with a clean slate?
I am very excited about the re-launch of the TR franchise. And honestly, the only way you can go about it is to give it a clean slate.
For me, Lara Croft has always been my first love. She was the most empowering, kick-ass female character of her time, and when Tomb Raider [the game] hit consoles, people were amazed, myself included which is what led to the writings.
I had two million readers worldwide who followed Laras adventures each week. I was even interviewed on NPR for my work. The fans were so wonderful when talks of the first film began that they literally sent thousands of emails to Paramount asking for me to be a part of the film. Of course, I was only 19 back then.
Now, Warner Bros. has an amazing opportunity to reignite Tomb Raider, and give the fans the Lara Croft action adventure film theyd love to see, and have been loyally waiting for for years. For me, its quite simple: remain true to the character. Give her a storyline that will make people say, Thats exactly where Lara would be! Thats exactly how Lara would fight!
I would love to be a part of that.
(cont...)
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