Academy Award®-winning visual effects and animation studio Rhythm & Hues was acquired out of bankruptcy today by a wholly-owned affiliate of Los Angeles-based Prana Studios, Inc. Rhythm & Hues is a global production powerhouse for the creation of visual effects and animation for Hollywood movies. Among its 145 screen credits are “Life of Pi,” “The Golden Compass” and “Babe,” Academy Award winners for Achievement in Visual Effects, (in 2012, 2008, and 1995 respectively).
“This is a positive outcome to a difficult situation,” said R&H executiveLee Berger, “and we are thrilled to be able to put this process behind us. We are grateful for Prana’s support as well as the support of their investor group, and are excited to begin the next chapter of R&H’s history.
In February at the 85th Academy Awards, Ang Lee’s Life of Pi won 4 Oscars for Cinematography, Directing, Music (Original Score) and Visual Effects. The movie saw a total of 11 nominations. The vfx team included Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer, Donald R. Elliott and Rhythm & Hues.
During the press room Q&A at the Dolby Theatre about the fate of the company, here’s what the Oscar winners responded with backstage.
Q. Bill, in light of what’s happened with Rhythm & Hues, are you hopeful that whatever happens that you’ll be able to keep the same culture? And for the other visual effects supervisors, talk about what this means for you being able to work on a project where the visual effects are very much a part of the aesthetic of the movie.
A. (Bill Westenhofer) So the first part of your question about Rhythm & Hues, it really was something special, experience funded by John, Pauline and Keith, and it was a place that really catered to the artist and supported them really well. It is a concern. We’re hopeful that we can pull through the bankruptcy, but it’s a concern in all of our minds that the culture is preserved. As long as the key people are maintained in that environment, I think it will carry on. You guys can talk about the second part of the question.
A.(Guillaume Rocheron) Well, I think LIFE OF PI, as you mentioned, is a perfect example of visual effects contributing to the look of a film. And I think with everything we’re talking about now is it really shows that visual effects is part of filmmaking. And that we’re here, and we contribute to telling stories, making images and, over the years, develop relationships with filmmakers and really trying to be integrated in the filmmaking process as early as possible to give as much as we can to the director and try to make sure he can have his vision on screen. So I think it’s really important thing for me that LIFE OF PI kind of shows, it’s a turning point where we’re not only supplying a service, we’re here to actually tell stories and put them on screen.
R&H is also the recipient of four Scientific and Technical Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). With headquarters in El Segundo, California, and additional facilities in Mumbai & Hyderabad India; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Vancouver, Canada; and Kaohsiung, Taiwan – R&H Films offers filmmakers a dynamic creative resource with a vast array of technology and talent.
At a hearing held today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles, Judge Neil Bason approved Prana Studios affiliate, 34×118 Holdings Inc., as the winning bidder after a two-day auction. Prana Studios Inc. is a U.S. animation and visual effects studio with offices in Los Angeles and Mumbai, India.
Prana’s current projects include the upcoming “Planes” theatrical release for the Walt Disney Company (Aug 2013), the animated feature film “Legends of Oz” (Spring, 2014 release), “Pourquoi j’ai (pas) mange mon Pere (Pathe 2014), Percy Jackson 2 (20th Century Fox), and “Saving Santa” (Gateway Films 2013).
“Our partnership will allow R&H to continue the business of creating world-class digital imagery,” said Jeffrey A. Okun, Senior Vice-President, VFX, Prana Studios. “While remaining a stand-alone company focusing on cutting-edge visual effects and innovative technology, R&H will be complimented by Prana’s world-class long-form animation. Our complimentary talents and relationships will create a new, best-in-class one-stop boutique provider of digital imagery to clients globally. With the additional support of our strong investor group, we are confident R&H will continue to be the innovative quality leader in our field that they’ve been for 30 years. We are thankful to Universal and Fox for their overwhelming support.”
The company’s assets were acquired from the court by 34×118 Holdings Inc., a Prana Studios affiliate. 34×118 Holdings Inc.is the new operating company. Allan Soong of Deliotte CRG, will serve as Chief Restructuring Officer of the new operating company, and will work with Lee Berger as President, Erika Burton as Co-President, and Gautham Krishnamurthy as CTO to restructure the operations while maintaining the creative expertise which comprises the heart and soul of the R&H brand.
Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group said “We are delighted to have been early-stage investors in Prana Studios. This bold move will make them the animation / VFX leaders with global delivery capability and will substantially increase the scale and complexity of their work.”
Founder of Sherpalo Ventures and Google Board member Ram Shriram said, “I am excited for Prana – the best at full service digital animation, and now digital VFX. This new arrangement allows for a single stop, stable long term solution for all the digital creative needs of the studios.”
Co-founder of Nexus Venture Partners Naren Gupta stated, “Prana’s focus on high-quality animation and VFX is a cost-effective business model that has made us a favorite partner of leading studios around the world. Acquisition of Rhythm & Hues will allow us to offer an even broader platform to our partners. Prana and its founders are continuing to innovate the way high-quality creative activities should be performed. I remain a huge fan of Prana and its management team.”
Peter M. Gilhuly of Latham & Watkins’, Andrew Walter of Evolution Media Capital, and PJ Shapiro of Ziffren, Brittenham and Branca represented Prana Studios Inc. in the negotiations. Brian L. Davidoff of Greenberg Glusker represented Rhythm & Hues.
Prana Studios, Inc. is an artist-driven, full-service 3-D animation and visual effects studio with production offices in Los Angeles, CA, USA and Mumbai, India. The studio develops content and creates state of the art visual imagery for full-length feature animated films, high quality visual effects for live action and hybrid films, short-form media, and special venue attractions. Prana works in collaboration with major Hollywood studios and independent production companies throughout the world. The studio’s creative skills range from visual and story development to final post, including complete CG and stereoscopic animation and image creation. Prana is a U.S. company founded in 2003 by Arish Fyzee, Kristin Dornig and Pankaj Gunsagar, and is backed by an outstanding group of investors who include Anand Mahindra (Mahindra & Mahindra), Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Industries), Naren Gupta (Nexus Capital), and Ram Shriram (Sherpalo). Jeffrey A. Okun is Sr. Vice-President of Visual Effects.
