Moviefone Editorial

Tag: new-zealand

  • ‘Bookworm’ Exclusive Interview: Elijah Wood

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    Opening in theaters and On Demand October 18th is the new film ‘Bookworm’, which was directed by Ant Timpson (‘Come to Daddy’), and stars Elijah Wood (‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’, ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’), Nell Fisher (‘Evil Dead Rise’), and Michael Smiley (‘The Lobster’).

    Related Article: Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards Talk ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2

    Elijah Wood in 'Bookworm'. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
    Elijah Wood in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Elijah Wood about his work on ