This story contains plot points from theApple TVseriesDark Matter.
The book was first optioned in 2014.
It kind of spun around in film development until 2019.
‘Dark Matter’ starring Joel Edgerton and Jennifer ConnellyApple TV+
So for about five years, drafts of feature adaptations were written.
Just never felt great about it.
To go from 2019 into production three years later is pretty fast.
I mean, its a very complicated thing to actually explain to people.
We didnt take a script out.
We took a pitch out.
Most people arent going to read a whole book just for a meeting.
So it was a tricky pitch.
I didnt want people to be confused.
So there was a big shorthand with those guys.
DEADLINE You didnt necessarily make it easy for folks to follow.
There were times when I was confused, but you charged ahead.
You didnt do any intros like this is bad, Jason and heres good Jason.
Were there any discussions about providing some cheats for potentially confused viewers?
CROUCHNo, I never wanted to make that version of the show.
I knew what we were making was going to be grounded, adult cinema.
I think fans of my books are very smart readers.
And I think the response speaks for itself.
I think a lot of people do understand that and are on board with it.
DEADLINE Were you at in production when the strike came along?
CROUCHWe had finished 10 days before.
We had the first six scripts finished or in states of being finished [before production started].
And so we came up with something that I think wound up being even cooler.
We added some scenes.
I think we can do it.
DEADLINE Are there infinite amount of Jasons at any one time?
DEADLINE Once bad Jason went into the box, that triggered all the other Jasons coming forward, right?
We called him Jason 2.
We named them in the order in which they appeared.
DEADLINE How much did you obsess over what the box should look like?
And we came up with probably 50 designs, some of them wildly crazy, not even a box.
Some of them looked incredibly futuristic, some of them looked cyberpunk.
It just gives the sense of how many boxes there are.
Very subtle stuff, but it took a long time to get there.
It also took a long time to figure out what the box was going to be wrapped in.
We wanted it to look like metal, but didnt want it to look like a boring black monolith.
Thats what the cloud effect looks like when you see the lighter areas of the box.
DEADLINE How was it for you in the adaptation process?
Was it a lot harder than actually writing the book?
CROUCHIn some ways, yes.
Its just so much more logistically to handle and so many more people and personalities.
But we always had the bones of the story.
So those guardrails were just so helpful and important throughout the season.
Other things were harder.
Was it harder than writing the book?
Its probably the hardest thing Ive ever done.
DEADLINE Was this enough episodes?
Did you want more?
CROUCHNo, it was the perfect amount.
In fact, we were originally going to do eight episodes.
Episode five was not originally contemplated as one of the episodes.
It was going to be eight.
So we went to Apple and said, Hey, I think we actually need one more episode.
And they were like, okay.
DEADLINE I loved that scene for multiple reasons.
One, because it happened in the Obama building.
CROUCHOh, theres so many Easter eggs in the show.
Theres a ton of things for observant audience members to pick up.
Theres a bunch of references to my other books, to other peoples books.
Keep an eye on the theater marquees.
Anytime you see a theater marquee, theres something going on.
DEADLINE What episode were you in?
Theres a grizzled bar patron drinking out of a bucket of beers.
DEADLINE So can we believe that Jason and his family ended up back in Amandas Chicago?
DEADLINE All these the other Jasons, are they really that bad?
CROUCHMost of them, no.
They are all offshoots of our hero, Jason.
They were all the same person in the pilot episode.
In fact, they were basically all the same person until theyre abducted by Jason 2.
DEADLINE You never actually explained what the liquid was that they inject themselves with, right?
You are collapsing all possible realities into one reality inside the box.
DEADLINE What was it like working with Joel Edgerton?
CROUCHHes such an incredible human, first of all.
But hes also not just an actor.
He is a writer and a director himself.
So he brings that skillset, which is an added bonus.
He contributed beyond his amazing performance.
And out of those questions, this story came.
DEADLINE It really could work as a series.
CROUCHI think that a little bit of the alternate worlds goes a long way.
But we never wanted to feel like revamping that.
Every episode is packed full of meaningful plot that pushes the story along.
So we never really contemplated getting longer and more episodic with it.
DEADLINE What is next for you?
CROUCHId love to finish my next book, which, so thats next on deck.
My publishers pretty great and understanding.
So theyve been patient with me.
