John Fusco
John Fusco
John Fusco is an American screenwriter, producer, and TV series creator born in Prospect, Connecticut. His screenplays include Crossroads, Young Guns, Young Guns II, Thunderheart, Hidalgo, and the Oscar-nominated Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionWriter
CountryUnited States of America
across actual books came history horseman looking painted sure
I started looking into horse history books and came across the actual story of this half-breed endurance horseman and his painted mustang Hidalgo. I wasn't really sure if I was going to do the movie at that point.
across globe polo relate
The journey of Marco Polo is the hero's journey, one that all cultures across the globe can relate to.
accounts across central historical horseback places polo reference relationship son trip
In 2007, I did a horseback trip across part of central Mongolia with my 13-year-old son - we encountered Marco Polo at all these historical places where Mongolian nomads would reference his accounts and his relationship with Kublai Khan.
globe hundred realized
We searched around the globe and looked at well over a hundred 'Marco Polos,' came down to the wire, and went back and looked at our Italy tapes, and we realized that we had overlooked someone. That was Lorenzo Richelmy.
aware four iron wuxia
Being a student of Wuxia literature, I was aware 'Crouching Tiger' was book four in the 'Crane Iron Pentalogy.'
banal buried historical polo rather
Marco Polo has been kind of buried under this cloud of rather banal historical dust, when the true story is so much more exciting.
area arrived central drove hours remote rocky russian shock stayed trails utility vehicle waited
We drove for 10 hours on rocky trails out into the central part of Mongolia in a Russian utility vehicle with no shock absorbers. Then we arrived at a remote area where we stayed in a yurt and waited to meet a horse wrangler who was scheduled to bring our rides.
chinese goes incredible knew
It all goes back to 'Wow, I never knew this about Marco Polo.' This is an incredible story and an incredible character, and such a rich world of Mongolian and Chinese culture.
chinese east grew history interest unlikely
I grew up with a fascination with Marco Polo. I had this unlikely interest in the East as a young man, and you can't really read about Chinese history and philosophy without encountering him at every turn.
eastern fascinated grew
I grew up in the unlikely place of Connecticut. The Eastern Woodlands. It was semi-rural where I grew up. I was fascinated by the Piqua and the Mohegan Indians of that area.
becoming felt great lining polo series television time
I got the feeling: It's time to do a Marco Polo story. I felt like everything was lining up right because long-form television series were becoming to me like the new great American novel.
time
I have spent time in Mongolia, in China.
court credit full lexington prepared press
I give Lexington all the credit because the executed a full court press that we were not prepared for.
gotten polo
I feel that Marco Polo has really been misrepresented - has never really gotten his due.