Yen Press posted a special video interview with Okina Baba and Tsukasa Kiyu, the creators of the acclaimed Light Novel series, So I’m A Spider So What?.
The creators were featured as part of Yen Press’ virtual panels from Anime Expo Lite, held this past weekend.
The news was Tweeted: https://twitter.com/yenpress/status/1281599061775319040
Questions and answer video with Okina Baba and Tsukasa Kiyu is here or at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns2UmmMT0Ws
Transcript of YouTube interview is here or at https://yenpress.com/2020/07/qa-with-the-creators-of-so-im-a-spider-so-what/
About So I’m A Spider So What?:
In the So I’m A Spider So What? Light Novel series, a girl used to be a normal high school student but in the blink of an eye, she wakes up in a place she’s never seen before and-and she was reborn as a spider?! How could something that's nothing more than a tiny spider (that's her) possibly survive in literally the worst dungeon ever? Are there no rules? There should be some rules! Who the hell is responsible for this? SHOW YOUR FACE!
The novels have captivated legions of readers in both the U.S. and Japan and have additionally inspired a bestselling manga series (also published in North America by Yen Press) and a popular anime series.
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Showing posts with label Q and A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Q and A. Show all posts
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Michael Pena and Tip Harris Reveal Their Thoughts on "Marvel's Ant-Man"
This Q&A was provided to the press by Disney's public relations and marketing partners.
AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL PENA AND TIP ‘T.I.’ HARRIS FOR THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF MARVEL’S ANT-MAN
The latest evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel’s Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit. Full of humor and heart, as well as awesome special effects, this action-packed adventure will shortly be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD – complete with never-before-seen deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, a gag reel and audio commentary.
To celebrate the exciting in-home release, we talk to actors Michael Pena and Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris – who play Luis and Dave in Marvel’s Ant-Man – to discover their thoughts on the daring heist adventure…
Q: How much did you know about the Marvel universe before you signed up to appear in Marvel’s Ant-Man? Are you both comic book fans?
T.I.: The only comic books I’ve ever had much experience reading are The X-Men and Wolverine. I didn’t know much about Ant-Man before this, but I do now. And I love it.
Michael: I didn’t much about Ant-Man either, but I was a huge Marvel fan. I knew about Iron Man and Thor and Wolverine and Colossus; I knew about all those superheroes. Spider-Man seems to have a different tone to the pure Marvel stuff, but I really enjoyed the Guardians Of The Galaxy and Iron Man movies. I love the special effects and how it seems very real, but at the same time it still lives within the realm of Marvel, which has got to be a lot of work. I think they nail it every time, especially with this movie.
Q: How much Ant-Man research did you undertake when you signed up for the movie, or did you just take your notes from the script?
Michael: I usually just try to do whatever’s on the page because I’ve done research before – including a lot of analysis – but you end up with conflicting data. To me, the script is king.
T.I.: I did some research. I didn’t read actual Ant-Man comic books – but I found out about the Pym Particles and how they help the Marvel universe; I’ve had that much explained to me. My buddy is an avid comic book fan, so he puts me up on game. And David Dastmalchian [who plays Kurt] is a huge comic book fan, so he shared his knowledge and wisdom on the universe with us, too.
Q: What do you think of the family theme that runs through Marvel’s Ant-Man?
Michael: I think it works really well. There are times in action movies where it just doesn’t work, but Paul Rudd did a really great job with that; he really pulled it off. I was really impressed. It was emotional, even for me. I have a six-year-old kid and I thought he just knocked it out of the park.
Q: Marvel’s Ant-Man is about to be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. How does it feel to know that fans will finally be able to watch the movie in the comfort of their own home?
Michael: I love watching Blu-rays, so I think it’s great. I especially love all the extra features you get with the Blu-ray release. My son always wants to know how they created a movie and how they shot certain scenes, so it’s always great to see all the people it takes to make a movie like this. It’s fun to head behind the scenes.
Q: What can audiences expect from the deleted scenes and gag reels of Marvel’s Ant-Man?
T.I.: I love watching deleted scenes and I’m sure there will be a lot on the Blu-ray. We have a fun dance sequence that took place in Luis’ apartment, and I hope that’s on there. In the scene, we were coming back from a night on the town. I won’t spoil it, but we ran into some fortunate circumstances and we were really excited. It was a very positive time for us. We felt like we’d made it, so we came home and set the dance floor on fire. The entourage dances! Who’s the best dancer in the entourage? [Pauses] Well, it’s not Michael. I’ll just say that.
Q: Take us back to the very beginning… How did you both become involved with Marvel’s Ant-Man?
T.I.: I got a phone call. I was asked if I was available to come and read for a part. No one told me what the part was or what the scenes would involve, so there was no preparation for me – but I made myself available at Marvel’s request. I went and read some scenes that were not my scenes, and they liked me enough to call me back and check my availability. From there on, I was in the Marvel Universe.
Michael: I got invited into the movie pretty early on; I was attached for seven or eight months before we even started shooting. Every time they rewrote the script, I was really glad that the character stayed in there.
Q: How much did your characters change from their iterations in the first movie script?
Michael: They changed a little after the director, Peyton Reed, came on board. It was really interesting because we would get rewrites and when you read them out of context, you have no idea what’s going on. But Marvel’s really good at putting all the moving parts together. They wrote a bunch of stuff for me that wasn’t in the original script, so I was very happy. I think I only had a handful of scenes in the first script, but then it turned into a lot more. That was great for me because I really enjoy playing this character.
T.I.: For me, I had pretty much a blank canvas to do whatever I felt was right. They allowed us to make our characters what we felt they should be. The only solid piece of background we were given was that they met in prison and they were trying to keep their lives on the straight and narrow.
Q: Why do you like the most about your characters in the movie?
T.I.: I like that Dave doesn’t talk unless he has something to say. In the movie, there aren’t many words of insignificance that Dave speaks – whereas Luis does a lot of talking. Dave is straight to the point. He’s no nonsense and he doesn’t really communicate with many people outside of his circle.
Q: Was the non-speaking aspect of the role difficult for you to portray?
T.I.: No, not really. I think it provides a mysterious strength. I like it.
Q: What do you like about your character, Michael?
Michael: I like how enthusiastic Luis is about life. I like how he’s almost innocent, but at the same time he can be dangerous. I really like that dichotomy. I like that he’s trying to be good, but he’s had a shady past.
Q: Did anyone in particular inspire your portrayal of Luis?
Michael: In the movie, I’m imitating somebody I know who lives in Chicago. It’s a very real person who lives on the south side. He talks the way my character talks, which added some humor to it. I just started imitating this guy, which I thought would be funny – and I think it worked.
Q: Audiences have praised Marvel’s Ant-Man as the most comedic Marvel movie to date. How does that make you feel?
Michael: It would be badass if this was ranked the funniest Marvel movie. That would be bad to the bone! That would be really awesome. I thought Guardians Of The Galaxy was pretty funny, though. The raccoon was really funny, the big guy was really funny and the tree was funny.
T.I.: Personally, I think Ant-Man is their funniest and their most grounded movie. You know what? It’s amazing to be a part of this cast. I feel like they broke the mold with Ant-Man and set Marvel on a different path.
Q: When did you discover you had great comedic skills?
Michael: I wouldn’t say I have comedy chops. I guess you get lucky with good writing because I don’t think I’m a comedian by any stretch of the imagination.
T.I.: I just think that we all enjoyed working with one another. We had an incredible time and great chemistry. The chemistry we developed on screen is definitely the driving factor to the humor in a lot of it.
Q: How much did Paul Rudd inject into the humor of the movie?
Michael: Paul Rudd is great because he’s down for whatever, man. Paul’s got a very specific brand of humor. It’s really unpredictable – and a couple of times I wasn’t able to get through a take. It’s very loose, but it was very interesting because it’s such a big movie. I was surprised how loose we were, but I’m glad with the outcome. It’s great.
ENDS
---------------------
AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL PENA AND TIP ‘T.I.’ HARRIS FOR THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF MARVEL’S ANT-MAN
The latest evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel’s Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit. Full of humor and heart, as well as awesome special effects, this action-packed adventure will shortly be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD – complete with never-before-seen deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, a gag reel and audio commentary.
To celebrate the exciting in-home release, we talk to actors Michael Pena and Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris – who play Luis and Dave in Marvel’s Ant-Man – to discover their thoughts on the daring heist adventure…
Q: How much did you know about the Marvel universe before you signed up to appear in Marvel’s Ant-Man? Are you both comic book fans?
T.I.: The only comic books I’ve ever had much experience reading are The X-Men and Wolverine. I didn’t know much about Ant-Man before this, but I do now. And I love it.
Michael: I didn’t much about Ant-Man either, but I was a huge Marvel fan. I knew about Iron Man and Thor and Wolverine and Colossus; I knew about all those superheroes. Spider-Man seems to have a different tone to the pure Marvel stuff, but I really enjoyed the Guardians Of The Galaxy and Iron Man movies. I love the special effects and how it seems very real, but at the same time it still lives within the realm of Marvel, which has got to be a lot of work. I think they nail it every time, especially with this movie.
Q: How much Ant-Man research did you undertake when you signed up for the movie, or did you just take your notes from the script?
Michael: I usually just try to do whatever’s on the page because I’ve done research before – including a lot of analysis – but you end up with conflicting data. To me, the script is king.
T.I.: I did some research. I didn’t read actual Ant-Man comic books – but I found out about the Pym Particles and how they help the Marvel universe; I’ve had that much explained to me. My buddy is an avid comic book fan, so he puts me up on game. And David Dastmalchian [who plays Kurt] is a huge comic book fan, so he shared his knowledge and wisdom on the universe with us, too.
Q: What do you think of the family theme that runs through Marvel’s Ant-Man?
Michael: I think it works really well. There are times in action movies where it just doesn’t work, but Paul Rudd did a really great job with that; he really pulled it off. I was really impressed. It was emotional, even for me. I have a six-year-old kid and I thought he just knocked it out of the park.
Q: Marvel’s Ant-Man is about to be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. How does it feel to know that fans will finally be able to watch the movie in the comfort of their own home?
Michael: I love watching Blu-rays, so I think it’s great. I especially love all the extra features you get with the Blu-ray release. My son always wants to know how they created a movie and how they shot certain scenes, so it’s always great to see all the people it takes to make a movie like this. It’s fun to head behind the scenes.
Q: What can audiences expect from the deleted scenes and gag reels of Marvel’s Ant-Man?
T.I.: I love watching deleted scenes and I’m sure there will be a lot on the Blu-ray. We have a fun dance sequence that took place in Luis’ apartment, and I hope that’s on there. In the scene, we were coming back from a night on the town. I won’t spoil it, but we ran into some fortunate circumstances and we were really excited. It was a very positive time for us. We felt like we’d made it, so we came home and set the dance floor on fire. The entourage dances! Who’s the best dancer in the entourage? [Pauses] Well, it’s not Michael. I’ll just say that.
Q: Take us back to the very beginning… How did you both become involved with Marvel’s Ant-Man?
T.I.: I got a phone call. I was asked if I was available to come and read for a part. No one told me what the part was or what the scenes would involve, so there was no preparation for me – but I made myself available at Marvel’s request. I went and read some scenes that were not my scenes, and they liked me enough to call me back and check my availability. From there on, I was in the Marvel Universe.
Michael: I got invited into the movie pretty early on; I was attached for seven or eight months before we even started shooting. Every time they rewrote the script, I was really glad that the character stayed in there.
Q: How much did your characters change from their iterations in the first movie script?