Prana Studios, Inc. is an anchor venture investor and partner in Kidaptive, an innovative educational technology company dedicated to smart storytelling on iPads. The curriculum is developed in collaboration with Stanford University researchers to create entertaining and adaptive content that helps children learn.
Major credits include the Academy Award submitted “Secret of the Wings”, “Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue” and “Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure” (Walt Disney Studios), “Hitchcock,” (20th Century Fox), “The Watch,” (20th Century Fox), “Tron Legacy” (Walt Disney Studios), “Transformers, Dark of the Moon” (Paramount Pictures), “Thor” (Paramount Pictures), “Tinkerbell” (Walt Disney Studios), “The Chubb-Chubbs Save Xmas” (Sony Pictures Imageworks/Sony Pictures Animation), “Hoodwinked” (The Weinstein Co.), Unstable Fables (The Weinstein Co./The Jim Henson Co.), among others.
Academy-Award winner Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg star in the first trailer for the action thriller 2 GUNS. The movie is based on the Boom! Studios graphic novels by Steven Grant. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur (CONTRABAND), the films opens August 2nd.
The explosive film tracks two operatives from competing bureaus who are forced on the run together. But there is a big problem with their unique alliance: Neither knows that the other is an undercover federal agent.
For the past 12 months, DEA agent Bobby Trench (Washington) and U.S. naval intelligence officer Marcus Stigman (Wahlberg) have been reluctantly attached at the hip. Working undercover as members of a narcotics syndicate, each man distrusts his partner as much as the criminals they have both been tasked to take down.
When their attempt to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel and recover millions goes haywire, Trench and Stigman are suddenly disavowed by their superiors. Now that everyone wants them in jail or in the ground, the only person they can count on is the other. Unfortunately for their pursuers, when good guys spend years pretending to be bad, they pick up a few tricks along the way.
2 GUNS also features Paula Patton, Bill Paxton, Fred Ward, James Marsden and Edward James Olmos.
More than four decades after they first squared off on an isolated desert planet, William Shatner comes face-to-face again with the menacing Gorn species of STAR TREK fame to settle a longstanding feud… but this time the battle begins on a comfy sofa with the two former foes seated in front of a video screen as they fight again in promotion for the April 23 release of STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME.
The original Kirk-Gorn duel was seen in the classic 1967 “Arena” episode of the STAR TREK series. Millions of people have viewed the original on YouTube.
In the promotional video released today, Shatner and the Gorn are seen casually playing STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME when an onscreen dispute leads to a friendly fight re-enacting actual choreographed punches from the classic TV brawl blow-for-blow. This time, however, couch pillows replace the space rocks that were thrown the first time around.
“What better way to spotlight the adventure and fun everyone can have actually playing as Capt. Kirk in the new game, than to team up the legendary former captain himself to play one of his old foes,” commented LeeAnne Stables, President of Consumer Products at Paramount Pictures, the studio releasing the game. “Mr. Shatner is such a great sport and that Gorn had absolutely no chance of coming out on top this time.”
After spending a day on the set with the Gorn to create the video, veteran actor Shatner, who originated the role of Capt. Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series, added: “It never ceases to amaze me how many people still ask me about that scene. It’s 46 years later, and he hasn’t aged as well as I have.”
The highly anticipated STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME features a vastly updated version of the Gorn as the key foe to legendary duo Kirk and Spock. Players take on the roles of Kirk and Spock, who work together to get to the heart of a mysterious attack by an enemy with unimaginable strength – a re-imagined version of the Gorn. In an entirely original story, written by BAFTA award winner Marianne Krawczyk, the Gorn is a terrifying threat, with an army that could overwhelm Kirk, Spock and the crew of the Enterprise.
The all-new video showdown between the two STAR TREK icons can also be found online at www.startrekgame.com starting March 29, and highlights the co-op play that is at the heart of STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME, which will be available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. Pre-ordering is available now.
The promotional video was produced in-house at Paramount Pictures under the creative direction of Senior Vice President Brian Miller and shot on location in a ranch-style home in suburban Los Angeles. The original 1967 Kirk-Gorn fight can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SK0cUNMnMM courtesy of CBS Television.
STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME is under license by CBS Consumer Products and will be released April 23 in North America and April 26 worldwide by Paramount Pictures and NAMCO Bandai Games.
Earlier this week we introduced you to the ground crew making sure the aircraft are ready to fly and the fleet of planes set for take off in the upcoming family movie, PLANES. In case you missed it, click HERE to meet BULLDOG, LEADBOTTOM, BRAVO & ECHO. Today the feisty DUSTY, world champion racer RIPSLINGER and the charming El Chupacabra fly in formation as Disney debuts their brand new poster.
From above the world of CARS comes DISNEY’S PLANES, an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.
Joining Cook are Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Cedric the Entertainer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Cleese, Carlos Alazraqui, Priyanka Chopra, Gabriel Iglesias, Roger Craig Smith, Colin Cowherd, Sinbad, Oliver Kalkofe and Brent Musburger.
Inspired by the world of “Cars” and directed by Disneytoon Studios veteran and aviation enthusiast Klay Hall (“King of the Hill,” “The Simpsons”), DISNEY’S PLANES takes off in theaters on Aug. 9, 2013.
Photo by Joel Schwartzberg. Courtsey of Amnesia Productions.
Here’s a first look at anticipated documentary film, GORE VIDAL: THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA, featuring final interviews with Gore Vidal.
Directed by Nicholas Wrathall (Abandoned: The Betrayal of America’s Immigrants), the film features the final on-camear interviews with the iconic American writer, essayist, and singular intellectual. Featuring interviews with Gore Vidal, Burr Steers, Christopher Hitchens, Jodie Evans, Tim Robbins, Mikhail Gorbachev, Sting, David Mamet, Bob Scheer, William F. Buckley, Jay Parini, Norman Mailer, Nina Straight and Dick Cavett.
No twentieth-century figure has had a more profound effect on the worlds of literature, film, politics, historical debate, and the culture wars than Gore Vidal. Anchored by intimate one-on-one interviews with the man himself, Nicholas Wrathall’s new documentary is a fascinating and wholly entertaining portrait of the last lion of the age of American liberalism.
