Rising with terrifying grandeur, the forest is real – and it is the suspense-filled setting of THE FOREST, a frightening supernatural thriller on Digital HD now, and on Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on April 12, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. THE FOREST on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD comes with terrifying bonus features including behind-the-scenes photos and feature commentary with director Jason Zada.
A young woman’s hunt for her missing sister leads to horror and madness in THE FOREST, starring Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games) and Taylor Kinney (Chicago Fire, Zero Dark Thirty). When her troubled twin sister Jess mysteriously disappears, Sara Price (Dormer) discovers Jess vanished in Japan’s legendary Aokigahara Forest. Searching its eerie dark woods with the help of journalist Aiden (Kinney), Sara plunges into a tormented world where angry spirits lie in wait for those who ignore the warning: stay on the path.
WAMG is giving away copies of the film to celebrate the Blu-ray/DVD release.
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Exploring The Forest: Cast and filmmakers discuss their initial attraction to the project and the history behind the Aokigahara Forest; and dive into the characterizations, the visual effects, and the lore of the infamous Yurei in this behind-the-scenes featurette.
FILMMAKERS Cast: Natalie Dormer, Taylor Kinney, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Eoin Macken Directed By: Jason Zada Written By: Ben Ketai and Sarah Cornwell and Nick Antosca Produced By: Tory Metzger, David S. Goyer, David Linde Executive Produced By: Len Blavatnik, Aviv Giladi, Lawrence Bender, Andrew Pfeffer Director of Photography: Mattias Troelstrup, DFF Production Designer: Kevin Phipps Edited By: Jim Flynn Music By: Bear McCreary Costume Design By: Bojana Nikitovic
TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY™: Street Date: April 12, 2016 Copyright: 2016 Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Selection Number: 62176397 (US)/ 62177867 (CDN) Layers: BD-50 Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen Rating: PG-13 for disturbing thematic content and images Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French Sound: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Run Time: 1 hour, 33 minutes
TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD: Street Date: April 12, 2016 Copyright: 2016 Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Selection Number: 62174601 (US)/ 62177867 (CDN) Layers: Dual Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Rating: PG-13 for disturbing thematic content and images Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Run Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Something bad…..evil, happens in Japan’s Aokigahara Forest, a (real) destination popular for those looking for a scenic place to commit suicide. The sheer bad vibes of those woods have trapped its many victims inside as moldy ghosts that haunt people who dare enter. Such ghost stories are common in every storytelling culture, of course, but the Japanese have a long tradition of taking vengeful spirits seriously, in life as well as in art. THE FOREST, a new Hollywood film set in this foggy Japanese woodland is basically a haunted house film, replacing the house with a forest, but despite one or two mild scares, it never generates much tension and is only notable for being the first lousy horror film of 2016 (I’m sure there will be more).
THE FOREST tells the story of young American Sara Price (Natalie Dormer) who receives word that her identical twin sister Jess (also played by Miss Dormer, but with darker hair), a teacher working in Japan, has disappeared after a visit to the Aokigahara Forest. Convinced Jess is still alive, Sara travels to the land of the rising sun alone to search for her. After a disturbing visit to the forest’s visitor’s center, she meets hunky Aiden (Taylor Kinney), an American writer for an Australian travel magazine, who just happens to be touring Aokigahara with a guide (Yukiyoshi Ozawa) the next day so Sara offers to tag along. Distrust, screaming ghosts, paranormal shenanigans, and boredom ensue.
THE FOREST doesn’t add up to much. The story is underdeveloped, and the characters underwritten. The film doesn’t know what to do once it lays out its initial premise, falling back to the clichés of most PG-13 horror flicks – rotting specters suddenly appearing where there was just open space, ghostly whispering, loads of cheesy jump-scare shocks, and it all ends on a lazy, unresolved note. Sara and Liam spend long stretches trekking through the woods talking about themselves and reciting by-the-numbers dialog like “If we keep walking in this direction, we’ll come to the path before too long” and “I’m here to find my sister and I’m not leaving without her!” and “That’s weird! Why is that happening?” They walk and hike and walk some more, stumbling across the occasional dead body that may or may not really be there while the viewer waits for something to happen, like a bear attack or a naked Nick Nolte, to liven things up. First-time director Jason Zada fails to create any atmosphere or sense of dread and there’s rarely any payoff to the build-up – just when the movie seems on the verge of becoming truly scary, Zada cuts away to a new scene and begins the process over again. The movie is so full of inconsistencies and plot holes that I stumbled out of THE FOREST with few answers, and many questions: Are there really so many suicides in Aokigahara that the visitor’s center there needs its own morgue? How did Sara’s boyfriend Rob (Eoin Macken) suddenly arrive in Japan (a 20-hour flight from the US) to join the rescue party? Do identical twins really have identical facial moles? Is this the first horror film with a haunted Viewmaster?