Michael: They changed a little after the director, Peyton Reed, came on board. It was really interesting because we would get rewrites and when you read them out of context, you have no idea what’s going on. But Marvel’s really good at putting all the moving parts together. They wrote a bunch of stuff for me that wasn’t in the original script, so I was very happy. I think I only had a handful of scenes in the first script, but then it turned into a lot more. That was great for me because I really enjoy playing this character.
T.I.: For me, I had pretty much a blank canvas to do whatever I felt was right. They allowed us to make our characters what we felt they should be. The only solid piece of background we were given was that they met in prison and they were trying to keep their lives on the straight and narrow.
Q: Why do you like the most about your characters in the movie?
T.I.: I like that Dave doesn’t talk unless he has something to say. In the movie, there aren’t many words of insignificance that Dave speaks – whereas Luis does a lot of talking. Dave is straight to the point. He’s no nonsense and he doesn’t really communicate with many people outside of his circle.
Q: Was the non-speaking aspect of the role difficult for you to portray?
T.I.: No, not really. I think it provides a mysterious strength. I like it.
Q: What do you like about your character, Michael?
Michael: I like how enthusiastic Luis is about life. I like how he’s almost innocent, but at the same time he can be dangerous. I really like that dichotomy. I like that he’s trying to be good, but he’s had a shady past.
Q: Did anyone in particular inspire your portrayal of Luis?
Michael: In the movie, I’m imitating somebody I know who lives in Chicago. It’s a very real person who lives on the south side. He talks the way my character talks, which added some humor to it. I just started imitating this guy, which I thought would be funny – and I think it worked.
Q: Audiences have praised Marvel’s Ant-Man as the most comedic Marvel movie to date. How does that make you feel?
Michael: It would be badass if this was ranked the funniest Marvel movie. That would be bad to the bone! That would be really awesome. I thought Guardians Of The Galaxy was pretty funny, though. The raccoon was really funny, the big guy was really funny and the tree was funny.
T.I.: Personally, I think Ant-Man is their funniest and their most grounded movie. You know what? It’s amazing to be a part of this cast. I feel like they broke the mold with Ant-Man and set Marvel on a different path.
Q: When did you discover you had great comedic skills?
Michael: I wouldn’t say I have comedy chops. I guess you get lucky with good writing because I don’t think I’m a comedian by any stretch of the imagination.
T.I.: I just think that we all enjoyed working with one another. We had an incredible time and great chemistry. The chemistry we developed on screen is definitely the driving factor to the humor in a lot of it.
Q: How much did Paul Rudd inject into the humor of the movie?
Michael: Paul Rudd is great because he’s down for whatever, man. Paul’s got a very specific brand of humor. It’s really unpredictable – and a couple of times I wasn’t able to get through a take. It’s very loose, but it was very interesting because it’s such a big movie. I was surprised how loose we were, but I’m glad with the outcome. It’s great.
ENDS
---------------------
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly Talk "Marvel's Ant-Man"
This Q&A was provided to the press by Disney's public relations and marketing partners.
AN INTERVIEW WITH PAUL RUDD AND EVANGELINE LILLY FOR THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF MARVEL’S ANT-MAN
The latest evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel’s Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit. Full of humor and heart, as well as awesome special effects, this action-packed adventure will shortly be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD – complete with never-before-seen deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, a gag reel and audio commentary.
To celebrate the exciting in-home release, we talk to Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly – who play Scott Lang/Ant Man and Hope Van Dyne – to discover their thoughts on the daring heist adventure…
Q: Ant-Man is an iconic new character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How much comic book research did you undertake when you signed up for the role, Paul?
Paul: Growing up, I didn’t know about this character, so I read a lot of comics before we started shooting the movie and writing the screenplay. I did a lot of research and I tried to get into his mindset as much as possible. To prepare for the film shoot, there was also all of the physical training that I wanted to throw myself into in order to feel as though I could play the part. Not only did I want to be convincing, but that also helped me feel comfortable in the role. I enjoyed being able to do shoulder rolls and flips for the first time in my life.
Q: Does this mean you were able to tackle a lot of the stunts and fight scenes in the movie?
Paul: I did some of them; I did as much as I could do. Even when Scott is hidden in the suit and the helmet, the director wanted me to act out the scenes because you can tell when I’m not inside. You can tell when it’s me just by the way I move. However, it wasn’t all me. I had a great stuntman who could put on the suit and do the really heavy lifting. I still did a lot of the fighting, though. I worked with a gymnast who taught me all kinds of tumbling and very light parkour. It takes a while to really get it down.
Q: How else did you physically prepare for the role?
Paul: I didn’t eat anything for about a year and I worked out all the time. I took the Chris Pratt approach, which was to just basically eliminate anything fun for about a year. That’s a good way to prepare to play a superhero. But again, it also helped me feel the part.
Q: How comfortable did you feel in the Ant-Man suit?
Paul: I’m biased because I loved the suit. I think it’s the coolest-looking suit of all of them, so I loved wearing it. It was not too uncomfortable, so I’d wear it all the time – even on my days off. Something happens when you get into it. It’s inevitable. I would stand differently and I would feel different. I’d feel like Ant-Man in that thing.
Evangeline: Even though you looked like a total dork!
Paul: Ha ha! Yes, thanks. They kept the sound stages a little bit cooler because the suit didn’t really breathe that well, but it helped me feel the part. It was cool. I would sometimes catch myself and think, ‘Gosh, this thing is amazing-looking!’
Q: Let’s talk about your character, Evangeline. Hope Van Dyne has been praised by fans for being the biggest badass in the movie. Did you feel like you were playing a full-on superhero, even though she doesn’t wear a superhero costume?
Evangeline: That was the most exciting thing for me about the role. While we were filming and during post-production, there was a lot of buzz on the internet: “Is Evangeline playing the Wasp? Is she a superhero?” I had a lot of questions directed my way about that, but I couldn’t have felt more comfortable or happier saying that Hope is a really capable, very powerful force to be reckoned with. She doesn’t have a superpower and she doesn’t put on a fancy suit and look dorky in it. My super-suit was my power suit that I would go to work in to be a high-level scientist and a senior member on the board of a very powerful corporation. I think that’s a fantastic example for young women. Playing the role of female scientist in a world where mostly scientists are men is a great role to play.
Q: When the Wasp costume is revealed at the end of the movie, Hope declares: “It’s about damn time.” Did you feel like you were speaking for all womankind in finally getting this intense female superhero moment?
Evangeline: Amen and touché. I think that there is a lot of excitement with the female audience about this character in general, and about the fact that Marvel are really, really taking female characters very seriously. Looking at their line-up, you can see that they have great intentions.
Q: How much effort went into the creation of your feisty female character?
Evangeline: As a woman who came into a predominantly male film, I had a great time working with the director, Peyton Reed, and with the producers on this character because I could see a hunger in them to really do right by Hope. I know they want to do right by their female fans and the female audience. When I pick a role, one of the things that I aspire to is that somebody’s parent will come up to me after the film to say, “My daughter idealizes that character. You’re her hero.” That’s what we aim for, especially with this brand. We’re in the business of making heroes.
Q: Talking of youngsters… What does your son think of you playing a superhero, Paul?
Paul: This is the first thing I’ve ever done that they're legitimately jazzed about. My daughter is still a bit young, but my son can see it -- his friends know about it, and that's great. We were at Disneyland for an Ant-Man event a while ago and I’ll never forget the look on his face when he was watching a preview scene. As soon as it ended, he looked at me and said: “That’s awesome!” Every time a commercial comes on, they yell, “Dad, Dad, Dad!” They're so excited and I’ve never experienced that. It's wonderful to be able to share this with them.
Q: What do you think of the father-daughter storyline in Marvel’s Ant-Man? Does it add another level of depth to the character?
Paul: In regard to the father-daughter theme, that was the thing that I hung the whole story on. You can have a movie with amazing effects, brilliant visuals, a lot of action, humor and whatever – but whenever you see something that you can connect to that’s emotionally resonant, it stays with you in a very different way. I think that’s the key to any movie and that’s what I thought about throughout this whole film. That is what the movie is about.
Evangeline: And with Bobby Cannavale’s character, Paxton, and Cassie [Paxton’s stepdaughter/Scott’s daughter]; I thought it was really cool that there was also the stepfather and daughter relationship.
Paul: I also think there’s an interesting father-son dynamic with Hank Pym [played by Michael Douglas] and Darren Cross [played by Corey Stoll], so the whole idea of parents and children runs throughout the movie. I think that’s the thing that’s most relatable. I think it’s great.
ENDS
---------------------------
AN INTERVIEW WITH PAUL RUDD AND EVANGELINE LILLY FOR THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF MARVEL’S ANT-MAN
The latest evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel’s Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit. Full of humor and heart, as well as awesome special effects, this action-packed adventure will shortly be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD – complete with never-before-seen deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, a gag reel and audio commentary.
To celebrate the exciting in-home release, we talk to Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly – who play Scott Lang/Ant Man and Hope Van Dyne – to discover their thoughts on the daring heist adventure…
Q: Ant-Man is an iconic new character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How much comic book research did you undertake when you signed up for the role, Paul?
Paul: Growing up, I didn’t know about this character, so I read a lot of comics before we started shooting the movie and writing the screenplay. I did a lot of research and I tried to get into his mindset as much as possible. To prepare for the film shoot, there was also all of the physical training that I wanted to throw myself into in order to feel as though I could play the part. Not only did I want to be convincing, but that also helped me feel comfortable in the role. I enjoyed being able to do shoulder rolls and flips for the first time in my life.
Q: Does this mean you were able to tackle a lot of the stunts and fight scenes in the movie?
Paul: I did some of them; I did as much as I could do. Even when Scott is hidden in the suit and the helmet, the director wanted me to act out the scenes because you can tell when I’m not inside. You can tell when it’s me just by the way I move. However, it wasn’t all me. I had a great stuntman who could put on the suit and do the really heavy lifting. I still did a lot of the fighting, though. I worked with a gymnast who taught me all kinds of tumbling and very light parkour. It takes a while to really get it down.
Q: How else did you physically prepare for the role?
Paul: I didn’t eat anything for about a year and I worked out all the time. I took the Chris Pratt approach, which was to just basically eliminate anything fun for about a year. That’s a good way to prepare to play a superhero. But again, it also helped me feel the part.
Q: How comfortable did you feel in the Ant-Man suit?
Paul: I’m biased because I loved the suit. I think it’s the coolest-looking suit of all of them, so I loved wearing it. It was not too uncomfortable, so I’d wear it all the time – even on my days off. Something happens when you get into it. It’s inevitable. I would stand differently and I would feel different. I’d feel like Ant-Man in that thing.
Evangeline: Even though you looked like a total dork!
Paul: Ha ha! Yes, thanks. They kept the sound stages a little bit cooler because the suit didn’t really breathe that well, but it helped me feel the part. It was cool. I would sometimes catch myself and think, ‘Gosh, this thing is amazing-looking!’
Q: Let’s talk about your character, Evangeline. Hope Van Dyne has been praised by fans for being the biggest badass in the movie. Did you feel like you were playing a full-on superhero, even though she doesn’t wear a superhero costume?
Evangeline: That was the most exciting thing for me about the role. While we were filming and during post-production, there was a lot of buzz on the internet: “Is Evangeline playing the Wasp? Is she a superhero?” I had a lot of questions directed my way about that, but I couldn’t have felt more comfortable or happier saying that Hope is a really capable, very powerful force to be reckoned with. She doesn’t have a superpower and she doesn’t put on a fancy suit and look dorky in it. My super-suit was my power suit that I would go to work in to be a high-level scientist and a senior member on the board of a very powerful corporation. I think that’s a fantastic example for young women. Playing the role of female scientist in a world where mostly scientists are men is a great role to play.