Commentary by those who knew him best—including filmmaker/nephew Burr Steers and the late Christopher Hitchens—blends with footage from Vidal’s legendary on-air career to remind us why he will forever stand as one of the most brilliant and fearless critics of our time.
GORE VIDAL: THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA is playing in the Spotlight Section of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, and will world premiere on Thursday, April 18th at 8:30pm at the AMC Loews Village 7. Additional public screenings are Saturday, April 20th, 2:30pm at the AMC Loews Village 7, and Friday, April 26th at 5:30pm at the Clearview Cinemas Chelsea.
Review by Barbara Snitzer
No! is an ambitious movie and while it features an engaging performance from its lead actor, Gael Garcia Bernal, it falls short of the high bar set by critics after it was shown at Cannes and having earned a nomination as Best Foreign Film at this year’s Oscars.
While I had general knowledge of Chile’s history involving its rule under the dictator Augusto Pinochet, I wonder if even the average art-house movie goer will even know what I knew going in. The backstory text slides which appear as the movie starts are not sufficient to bring the audience up to speed when the story begins. I felt I should have known more before seeing the movie to fully appreciate this story. This point probably only applies to only a segment of the American audience; the rest of the world, particularly audiences in South America are more familiar with the events. But the movie is opening this weekend in the United States where it may not enjoy the success to which it has become accustomed.
The attention to detail is praiseworthy. Archival footage is seamlessly woven in with the movie which was shot on Sony U-Matic ¾ inch low resolution tape, a format used during the late 1980s, the era during which the movie takes place.
The film is set in 1988 and centers on the second election Chile’s 1980 constitution allows every eight years to determine the continuation of military rule. As happened in the first of these elections in 1980 and tends to be the case when elections are held under dictators, it is viewed by the majority as a formality, if not a sham, that will not alleviate the brutality that has been leveled against many Chileans by their leader, General Augusto Pinochet.
This time, an opposition group emerges, hopeful they can beat the dictator at his own game. The movie doesn’t make clear who these people are or how they assembled themselves. The only detail revealed as an aside is that some of their funding is coming from the United States, ironically the party responsible for installing Pinochet as dictator in the first place.
The group recruits a successful advertising executive, René Saavedra (Bernal) to oversee the fifteen minutes of television airtime allotted to each side in the days leading up to the vote. Saavedra decides on happy, 80s color saturated images rather than reminding people of the brutality exhibited by the regime. He calls it “a drag” and fears it will cultivate apathy that will inhibit a large turnout.
Saavedra’s actions lead to threats and surveillance but none of the violent consequences his fellow citizens have endured. Consequently, he continues his campaign that promises “Happiness” will come to Chile by voting “No.”
It was hard for me to reconcile the happy pop-culture campaign with the horror that occurred under Pinochet’s brutal reign. He was eventually indicted for war crimes and was rescued from justice by his old age and infirmity.
There are some scenes and dialogue that affirm this eventuality. This fact makes it even harder to believe that no one was killed or hurt during the contentious campaign, as a character in the film remarks.
Nevertheless, the film is an important history lesson, and it is surprising to see the campaign ads that Hollywood stars made for the “No” effort.
However, its importance isn’t commensurate with its ability to stand on its own as a film that engages and challenges an audience. It is for this reason, that my vote for No! is sadly a “no.”
3 of 5 Stars
NO opens in St. Louis Friday March 29th at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater
Ginger and Rosa’s plot is a compelling, dramatic, coming of age story of two best girlfriends that somehow is not nearly as entertaining a movie than this brief summary would promise.
Elle Fanning is flawless as Ginger, the young teenage daughter of ginger-haired Natalie (Christina Hendricks) who is separated from her father Roland (Alessandro Nivola), a pacifist of enough renown to provide Ginger with a lifetime of “daddy issues.”
Ginger moves in with her father to escape the domestic reality of life with a mother that refuses to live constantly charged with the fear of nuclear annihilation that permeates their daily life. Director Sally Potter goes to great lengths to make us aware of the girls’ awareness of the threat which, while very real, does not effectively parallel the girls’ adolescent search for meaning to the degree she intends.
The movie takes its time, much longer than necessary, setting the stage for the drama that will ensure, and it is alienating. The peace protests and girly activities feel like filler.
When the characters’ paths are finally set, the pace of the film is still slow. While it’s completely believable that best girlfriends from childhood might grow apart from one another during adolescence, what breaches these two apart makes one wonder how their friendship lasted as long as it did.
While Ginger is enjoying her father’s attention, and that of his pacifist comrades, Rosa swoops in, knocks Roland off his pedestal, and takes to his bed. Ginger’s devastation is deep and is depicted in many scenes. Elle Fanning’s stellar performance enduring the betrayal by her best friend has the most energy in the entire film. She doesn’t show off her talent, but the film in unbalanced when Ginger is the only clear character. It’s unfortunate, as there is a great deal of talent in the cast: Annette Bening, Oliver Platt, and Timothy Spall among others. Fanning is also the only American cast as a Brit who can maintain her accent throughout the film, a slightly distracting quibble that is magnified when there’s not much else going on.
Perhaps those moviegoers who lived through the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 will find this movie more enjoyable than I for nostalgic reasons.
3 of 5 Stars
GINGER & ROSA opens in St. Louis Friday March 29th at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater
An explosive romance about forbidden desires, TYLER PERRY’S TEMPTATION tells the provocative story of Judith, an ambitious married woman whose temptation by a handsome billionaire leads to betrayal, recklessness and forever alters the course of her life. This past week, WAMG participated in a press conference for the film with Tyler Perry, and stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Lance Gross, Robbie Jones, Renée Taylor, Ella Joyce, and Brandy Norwood . Check it out below.
So, Tyler we’ve got obsession and passion for the lord vs obsession and passion of flesh. Can you talk about how you developed those thematic elements found in the film
Tyler Perry: Well what was more important to me in this film was that I knew there were a lot of people going through things in relationships and I wanted to just raise a flag and say “what happens when you’re tempted?” One choice, ne bad decision can change your entire future and destiny. That’s why I wanted to tell this story and that why I took the play version to this version and really extended it and really went into all of those different areas because I really wanted it have a grounded feel and look and feel more like reality than anything that I’ve done. And I also wanted this cast, I wanted a younger cast because not only is this message for everyone but its in particular for younger people as well. One decision can change your whole life.