THE FOREST doesn’t even work as a travelogue of Japanese spiritual beliefs. Instead of opening the film by showing a suicide there, the background on Aokigahara Forest is described by dialog in a phone call (how cinematic!). By having a bunch of Americans in the cast, led by Miss Dormer (who does her best), THE FOREST could have taken the opportunity to educate us ignorant gaijin more about, say, yūrei (angry spirits) or Ubasute (taking the elderly to a remote place to die), or the noble history of spirits in religion and art. Instead, the visually uninteresting story might as well be set in Denver, though it adds the weird subtext of Americans being terrified by wet-haired teenage Japanese girls – a theme exhausted a decade ago in films like THE GRUDGE and RING. THE FOREST plays like one of those American remakes of a better Japanese horror film even though it’s not, which is too bad. At least then we’d have the superior original.
To celebrate the opening of Gramercy Pictures’ THE FOREST this Friday, WAMG is giving away free tickets to see the film.
The forest is real. Rising with terrifying grandeur at the base of Mr. Fuji in Japan, the legendary real-life Aokigahara Forest is the suspense-filled setting of the supernatural thriller The Forest.
An American woman, Sara (played by Natalie Dormer of Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games), journeys to the forest in search of her twin sister Jess (also played by Ms. Dormer), who has mysteriously disappeared. Frustrated at Jess’ pattern of behavior, Sara’s husband Rob (Eoin Macken of The Night Shift) is unable to talk his wife out of making the 6,000-mile trip.
After a visit to the school where Jess teaches, the resourceful Sara sets out for the forest itself. Accompanied by a charismatic new acquaintance, expatriate journalist Aiden (Taylor Kinney of Chicago Fire), she enters the forest having been well warned to “stay on the path.”
Forest guide Michi (Japanese star Yukiyoshi Ozawa) keeps a protective eye on them both, but when night falls he cannot dissuade them from staying in the forest, and reluctantly leaves the duo to face the elements alone.
Fear soon fragments Sara’s consciousness; she begins to question Aiden’s motives, including his claim that he has never seen Jess. Determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate, Sara will have to face the angry and tormented souls of the dead that prey on anyone who dares come near them. These malevolent spirits lying in wait for Sara at every turn will plunge her into a frightening darkness from which she must fight to save herself.
Directed by Jason Zada, the movie is written by Ben Ketai, Sarah Cornwell and Nick Antosca.
THE FOREST hits theaters nationwide from Gramercy Pictures on January 8th.
For your chance to win RUN-OF-ENGAGEMENT passes to see the film in the St. Louis area, enter:
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The movie has been rated PG 13.
Enter the Suicide Forest from their upcoming film THE FOREST.
It is an immersive 360 degree sight and sound experience that takes fans right into the heart of Aokigahara, the terrifying real life suicide forest located at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan. The experience uses real images taken at Aokigahara.
The experience is best viewed in either mobile or virtual reality using Google Cardboard and your phone. 360 degree video and audio transports fans right into the The Suicide Forest.
Follow Natalie Dormer on a terrifying journey through THE FOREST in this exclusive Motion Poster.
Rising with terrifying grandeur at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan, the legendary real-life Aokigahara Forest is the suspense-filled setting of the supernatural thriller.
A young American woman, Sara (Natalie Dormer of “Game of Thrones” and “The Hunger Games”), journeys there in search of her twin sister, who has mysteriously disappeared. In the company of expatriate Aiden (Taylor Kinney of “Chicago Fire”), Sara enters the forest having been well warned to “stay on the path.”
Determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate, Sara will have to face the angry and tormented souls of the dead that prey on anyone who dares come near them. These malevolent spirits lying in wait for Sara at every turn will plunge her into a frightening darkness from which she must fight to save herself.