Q: When the Wasp costume is revealed at the end of the movie, Hope declares: “It’s about damn time.” Did you feel like you were speaking for all womankind in finally getting this intense female superhero moment?
Evangeline: Amen and touché. I think that there is a lot of excitement with the female audience about this character in general, and about the fact that Marvel are really, really taking female characters very seriously. Looking at their line-up, you can see that they have great intentions.
Q: How much effort went into the creation of your feisty female character?
Evangeline: As a woman who came into a predominantly male film, I had a great time working with the director, Peyton Reed, and with the producers on this character because I could see a hunger in them to really do right by Hope. I know they want to do right by their female fans and the female audience. When I pick a role, one of the things that I aspire to is that somebody’s parent will come up to me after the film to say, “My daughter idealizes that character. You’re her hero.” That’s what we aim for, especially with this brand. We’re in the business of making heroes.
Q: Talking of youngsters… What does your son think of you playing a superhero, Paul?
Paul: This is the first thing I’ve ever done that they're legitimately jazzed about. My daughter is still a bit young, but my son can see it -- his friends know about it, and that's great. We were at Disneyland for an Ant-Man event a while ago and I’ll never forget the look on his face when he was watching a preview scene. As soon as it ended, he looked at me and said: “That’s awesome!” Every time a commercial comes on, they yell, “Dad, Dad, Dad!” They're so excited and I’ve never experienced that. It's wonderful to be able to share this with them.
Q: What do you think of the father-daughter storyline in Marvel’s Ant-Man? Does it add another level of depth to the character?
Paul: In regard to the father-daughter theme, that was the thing that I hung the whole story on. You can have a movie with amazing effects, brilliant visuals, a lot of action, humor and whatever – but whenever you see something that you can connect to that’s emotionally resonant, it stays with you in a very different way. I think that’s the key to any movie and that’s what I thought about throughout this whole film. That is what the movie is about.
Evangeline: And with Bobby Cannavale’s character, Paxton, and Cassie [Paxton’s stepdaughter/Scott’s daughter]; I thought it was really cool that there was also the stepfather and daughter relationship.
Paul: I also think there’s an interesting father-son dynamic with Hank Pym [played by Michael Douglas] and Darren Cross [played by Corey Stoll], so the whole idea of parents and children runs throughout the movie. I think that’s the thing that’s most relatable. I think it’s great.
ENDS
---------------------------
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Paul Rudd Discovers His Thoughts on Ant-Man
This Q&A was provided to the press by Disney's public relations and marketing partners.
AN INTERVIEW WITH PAUL RUDD FOR THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF MARVEL’S ANT-MAN
The latest evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel’s Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit. Full of humor and heart, as well as awesome special effects, this action-packed adventure will shortly be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD – complete with never-before-seen deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, a gag reel and audio commentary.
To celebrate the exciting in-home release, we talk to actor and screenwriter Paul Rudd – who plays Scott Lang/Ant Man – to discover his thoughts on the daring heist adventure…
Q: What does the home entertainment release of Marvel’s Ant-Man mean to you?
RUDD: When you work on a project like this, you put your heart and soul into it. You work on it for a long time and you’re proud of it, so you certainly want it to be seen. It’s really nice to know that people like the movie enough to want to buy it on DVD and Blu-ray to watch repeatedly at home.
Q: How much do you enjoy the bonus extras that are released with the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD versions of movies?
RUDD: Whenever there’s a movie that I really love, I always get the Blu-ray to hear the commentary. I want to listen to the voiceover and see deleted scenes because it’s a little bit like taking a film class. I always think it’s really cool to hear directors talk about what they are trying to accomplish with a specific scene. It’s fun to hear their stories, but I find it most interesting when it gets technical. I think you can learn a lot from the extras, and I love the thought of hearing about what was going on while people were shooting a project. It’s like being privy to hearing conversations that you aren’t normally privy to.
Q: Did you work on many Ant-Man scenes that didn’t make it into to the final cut of the movie?
RUDD: There were quite a few scenes that you didn’t see in the [big screen version of the] movie, so you’ll definitely see some of them on the Blu-ray. Working on this script, one of the first things I thought of was: if you steal a suit and then you stumble across what this suit can do – and you’ve just gotten out of jail and you’re a thief – what would you do? There was a whole montage scene that we called ‘the wish-fulfillment sequence’ and I always figured it would be a fun part of the movie. We came up with lots of different scenarios and things that I could do in the suit. We shot a bunch of those, but they didn’t make it to the theatrical version.
Q: Marvel loves to hide Easter eggs and secret references within their movies. Were you thinking about these when you were writing the screenplay?
RUDD: Not really. At that point in the process, you’re just dealing with the story at hand. [Marvel’s Ant-Man co-writer] Adam McKay and I were aware that we were making a heist movie, so you start with the heist structure. It seems like in every heist movie, the thieves do a test run and it never goes well, so we sat with that idea for a while. We had fun coming up with different scenarios. For example, what if Ant-Man wound up fighting somebody that’s not just an average guy? What if it was one of The Avengers? We’d think of things like that for the movie we’re working on, but we never have ideas like, ‘Oh, we could do this now and we can connect the dots three movies later.’
Q: At what stage did you start to think about the stinger scene at the end of the credits, when the Wasp costume is revealed?
RUDD: I never know where those are going, what they are doing, or even if they’ll do one, so sometimes those ideas come around later. However, I always knew that this movie was going to be a good introduction to Wasp. That was in the script, so as we were writing it we were thinking it would be part of the movie. I didn’t know how they were going to separate it from our story; they figure out some of that stuff in post-production.
Q: At what stage did you know that Falcon was going to be part of Marvel’s Ant-Man? Did you consider any other characters from The Avengers for the scene?
RUDD: That was a scene we created when we were writing the screenplay. At first, we were thinking, ‘Oh gosh, Ant-Man should fight an Avenger. How great would it be to see him fight an Avenger? No one would see it coming.’ And then we pitched it to Marvel. We said, “Falcon would be cool. That would be a really interesting fight.” We ran it by Kevin Feige and he agreed.
Q: Many fans were blown away by that scene. How tough was it to keep Falcon’s participation in the storyline secret?
RUDD: It was really, really hard. But to be honest, it’s hard to keep anything secret. There are people on the hunt to find out any kind of information, so you’re always thinking, ‘I hope this doesn’t get out.’ You always hope for the best, but you’re always thinking that something will leak. It’s impossible to keep everything secret.
Q: But that scene was a complete surprise for the audience…
RUDD: Yeah, which was great. Part of the fun of going to see a movie is down to the fact that you want to be surprised. Scenes like that are a thrill for people who are really passionate about the story.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for the terrifying bunny toy in the movie? It’s another scene-stealer!
RUDD: When my son was a baby, he was really into a show called Boohbah, which was a very weird show. It got me thinking that Scott and his daughter should have a connection that only they share. I thought the idea of him giving her a birthday gift of a very weird stuffed animal would be funny, as well as sweet and interesting. And it’s not saccharin. It’s not like he’s giving her a teddy bear or something like that. I wanted it to be an unidentifiable thing, similar to a Boohbah or a Teletubby – but we would make up our own. That’s how I imagined it, but I never wrote it in the screenplay as a terrifying-looking bunny.
Q: Did you have much input into the look of the bunny?
RUDD: When we were getting ready to shoot the movie, they brought it out and showed it to me – and I was actually bummed out about it. I told them it wasn’t what I wanted; that it’s not cool for a father to give his daughter something this terrifying. Plus, it was so tiny. I know he has no money, but it was going against what I imagined in my mind. To the credit of Peyton Reed – and this is why he’s the director of the movie – he said he thought it was good, and that it was what we wanted to go with. He had OK’d it, as had [President of Marvel Studios] Kevin Feige, who knows what’s up – and they were right. But it was something that was always a sticking point with me. I’m like, “I don’t want to give her a terrifying-looking rabbit!”
Q: Did the bunny have a name in your script?
RUDD: No, it wasn’t even a bunny in the script. You know what it was? I think I put down as a cat.
Q: Which scene in the movie is your proudest achievement?
RUDD: When Falcon swoops in; that was cool. Even when we were shooting it, or even when we were writing it, we were thinking, ‘Oh, wow… The hairs on my neck are standing up because this could be such a cool movie moment. Does this mean that the other Avengers will now know about his existence?’ It was fun to think about that kind of stuff.
Q: It’s been revealed that Ant-Man appears in Captain America: Civil War. What’s it like to work with Captain America actor Chris Evans?
RUDD: It’s been really great fun, and it’s also made this whole experience seem much more real in a way. Well, I always knew it was real and I certainly felt like I was part of the Marvel family with Ant-Man – but to stand around and see Captain America, and to see Iron Man, and to know that I’m in scenes with them was just mind-bending. It was really cool.
Q: Do you get nervous before scenes with such an esteemed group of actors?
RUDD: I get nervous because I’m walking into a pretty well-established group that a lot of people know and love. To be the new kid at school was always a bit of a nerve-racking experience, but it was more exciting than anything else. It’s been great.
ENDS
----------------------
AN INTERVIEW WITH PAUL RUDD FOR THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF MARVEL’S ANT-MAN
The latest evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel’s Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit. Full of humor and heart, as well as awesome special effects, this action-packed adventure will shortly be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD – complete with never-before-seen deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, a gag reel and audio commentary.
To celebrate the exciting in-home release, we talk to actor and screenwriter Paul Rudd – who plays Scott Lang/Ant Man – to discover his thoughts on the daring heist adventure…
Q: What does the home entertainment release of Marvel’s Ant-Man mean to you?
RUDD: When you work on a project like this, you put your heart and soul into it. You work on it for a long time and you’re proud of it, so you certainly want it to be seen. It’s really nice to know that people like the movie enough to want to buy it on DVD and Blu-ray to watch repeatedly at home.
Q: How much do you enjoy the bonus extras that are released with the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD versions of movies?
RUDD: Whenever there’s a movie that I really love, I always get the Blu-ray to hear the commentary. I want to listen to the voiceover and see deleted scenes because it’s a little bit like taking a film class. I always think it’s really cool to hear directors talk about what they are trying to accomplish with a specific scene. It’s fun to hear their stories, but I find it most interesting when it gets technical. I think you can learn a lot from the extras, and I love the thought of hearing about what was going on while people were shooting a project. It’s like being privy to hearing conversations that you aren’t normally privy to.
Q: Did you work on many Ant-Man scenes that didn’t make it into to the final cut of the movie?
RUDD: There were quite a few scenes that you didn’t see in the [big screen version of the] movie, so you’ll definitely see some of them on the Blu-ray. Working on this script, one of the first things I thought of was: if you steal a suit and then you stumble across what this suit can do – and you’ve just gotten out of jail and you’re a thief – what would you do? There was a whole montage scene that we called ‘the wish-fulfillment sequence’ and I always figured it would be a fun part of the movie. We came up with lots of different scenarios and things that I could do in the suit. We shot a bunch of those, but they didn’t make it to the theatrical version.
Q: Marvel loves to hide Easter eggs and secret references within their movies. Were you thinking about these when you were writing the screenplay?
RUDD: Not really. At that point in the process, you’re just dealing with the story at hand. [Marvel’s Ant-Man co-writer] Adam McKay and I were aware that we were making a heist movie, so you start with the heist structure. It seems like in every heist movie, the thieves do a test run and it never goes well, so we sat with that idea for a while. We had fun coming up with different scenarios. For example, what if Ant-Man wound up fighting somebody that’s not just an average guy? What if it was one of The Avengers? We’d think of things like that for the movie we’re working on, but we never have ideas like, ‘Oh, we could do this now and we can connect the dots three movies later.’
