Posts tagged Helen Mirren
Sam Worthington & Jessica Chastain Interview For ‘The Debt’
Sep 4th
Director John Madden’s espionage thriller ‘The Debt’ begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciaran Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington) tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen ) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team’s mission was accomplished – or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations. ‘The Debt’ is out now in the US, and September 30th in the UK.
What drew you to the role of David?
Sam Worthington: I was in Albuquerque filming ‘Terminator Salvation’, and director John Madden flew to there. I was wondering why this bloke wanted to fly to f*cking Albuquerque, and I figured it was to sign me on, since there’s not much there, besides green chilies and weaving, so we hung out. He’s a very sensitive man, very eloquent. After hearing his take on the script and what he wanted me to do with the part, I really liked it and I felt safe. That’s why I chose to work with him. I always choose my projects based on the director.
Did you watch the original Israeli film?
Sam Worthington: I’d seen the original, way before the movie had come up, but I didn’t go back to invest in it or use it. There are a lot of differences. The characters are a bit more stereotyped and there were these little holes that needed to be filled in. So I didn’t go back to it, but I had seen it.
Helen Mirren & John Madden Interview For ‘The Debt’
Aug 26th
Director John Madden’s espionage thriller ‘The Debt’ begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciaran Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen ) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team’s mission was accomplished – or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations. ‘The Debt’ is set for release August 31st in the US and September 30th in the UK. Check out what Helen Mirren and John Madden had to say about the film below.
What was the appeal of this story for you as a filmmaker?
John Madden: You can’t not want to make a thriller as a director, it’s the most pure cinematic form. It’s the form which tests your skills in the most exacting way. It’s like playing on a really good Golf course, not that I’m a golfer, but I can imagine (laughs). Those challenges and overcoming those challengers is very stimulating. But it’s not about me, it’s the story you are telling. The most appetizing thing for me was that it’s a fantastically compelling story, about very big subjects – the guilt and the aftermath of the holocaust, how people are brought to accountability for that. If it were only that it might sound a little didactic and not very interesting. It’s about what happens to these three people who are pursuing this objective, the way they become involved with one another, the conflicts that develop between them. That’s terribly engaging, it allows you into a point of entry in the film that you don’t always get in thrillers, because you are so involved with what’s happening to them emotionally.
Jessica Chastain Interview For ‘The Debt’
Aug 24th
Director John Madden’s espionage thriller ‘The Debt’ begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciaran Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen ) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team’s mission was accomplished – or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations. ‘The Debt’ is set for release August 31st in the US, and September 30th in the UK. Check out what Jessica Chastain had to say about the film below.
You get to be involved in quite a few combat scenes in this film, what was that like?
Jessica Chastain: I’ve never been in a fight in my life (laughs), when approaching this film I was a bit nervous about how I was going to realistic play a Mossad agent. So three and a half months before we started shooting I started working with a coach, that was incredibly helpful for me. I wanted it to look like it made sense, that Rachel could take down these people. My coach taught me a lot about how to use ones body weight, so even if you’re smaller than somebody else, you can use your bodyweight to twist someone’s arm that leads them into the ground, and you can pin them in certain ways. That coaching definitely gave me the confidence to approach those fight scenes, and be tough (laughs).
New Poster For ‘The Debt’ – Starring Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson & Sam Worthington
May 11th
The good folks over at Focus Features have released this slick new poster for John Madden’s (Shakespeare in Love) upcoming espionage thriller ‘The Debt.’ The film is a remake of an Israeli film called Ha-Hov and was rewritten by Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, Stardust), as well as Peter Straughan. The film features an all star cast in Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain (soon to be seen in The Tree of Life), Marton Csokas, Jesper Christensen, Ciarán Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson. Look out for ‘The Debt’ August 31st.
The story begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (played by Ms. Mirren) and Stefan (Mr. Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Mr. Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Ms. Chastain, Mr. Csokas, and Mr. Worthington) tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Mr. Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team’s mission was accomplished – or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations.
European Premiere Footage For ‘Arthur’ – Featuring Russell Brand, Helen Mirren & Greta Gerwig
Apr 20th
A sunny London last night played host to the European Premiere of ‘Arthur,’ the Russell Brand starring re-imagining of the classic Dudley Moore romantic comedy of the same name. Check out footage from the premiere below featuring Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig, Geraldine James and director Jason Winer. ‘Arthur’ is set for release April 22nd in the UK. If you missed my interviews with Russell Brand and Helen Mirren you can check them out here and here respectively.
Irresponsible charmer Arthur Bach (Russell Brand) has always relied on two things to get by: his limitless fortune and the good sense of lifelong nanny Hobson (Helen Mirren) to keep him out of trouble. Now he faces his biggest challenge–choosing between an arranged marriage that will ensure his lavish lifestyle or an uncertain future with the one thing money can’t buy, Naomi (Greta Gerwig), the only woman he has ever loved. With Naomi’s inspiration and some unconventional help from Hobson, Arthur will take the most expensive risk of his life and finally learn what it means to become a man, in this re-imagining of the classic romantic comedy “Arthur.”
New Trailer For ‘The Debt’ – Starring Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson & Sam Worthington
Apr 12th
Pesky Nazis, they’re always causing sh*t! Focus Features have released this great new trailer for John Madden’s (Shakespeare in Love) upcoming espionage thriller ‘The Debt.’ The film is a remake of an Israeli film called Ha-Hov and was rewritten by Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman (of Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class and Stardust) as well as the original writers Ido Rosenblum and Assaf Bernstein. The film features an all star cast in Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain (soon to be seen in The Tree of Life), Marton Csokas, Jesper Christensen, Ciarán Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson. Look out for ‘The Debt’ August 31st.
In 1965, three young Israeli Mossad agents on a secret mission capture and kill a notorious Nazi war criminal. Now, thirty years later, a man claiming to be the Nazi has surfaced in the Ukraine and one of the former agents must go back undercover to seek out the truth. The movie stars Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Sam Worthington, Marton Csokas, Jessica Chastain, and Ciaran Hinds. The Dept is directed by John Madden.