Natalie Dormer stars as Sara Price in Jason Zada’s THE FOREST, a Gramercy Pictures release. Credit : James Dittiger / Gramercy Pictures
Directed by Jason Zada, the movie is written by Ben Ketai, Sarah Cornwell and Nick Antosca.
THE FOREST hits theaters nationwide from Gramercy Pictures on January 8, 2016.
The latest poster and 60 second preview premiered exclusively on Natalie Dormer’s Facebook and Instagram channels earlier today.
Rising with terrifying grandeur at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan, the legendary real-life Aokigahara Forest is the suspense-filled setting of the supernatural thriller.
A young American woman, Sara (Natalie Dormer of “Game of Thrones” and “The Hunger Games”), journeys there in search of her twin sister, who has mysteriously disappeared. In the company of expatriate Aiden (Taylor Kinney of “Chicago Fire”), Sara enters the forest having been well warned to “stay on the path.” Determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate, Sara will have to face the angry and tormented souls of the dead that prey on anyone who dares come near them.
These malevolent spirits lying in wait for Sara at every turn will plunge her into a frightening darkness from which she must fight to save herself.
Gramercy Pictures releases THE FOREST in theaters nationwide on Friday, January 8th, 2016.
Get ready to enter THE FOREST in this creepy poster and trailer starring Natalie Dormer.
Rising with terrifying grandeur at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan, the legendary real-life Aokigahara Forest is the suspense-filled setting of the supernatural thriller.
A young American woman, Sara (Natalie Dormer of “Game of Thrones” and “The Hunger Games”), journeys there in search of her twin sister, who has mysteriously disappeared. In the company of expatriate Aiden (Taylor Kinney of “Chicago Fire”), Sara enters the forest having been well warned to “stay on the path.”
Determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate, Sara will have to face the angry and tormented souls of the dead that prey on anyone who dares come near them. These malevolent spirits lying in wait for Sara at every turn will plunge her into a frightening darkness from which she must fight to save herself.
Director Jason Zada’s THE FOREST hits theaters nationwide from Gramercy Pictures on January 8th.
THE FOREST, the supernatural thriller starring Natalie Dormer and Taylor Kinney which will be directed by Jason Zada based on an original idea by David S. Goyer, will commences principal photography today in Tokyo, Japan and in the environs surrounding the legendary Aokigahara forest at the base of Mt. Fuji.
Additionally, AI Film joins the Lava Bear Films project as a co-financier and co-producer, with Focus Features releasing the film nationwide on January 8, 2016.
THE FOREST, which is set in the Aokigahara forest at the base of Mt. Fuji, tells the story of a young American woman who goes in search of her twin sister, who has mysteriously disappeared. Despite everyone’s warnings to “stay on the path,” Sara enters the forest determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate, only to be confronted by the angry and tormented souls of the dead who prey on anyone who wanders into the forest.
Good Universe continues international sales on the project at this year’s Cannes market. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions previously acquired rights in multiple overseas territories including Australia, Spain, Eastern Europe and all of Asia outside of Japan.
Sarah Cornwell and Nick Antosca wrote the script of THE FOREST which is produced by Lava Bear Films and Goyer, under his Phantom Four banner. Len Blavatnik, , Aviv Giladi and Lawrence Bender will serve as executive producers for AI Film. Tory Metzger, President of Lava Bear, is overseeing the production.
“We are proud to see this film going into production and fortunate to have AI Film join us on the film,” said Lava Bear head David Linde. “The team both in front of and behind the camera promises to deliver a well-crafted thriller designed to engage audiences all over the world.”
In addition to THE FOREST, Lava Bear is currently in pre-production on STORY OF YOUR LIFE, which will be directed by directed Denis Villeneuve, star two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner and Oscar nominee Amy Adams, and be distributed by Paramount Pictures in the US; and in post-production on SHUT IN with EuropaCorp distributing worldwide and starring Naomi Watts as well as on Jonás Cuarón’s DESIERTO with Esperanto Kino and Itaca Films. Lava Bear’s development slate includes David Michod’s THE KING at Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures’ MAMA 2 with Guillermo del Toro producing, among many others.
In the all new 20th Century Fox comedy THE OTHER WOMAN directer Nick Cassavetes takes a new approach to the classic cheater story that we’ve all seen before… but does it work?