Mr. Perry, for you, I wanted to ask can you talk about casting Kim Kardashian in the film? What were your expectations working with her and what surprised you the most about working with her?
Tyler Perry: I think the expectation I had for her was to come in and do her best and she did but also more than anything that goes back to the younger cast. I wanted to have a younger cast, younger beautiful people who are very influential and have their own following and people who pay attention to everything they’re doing because this message was so important to me and I think and it was very responsible for her and everyone else here to take part in this film. It’s a big message to carry. I think she did a great job and Im very happy with what she did.
This is for Tyler, you talked about decisions that change your life, can you and the cast members talk about decisions that you now regret and go “Oooo”…
Tyler Perry: I have one but I really have no regrets in my life. I don’t wanna take you down a sad road but I have one and that’s when my mom was dying she was trying to tell me something and she said she was tired and I tried to talk her out of it rather than listen to her and what she had to say because what I found about people especially in those moments is that they have so much they want to say-that is my one regret in life. That is the decision I regret the most. Other than that I am in a place where I am very careful about what I do, how I speak to people, how I treat people because I am very careful about the energy I put out because I want it to come back to me because that’s my only one.
In the end both women live tragically, HIV positive and partner-less. Bringing upon a theme of damaged goods. The male leads however end up happy and wealthy. Was it just to magnify the moral? How did you come up and what was your creative process to build that type of ending?
Tyler Perry: Here’s what I love about when people see my films. A lot of times they get so much out of it than I was thinking. In those moments it wasn’t about the female being HIV positive and having HIV and being downtrodden as much as it was about I made a choice and there is not going to be a happy bow at the end of this. The choices that you make are the choices that you have to live with in life. I’m dealing with that right now with a really close friend of mine who made a really bad decision and it’s going to affect this person for the rest of their lives so that’s what it’s about. It’s not about trying to make the men more powerful, they’re great and moving on and happy and the women aren’t. No-it’s about the choices that we make and to tell you the truth, I’ve known some of these women, I know some of these men. I’ve known a lot of people in my lifetime, in my career and I’ve seen a lot of these situations and it is pretty sad.
Ella Joyce: May I add to that? It’s interesting to hear someone say they get the “damaged goods” in the end but I felt there was a more subtle, more powerful message underneath that and that is redemption because she may have been damaged to the point where she didn’t have the life that she thought she was gonna have but if you were paying attention in the very end she was on her way to church. That young girl she was talking to at the beginning of the movie walked out, made a serious decision that could have affected her life because someone was generous enough to share their mistakes from her. You never know how the lord is gonna use you. The lord use a great mistake and a great tragedy to raise this girl high in his estimation. Her reward is in another place. It’s not here on this earth. That’s the message I got when I read the script and when I saw the film I saw the subtle direction in the way he leaves that with you. What does she say? “I’m on my way to meet my momma at church” She found her way back to her foundation and she’s doing god’s work and that woman walked out and decided to not have that affair.
Tyler Perry: Scratch my essay… add me to that.
Over the years you’ve had such a great partnership with Lionsgate. How has it evolved over the years and are you at a point where you can pretty much make what you want and they distribute it?
Tyler Perry: The relationship with Lionsgate has been one of the greatest gifts and blessings that have come to my life because they completely 100 percent understand the independent spirit they understand the artist and the kind of artist that I am stating with Diary of a Mad Black woman, this being the 13th movie and we’re 15 movies in right now. It’s a really good situation and I would say this to anybody who is in business with someone is it all boils down to how good are you at working together? Gimme what I need and I’ll give you what you need and we’ll have a great partnership and it has been that way and will continue to be that way as long as I’m there.
Question, three part question for Brandy. Brandy it seems like your character is meek in this movie and it’s such a departure from your public persona. Where did you get some of the ideas for this character from?
Brandy Norwood: I’ve been through a lot in my own life and I was able to pull from the struggles in my life and bring a truth to the character to Melinda. It was difficult because I’m at a great place in my life, its difficult when you have to go back to your past and pull from those painful, you know vulnerable moments you don’t really have to but I did to bring honesty to Melinda.
You’ve known your co-star Kim K for a long time. What was it like being a part of the same project with her?
Brandy Norwood: I love Kim! I can’t wait to see her work in the film.
Last of course, you’re planning a wedding. Congratulations! How is it going? I know you’ve got your daughter as the Maid of Honor. How excited is she?
Brandy Norwood: She’s really excited!
This question is for Jurnee. We’re so used to you playing like good innocent roles, this one you actually get to go to bad girl you get to work with Kim K. how was it? What was the most fun?
Jurnee Smollett-Bell: I think the most fun part about playing Judith was the challenge. It was definitely a challenge for me to stretch and go there emotionally-all the different colors in her arc. She goes from point a to point c and luckily I had Tyler to help me steer that because sometimes it was hard to keep track of where I was at. I had to keep remembering where I was coming from because we shot out of order. So one day I was playing myself at 14, the next day I was playing a cocaine addict. I think that’s what you look for as an artist you look for that kind of challenge. It’s funny to say it was fun but it was.
For Robbie and Lance, How did you guys see yourselves as dueling roles for Judith’s heart? How’d you tackle that love triangle?
Robbie Jones: I didn’t think about Lance’s character too much because Harley was so focused on Judith he could care less about anyone else in her life. As far as a love triangle is concerned I don’t think Harley ever considered it that.
Lance Gross: Just like Robbie said I mean approaching Bryce he was that small time guy he didn’t know the life that Harley had. I wanted him to be real as possible, that average guy who works hard and loves his wife.
For Tyler and Renée. Renée what did you like about working in a Tyler Perry movie and Tyler why did you cast Renee? What did you like about her character?
Renée Taylor: I liked how real it was. How real my part was. I loved working with Tyler because he has this tremendous openness and humility that is very inspiring.
Tyler Perry: Working with her, I remember the last night. I went to her and I said “I know it’s been 12 hrs but if we push through 2-3 more hours we can really wrap the movie early, how do you feel?” “What do you mean how do I feel? Let’s do it!” She was right there with us and she brought so much comic relief that was needed in the film. Her timing was perfect, there couldn’t have been a more perfect situation. Super excited to have the opportunity, super excited.