Q: At what stage did you start to think about the stinger scene at the end of the credits, when the Wasp costume is revealed?
RUDD: I never know where those are going, what they are doing, or even if they’ll do one, so sometimes those ideas come around later. However, I always knew that this movie was going to be a good introduction to Wasp. That was in the script, so as we were writing it we were thinking it would be part of the movie. I didn’t know how they were going to separate it from our story; they figure out some of that stuff in post-production.
Q: At what stage did you know that Falcon was going to be part of Marvel’s Ant-Man? Did you consider any other characters from The Avengers for the scene?
RUDD: That was a scene we created when we were writing the screenplay. At first, we were thinking, ‘Oh gosh, Ant-Man should fight an Avenger. How great would it be to see him fight an Avenger? No one would see it coming.’ And then we pitched it to Marvel. We said, “Falcon would be cool. That would be a really interesting fight.” We ran it by Kevin Feige and he agreed.
Q: Many fans were blown away by that scene. How tough was it to keep Falcon’s participation in the storyline secret?
RUDD: It was really, really hard. But to be honest, it’s hard to keep anything secret. There are people on the hunt to find out any kind of information, so you’re always thinking, ‘I hope this doesn’t get out.’ You always hope for the best, but you’re always thinking that something will leak. It’s impossible to keep everything secret.
Q: But that scene was a complete surprise for the audience…
RUDD: Yeah, which was great. Part of the fun of going to see a movie is down to the fact that you want to be surprised. Scenes like that are a thrill for people who are really passionate about the story.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for the terrifying bunny toy in the movie? It’s another scene-stealer!
RUDD: When my son was a baby, he was really into a show called Boohbah, which was a very weird show. It got me thinking that Scott and his daughter should have a connection that only they share. I thought the idea of him giving her a birthday gift of a very weird stuffed animal would be funny, as well as sweet and interesting. And it’s not saccharin. It’s not like he’s giving her a teddy bear or something like that. I wanted it to be an unidentifiable thing, similar to a Boohbah or a Teletubby – but we would make up our own. That’s how I imagined it, but I never wrote it in the screenplay as a terrifying-looking bunny.
Q: Did you have much input into the look of the bunny?
RUDD: When we were getting ready to shoot the movie, they brought it out and showed it to me – and I was actually bummed out about it. I told them it wasn’t what I wanted; that it’s not cool for a father to give his daughter something this terrifying. Plus, it was so tiny. I know he has no money, but it was going against what I imagined in my mind. To the credit of Peyton Reed – and this is why he’s the director of the movie – he said he thought it was good, and that it was what we wanted to go with. He had OK’d it, as had [President of Marvel Studios] Kevin Feige, who knows what’s up – and they were right. But it was something that was always a sticking point with me. I’m like, “I don’t want to give her a terrifying-looking rabbit!”
Q: Did the bunny have a name in your script?
RUDD: No, it wasn’t even a bunny in the script. You know what it was? I think I put down as a cat.
Q: Which scene in the movie is your proudest achievement?
RUDD: When Falcon swoops in; that was cool. Even when we were shooting it, or even when we were writing it, we were thinking, ‘Oh, wow… The hairs on my neck are standing up because this could be such a cool movie moment. Does this mean that the other Avengers will now know about his existence?’ It was fun to think about that kind of stuff.
Q: It’s been revealed that Ant-Man appears in Captain America: Civil War. What’s it like to work with Captain America actor Chris Evans?
RUDD: It’s been really great fun, and it’s also made this whole experience seem much more real in a way. Well, I always knew it was real and I certainly felt like I was part of the Marvel family with Ant-Man – but to stand around and see Captain America, and to see Iron Man, and to know that I’m in scenes with them was just mind-bending. It was really cool.
Q: Do you get nervous before scenes with such an esteemed group of actors?
RUDD: I get nervous because I’m walking into a pretty well-established group that a lot of people know and love. To be the new kid at school was always a bit of a nerve-racking experience, but it was more exciting than anything else. It’s been great.
ENDS
----------------------
Michael Douglas Shares His Thoughts on "Marvel's Ant-Man"
This Q&A was provided to the press by Disney's public relations and marketing partners.
AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL DOUGLAS FOR THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF MARVEL’S ANT-MAN
The latest evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel’s Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit. Full of humor and heart, as well as awesome special effects, this action-packed adventure will shortly be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD – complete with never-before-seen deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, a gag reel and audio commentary.
To celebrate the exciting in-home release, we talk to acclaimed actor Michael Douglas – who plays Dr. Hank Pym in Marvel’s Ant-Man – to discover his thoughts on the daring heist adventure…
Q: Marvel’s Ant-Man has been praised as one of the funniest movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Did the humor attract you to the superhero project?
DOUGLAS: The humor was definitely appealing, but I was more interested in the idea of being in an effects movie. I was also really interested in being in a studio tent-pole film after a few years of being more involved with indie pictures. I’m certainly overwhelmed by the success that Marvel has had and how well they do these movies. It’s been a joy to watch and study how they mold a picture together.
Q: Is this your first superhero movie?
DOUGLAS: I’ve never done an effects movie before, so this is my first. I was very envious of Jack Nicholson when he played the Joker and Danny DeVito when he played the Penguin. I remember them telling me how much fun it was, so I was very excited to add at least one of these super-action superhero pictures to my résumé.
Q: With the impending home entertainment release of Marvel’s Ant-Man, how does it feel to know that audiences will soon be able to watch the movie in the comfort of their own home?
DOUGLAS: Historically, the movies that you buy are the movies that you cherish the most, so I think it’s great. When I think back to the first picture I produced, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest; when we put that out in the Blu-ray format, viewers got lots of background information and things that weren’t in the movie. They got a lot of behind-the-scenes information. It’s a joy for people that are real fans to see what was going on when we were making the movie.
Q: Do you have a large Blu-ray collection at home?
DOUGLAS: I’ve got a pretty good Blu-ray collection, but my problem is that I rarely have time to look at it. I don’t know how people find the time. It’s the same thing with people who watch box sets and they go right through three years of a series. I have no idea how people have the time!
Q: Have you got a state-of-the-art home entertainment system set-up at home?
DOUGLAS: I’ve got one of those new curve screens and it’s quite stunning. The sound quality is amazing, too. You know what? I haven’t explained this to my kids – but when I first started in The Streets Of San Francisco, there were only two networks that existed: CBS and NBC; ABC was the upcoming version. It really makes you think about how much time has passed because I’m talking about black and white television here. That’s unheard of now. Television and movies have come along an amazingly long way.
Q: What do your children think of your role in Marvel’s Ant-Man? Were they excited to see their father in a superhero blockbuster?
DOUGLAS: This movie gives me a new credibility with my son and his buddies, which is great. Up until now, most of my career has been R-rated, so neither my kids nor any of their friends have seen a whole lot of what I’ve done. My 14-year-old’s reaction was like an agent. He said, “You know what, Dad? This could be a whole new audience for you.” I took that to heart and here I am.
Q: There’s a fatherhood theme that runs through Marvel’s Ant-Man. How does that add to the movie’s appeal?
DOUGLAS: I thought it gave the movie a lot of heart. It’s certainly been an issue that was touched on with Iron Man to some degree, but I don’t think to the level that it is in Ant-Man. I think the complexities of my relationship with my daughter, Hope, and the parallel relationships that Scott Lang [played by Paul Rudd] has with his family are very interesting. I think it grounds the picture and gives it an emotional level that is viable. It’s an asset.
Q: What do you think of Paul Rudd’s performance as Ant-Man?
DOUGLAS: Paul Rudd is great. He brings an everyman quality to the superhero. He’s got a great self-deprecating sense of humor and he worked his way into unbelievable shape for the role. He doesn’t try to play it smart; he just has an everyman quality about him, which I think is very, very appealing. When you watch him, as the character rises to the qualities of being a superhero, you really end up rooting for him.
Q: How much of a Marvel fan are you?
DOUGLAS: I love to go and watch Marvel movies with my kids. I’ve caught a fair share of the Marvel films and I always look forward to them – but I also enjoy the home entertainment editions. As a member of the Academy, we get DVDs of a lot of the pictures at the end of the year, so my wife Catherine [Zeta-Jones] and I spend a lot of time catching up on films at our home.
Q: How much research did you undertake into the history of Ant-Man and Dr. Hank Pym when you signed on to the movie?
DOUGLAS: I was not familiar with Ant-Man before this movie – but Marvel were kind enough to send me about two years’ worth of comic books, so I could catch up on his history and background. I’ve read a lot of them. I’ve thumbed through and read most of the stuff that pertained to Hank to help me understand him a little more.
Q: In the comics, Dr. Hank Pym is a damaged man with an unfortunate history. How much of his past was on your mind when you portrayed the character on set?
DOUGLAS: They gave me more background to my character than most movies I’ve done, so I could understand about the loss of his wife and the alienation with his daughter. I found it very helpful. I think there are echoes of the loss of his wife and elements that highlight the distance between Hank and his daughter, who is played by Evangeline Lilly. I don’t think we wanted to dwell on it, but it pays off a little later in the picture.
Q: Marvel likes to hide lots of Easter eggs and secret references in their movies. Were you aware of them when you were shooting the film?
DOUGLAS: I became aware as they explained them to me. I was a babe in the woods, so what can I say? I love the curiosity and the zealousness in which a lot of the audiences follow these pieces. But I was aware, of course, of the Wasp at the end of the movie and its significance.
Q: Was the Wasp reveal always planned to be a stinger scene with the end credits?
DOUGLAS: It was a little scene that they added halfway through the picture. Maybe they were going to have it all along – but they start on a broad canvas and then they narrow it down in terms of the relationships that are working. It goes from there really.
Q: The opening sequence of the movie is a flashback scene with Hayley Atwell’s character, Peggy Carter. Did you understand the relevance of that scene when you were shooting it?
DOUGLAS: They explained it to me. They explained why a young, attractive woman on a television series was now playing an older woman – and why I was playing my character 30 years younger than he is for the rest of the movie. She and I did not have a chance to talk too much. She was in the middle of her series [Agent Carter], so she just came down for that one quick scene.
Q: What do you think of the scene?
DOUGLAS: When I went into record some extra dialogue after the movie was shot, that scene was half finished, so one half of me had little spots all over my face – and I was wearing the wig with all that hair – and the other half had been completed. Through the magic of computer graphics, I looked 30 years younger. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s like looking at yourself 30 years ago. There’s no need to do remakes anymore. I’ll just remake some of my movies with myself playing the part!
Q: How did they shoot the scene?
DOUGLAS: I had little spots, or little dots, everywhere. They used the dots for reference to measure or change things or whatever they do – and once completed, you see this little baby-faced guy. It was great. I thought it was fantastic.
--------------------
AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL DOUGLAS FOR THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF MARVEL’S ANT-MAN
The latest evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel’s Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit. Full of humor and heart, as well as awesome special effects, this action-packed adventure will shortly be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD – complete with never-before-seen deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, a gag reel and audio commentary.
To celebrate the exciting in-home release, we talk to acclaimed actor Michael Douglas – who plays Dr. Hank Pym in Marvel’s Ant-Man – to discover his thoughts on the daring heist adventure…
Q: Marvel’s Ant-Man has been praised as one of the funniest movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Did the humor attract you to the superhero project?