Carly (Cameron Diaz) is a strong, independent New Yorker lawyer who has finally traded in her little black book for Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a handsome, well dressed man who has swept her off her feet. She seems to have everything going for her… until she accidentally meets Mark’s wife Kate (Leslie Mann). With nowhere else to go Kate tracks down Carly, and the two slowly turn their pain into an unlikely friendship, that turns into a trio after discovering a third woman in the mix. Together Carly, Kate, and now Amber (Kate Upton) team up to teach Mark a lesson once and for all, and exact revenge on their three-timing man.
First, this film needs to be taken for what it is – a comedic chick flick that sets out to empower women. This isn’t one of those movies with a hidden message, everything is laid out for the audience. The film takes a light-hearted approach at holding the cheating party, rather than the unknowing mistress accountable. All too often anger is aimed at the wrong person, and this film sets out to point that out. It’s also about friendship, and the rare bond that the girls form under a devastating circumstance. Mostly, it’s just one of those films that you go to with your girlfriends for a good laugh.
Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann have an incredible chemistry together. Both are no strangers to comedy, and it shows. Their scenes together are what carry this film. I was also quite impressed with Kate Upton. Not only is her character likable, but she holds her own with Diaz and Mann… in her first film! That is quite an achievement. I think Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (‘Game Of Thrones’) also deserves some credit. Not only was his character put through the ringer, but he plays a convincing womanizer in this film. He paired nicely with the ladies, and complimented them well.
Despite the girls bringing the laughs, the story could have been a little stronger. I feel like it was only secondary to the comedy. Diaz, Mann, and Upton’s interactions, jokes, and physical comedy took center stage, while the story of adultery and betrayal faded into the background until the last fourth of the movie where they start to take their revenge. I don’t expect a deep, meaningful script, but I would like a little more than laughs to carry this film. If this story is really about friendship, then a few more heartfelt moments between the girls would have been nice to see. Also, I think they should have concentrated a bit more on Mark’s financial deviancy, and making him even more unlikeable. This would have, at least for me, made the last part of their revenge a little more enjoyable. It also went a little too slapstick towards the end, which doesn’t mesh with the tone of the first half of the movie. These women are funny enough on their own. For example, they don’t have to show Mark’s reaction to laxatives as it’s happening. Instead, they could have simply implied his bathroom ordeal, rather than showing his freak out on the toilet. At least then it would have fit with the comedic tone of first half of the film.
Even though there are problems with the story, THE OTHER WOMAN is still a fun, lighthearted film to go see with your friends. Oh, and ladies… if you want to bring a date with you just, tell them “that guy from ‘Game Of Thrones’ is in it. You’re welcome.
In THE OTHER WOMAN, the all new 20th Century Fox comedy, three women form a bond after they find out that they are all sleeping with the same man. Rather than getting mad at each other, they form an unlikely friendship, and together they set out to settle the score with their three timing lover to make sure that he learns his lesson…
Last week WAMG sat down with stars Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Taylor Kinney in a small press conference moderated by Giuliana Rancic to talk about cheating, soul mates, and horse whips. Check it out below!
After discovering her boyfriend is married, a woman (Cameron Diaz) tries to get her ruined life back on track. But when she accidentally meets the wife he’s been cheating on (Leslie Mann), she realizes they have much in common, and her sworn enemy becomes her greatest friend. When yet another affair is discovered (Kate Upton), all three women team up to plot mutual revenge on their cheating, lying, three-timing SOB.
We’ll start with the ladies… I was saying that I loved this movie so much because it’s called THE OTHER WOMAN, so you’re thinking that it’s about the relationship about a man and the different women, but really, ultimately, it’s about a friendship. Friendships that develop amongst three women that you would never, in a million years, see happen. Is that one of the things that drew you all to the script, and to this project? Cameron, would you like to start?
