Hello! Welcome to another edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by me, David Hughes.
This episode is really personal for me, not only because Rupert Wainwright has been a good friend of mine for 25 years, but because Stigmata is the reason we met. While working on Divine Rites: The Story of Stigmata, a documentary about the film and the phenomenon, I wrote and pitched to Rupert a pilot script designed to be a spin-off of the film, using the Congregation of the Causes of Saints as a kind of X-Files show in which our hero would travel the world investigating mysteries and miracles.
Although we didn’t end up making the show, Rupert liked the script enough to give me a shot at writing a film for him, based on his own idea, which we almost got to make with Matthew McConaughey about 20 years ago, and we’ve been working on projects together ever since – and more importantly, we’ve enjoyed an enduring friendship which has outlasted our Dante-esque trudges through Development Hell.
Revisiting Stigmata for its 25th anniversary, I was delighted to discover that the film really holds up, which is a testament both to Rupert’s skill as a director and the casting of some very talented and committed actors, including Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce and our mutual friend Rade Serbedzija.
Massive thanks to Rupert for lending his time and his memories to our 40th episode.
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Thanks for listening!
A Synchronicity production, conceived and presented by David Hughes. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja.
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