DOUGLAS: The humor was definitely appealing, but I was more interested in the idea of being in an effects movie. I was also really interested in being in a studio tent-pole film after a few years of being more involved with indie pictures. I’m certainly overwhelmed by the success that Marvel has had and how well they do these movies. It’s been a joy to watch and study how they mold a picture together.
Q: Is this your first superhero movie?
DOUGLAS: I’ve never done an effects movie before, so this is my first. I was very envious of Jack Nicholson when he played the Joker and Danny DeVito when he played the Penguin. I remember them telling me how much fun it was, so I was very excited to add at least one of these super-action superhero pictures to my résumé.
Q: With the impending home entertainment release of Marvel’s Ant-Man, how does it feel to know that audiences will soon be able to watch the movie in the comfort of their own home?
DOUGLAS: Historically, the movies that you buy are the movies that you cherish the most, so I think it’s great. When I think back to the first picture I produced, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest; when we put that out in the Blu-ray format, viewers got lots of background information and things that weren’t in the movie. They got a lot of behind-the-scenes information. It’s a joy for people that are real fans to see what was going on when we were making the movie.
Q: Do you have a large Blu-ray collection at home?
DOUGLAS: I’ve got a pretty good Blu-ray collection, but my problem is that I rarely have time to look at it. I don’t know how people find the time. It’s the same thing with people who watch box sets and they go right through three years of a series. I have no idea how people have the time!
Q: Have you got a state-of-the-art home entertainment system set-up at home?
DOUGLAS: I’ve got one of those new curve screens and it’s quite stunning. The sound quality is amazing, too. You know what? I haven’t explained this to my kids – but when I first started in The Streets Of San Francisco, there were only two networks that existed: CBS and NBC; ABC was the upcoming version. It really makes you think about how much time has passed because I’m talking about black and white television here. That’s unheard of now. Television and movies have come along an amazingly long way.
Q: What do your children think of your role in Marvel’s Ant-Man? Were they excited to see their father in a superhero blockbuster?
DOUGLAS: This movie gives me a new credibility with my son and his buddies, which is great. Up until now, most of my career has been R-rated, so neither my kids nor any of their friends have seen a whole lot of what I’ve done. My 14-year-old’s reaction was like an agent. He said, “You know what, Dad? This could be a whole new audience for you.” I took that to heart and here I am.
Q: There’s a fatherhood theme that runs through Marvel’s Ant-Man. How does that add to the movie’s appeal?
DOUGLAS: I thought it gave the movie a lot of heart. It’s certainly been an issue that was touched on with Iron Man to some degree, but I don’t think to the level that it is in Ant-Man. I think the complexities of my relationship with my daughter, Hope, and the parallel relationships that Scott Lang [played by Paul Rudd] has with his family are very interesting. I think it grounds the picture and gives it an emotional level that is viable. It’s an asset.
Q: What do you think of Paul Rudd’s performance as Ant-Man?
DOUGLAS: Paul Rudd is great. He brings an everyman quality to the superhero. He’s got a great self-deprecating sense of humor and he worked his way into unbelievable shape for the role. He doesn’t try to play it smart; he just has an everyman quality about him, which I think is very, very appealing. When you watch him, as the character rises to the qualities of being a superhero, you really end up rooting for him.
Q: How much of a Marvel fan are you?
DOUGLAS: I love to go and watch Marvel movies with my kids. I’ve caught a fair share of the Marvel films and I always look forward to them – but I also enjoy the home entertainment editions. As a member of the Academy, we get DVDs of a lot of the pictures at the end of the year, so my wife Catherine [Zeta-Jones] and I spend a lot of time catching up on films at our home.
Q: How much research did you undertake into the history of Ant-Man and Dr. Hank Pym when you signed on to the movie?
DOUGLAS: I was not familiar with Ant-Man before this movie – but Marvel were kind enough to send me about two years’ worth of comic books, so I could catch up on his history and background. I’ve read a lot of them. I’ve thumbed through and read most of the stuff that pertained to Hank to help me understand him a little more.
Q: In the comics, Dr. Hank Pym is a damaged man with an unfortunate history. How much of his past was on your mind when you portrayed the character on set?
DOUGLAS: They gave me more background to my character than most movies I’ve done, so I could understand about the loss of his wife and the alienation with his daughter. I found it very helpful. I think there are echoes of the loss of his wife and elements that highlight the distance between Hank and his daughter, who is played by Evangeline Lilly. I don’t think we wanted to dwell on it, but it pays off a little later in the picture.
Q: Marvel likes to hide lots of Easter eggs and secret references in their movies. Were you aware of them when you were shooting the film?
DOUGLAS: I became aware as they explained them to me. I was a babe in the woods, so what can I say? I love the curiosity and the zealousness in which a lot of the audiences follow these pieces. But I was aware, of course, of the Wasp at the end of the movie and its significance.
Q: Was the Wasp reveal always planned to be a stinger scene with the end credits?
DOUGLAS: It was a little scene that they added halfway through the picture. Maybe they were going to have it all along – but they start on a broad canvas and then they narrow it down in terms of the relationships that are working. It goes from there really.
Q: The opening sequence of the movie is a flashback scene with Hayley Atwell’s character, Peggy Carter. Did you understand the relevance of that scene when you were shooting it?
DOUGLAS: They explained it to me. They explained why a young, attractive woman on a television series was now playing an older woman – and why I was playing my character 30 years younger than he is for the rest of the movie. She and I did not have a chance to talk too much. She was in the middle of her series [Agent Carter], so she just came down for that one quick scene.
Q: What do you think of the scene?
DOUGLAS: When I went into record some extra dialogue after the movie was shot, that scene was half finished, so one half of me had little spots all over my face – and I was wearing the wig with all that hair – and the other half had been completed. Through the magic of computer graphics, I looked 30 years younger. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s like looking at yourself 30 years ago. There’s no need to do remakes anymore. I’ll just remake some of my movies with myself playing the part!
Q: How did they shoot the scene?
DOUGLAS: I had little spots, or little dots, everywhere. They used the dots for reference to measure or change things or whatever they do – and once completed, you see this little baby-faced guy. It was great. I thought it was fantastic.
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Saturday, October 3, 2015
Scarlett Johansson Discusses the Black Widow in "Avengers: Age of Ultron"
[The following interview and Q&A was provided by Walt Disney Studios]
AN INTERVIEW WITH SCARLETT JOHANSSON FOR THE IN-HOME RELEASE OF MARVEL’S AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
Marvel Studios unleashes the next global phenomenon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Good intentions wreak havoc when Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) unwittingly creates Ultron (James Spader), a terrifying A.I. monster who vows to achieve “world peace” via mass extinction. Now, Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – alongside Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) – must reassemble to defeat Ultron and save mankind.
With the Blu-ray, Digital HD and DVD of Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron about to be released, we talk to actors Scarlett Johansson– ‘Black Widow’ in the movie – to discover their thoughts on the action-packed adventure…
How would you describe The Avengers at the beginning of Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron? And how has the world changed since the first movie?
Scarlett Johansson: It really is business as usual at the beginning of the film, but the world is aware of the universe in a way that they weren’t in The Avengers. The common man knows the vocabulary of aliens and space travel. Before the battle in New York, The Avengers had a stealthy approach and S.H.I.E.L.D. certainly had that as well – but now we’re being judged in a different way. Everybody is watching us, so it’s a different playing field.
What personal challenges do The Avengers face in the movie?
Scarlett Johansson: Every one of The Avengers has come to the table with a lot of baggage. None of us chose this job; the job chose us – and their reluctance to wear the superhero hat makes for very interesting backstories. We all have our histories, which we get to explore a little bit, and I think the audience is going to absolutely love it. It makes the audience that more invested in our interpersonal relationships and also the future of these characters, which is pretty cool.
How would you describe the romantic relationship that develops between Black Widow and Bruce Banner in the movie?
Scarlett Johansson: These characters have what I always thought was an unlikely love story that grows between them – but it’s actually rooted in a very likely love story because they have a lot in common. It’s a very complicated relationship. It’s an impossible love that seems unlikely but isn’t.
How does Black Widow tame The Hulk?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON: How does Natasha tame the beast? That’s a very good question. It’s interesting that she does it with a human touch. I would imagine your every instinct is telling you not to touch The Hulk. He’s not the person you grab and give a bear hug to. And yet, somehow, he’s a raging person that needs a tender bear hug. He needs someone to remind him that he’s grounded and he has someone with him. He needs someone to be present to tell him to come back to himself. She develops a therapeutic thing with the Hulk, and I think that probably comes from her own maternal instinct.
How does it feel to play a female superhero in a male dominated world, Scarlett?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON: I just go through the script and look at my parts – and those are the only parts I read. What’s great about playing this character is that she is based on something deep and something I could hold onto. She’s very real. She’s experienced a lot of trauma and she’s never really been able to make active choices for herself – but now she is and she’s ready for it.
You were pregnant when you shot the movie. How did you prepare for the physical role and the challenging motorcycle scenes?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON: I don’t think you’re allowed to ride a motorcycle when you’re pregnant. I embarrassingly rode some sort of mechanical bull-type of motorcycle, which goes nowhere and doesn’t look cool at all! But we had some very professional and amazing motocross work being done that makes Black Widow look like a total badass.
How much do you enjoy the physical aspect of the role?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON: I’m very fortunate that there’s a team around me that is super-supportive in helping all of Widow’s fight moves and badass motorcycle riding. It takes a lot of choreography and team spirit. Every film is exciting because I get new tools and cool new things to do. Luckily, [director] Joss [Whedon] writes me some badass moves that make me look epic. It’s awesome.
How would you sum up Black Widow’s journey in the movie?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON: At the beginning of Avengers 2, there’s some sense of The Avengers being a well-oiled machine. Finally, the introductions are over and we’re at work, we’re digging our heels in. At the end of Avengers 2, I think Widow has let her guard down and she is hopeful for something. I think she had this moment of false hope where she felt like she put in the work and there should be some kind of personal payoff – and she was ready to accept it. Then she realizes that her calling is a greater one and that’s not necessarily something that she’s thrilled about, but that’s what is most heroic about her. She accepts the call of duty, even at her own personal loss. I think it’s an interesting place to leave her, because there are many different directions to go. Is she going to be able to withstand this huge weight that’s bearing down on her or is she going to crack under it and crumble? I guess we’ll have to wait and see, right?
Would you like to see a solo Black Widow movie to tie up these loose ends?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON: A Black Widow movie will be cool. Sure. I’m always excited to get that cat suit on!
END
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Friday, October 2, 2015
Robert Downey, Jr. Shares His Thoughts on "Avengers: Age of Ultron"
[The following interview and Q&A was provided by Walt Disney Studios]
AN INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT DOWNEY JR. FOR THE IN-HOME RELEASE OF MARVEL’S AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
Marvel Studios unleashes the next global phenomenon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Good intentions wreak havoc when Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) unwittingly creates Ultron (James Spader), a terrifying A.I. monster who vows to achieve “world peace” via mass extinction. Now, Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – alongside Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) – must reassemble to defeat Ultron and save mankind.
With the Blu-ray, Digital HD and DVD of Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron about to be released, we talk to Robert Downey Jr. – who plays Tony Stark/Iron Man in the movie – to discover his thoughts on the action-packed adventure…
What do you hope the audience gains from watching Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron?
DOWNEY, JR.: I hope people say ‘Wow’ after they see this film. When you have a big movie like this, there are big expectations. I hope that audiences feel as good about this as they did when they came and saw the third Iron Man. And the same as they did when they saw the most recent Captain America and Thor. This movie is incredibly fun and thoughtful – and it has great themes. There is also a whole bunch of new characters and it really raises the bar. That’s when I know it has my seal of approval.