CAMERON DIAZ : Sure. Yeah, absolutely. I felt that this was such a unique film. When Julie Yorn, the producer, came to me with the idea for Melissa Stack, the screenwriter, to write the script I though it sounded like a great idea. There’s nothing else out there like that. Usually when it’s a story about three women who are all involved with the same man it usually ends in somebody’s eyeballs being scratched out, and some weaves being snatched off. [Laughs] We decided that that wasn’t the story that we wanted to tell, and we didn’t really want to focus either… we didn’t want it to be a story about revenge. We wanted it to be a story about utilizing the commonality of the three of them having a relationship with the same man to be a catalyst to bring them together, because otherwise, like you said, these three women would not know one another otherwise. It’s not only a story of friendship, and women, and how we support one another, and how we are there for one another, but it also shows us how different these women are. They each have their own strengths, and their own weaknesses, and those strengths and weaknesses help each one of them in their own way. They actually empower one another because of those strengths and weaknesses.
LESLIE MANN : We help each other learn, and grow.
KATE UPTON : Yeah, and I know that in my life, my girlfriends are one of the most important relationships that I have… from going through the good times and the bad times. It was a really amazing script because i think it really shows that it’s true in real life.
LESLIE MANN : And, it’s written by a woman… [Laughs]
KATE UPTON : … so, automatically it’s better.
LESLIE MANN : … so, it’s better… [Laughs] It seems like a lot of the other movies with the same kind of idea have been written by men, and maybe directed by men… not that that’s a bad thing. They like to perpetuate this idea of women fighting over them [laughs] and get us into believing that that is what we are supposed to do. So, it’s nice. It’s refreshing to have this new twist on it.
It is empowering. I felt very empowered in the movie. I think we’re so quick when something like this happens in our lives – whatever degree it is… maybe not to the degree that it happens in the movie… but, we feel the need to immediately blame the woman even though she’s probably in the dark half the time, and it’s really the man [nods toward Nikolaj] that we should be looking at…
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : What does it tell us about these women? They all fall for this kind of man. [Laughs]
CAMERON DIAZ : That he’s really good! That he’s really good at what he does! [Laughs]
I wanted to ask you guys a couple of questions. I’ll start with you Nikolaj. In ‘Game Of Thrones’ you definitely come up against some fierce enemies. How does that compare to what you go through in this movie? Especially in the end… you go through quite a bit.
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : Yeah. They take their revenge, you know. All he did was – he wanted to give them pleasure. [Laughs]
CAMERON DIAZ : Oh, this is how this is going? [Laughs]
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : No. I mean, it doesn’t really compare. I think he’s a real prick, and he gets what he deserves. No question about it.
How was it working with these women?
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : It was amazing! I mean, all three girls were amazing. Leslie, Cameron, they are very brilliant actresses. They’ve done this for a long time, and they have impeccable timing. They both like to, how do you say, keep the scene open as long as possible to come up with ideas, and I really had to stay on my toes to keep up with them, and try not to get in their way. I learned a lot from them. I have to say, Kate… [to Kate] Is this your first movie? [Kate nods] I’m just absolutely amazed at how she pulled it off, cause it’s not easy playing the naive, young, what do you call it? To play that character. It’s difficult. I don’t know how to say what I was saying without sounding stupid…
CAMERON DIAZ : You have to be really smart to play that dumb! [Laughs] Amber [Kate’s character] wasn’t dumb, she was…
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : So, yeah. It was a real thrill to meet them.
LESLIE MANN : It was a thrill for me too, because I was super excited to make out with the hot guy from ‘Game Of Thrones’ [Laughs] because I’ve been married for seventeen years, and I was like “Yes!” [Laughs]. You know how people say… actors say “Yeah, it’s really technical, and the sex scenes… they’re just so technical. It’s like work, you know. It’s not…” and I’m like “That’s bullshit! [Laughs] That’s such bullshit!”. So, anyway I was really excited, if you [To Nikolaj] don’t mind me telling this story. I was so exited to make out with him, and then we did the kissing scene, and he’s got this scruff, and I got, you know, red… but not just red. I had broken out into full hives! They thought that maybe it was his aftershave, or something…
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : It was just me.
LESLIE MANN : … so they made him wash his face, and we did it again, and I broke out into hives again!
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : It didn’t happen with Cameron, though.[Laughs]
LESLIE MANN : But, I was so bummed!
CAMERON DIAZ : I have a sturdy constitution. [Laughs]
LESLIE MANN : I finished the job. I go the job done, because I’m a professional.
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : You did. You did. You were very professional.