I’m a big believer in you get married, you stay married. What is your stance with how the characters take marriage? Lightly or not?
Tyler Perry: I want this movie to speak to marriage to the right decisions to the wrong decisions how there is 80-20 thing in marriage and relationships you’re only gonna get 80 percent of what you need. 80 from anybody most of the time 80 percent. Here comes somebody offering 20 percent and 20 percent looks like a whole lot when you’re not getting it so you end up leaving 80 percent to get 20 percent. You don’t realize it till you in the 20 what you gave up. So what I’m hoping will speak to making the right choices. The danger of what she experienced was exposure and the thing that happens to a lot of people is they get exposed to the world, they get exposed to all these different things before they know it they find themselves trapped by them. What is important to me and what I want them to walk away with is “its ok to be exposed as long as the exposure doesn’t have you”
Mr Perry, do you ever go back and forth about whether or not to place yourself in your movies?
Tyler Perry: No I don’t actually if I didn’t do any of them I’d be fine. If I just directed, did behind the camera I’d be 100 percent ok with that because what I found is what I found is the audience wants me to do something you know Medea most of the time and that ok it’s all a part of it. I don’t struggle though because the minute I sit down and I write the characters I see them. If they don’t look like me I don’t force myself to be them.
A lot of your temptations in the film are implied. You don’t get over graphic with the sex scenes, also with the cocaine use… you don’t actually show it. Can you talk a little bit about your editing choices.
Tyler Perry: It changes the rating of the film. No really. I can do a movie and go shot 30,000 people in that movie and it could be rated PG or maybe I shouldn’t say this. But just know that if you had seen her actually take the cocaine it would have changed the rating, it would have been a rated R film.
So that was the sole reason for not showing it?
Tyler Perry: Absolutely. But the sex there was another reason for not showing the sex. I wanted to keep it in good taste.
Your movies cover a lot of ground, what would have been another story to tell with the conversation about HIV within women of color and the pharmaceutical world?
Tyler Perry: When I initially wrote it there was some resistance to me telling the HIV, does she have to have HIV cause the story stands on its own? Is that necessary? What is important to me is that people get it. As you said within African American women there are new rising cases within them and to have an audience of women who have loved what I’ve done for a long time and not bring that message would be irresponsible. So it would then become about something else, it would then become about let’s make this movie in a certain way instead of the truth and what it’s intention is.
Will you do more in terms of health care and health disparities in your work down the road?
Tyler Perry: I’m gonna go wherever I go, man. I don’t sit down and say “This is what I’m doing next”. I really don’t. It’s truly what I feel, how I feel… What is the next moment that comes to me in an inspiration, in passing… I’ll talk to someone. I’ll have a conversation. I’ll shake somebody’s hand. I was talking to someone last night. They were on a bike, and almost had a wreck on the bike. From that conversation, I came up with 10 pages… just from that moment. That’s how it works with me. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.
There was a brief mention of Judith’s father, but you chose not to give Judith a father. I wanted to know if you were speaking to what happens to her life because there’s no present father figure? Why did you choose not to have a father figure present?
Tyler Perry: Let me ask you this… Why did you key in on that?
I have a father. I was raised with a father. My parents are still married after 47 years. I know that there are a lot of single mothers raising daughters without daddy’s, and I know that some of my friends have tried to find their fathers in their mate… So, I was just curious.
Tyler Perry: See, that’s what I love about the art, because that meant something to you that it didn’t necessarily mean to me as I was writing it. What I find is that as audiences see it, they will find things that land for them. So, yeah. Now that you brought that up, that makes sense to me, that she would have daddy issues because her husband wouldn’t be enough. She would need another man who was stronger, who was phenomenal, as she said in the film. That makes sense to me. What I love about what you just said is that is resonated with you. That’s what I wanted to do. However it speaks to you… Some people won’t be able to relate to any of it. Then, there will be other people who will be so moved that it will change their lives. Those are the ones that it’s for. It’s how it speaks to you. That’s the intent of it.
Casting is crucial for this movie. Robbie’s character has to work, or the movie doesn’t work… for me. Why did you cast Robbie in this film? What did you see in Robbie that made you say “this will work”? My second question is for you Tyler. Are there scenes that were left on the cutting room floor that we didn’t get to see? What were they, and why did you choose not to use them?
Tyler Perry: Why did I hire Robbie? I saw HURRICANE SEASON, right? Yeah, I saw HURRICANE SEASON, and I was like “Who is that kid? That kid has something and I want to work with him.”, and that was years between that, and doing this. The minute I saw him, I knew I wanted to work with him. When I start writing, about 10-15 lines in, I’ll start seeing people. I’ll start seeing their faces. I’ll start hearing their voices as an actor. I saw Lance. I saw Jurnee. When I can see them, when I can visualize them it helps the story go along a little better for me. Seeing what a great job he did in that, I knew I wanted to work with him.
As for your second question, I shoot very, very efficiently. The worst thing in the world is for me to sit in the edit and realize that I have 45 minutes more than I needed. That means that I wasted days, time and money. So, what is on the page… I’m very efficient. I’m editing as I go. So, I’ll go “No. No. No. We don’t need to shoot this because I’ve got this.” or “If you say this I can jump this page”. As a writer, I’m editing as I go. There’s not much left on the floor.
Studies show that men tend to cheat more than women, but that women are closing the gap. (Laughs throughout the panel)
Brandy Norwood: Damn.
Tyler Perry: Well, listen. I didn’t know they were closing the gap! I’ll tell you what it means for me… is that this whole world of ours has changed, and it’s changing every day. It’s going to take very drastic steps to raise awareness, to raise consciousness, to raise the flag, so to speak, so that people can realize that it’s not just men that are doing it. Everybody’s doing it. Whether it be men, women… it’s all wrong. If you’re going to be committed, you should stay committed. How do you keep a person honest, and… and…
Brandy Norwood: I was just looking at my fiance, cause you were saying something… and wanted to tell him “You’re gonna stay faithful… I’m gonna stay faithful”… (Laughs)
Tyler Perry: There are too many recorders here! What I was saying was (laughs) I done forgot what I was saying. But it was a good point, whatever I was saying. (Laughs)
Some of us in this room have been talking to you since your first movie. I can only imagine what a wonderful journey it’s been. It might even be too early to ask for some sort of lookback, or a report…
Tyler Perry: Am I dying?