Where is Tony Stark when Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron opens? And how would you describe his relationship with The Avengers now?
DOWNEY, JR.: When the movie starts, Tony is hosting The Avengers in his tower in New York. He’s working on a system that will make it so The Avengers don’t have to do what they’ve been doing all along, which purportedly should be the end game.
Captain America appears to be the leader of The Avengers in Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Is Tony Stark happy about that?
DOWNEY, JR.: There are really only two relationships in Tony’s life that he’s been willing to assume a lower status. One is with Pepper Potts, obviously. And the other is with Captain America.
Why did he decide to let Captain America take charge?
DOWNEY, JR.: Tony believes whoever does the job best should probably do that job. And while Tony brings a lot to the table, Captain America has the most experience. No one’s more battle seasoned than Captain America.
Why does Tony Stark care for The Avengers so much in the movie? In the past, he has been a pretty selfish guy…
DOWNEY, JR.: By having them all together, he feels like it allows him to still be the engineer and the mechanic who wants to help them all do things a little bit better. It’s like buying a football team and then wanting to redo their uniforms and give them better equipment and make them stronger, faster and safer on the field.
Tony Stark spent a lot of money upgrading Stark Tower to become The Avengers Tower in the new movie. Where does he get all this money?
DOWNEY, JR.: I don’t know of anyone in the history of any Super Hero franchise who seems never to run out of money! Tony’s footing the bill and he can swing it, obviously. Pepper has taken over the business largely, so everything’s going to be a little more stable than when daddy was just writing checks.
What was it like to wander around the set of the Avengers Tower?
DOWNEY, JR.: When I walked onto the set for the first time, I said, ‘Wow, this is really impressive.” But then, as we went along, somehow it wasn’t factored in what would happen when all of the candy glass from the action sequences got ground into the floor.
Did it become difficult to walk around the set?
DOWNEY, JR.: It basically became a futuristic ice rink that was almost impossible to navigate. The floors looked so beautiful, but they were so slippery that it added unforeseen amount of excitement and danger to walking three steps. It also made everyone a much better dancer.
Every Marvel movie brings something new and different to its audience. What does Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron bring to the world this time?
DOWNEY, JR.: Having new people in the cast is great. We now have Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. We have Paul Bettany, who’s been the voice of Jarvis all along, but now he gets to do something new with a character named Vision. And I think James Spader was a brilliant piece of casting for Ultron.
What’s it like to work with James Spader?
DOWNEY, JR.: There are a lot of full circles going on with this movie. Probably the most personal one is James Spader. He was the first person I saw when I came to Los Angeles and he really took me under his wing. He’s just a couple years older than me, but I think it was a very inspired casting choice [to have him in the movie]. Not just because he’s on everyone’s lips and minds again, but he really is a bit of an American treasure. I’ve certainly borrowed from his style more than a few times over the years.
What was it like to have Paul Bettany on the set of the movie this time?
DOWNEY, JR.: Another great full circle moment in this film is Paul Bettany coming in as Vision. Paul’s been essentially with me from the beginning and it was so nice to actually get him on set instead of at the premieres. He’s an amazing actor and it’s a fantastic character.
What made you perfect for the role of Tony Stark? And how did you create the character in the first place?
DOWNEY, JR.: It was just this perfect storm of feeling like I could create the character within the guidelines of what he was always supposed to be. I always thought he was so cool when I read the comic books. I thought, ‘Let’s just keep it human and make sure there’s enough wit in there so people don’t think he’s a stiff. If I do that, it will work out alright.’
How excited were you to return to the Marvel universe with another Avengers movie?
DOWNEY, JR.: I read Joss Whedon’s script and I said, “I think this is great.” Kevin Feige [the president of Marvel Studios] said, “You never say that. You can’t mean that.” I said, “Yeah, I think it’s great. Let’s go shoot it.”
What did you like about the script?
DOWNEY, JR.: What I loved about this script was the further development of the complexities of the relationship between all The Avengers. I loved that Thor has a beef with me and then eventually has to give in and say I’m right. Joss created some great new situations for Tony to be in. So, rather than digging my heels and trying to rewrite every scene – to make them even better – I just showed up, and it turned out great.
What is it about the dynamic between you and Joss Whedon that works so well?
DOWNEY, JR.: It’s a respect. Every director-actor relationship is so different. Joss is really in control and he likes to have authorship over things. For me, it was about being a little more receptive. In some ways, it makes the job easier because he has it figured out already. It’s been great.
END
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Chris Hemsworth Talks "Avengers: Age of Ultron"
[The following interview and Q&A was provided by Walt Disney Studios]
AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS HEMSWORTH FOR THE IN-HOME RELEASE OF MARVEL’S AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
Marvel Studios unleashes the next global phenomenon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Good intentions wreak havoc when Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) unwittingly creates Ultron (James Spader), a terrifying A.I. monster who vows to achieve “world peace” via mass extinction. Now, Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – alongside Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) – must reassemble to defeat Ultron and save mankind.
With the Blu-ray ™, Digital HD and DVD of Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron about to be released, we talk to actor Chris Hemsworth– who plays Thor in the movie – to discover his thoughts on the action-packed adventure…
What’s new about your characters in Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: In Age Of Ultron, we see a more grounded, earthly version of Thor than we have in the past. It is nice because there are a few more opportunities to showcase some humor and see him in some casual gear instead of the red cape and armor.
How does it feel to portray a different version of the character compared to the Thor we’ve seen in previous movies?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: I wanted to get back to the fun he had in the first film. I wanted to make him a little more grounded. I wanted to humanize him a bit. It’s very easy for these characters to become un-relatable and exist off in the stratosphere – but this was about making him more human. You can see this in one of the first scenes where the rest of The Avengers are trying to pick up his hammer in casual clothes. You think, ‘What do these guys do when they’re not saving the world?’ Well, now you know. That was fun for me. Any time we got to do things like that and to play around, that was the best part for me.
What’s Thor’s role in The Avengers in the new movie?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: He’s a central part of the team now and there’s certainly a unity that they’ve all formed now as a group. They are solid. Thor sees the bigger picture of the current conflict that’s going on. There’s the initial battle, which they’re all involved in, but Thor uses his Asgardian knowledge and starts to tap into some otherworldly possibilities and threats that he thinks are coming.
What was it like to welcome new cast members to the superhero cast?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: Joking aside, they were awesome. It was cool to have new people on set. You almost get too comfortable when you know everyone’s rhythms – but then a few new people are thrown in the mix and it gets disrupted in the best way. That’s why I think people love this film even more so than the first one. I love the new additions.
Ultron [played by James Spader] is another new character introduced in Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron. How would you describe the character?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: The character of Ultron was one of the first times on any film where I had really no idea what that character was going to look like and how that performance was going to be played out. But the first time I saw James [Spader] perform in character, it just all made sense. The writing is all very tricky in terms of his speech cadences and rhythms. He also has sarcasm and irony to him, yet is highly intelligent. It’s a beautiful mix.
What was it like to have James Spader on the set?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: I remember the first time he came on set, too. He did this big monologue and when he was done we all applauded and forgot our lines because we were so captivated by what he was doing.
How would you describe the look of Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: We’ve gone to far more locations than we’ve ever been to before and we’ve covered more ground than ever before, so aesthetically it’s going to be a mash-up of a whole lot of different locations and styles and images. Everything has been dialed up. Even the complexity of the story has gone deeper. We’ve seen all these characters evolve in the individual films, but to see them come together a second time is pretty exciting.
The start of the movie sees the superheroes working together in The Avengers Tower. What was the set like for those scenes?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: The Avengers Tower was an incredible set. In fact, it was one of the most impressive sets I’ve ever been on. It’s Tony Stark’s house, so it had to be big, high-tech and flashy – and it was. It was also the first set that the entire group shot on together, so it was nice to be in that kind of setting to shoot the party scene there and all of us be together and catch up.
Who were your favorite superheroes when you were growing up?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: Superman was probably the only film like that I had seen when I was growing up. It’s the one that sticks out for me. Iron Man hadn’t been created yet, or Captain America, or Hulk, or Black Widow, or Vision.
END
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Friday, May 22, 2015
Titan Comics Revives "The Light & Darkness War"
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT: TOM VEITCH - THE LIGHT AND DARKNESS WAR
“A ravishingly beautiful book!” Andy Diggle (Thief Of Thieves, Hellblazer)
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT is a feature designed to provide an insight into the brilliant minds behind Titan Comics’ upcoming creator-owned titles.
May 27th sees the release of The Light and Darkness War a truly classic saga created by the Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy, - the acclaimed team behind the legendary Star Wars spin-off series, Dark Empire - this riveting and wondrously illustrated tale has been fully restored and remastered, and is packed with stunning new arts and in-depth features!
In this expansive interview, Owen Johnson – Senior Marketing & Press Officer discusses with writer Tom Veitch his the origins of the graphic novel, the reasons it was created, and what readers can expect from this brand-new edition
OWEN: WHY COMICS?
TOM VEITCH: If you have ever watched a child pick up a comic book, you know how totally involving comics can be. They connect directly to the visual centers of the brain and to the parts of us where imagination comes from. Visual storytelling has existed since the stone age. The prose novel didn't exist before the 18th century (although it descended from traditions as old as campfire storytelling). Stories told with images were painted on cave walls and had become a formalized method of record-keeping and communication by the time of the Egyptians. Modern comics are a continuation of that ancient artform.
OWEN: HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE LIGHT & DARKNESS WAR?
TOM VEITCH: The Light and Darkness War came out of my anger and sadness over the Vietnam War and what it did to an entire generation of men. As Steve Bissette notes in his Afterword, The Light and Darkness War is an outgrowth of underground comix about the Vietnam War I did with artist Greg Irons, especially "The Story of Vince Shazam." Most significantly, perhaps, the story also arose from my intense dream-life and my own belief in an afterlife.
OWEN: WHAT CAN READERS EXPECT FROM THE COMIC?
TOM VEITCH: Our central character, Lazarus Jones, a disabled Vietnam War veteran, suffers from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Basically he is eaten up inside by what the war did to him, and by the loss of his brothers-in-arms who died when their Huey helicopter gunship crashed and burned. Laz survived that crash with both his legs amputated, and is cared for by his loving wife Chris. As the story develops, Laz is drawn into a visionary connection to an afterlife universe where earth-side warriors go when they die in battle. He finds his friends, and they invite him to join them in fighting a 10,000 year war with the forces of darkness. Laz joins the fight, and the action spins out of that.
Our mythic hypothesis is that Heaven and Hell don't exist. What exists beyond the wall of death are alternate universes that are actually created or imagined by the billions of people who have gone before us. After people die they join these collective visions of other worlds, good vs. evil, or perhaps realms of peace and pleasure. But warriors who die in battle on earth have dreamed up an entire galaxy at war -- a war in which weapons from all the ages of mankind are still being used.
I've written a background briefing which is appended to this collected edition. That essay, together with Cam's terrific sketchwork, will give you an idea of the detail we have gone into in imagining the context of this tale. It was fun to do, and I have to admit I thought of myself as Tolkien's kid brother, smoking my clay pipe by the fire as I dreamed up an entire universe!
OWEN: WHAT ARE YOUR KEY INFLUENCES?
TOM VEITCH: The list is very long. Tolkien of course. And the great science fiction writers of the 1950s, including the EC sci-fi artists and writers. For visual storytelling, nobody can match the influence on me of Carl Barks and Jack Kirby. There's also no doubt the Star Wars films were a big influence. But curiously enough, Star Wars was heavily influenced by the same sources I cited earlier -- especially Kirby's "Fourth World" stories.