You were a professional. And Taylor…
TAYLOR KINNEY : I think the most exciting part, or challenging… I remember working with Leslie and trying to keep a straight face. You’re in the middle of a scene, and she’ll just throw a curve ball, and then someone just laughs, and has to turn around, and you start going, and then I just would do [makes a serious face while trying to keep from laughing] so that she could keep going. Your head just goes, so it was a testament to her talent. It was great.
What did you think, Taylor, when you read this script for the first time?
TAYLOR KINNEY : I hope I get this. [Laughs] No, I loved it. It changed a lot. It evolved a lot. I know that with Melissa, and Nik, and the girls… there was a template, and then it just kind of evolved into what it is. I hope it turned out great. I didn’t see it yet.
Cameron, you were involved in petitioning the MPAA for this movie. How come, and how common is it for actors to get involved? What did you say to convince them to drop the rating down to PG-13?
CAMERON DIAZ : Um, I’m not certain how common it is for other actors to do it, but myself, and the studio of course, and the producers all felt very strongly that… Well, one, I have to say that I completely admire, and understand, and respect that there are guidelines in which we have to be under in order to get a certain rating. I appreciate the MPAA for what they do, and how they structure that. We just felt that it wasn’t a Rated R film. It was a PG-13 film, and we just felt very strongly about that. In the end, we got what we… we were able to plead the case that showed that, and they agreed as well.
Was there a specific thing that turned them around?
CAMERON DIAZ : I’m not certain because I don’t know why they voted it the way they did. All I know is that we went, and pled our case, and they gave it to us. We’re very grateful, and happy for that, because we really think that it is a PG-13 film. There’s nothing that, to us, feels like an R rated film in this movie.
LESLIE MANN : We just have the one ‘fuck’, right?
CAMERON DIAZ : Yeah. [Laughs]
LESLIE MANN : Just the one!
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : Is that all you get?
CAMERON DIAZ : You just get one for PG-13.
LESLIE MANN : You just get one.
KATE UPTON : It’s amazing that we only ended up with one after the whole, entire shoot!
LESLIE MANN : I know!
KATE UPTON : After our shoot, knowing what happened behind the scenes, it’s surprising to know that only one made it into the movie. [Laughs]
CAMERON DIAZ : There are plenty of opportunities.
I’m from the generation where we saw 9 TO 5, and this sort of reminded me of that. I was just wondering, for all of you, did you look at that film, or do you remember it? Which one of you is the Dolly Parton? Which is the Lily Tomlin? Which is the Jane Fonda? And [To Nikolaj] how did you like playing Dabney Coleman?
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : I loved it.
CAMERON DIAZ : 9 TO 5 is actually one of my favorite movies. I watched it a thousand times as a child. Literally a thousand times. My girlfriend had a VCR, and she had four movies, and that was one of them. We watched it constantly. That was something that I loved about this movie – was the same thing – where it was three women who would have never had come together for any other reason except they had this one thing in common, which was this common cause. That’s really a feeling that I wanted this movie to have. It was a huge influence for it, so…
You guys all did a fantastic job, but I have to single you out Leslie. You have played some spectacular drunks… [laughs] What is your secret? You’re married to a funny guy. What is that like?
LESLIE MANN : Well, I observe a lot of you drunk people at bars. [Laughs] I don’t know. I think that, what I do is I just let myself go there, and just fully commit to that drunk thing… cause I’ve never done that myself. [Laughs] I’ve had a lot of practice! I’ll just be honest. [Laughs] Thank you though.
For Nikolaj, I understand that during your scene with Ms. Upton she got a little ‘method’ on your ass… literally…
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : Yeah, she did! The scene was cut, and I thought the only way I could…
KATE UPTON : Ok, well let’s start off first with… I said that I didn’t feel comfortable with the scene and somebody [looking at Nikolaj] said that he was totally down for the scene. [Laughs]
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : Absolutely! Absolutely. I was fine with it. And, you know, I thought she did a terrific job. I’ve never seen colors that beautiful on my ass before. But yeah, it never made the cut, so I feel like we have to talk about it! I have to get something out of it. I still have it. I’m still walking with it. But, you know, it didn’t hurt that much. Well, it did when she hit me…
KATE UPTON : You had your hand taken off in ‘Game Of Thrones’… [Laughs] It was a bruise on your butt. What does that even mean? [Laughs]
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : You’re absolutely right! There was just something about the whole setup. It was so funny, and then those pictures… they looked… it was just funny. And Kate did exactly what she was told to do, and she did it full on, and she gave it her best. She’s a strong girl.