When you look back on the body of what you’ve worked on, what you’ve accomplished, and how you’ve infiltrated yourself into this business on your own terms, is it still to early to look back at the impact of what you’ve accomplished?
Tyler Perry: You know, I try not to. I have these great moments though, like last night I was in a restaurant, and this guy came up to me. First of all, he was working on my nerves because I was trying to eat. He just kept talking, and kept talking. I finally had to tell myself “Just hold up. There’s something coming here.” and as he got halfway through, probably 15-20 minutes into what he was saying (laughs) he said “because you have, I feel like I can”. That was such a moment for me. So, sometimes you have to wait to get to the moment. He said “because you have done what you’ve done, I feel like I can too”, and when people tell you that… the body of work, and everything you’ve done, and how it’s being received… it makes me know, that in some kind of way, God has blessed me to represent hope for some people. To have that kind of responsibility, or gift, because that’s truly what it is… for God to give it to you. It’s not something you can earn. It makes me feel great. It makes me feel really wonderful. So, that’s what I’m focused on more than the totality of the work. How it’s affected people and how does it move them.
Do you see yourself as a role model?
Tyler Perry: I see myself as human. I make a lot of mistakes, but I also see myself as a person that, because of what I’ve done, I can show people, or… I do show people, as he said, that it’s possible. If that’s a role model, then yeah. But don’t follow me at home when I’m tired, cause you might not like what you see.
At the end of the day, and the end of this journey making TEMPTATION, what have you personally taken away from this experience, this movie, and working with Tyler?
Tyler Perry: Well, I love him, myself. (Laughs)
Brandy Norwood: (To Tyler) I loved working with you. No, seriously. I loved working with you. He took care of all of us, and I’m just so thankful. I loved my character, and I had to work really hard.
Tyler Perry: (To Brandy) And you did really great.
Brandy Norwood: I really mean that.
Tyler Perry: I’ll close it with this. Just working with all of these people has been a joy. I was having a conversation with somebody when I started making this film, and I was like “Where is that next group? Where is that Howard Rollins, and Denzel, A SOLDIER’S STORY? Where are those people? Where’s Lynn Whitfield? Where is that generation? Cicely Tyson? Where are they?”
Ella Joyce: Judy Pace… I saw her the other day looking gorgeous… (Laughs)
Tyler Perry: … and I’ve found them. I found the next group of people who are coming up, and I’m super excited about it. I think they are all amazing. I think they are all wonderful. I wanted to do what I could to let them shine as bright as they could. I’m hoping, as this movie opens, that people not only get the messages that I want them to get of hope, redemption, faith, forgiveness, making the right choices, but also to realize that there’s another generation of stars that are coming up that are going to break this thing wide open. That’s what I want it to be about.
After the Pakastani President is assassinated, insurgents seize the country’s nuclear arsenal and the Joes are sent in to retrieve the codes. After Duke, Roadblock and the Joes are ambushed by Cobra forces, retaliation is set in motion. In director Jon M. Chu’s 3D sequel to the 2009 movie, the team has to take on the COBRA enemy forces and expose an imposter in the oval office.
While the Cobra Commander is set on becoming ruler over all the Earth while causing global destruction through with his “Zeus” weapon, G.I. JOE: RETALIATION also focuses on the relationship between Snake Eyes and his arch-enemy Storm Shadow, who was presumed dead at the end of RISE OF COBRA. When we first meet Snake Eyes (Ray Park) again, he is on a search for peace within himself after retreating to the Arashikage to train with the Blind Master (RZA). Once there, Snake Eyes learns that Storm Shadow is still alive and is set to the task of bringing him to the Blind Master to face judgment and accountability for his actions.
Without spoiling the rest of this thrill ride, the characters in G.I. Joe Retaliation definitely live up to the iconic GI Joe soldiers reputation for heroism and patriotism.
Returning from the first installment is Duke, who leads his team with confidence and pride and will do anything to protect the soldiers under his care. Returning to the role as the all-American soldier is Channing Tatum, who brings ease to a character who will appeal to a varied audience. Channing is an everyman and we can relate to Duke.
While Duke is the head of the elite unit, the spine and backbone of the group is Roadblock. Dwayne Johnson – an action-figure himself – plays Roadblock, a mountain of a man who helps lead the team with experience, honor and an unbreakable dedication to his unit and country. Tatum and Johnson work really well together. Duke gives the commands, serves as the quarterback, and relies on Roadblock’s experience and strengths to back him up.
Another well-known G.I. Joe character – Flint – becomes a part of the team. Chu found the soldier in newcomer D.J. Cotrona, who has the right combination of strength, charm and slight cockiness. He holds his own alongside his co-stars.
A major point of the film involves the fate of the United States Presidency and the highjacking of the Oval Office. If you go back and watch the 2009 film, you will remember the President suspiciously whistling Zartan’s signature tune at the end. Yep – evil forces have taken over the White House and have somehow gotten inside the Presidency. Since his turn in JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH (1986), I’ve been a huge fan of Jonathan Pryce. The actor once again plays the American President, but this time is given the duty of playing the real American President and the villain posing as the leader of the free world. Pryce plunges into it head on and with a lot of gusto. I got a kick out of watching him play good vs evil.
Enlisted by Cobra to initially help break Cobra Commander out of prison (run by warden Walton Goggins), the film’s best baddie is undoubtedly the villainous Firefly. Set on a mission for global domination, the sadistic Firefly thinks of destruction and art as one and the same. In his own words, Firefly loves to make things go “boom before 9 am.” It’s worth noting that Ray Stevenson’s portrayal as the cold-hearted killer with a flare for the arts, makes for a really interesting, albeit crazy Firefly. He’s a very a believable threat to Dwayne Johnson’s Roadblock.
Director Jon M. Chu brings some of the best Hasbro characters to the screen as well re-introducing familiar one to the G.I. Joe enthusiasts. It’s certainly not the G.I. JOE I was expecting. It’s better! He gives the audience these multi-layered characters and treats them with a fair amount of gravity. For the ever-growing women who embrace the action genre (hand raised), I have to applaud Chu for introducing two female characters to the franchise as well as strong role models for young girls.
