Although the film struggled initially, it eventually found a wide cult audience.
For his latest film adaptation, however, Palahniuk is going small scale.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Your books have been adapted into big films before, most notably with David FinchersFight Club.
Credit: Jim Spellman/WireImage
How did you decide to doLullabyas a more personal Kickstarter production?
PALAHNIUK:WellChokewas also really low-budget.
I think it was $1.5 million, so it was a big step down fromFight Club.
I love that phrase they used forChoke.
How do you like the Kickstarter model?
I dont think I really have strong feelings one way or another.
Its so interesting to watch it take shape.
There have been so many changes in my lifetime, its hard to have strong opinions about them all.
Well that was one aspect of it.
What was it like writing a screenplay for the first time?
Comics really gave me a primer for reading screenplays and making things not so talk-y.
Thats right, you just didFight Club 2as a comic series.
What specific lessons did you take from that project to apply here?
Just being aware of all the different points of communication that are present.
Did you make any significant changes to the plot ofLullabyin this adaptation?
Keep the discovery process really fast, then put people into conflict as quickly as possible.
With both this screenplay andFight Club 2, you were revisiting earlier works you had done years later.
What was interesting about that?
Boy, how overwritten the earlier works were.
Theyre so precious that I had to leave them in, but they really dont serve a purpose.
How has your stance changed over the years?
Its all mixed up in my mind.
Its something that will never be resolved in my head.
Thats why zombie culture is so big, because its not binary.
How do we view this thing thats impossible to be with?
Its the new normal.
Isnt that the phrase young people use?
Your work has a tendency to accumulate dedicated fans.
Did this Kickstarter project help you feel more connected to them?
Im thrilled to be part of the process.
I helped out a friend who worked on a horror movie years ago.
I was glad to do that, and its nice to be connected with people.
So much of my job is working alone.