OWEN: WHAT DOES CREATING THIS COMIC BOOK MEAN TO YOU?
TOM VEITCH: Writing it was a privilege, because of the freedom we had has creator-owners of the property. And getting to work with Cam was another privilege. He's a wonderful man, high-spirited and with a great sense of humor. To top it off, he's just about the best war artist going. And I was fortunate that he's the kind of artist who prefers to work with a writer! We hit it off very well. After showing The Light and Darkness War to George Lucas, we went on to create Star Wars: Dark Empire together. The international phone bills for several years were just insane. Fortunately I also have a huge file of our written correspondence from the years before everybody switched to e-mail.
End of Q&A
THE LIGHT AND DARKNESS WAR
STORY: Tom Veitch; ART: Cam Kennedy
208 - FC - $24.99 On-sale: May 27th
FROM INDUSTRY LEGENDS TOM VEITCH (STAR WARS, ANIMAL MAN) AND CAM KENNEDY (DAREDEVIL, 2000AD)
PACKED WITH NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN CONCEPT ART, COVER GALLERIES AND SKETCHBOOKS
Doorgunner Lazarus Jones is consumed with nightmares and grief after his helicopter crew is killed in Vietnam. Spiralling into depression and alcoholism, Laz crosses the threshold between life and death, only to find himself battling once more alongside his lost comrades, in the ultimate war between Good and Evil...
"In the spirit of some great books like Alien Legion and Cluster, The Light and Darkness War delivers on some gritty action." The Pullbox
"Pulls, pushes and shocks you backwards and forwards through states of reality and dream with words and visuals...Beautiful stuff indeed." - Down the Tubes
IN COMIC STORES MAY 27, 2015
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Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Artist Martin Simmonds Talks "Death Sentence: London" Comic Book
Editor's Note: The following is a Q&A of artist, Martin Simmonds, provided by Owen Johnson of Titan Comics to promote the upcoming comic book series, Death Sentence: London #1.
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT: MARTIN SIMMONDS - DEATH SENTENCE: LONDON #1
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT is a new feature designed to provide an insight into the brilliant minds behind Titan Comics’ upcoming creator-owned titles.
I sat down with Martin to discuss breaking into the industry, jumping on the Death Sentence circus, and his work on the series. – Owen Johnson, Senior Press & Marketing Officer.
OWEN: Why comics?
SIMMONDS: My first memorable experience of comics is reading 2000AD and marveling at the great work from artists like Brian Bolland, Carlos Ezquerra, Cam Kennedy and Mike McMahon. The stories were like nothing I’d experienced before, and there was something really appealing about a weekly anthology comic full of such a diverse range of stories. When I was a little older, I discovered my local comic shop and it opened up a whole world of great titles and introduced me to the work of hundreds of amazing artists and writers.
As a reader, comics offer something different in terms of storytelling – there’s an immediacy to reading a comic, but equally re-reading an issue or graphic novel can offer something new that you hadn’t noticed the first time round.
As an artist, I love the collaborative aspect of creating comics - in my experience, it's such an organic process between creators, from scripting to the final pages going to print, and nothing beats seeing the final pages lettered, which is where it all falls into place.
OWEN: How did you get started in the industry?
SIMMONDS: As well as visiting cons and attending portfolio reviews with publishers/editors, it made sense to meet other creators at a similar stage in their careers to me, collaborate on small projects and get our work out there for people to see it. It meant we could exhibit at cons, meet other like-minded creators and hopefully get some exposure.
I was lucky enough to collaborate on a couple of small press anthologies - Dead Roots (with Paul Alexander) and Disconnected Volume 2 (with PM Buchan), followed by working with Mike Garley (writer) on the self-published comic Eponymous. From there I started to pick up a few cover art commissions for small projects/pitches, before collaborating with Monty on Death Sentence London.
OWEN: What drew you to working on Death Sentence?
SIMMONDS: Monty and I had chatted at cons before and got on well, so when he approached me about working on the second volume of Death Sentence, I jumped at the chance. I was a huge fan of the first volume and in my opinion it was THE comic of 2013/14. Monty and Mike created a truly original, anarchic and darkly funny masterpiece with Death Sentence, and I knew it'd be a fantastic project to get involved in.
OWEN: What can readers expect from your work on Death Sentence?
Monty's pulled out all the stops with the writing, so expect some pretty intense visuals to match. Hopefully, all the subtleties and dynamics we've worked into the pages will come across and fans of the original series will enjoy where we are taking things.
We’re both really proud of what we’ve created, and hopefully that should come across in the pages!
OWEN: What are the key influences on your style?
Growing up, I'd have to say Bill Sienkiewicz, Kent Williams and Dave McKean made the biggest impression on me. I love expressive, dynamic styles – so along with Sienkiewicz, Williams, and McKean, I’d list Jock, Frazer Irving, Greg Tocchini, Phil Noto and Tommy Lee Edwards as key influences.
When I first discovered Frazer Irving's work, I got that same feeling of excitement as the first time I saw McKean's work on Violent Cases or Sienkiewicz's Stray Toasters. The way he colours his pages is amazing - really vibrant, intense colour palettes, and definitely a major influence on how I colour my work.
Outside of comics, I'd have to say my major influences are Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Aubrey Beardsley, Coby Whitmore, Bob Peak, Saul Bass and Ralph Steadman.
OWEN: What does creating this comic book mean to you?
It’s my first opportunity to work on a comic for a long run and I’ve really learnt a lot from the process. The chance to collaborate with Monty meant that I not only get to work with a fantastic writer but also on a title that I was already a big fan of. Mike's art in Volume 1 is amazing, so the bar was set extremely high, and I knew it'd be a real challenge to maintain that high standard but that was part of the appeal. It’s been an absolute joy to work on, developing new characters and knowing that you are adding to the Death Sentence universe is really exciting.
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DEATH SENTENCE: LONDON #1
Story by: MontyNero
Art by: Martin Simmonds
32 - FC - $3.99 - On-sale:
June 10th, 2015
Death Sentence: London continues the phenomenal critical and sales hit rampant with sex, drugs and superpowers!
Making this perfect jumping-on point, awesome all-new rising star artist Martin Simmonds joins co-creator Montynero (X-Men Annual, Verigo CMYK) for a wild ride!
The cataclysmic effects of Monty's G-positive super-rampage through London are still being felt...but where are series icons Weasel and Verity?! And what happens when the Americans - and special agent Jeb Mulgrew - get involved?!
Created by writer Montynero and artist Mike Dowling, Death Sentence was a hit with reviewers, retailers and readers the world over. With Death Sentence: London, the scope is bigger, the action bolder, and the storyline more controversial than ever!
"Brilliant. Genuinely original" - Mark Millar (Kick-Ass)
"A more mature X-Men style of comic" - Comic Bastards
"The artwork excels" - Comic Book Therapy
"Like a great punk rock song" - Comics Bulletin
"A high quality, good fun, action-packed, dystopian science fiction comic" - Sonia Harris, CBR
"The artwork matched the story it was trying to convey perfectly" - Pissed Off Geek
"Thought provoking, entertaining & engaging in equal measure" - Comics Anonymous
"The original DEATH SENTENCE was a singular work of art... how do you top that?
...MontyNero and Martin Simmonds achieve exactly that" - Dr. Shathley Q.
Death Sentence : London #1 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB-eAiQ6TMI
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Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Kathryn Lance Talks the Close of Her Pandora's Trilogy, "Pandora's Promise"
According to her website, Kathryn Lance (KL) has been both a professional writer and a ghostwriter of fiction and nonfiction. She has also been an editor, a writing instructor, and a writing consultant. She has authored more than 50 books and also written hundreds of articles.
Lance's most recent work of fiction is the recently released novel, Pandora's Promise. This is the third book in her Pandora's trilogy, a science fiction adventure/romance series that takes place in a future world devastated by a recombinant-DNA disaster. The first book in the series, Pandora's Genes (Questar, 1985), won Romance Times' “Best New Science Fiction” award in 1986. Pandora's Gene also made Locus magazine's “Recommended List” in 1986. The second book, Pandora's Children (Questar 1987), continued the story begun in the first book. Pandora's Promise, which stands alone as a novel, features telepathic elephants and an intense and unusual love triangle.
The following is a list of questions and answers prepared by the Kathryn Lance for press and media:
Q: What’s the best thing about being a writer?
KL: For me, the best thing about being a writer of fiction is that I get to make up whole worlds and get to know the characters who inhabit them. I say “get to know” the characters because, although they are obviously a product of my mind, I always feel that the characters are real people. This has been especially true of the characters in the Pandora’s books, who seem every bit as real to me as my actual friends. It’s very hard to let them go, as their stories continue in my imagination.
Q: What are you currently working on?
KL: I’m taking a break from long fiction just now and working on my writing and nature blogs, as well as a couple of articles. One is about the current book, which is my “encore” book, since the first two novels were published in the 1980’s!
Q: Where did you get the idea for the Pandora’s Trilogy?
KL: Years ago I read an article about attempts to clean oil spills using genetically-modified bacteria. I thought, “Great--but what if your car catches it?” From there I began to wonder what would happen if all oil and oil products abruptly disappeared from the earth. Later on, I had a dream in which I saw a good man who was about to do something he knew was morally wrong, but that he felt he had to do. The man turned out to be Zach, and his conflict between honor and duty is what drives him throughout the series. While writing Pandora’s Promise I was surprised to learn that Zach’s conflict could be resolved.
Q: What do you say to potential readers who say they don’t like science fiction?
KL: I say, “I don’t think science fiction is what you think it is.” I have adored science fiction since I was a child. It is interesting and exciting because it answers questions that begin “What if?” and it takes on societal problems in a way that mainstream fiction usually does not. (Think of 1984 and Brave New World.) Science fiction has always seemed more real to me than mainstream fiction. Though the genre has a reputation for being less-well-written than some other genres, that is not true. As with any fiction, some is good, some is bad, some is indifferent. To me, the story and characters are always the most important elements, whatever the category of literature.
Q: How did you create the elephants?
KL: I have always been fascinated by elephants, and have read a great deal about them over the years. In Pandora’s Promise, the empathic elephants, who call themselves “Dream Tasters,” seemed to me to logically belong in the Great Plains after the recombinant DNA disaster that set the story in motion and caused many extinctions and mutations throughout the world. Their empathic abilities, like those of the fox-cat, Baby, are explained as latent traits that appeared as humans disappeared after “The Change.”
Q: Is Pandora’s Promise also a love story?
KL: The whole Pandora’s trilogy is a love story, though I did not know that until the first book, Pandora’s Genes, won the “Best New Science Fiction” award from Romance Times in the year it was published. The series portrays a love triangle featuring the two male protagonists, Zach and Will, who both love Evvy, the young girl scientist. Although the love story is never in the forefront of the action, it is always in the background, and I’ve heard from many readers who had definite ideas how they wanted it resolved.
Q: Will I understand Pandora’s Promise if I haven’t read the other two novels?
KL: Definitely! I wrote it in such a way that you needn’t read the first two books to follow what is going on. Several readers who started with this book told me they liked it so much that they went back and read the first two novels just to spend more time with the characters.