One is LADY JAYE (Adrianne Palicki). The only female in the squad and never one to back down or be intimidated, LADY JAYE is an integral part of the unit who fights alongside her male counterparts with equal passion and strength. She is an expert marksman as well as one of the more intelligent characters in the movie.
We also meet Jinx – the first female ninja warrior and cousin of Storm Shadow. A well-known character within the world of G.I. JOE, she is the princess of the Arashikage world, but doesn’t want the title. She wants to fight, but has always felt put in the corner. The filmmakers found their ninja in actress Elodie Yung (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO).
Lastly, it was thrilling to see Bruce Willis become the original G.I. JOE himself, Joe Colton, alongside Johnson’s Roadblock. Willis takes on the heart and spirit of the original 12” action figure and is perfect for the role. Joe Colton is a huge presence in the soul of G.I. JOE.
Being a fan of the 80’s action films, as well as Johnson and Willis, I loved seeing these two-seasoned icons fighting side-by-side. Plus in a G.I. Joe geek-out moment, watch out for where Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis and Snake Eyes kick butt in a scene together.
Special mention goes to the behind-the-scenes talent of cinematographer Stephen Windon (THE FAST & THE FURIOUS), costume designer Louise Mingenbach (X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE), production designer Andrew Menzies (MUNICH, AVATAR), stunt coordinator Steve Ritzi, fight coordinator Thomas Dupont and former Navy Seal and military technical consultant Harry Humphries. Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (ZOMBIELAND) wrote the screenplay.
G.I.JOE: RETALIATION is everything I hoped it would be… and even better in 3D. It has spectacular action sequences where characters head down a snow-covered mountainside on a zip line while being chased by hordes of red ninjas wielding swords. Fans of the G.I. JOE comics will also welcome the ninja’s sais, the deadly sharp-bladed weapons.
Characters also live up to their action figure movements, such as the well known Kung-Fu grip, while giving Roadblock free reign to deliver sleeper holds and body slams. The film is full of mondo vehicles. We get a new version of Hasbro’s Cobra Hiss Tank outfitted with rocket launchers as well as the Cobra Air Boat capable of launching across dry land. With all this fun happening in the movie, I could’ve done with another half hour.
Watching these giant toys and action figures come to life is what every fan boy and girl will want to see. G.I. JOE: RETALIATION will make you feel like a kid all over again.
4.75 out of 5 stars
PHOTOS:
(c) 2013 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. Hasbro and its logo, G.I. JOE and all related characters are Trademarks of Hasbro and used with permission. All Rights Reserved.
What if everything you love was taken from you in the blink of an eye? “The Host” is the next epic love story from the creator of the “Twilight Saga,” worldwide bestselling author, Stephenie Meyer. Last week they held a press day with cast members Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, and director Andrew Niccol. Check out highlights from the day below.
When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) will risk everything to protect thepeople she cares most about — Jared (Max Irons), Ian (Jake Abel), her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and her Uncle Jeb (William Hurt) , proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.
I was curious, when you’re making a movie like this, how do you plot out leaving in enough time for the voiceover lines when you’re having conversations with yourself?
Saoirse Ronan: I think a lot of it was down to the sound department, because they would sort of operate when the lines were being fed to me. So no one on set could hear what was being said into my earwig that I had, but they would kind of control it. I think between them and Andrew… I don’t even know because I’d never be looking in that direction, but I think Andrew might have cued them to give me the next line. But yeah, that was a big question for me when I was going into it was how we were going to do this. How were we going to cue it? Were they going to have someone on set? We were trying to figure that out. But it worked out a lot better, I think, than any of us anticipated.
So you were the only one who could hear that?
Saoirse Ronan: Yeah, me and Andrew, we were the only ones.
You didn’t feel like you were going crazy at one point, did you?
Saoirse Ronan: I talk to myself so much anyway that it was just like a normal day for me. So it was a very natural thing for me to talk to myself.
Mr. Niccol, the producers said you personally approved every extra in the movie.
Andrew Niccol: I try to if I can. They’re just as important — those faces have to havea story. You can look at them and go, “Yeah, I kinda know who that guy is.” They’re important to me. Everything’s important to me.
How do you find that spine in a book as massive as The Host to adapt it into a screenplay?
Andrew Niccol: I’d never adapted a novel before, much less on that is 650 pages that I have to get down to 120. I remember getting it down to 200 and change, and went, “This can’t be done.” Eventually it got down there. I used tricks where I would make composite characters. I’d repurpose dialogue from one into another.
No matter how many times we talk to the “Twilight” cast, they talked about the priceless way that having Stephenie Meyer on the set was for helping them. How did Stephenie help you in the process of making this film?
Saoirse Ronan: She’s very, very supportive in a way that… She never kind of imposes herself too much. She was always on set, and I think more than anything, for me anyway, because I became so close to her personally and consider her a friend, I felt like I could go to her and talk to her about the characters and about the film or even just talk to her about any worries that I had. She was very much there for me as a friend, and that was wonderful. And I’m sure she was like that for the “Twilight” guys as well. She’s not your typical author who either just hands their book over and steps back completely or is never happy with anything that the film production do. She understands film production, she understands that sacrifices need to be made when a book is being adapted to a script, and she knows all that already, she’s been doing it for five years with “Twilight,” so she already has that kind of understanding. And now she’s a film producer, so she’s kind of… she’s more than just the author of the book, you know? She’s very much there to support the whole filming process.
Collaborating with Stephenie, how was that dynamic?
Andrew Niccol: Like I said, I’ve never adapted anything before, so I had no idea what to expect. I was a little anxious because she’s had so much success, it would be easy for her to not be normal. But she turned out to be really down to Earth. She was very soul like, in many ways because she would be very agreeable even if she disagreed. She says in the novel that the Seekers wear black. And I thought if they have pure motifs, I didn’t think I had a chance in hell she’d accept it, but I thought they should wear white. And she said,
And how much did you turn to the book for inspiration when you’re actually creating the character? Or was it more about the words on the page of the script? How do you balance that?
Saoirse Ronan: It was more the script for me. I mean, I read the book before we started shooting, but I found that whenever I — it may not always be this way, but with the films that I’ve done that have been adapted from books, when it’s come down to it I’ll refer to the script obviously before I’ll refer to the book. And that’s what I did with this. I mean, it was great to read the book because, I’m sure as you’ve seen, it’s huge, and so there’s a lot of detail packed into that story and a lot of backstory for the characters, the world, all that kind of stuff. So I think that really helped all of us before we began actually kind of creating who the characters were going to be.