KATE UPTON : I’m a horseback rider. I know how to use a whip. [Laughs]
In the film you talk about soulmates. Can you each talk about whether you believe that there is one soulmate out there in your life, or if there are different ones out there throughout your life?
LESLIE MANN : Well, my therapist says [laughs] that because I’m like “It’s really hard”… “I’m having a… It’s really tough” and he’s like “But that means that you guys are meant to be together, to work out all of your problems together.” I’m like “Really? I thought your soul mate… You’re just supposed to be happy all of the time, but…” [Laughs] I think that…god… I guess Judd is my soulmate, cause we have a lot of hard times, but it’s great at times too, so maybe that means that he’s my soulmate? Maybe? [Laughs] I don’t know!
CAMERON DIAZ : Yes! I believe that there are many soulmates… cause my soul has a lot of different facets, and it needs a lot of different…
LESLIE MANN : …different men… [Laughs]… for every facet!
CAMERON DIAZ : I’m just sayin’, you know… But in friendships, too. You’re [to Leslie] one of my soulmates, and you’re [to Kate] one of my soulmates. Our souls are mates, and some parts of our souls are mates…
LESLIE MANN : Yeah!
KATE UPTON : And they found each other.
LESLIE MANN : That’s true!
CAMERON DIAZ : Friendships, I think, can also be soulmates.
You guys have a fun tackle scene in this film. How many times did you do it, and what was it like? What did you discover while working together?
CAMERON DIAZ : That I’m strong.
LESLIE MANN : We discovered that we have a fun chemistry, physically. Cameron’s got really long legs, and a shorter torso, and I have a really long torso, and shorter legs…
CAMERON DIAZ : So, her center of gravity is, like, really low… and I’m always kind of, like, up here teetering and tottering…
LESLIE MANN : We kind of discovered that our bodies…
CAMERON DIAZ : Her torso is, like, all torque. It’s kind of like… a combustion engine has torque… and it just, kind of, revs up. She just powers up, and she torques, and twerks, and twerks, and then all of a sudden she just explodes. I’m holding her, doing it, and I’m like ‘Ahhh!”, and then her leg locks around on me, and hocks in, and one hand is here, and then I pull it off, and then there’s another one here… [laughs] and then I pull that off. It just became, basically… like, you know ‘sticky balls’? Where you throw it on, and it just sticks. It kind of turned into that.
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : Who would win, though, if you guys were to…
CAMERON DIAZ : I don’t know. I think that we always got stopped before it got too far…
LESLIE MANN : Right?
CAMERON DIAZ : But it was funny, because in the script there was no physical comedy, sort of scripted… We just, sort of, started finding it in these little places. She would just basically hold on to me, and then I wouldd writhe in any way possible to try to get her off.
LESLIE MANN : … but you couldn’t get me off…
KATE UPTON : Cameron was also always wearing these huge stilettos, and like, a leather pencil skirt while…
CAMERON DIAZ : … or, a tiny bikini [laughs]. I was like “Excuse me guys, I’m gonna be… my ass is going to be facing this way, so do you mind, maybe, just standing over there during this take, cause something’s gonna happen?”
KATE UPTON : Yeah. It’s weird how many men went over that direction [laughs] as soon as that scene started happening.
CAMERON DIAZ : “What are you guys doing here?” “Uh, we’re holding the flag… ” No, we had a great time, and we had a great crew.
Whether reading the script, or while shooting the film was there any point where any of you felt any empathy toward the character of Mark?
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : I did. [Laughs] .
TAYLOR KINNEY : Yeah. I did. I felt bad for him.
CAMERON DIAZ : You felt bad for Nikolaj or for his character?
TAYLOR KINNEY : No. Yeah. Well… I remember reading that scene and just being glad that I wasn’t… getting whipped in the ass. No thanks! [laughs]
CAMERON DIAZ : … dangling from a contraption?
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : It was fun!
KATE UPTON : He could have said no! [Laughs]
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU : No?
CAMERON DIAZ : That was not the safe word! [Laughs]
The film is about friendship, but it does involve cheating. Have any of you been cheated on. and is there a moment in the film that you could relate to or had to draw back?
CAMERON DIAZ : [Sarcastically] That we had this cathartic moment where we’re like “Oh my god! I totally know how this feels!”… [Laughs] Well, I think we’ve all gone through some kind of betrayal, whether it’s with a boyfriend, or a friend, or a family member. I think that’s why this is, sort of, relatable to everybody – because we all know what it feels like to feel that betrayal.
In the movie, your characters had to relate under crazy circumstances. For you guys, how did you relate to each other in real life?
LESLIE MANN : To each other as friends? We just, kind of, hit it off right away, luckily. We all did. We had a couple of dinners together, and Cameron and I had a four-hour dinner, and talked about everything! W had a cast dinner, which was really nice. We just… I think we’re different, but we are very similar in a lot of ways, and we really compliment each other in real life, and onscreen too. Cameron’s kind of like, for me, she’s like ‘the teacher’ and Kate’s like my daughter. She’s only five years older than my daughter, and so I was always wanting to protect her. I just love these girls, and these boys too.
Kate, how was your experience working with these ladies on your first movie?
KATE UPTON : It was so amazing. I am so lucky. I didn’t know what to expect when I first came on set, and they opened their arms to me, and made me feel really comfortable instantly. They supported me every step of the way. When I was shooting the bikini scene – Normally, when you go to a beach, everybody is wearing a bikini, but on a film you’re the only one [laughs] and there were, like, sixty people staring at you. They’re doing their jobs, but they’re still staring at you, and I was so uncomfortable, and these girls saw that I was uncomfortable, and came out, and ran off camera with me… just encouraging me, and not letting me be alone. They were like that the whole way filming, and I’m just so blessed to have them on my first film.
NIKOLAS COSTER-WALDAU : I just remembered that there was another girl in the movie that I thought was amazing… I don’t know if she’d done movies before… Nicki Minaj did an amazing job.
CAMERON DIAZ : She was fantastic.
NIKOLAS COSTER-WALDAU : Of course, the writer Melissa with her beautiful script. I think we should also mention Nick Cassavetes, who did a great job directing this. And, at least for me, it was great to have at least one guy on set to have fun with, cause these girls are a force to be reckoned with. Shoutout to Nick.
CAMERON DIAZ : And these guys, honestly, mean… Nikolaj plays one of the ugliest villains.We had to create such a horrible guy, because he is the bad guy in the movie. We took him as far as possible, as pathological as possible, and I really feel that Nikolaj did such an amazing job of bringing that character so that we could have the fun of the revenge. He made it so we looked good [laughs] and he looked bad, and we appreciate that. Taylor’s character portrayed the essence of a man that we all love, and appreciate. He’s a brother, and he’s a best friend, and he gives heart to the movie that is otherwise stolen by the revenge of it all. These two guys really showed up for us, and they were great partners to the three women, and even though we did a movie about heartbreak, I feel that we also celebrate love in this movie, and we just appreciate that these guys were there for us to help us tell that story.
After discovering her boyfriend is married, a woman (Cameron Diaz) tries to get her ruined life back on track. But when she accidentally meets the wife he’s been cheating on (Leslie Mann), she realizes they have much in common, and her sworn enemy becomes her greatest friend. When yet another affair is discovered (Kate Upton), all three women team up to plot mutual revenge on their cheating, lying, three-timing SOB.
Carly Whitten (Diaz) is a tough-as-nails New York lawyer with a strict set of rules when it comes to men and relationships. When she meets Mark King (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), she lets her guard down and begins to fall for him. A spontaneous, surprise visit to King’s Connecticut home goes awry when Carly discovers that Mark has a wife, Kate (Mann). A devoted super-housewife, Kate is shocked that Mark has been cheating on her, and Carly is furious to learn that Mark is a married man. But instead of directing their outrage toward one another, Carly and Kate slowly begin to bond over their joint enemy, and, with help from Amber (Upton), a third woman caught up in Mark’s lies, they conspire to give him what he deserves. As their strategies become more ingenious, their bond grows stronger. The movie also features Nicki Minaj.
Directed by Nick Cassavetes,THE OTHER WOMAN opens in theaters on April 25th.
THE OTHER WOMAN screening will be on Thursday, April 24th at 7PM in the St. Louis area. Each pass is good for 2 tickets.
Head over to gofobo.com to enter for a chance to win. Winners will be chosen on April 23rd.
