by Dov Kornits
In BRIMSTONE, we follow John Devereaux, an Australian SAS Warrant Officer seconded to ASIS. Spanning the globe, from Cambodian jungles to the city streets of Sydney and Bangkok, secretive Moscow dens and the glorious French Riviera, the action filled nailbiter ultimately uncovers a covert organisation, bringing Deveraux in the sights of the Russian Mafia.
We emailed Hutchings a handful of questions to find out more.
Was Big Sky Publishing – who published the book – always involved, or did you have to pitch the book to a number of publishers before they came onboard?
“I looked into many publishers and most didn’t reply or simply said they were ‘not taking on new clients at this stage’… all that without even being sent a manuscript.
“I have a friend who was published with Big Sky Publishing, and she introduced me to them. I was fortunate that my novels were read by their CEO, who enjoyed the books. I was offered a contract for the book series and to date, BSP has been fantastic. They are so easy to work with and give great support. They are separate to the M6 film franchise.”
Was your career in SAS inspired at all by the famous espionage novels of the past? Did you read these books once you were working in the space? If so, can you specify which ones, and what were you impressed by in any specific ones you can discuss?
“To be honest, no. My inspiration to join SAS came when my father returned from the Borneo conflict. We were driving past the SAS base in Swanbourne and my father pointed at the base as we drove by. He said… ‘Join the army son but don’t join these mad men.’ I ask why they are mad and he said.. ‘They jump out of aeroplanes, climb mountains, blow things up and do all sorts of crazy stuff…’ And that was all it took. I was hooked from that moment on… I never changed my mind on what I was going to be and when I turned 17, I joined the Army and went to SAS straight after Infantry school – I was 17, the youngest person to ever be badged into the SAS.
“As for books I read whilst I was serving… Yes, my inspiration as a young adult was John le Carre… The Spy That Came in From the Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Another author who inspired me greatly was Robert Ludlum….. The Bourne Identity, The Sigma Protocol, The Matarese Circle, The Cry of the Halidron.”
Brimstone almost reads like a shooting script, were you always thinking that this would be made into a film/series?
“Initially no. I was simply writing a novel in my down time in Afghanistan, then, as I got into it, I realised that when I write, it’s almost like watching a movie unfold in my mind’s eye. So, it was a natural progression from book to film. From the beginning, I planned to write a series – from the start, I mapped out six novels, of which I have written two that are now completed and I am part way writing the third novel – Mantra-6 CHILLI. All six planned novels are also planned to be made into feature films, similar to how the Jason Bourne series has been turned into a franchise.”
Did you envision anyone in particular playing the roles in a filmed version?
“Yes, when I was writing the novel and thinking about John Devereaux’s character, I always envisaged Eric Bana in that role. We are planning to make the M6 BRIMSTONE feature film, an all-Australian affair. Australian made, acted etc.”
How pro-active were you in this becoming a filmed adaptation? For example, were you instrumental in Storm Ashwood and John Jarratt, who just joined the cast, becoming involved?
“Yes, I was very pro-active and have been driving the project along with my business partner, Graeme Coleman, who along with me is an Executive Producer. We established MANTRA-6 Productions as the vehicle to manage the development and making of the film. We contacted Storm Ashwood to discuss the film’s script with him and after he read the script – he was hooked and asked to direct the film. The same thing with John Jarratt, he read the script and loved it and wanted to be part of the process. We have put together a great team and our progress has been stellar over 2021 and looks to maintain the same momentum over 2022.”
Why do you think that Storm Ashwood is a good fit to direct the filmed version?
“Storm has great vision and is experienced working in the genre and within the Australian film industry. He can see the story’s potential and also the follow-on novels/films and knows how to make MANTRA-6 into a successful franchise.
“Storm has proven to be a fantastic asset and highly valuable member of our team.”
Do you think that it’ll be harder to cope with any negative reviews compared to the actual SAS work?
“Actually, I see it as complimenting real SAS work. When I wrote MANTRA-6 BRIMSTONE, I wrote it as close as possible to how the SAS work without breaching the official secrets act. International Best-Selling Author, Chris Ryan was quoted as saying BRIMSTONE is ‘as real as it gets!’ As for negative reviews, I don’t really concern myself with them. Everyone has their own opinions – some will love it, some will not be able to cope with it – that’s just part of life… I roll with the punches.”
How do you write about some of this top secret stuff without taking away its believability in fictionalising it?
“That’s a great question… the answer is Very Carefully. I am very aware of my responsibilities and as such, I have a group of colleagues who I run past elements of possible concern with them. I do this process to ensure I am not crossing the line. In most cases, the elements I write about, I research well to see if such issues are in the public domain and if you look hard enough you can find it. I will never write a book that breaches my responsibilities but will take it right up to the line. It is true that some things I write about have a basis in fact, but I simply change location, dates, times, characters, events, to provide cover. There have been times when I have been asked by other operators who have read the book, ‘Is that such and such and was it when we did… ‘X’’…. My answer is always… ‘I don’t’ know…. Is it?’”
Do you personally think that the series is better suited to a streaming service than the big screen?
“That is something I asked myself many times.
“I think it needs to go big screen as a feature film first, then later develop it into a streaming series, with each novel developed and shown over several seasons. Similar to the Jack Ryan or NARCOS series for example.”
When do you see the other books in the series being released?
“At this stage, MANTRA-6 NITRATE, my second book is complete and will be released in May 2022. The third book MANTRA-6 CHILLI is being written now and will be released in November 2022. MANTRA-6 WRAITH the fourth book is planned for May 2023.”
It is mentioned in the press release that the shoot will happen on the Gold Coast. Any particular reasons for that?
“Our plan is to shoot on the Gold Coast at the Village Roadshow Studios. That is not yet confirmed – however it will be shot mainly in Queensland, some elements in Sydney and Victoria. The reason why we chose the Gold Coast is because some of the scenes are jungle scenes and we have tropical rainforest close to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is well set up for filmmaking and there are excellent State Government grants available.”
Sounds great. Can not wait to see it on the big screen. Have read the book and loved it. Looking forward to the next book definitely a great read.