Talk about casting and how you came to cast the different characters.
Andrew Niccol: Saoirse was first because when you have a character who is an alien who is going to insert themselves into your body, that’s not generally a much loved character, but you have to love this character. You need someone like Saoirse who is really likable. She’s impossible not to like. There’s an inherent goodness to her. Then you have to find, for the guys, you can change the anatomy of a movie – you can change the skeletal structure of a movie, but you can’t change chemistry. That’s why it was an extensive process to make sure those two felt the electricity.
Was there something in particular you were looking for when it came to casting these guys?
Saoirse Ronan: Um… a good actor. (laughs) I mean, obviously it wasn’t just down to me, it was more Stephenie and Andrew’s decision and the producers’, but I was delighted they asked me to come in because it was important, I guess, that we had chemistry. One of the things that I was very adamant about was that, OK I know that they have to be attractive-looking guys and all, but the most important thing is that they’re able to play the characters fully and really bring to life and not just be someone who’s a good- looking guy, you know? And thank God we found that with Jake and Max. And I had met them a few years before we started the shoot. I met Max during an audition for something, and Jake was in “the Lovely Bones,” so I had met them both before and I knew they were both lovely, and when I heard they were coming in I was delighted because I knew at least, hopefully this all works out performance-wise, but they’re great guys and I knew we’d all have a great time together and everything.
Diane, this is actually your first time playing a bad person right?
Diane Kruger: Well the jury’s still ____ if she’s bad or not, right? That’s what I thought was interesting actually. Like who’s actually the bad person, the human or the alien, right? It was interesting to be pleasantly terrifying. I love the ark. I thought it was an interesting character to play.
It was a very controlled character anyways. Was that a challenge or…?
Diane Kruger: Yeah, it’s weird to say things without intention. But it was a real choice that I guess Andrew, Stephanie and I made together. ‘Cause in the book she’s described as relentless and all of that, but she looks very different like she’s described as I think short and dark hair and all that and Andrew really wanted the ___ to be super pure, sort of Arian looking I guess. You know very streamlined and very terrifying I guess. So that was definitely something that we created together.
I was curious if, you being so close with Stephenie, if you had talked to her at all about “Byzantium” or if she’d seen it yet.
Saoirse Ronan: She hasn’t seen it yet, actually. She wants to see it. I think she told me that she wants to see it, but I haven’t really talked to her too much about it. I mean, when I said to her it was a vampire film, she was like, “Really?” “It’s not ‘Twilight!’ It’s a different one.” Yeah, I think she’s excited about it. She’ll have to see it soon. It’s coming out soon.
Is it difficult when you’re playing essentially two characters and you’re not seeing one for a lot of the movie and it’s really two different characters? Can you talk about developing both of them? And was that hard for you kind of keeping straight the different personalities?
Saoirse Ronan: It wasn’t too difficult because they’re so different, the two of them. I mean, it’s very much set out in the book and in the script who these characters are and what they’re traits are, and I think it’s great that Melanie is so feisty and has such a mouth on her. She’s a real fighter. She’s very, very human and Wanda isn’t. She’s very kind of serene and positive about things, always keeps her composure. She just doesn’t have those kind of very impulsive human reactions that we would to things like being locked in a cell or being taken away from the creatures that you’re used to and all that kind of stuff. And I enjoyed playing Wanda a lot because of that. I mean, you really have to keep an eye on when naturally you would react in a certain way. You couldn’t with her, you had to keep everything controlled just because it’s not in her character to do that.
Did you come up with a term for what the relationship in this movie is? Because it’s not quite a love triangle.
Saoirse Ronan: I know. (laughs) We’re saying it’s a love square. Or a love rectangle, or I think a love parallelagram is another. I quite like that one. It’s kind of impressive. So yeah, you can take your pick. As long as it has four sides, you know.
As a young actress, I was just kind of curious what you took away from the experience of working with somebody like William Hurt.
Saoirse Ronan: I loved working with William so much, I really did. It was brilliant having him on set because he’s such an experienced actor and not only has he done amazing films but he’s also done a lot of theater as well, and I think because of that in his acting approach comes out a very, very supportive man who really wants to support his other actors and his company of actors, really respects the craft of acting and filmmaking. Having someone like that one set, that took it so seriously and cared about it so much and kind of really took the lead whenever he was around, was fantastic for all of us. Because there would be times where, like on every film, the schedule is pretty tight and you’re pushed to make the day, and I remember there was one day where we were doing this big scene where I bring in medicine to treat Melanie’s little brother because he’s dying, and there was about seven or eight of us in the scene. And we rehearsed it a few times and then just got straight into it, and it wasn’t really working. I mean, it was fine but it didn’t really feel right. And William sensed that, and he made the decision to say, “You know what? Let’s just stop for a minute and really rehearse this and go over it and think about it.” And we did for about half an hour, which is unheard of in the middle of the day. We did that and it made the world of difference because he sensed that and he made the decision to do that with us. I loved working him. And one of my favorite scenes to do what with him where he comes in to the cell and he apologizes for what they’ve done to the Souls and everything. And it was so simple, and for most of the time — I love scenes like this anyway — we didn’t really look at each other, we were just looking straight ahead. But it was great. I love him.
You’ve been through like several tumultuous relationships in one car ride.
Saoirse Ronan: Completely. I was in fits at the end of it. I was a mess. (laughs) I was not stable after that one.
Are you prepared for a franchise? Are you ready to get back and do another one?
Saoirse Ronan: I mean, if the script was right. I think that’s always the most important thing. I wouldn’t just want to do a sequel just for the sake of it, you know? If the script is good enough and the story is strong enough to carry on, then yeah. It would be great to carry on.
Andrew Niccol: Yeah, I was drawn to the story and I would love to keep working with Saoirse. Stephenie’s looking at it thinking, “Maybe I’ll change the second book because of the performance.” It’s that strange situation where the movie might be leading the novel because of her performance… it’s so startling. She’s a bit of a vault. Stephenie won’t tell me what’s going on in the second book. But, it’s supposed to be a trilogy.