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Description of Pandora's Promise for Amazon:
Pandora’s Promise, the long-awaited conclusion to the trilogy that began with the award-winning novel Pandora’s Genes, takes place in a world 100 years after a recombinant-DNA disaster destroyed all oil-based technology and caused widespread mutations. Due to an inherited genetic disease, the human race seems doomed to extinction. In this dangerous setting, Evvy, the brilliant young scientist trying to save humanity, sets out on a perilous quest, while Zach, the poet-warrior and Evvy’s self-exiled soul mate, faces deadly challenges among disparate human and animal societies. Unknowingly, both Zach and Evvy follow clues to the mysterious Eye--a source of hope? Of oblivion? Or merely a myth?
With this final volume in the trilogy, author and SFWA member Kathryn Lance answers all questions raised by the first two books while creating a stand-alone page-turner that explains how the initial disaster occurred and resolves the unusual love triangle involving Zach, Evvy, and Will the Principal, the charismatic but flawed leader of a society based in the ruins of Washington, D.C. Along the way readers are introduced to fascinating future societies, including the southern “Snake People,” who worship a genetically altered giant constrictor, The Pros, a group of farming communities whose society is built around a violent sports contest, and The Dream Tasters, a canny and loving group of empathic elephants.
Pandora’s Promise by Kathryn Lance
ASIN: B00T3O0676
Publisher: Amazon
Date of publish: February 2015
Pages: 306 - Kindle ebook
S.R.P.: $3.99
Readers can learn more about Lance and her work at her website: http://www.klance.com/home.html
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Saturday, March 21, 2015
Jay Gunn Talks About His New Comic Book, "Surface Tension"
WE ARE ALL MADE OF WATER.
This May sees the release of Surface Tension #1 (from Titan Comics), a new creator-owned comic book series by Jay Gunn. Advanced reviews describe Surface Tension as "mysterious and intriguing", and "Princess Mononoke meets The Walking Dead".
This genre-bending ecological fable with elements of horror and fantasy is difficult to define with one exception - the quality of both art and storytelling is outstanding. There is no doubt that Surface Tension is "set to be a monstrous hit" (Laura Sneddon, Comics Beat).
Owen Johnson, Senior Press and Marketing Officer for Titan Comics sat down with Jay to discuss his new series, the influences behind it, and what readers can expect.
OWEN: Why comics?
JAY GUNN: Creator owned comics are one of the few visual mediums where you can still present complex ideas and themes and also be entertaining without having to sacrifice integrity or vision. I've always loved comics when I was a kid, 2000ad blew my mind. Now I get to read comics on a wide range of subjects and cultures. There's more to comics than just super heroes.
How did you some up with the idea of Surface Tension?
It came out of a debate that I had with a friend. At the time I was quite pessimistic about the human race and was of the opinion that the planet would be better without us. My friend was convinced that we would eventually learn to live in harmony with the planet.
I decided to take this debate and make it the backbone of a story, turning the two differing opinions into fictional characters, both of whom have the power to save or to destroy the world. Who would win and would the winning outcome be for the best?
OWEN: What can readers expect from the mini-series?
JAY GUNN: Lots of monsters, melting people, mystery and suspense! Actually, the book works on two fronts - on the surface it is a sci-fi horror romp that has lots of action and tension. Secondly, under the surface, the book is positing lots of questions to the reader; about our place in the world and do we deserve to survive when we've done so much harm.
There are lots of twists during the story, nothing is as it first seems. The book is not a typical 'post apocalyptic comic' there's so much more to it than just zombies. The reader will be taken on a great adventure, it's going to get very crazy in later episodes!
OWEN: What are the key influences on Surface Tension?
JAY GUNN: I've always responded positively to science fiction or horror that are parables or have something to say. John Wyndham's novel The Day of the Triffids or Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke are good examples of the sort of balance that I was aiming to achieve with Surface Tension.
I also put a lot of my own life experiences into the book. When I was a child my family lived near to a massive chemical plant that exploded and decimated a nearby village. I was then fascinated with how nature reclaimed that poisoned land. Just one of the many elements that influenced scenes in the story.
OWEN: Pat Mills described Surface Tension as, "written and drawn with passion" What does creating this comic book mean to you?
JAY GUNN: I poured a lot of myself into this book and I thought, if I only ever get the chance to make one book then I wanted it to 'mean something.' Not just for me but for the reader. We live in turbulent times and I didn't want to make a book that is a simply a reflection of our capacity to hate. I wanted to make something that inspires hope, even in the darkest of times.
I had a life threatening illness when writing and drawing this book and there was a time when I wasn't sure if I would actually see the end of the book. I decided to put that life changing experience into the story, you can see it in the way some of the characters evolve and change.
The fact that I achieved my goal, beat the illness and created a book that I'm very proud of was all the passion I needed. The story reflects that journey, it tells us that we should never ever give up.
Diamond Comics Order Codes: COVER A. Order Code: MAR151531 COVER B. Order Code: MAR151532
Watch the preview trailer for Surface Tension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px48D2F1aRQ
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Sunday, December 14, 2014
Zoe Saladana Talks "Franchises," Nina Simone and Guardians of the Galaxy
Walt Disney Home Entertainment provided the following question-and-answer interview with actor Zoe Saldana as a promotion for its Blu-ray and DVD release of Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy. "Q" is the anonymous questioner and "A" is Ms. Saldana:
AN INTERVIEW WITH ZOE SALDANA (GAMORA) FOR THE IN HOME RELEASE OF GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Q: So did all cast members get their make-up done together?
A: No, we didn’t; we had separate bungalows. It was only when we were all on set, all grey or green or blue and we couldn’t touch anything because we would just smear paint and stuff all over everything. We’d all sit together and Dave would be eating a super-healthy meal, I’d be having some fish and chips and Chris would be asking me: ‘So how’s the texture? Do you like the fish?’ He couldn’t eat it himself because he was on a strict diet so he was always asking me what my food tasted like.
Q: How did you while away the long hours in the make-up chair?
A: Listening to music, talking… Sometimes I’d ask about Dave and was told, ‘This dude is meditating – he sits there and doesn’t move for hours’ whereas sometimes they couldn’t even get me to sit down in the chair. My make-up artist, who I brought over from the States, would go ‘You need to sit down, get your dog and take a nap, otherwise we’ll be in trouble because I have to work on you’. My dog and I would wake up and we’d both be green!
Q: What’s worse, putting the make-up on or taking it off?
A: Putting it on, trust me. When it comes to taking it off I think it’s easier because you know you’re just 30 minutes away from being in a hot tub and then bed. You’re literally ripping it off your face. The skin is flexible and it perspires and it’s ready to have that layer removed so it’s much more cooperative. They also have all these awesome solutions. It took four and a half hours to put it on and maybe an hour and 15 minutes to take off.
Q: You’ve spoken about Dave being very shy. Is it safe to assume from your outgoing personality that you’re far from shy yourself?
A: I’m not shy at all. My mum has asked me to be a little more shy! She’s sometimes like ‘Can you just shut up?’
Q: Since you both have athletic backgrounds, did you and Dave do a lot of your own stunts?
A: We’re every stunt coordinator’s nightmare and every director’s dream. Directors wish their actors could do more of the physical stuff, more of the stunts, just so they don’t have to cut from a wide master shot into a tight close-up. With us, James was able to use many of our medium, master and close-up shots particularly with me, Dave and Chris. The stunt people don’t really like it because we come in and we learn everything within two tries. They get kind of p****d off because they don’t get to work as much. On the other hand, the stunt people who are playing your doubles are super-excited because they get to act [when they’re doubling for an actor]. They don’t have to spend the whole time just falling and getting hurt.
Q: I can’t think of any other actor who has three franchises going at the same time…
A: Wasn’t there someone who had two, like Sylvester Stallone? For many years Sly had First Blood and Rocky, right? [Laughs] And now it’s me? Believe me, this was never planned. In between these big films, I do films like Nina, Out of the Furnace and Blood Ties and Infinitely Polar Bear is coming out next year. It’s just that the big movies happen to get seen more than the small-budget ones I do, but I’m happy with it. I like playing roles where women have more significance – they just happen to be set in space and they just so happen to be made by filmmakers like James Gunn, James Cameron and J.J. Abrams. That’s not a bad list of filmmakers to work with so I say, ‘You know what, I’ll be green here, I’ll be blue there, I don’t care!’
Q: Speaking of Nina, how was it playing Nina Simone in the biopic?
A: It was a very tumultuous affair and I loved making it. We did it with so much love and I think her story is definitely worth telling.
Q: What have you learned from doing so many green screen movies?
A: It’s helped me appreciate the technicalities of filmmaking. It’s also taught me that the best thing is to always remain open and that there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Ask every single question that you can and try to work with filmmakers who will never lose patience with their actors. It’s important for a director to provide as much information, especially when we’re working with things that we have to conceive out of thin air. You can’t just expect an actor to understand: ‘Oh, there’s a dinosaur coming at you”. OK, so I’m going to automatically know how big it is and what it sounds like? I need details. How close does he get to me? How tall is he? What will the impact be of his cry when he’s screaming at me or when he’s blowing smoke or air in my face? James Cameron will bring you speakers that are twice your height and he’ll search the internet to find any sound that resembles as closely as possible the sound he’s looking for. He’ll play it to you seconds before he starts the scene and that is so helpful. I learned to always ask a lot of questions. It’s super-important.
Q: And how was Guardians director James Gunn to work with?
A: He was very generous with all the information we needed to have. He’d show us the animatics, he’d play the music, he’d explain the moment to us and how he envisioned it if we were not capturing the emotional beat as he wanted. He was very much invested even though he was taking care of ten thousand million things at the same time. You don’t want to feel afraid to ask a director something and if you do then that’s not a director you should work with after that.
Q: Do you think James learned anything from you?
A: [Laughs] How to be cool! No, I’m joking. I hope he did learn something. I really feel the wise directors are the ones who learn from their actors in terms of: ‘How can I be a better director? How can I be a better captain? I feel James is not an egotistical person. He’s very passionate and he’s also a little stubborn but in all the right places. He’s like good cholesterol. That’s James Gunn. We had moments where people thought it was tense because I was asking questions or trying to do something one way because I believed in it and James wanted me to do it another way, but we never argued; it was never a hostile environment. Sometimes Chris would go through the same thing -- it was just a passionate moment between all these artists who really care. James never abused his power by saying, ‘Just do it like I said’. He was like, ‘Please trust me, do it this way and we’ll see’. If we did it his way and it didn’t work he’d say really quietly ‘Alright, do it your way’.
Q: Was there a defining moment when you decided you wanted to be an actor?
A: I was a ballet dancer for so long, but when I realized I had reached my limit and that I couldn’t go any further I knew I wanted to pursue acting. That’s one thing you don’t use as a dancer – your voice. [Laughs] And the one thing I use most in my life is my voice so it’s wonderful to get to express myself artistically through the biggest instrument I use. I auditioned for the Scarecrow in The Wiz and my mum went with me because she wouldn’t let me go anywhere alone. She did not think I was good, and I remember we had that conversation of ‘Baby, if you’re going to do this, we need to figure out a plan, like taking a class’. I did and I started reading a lot. There was this book that Judi Dench wrote that said there was a moment where, before an actor can be this or be that, the actor must simply be. I thought that to have absolute presence was to absorb everything that’s thrown at you. I’ve been getting paid for it ever since and [laughs] I haven’t needed an excuse to quit or to do something else.
Q: Do you collect all the action figures based on the characters you’ve played?
A: Here’s the thing. I have nieces and nephews and when they find them in the house, they take them and they end up broken. So there’s no point in me collecting them. One day I walked in to find my niece playing with all the Star Trek figures and eating chocolate at the same time. I was like, ‘It’s OK, take them, I don’t need them, I don’t have to sell them later for $100.’
Guardians of the Galaxy is available on Blu-ray, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere December 9, 2014
- ENDS -
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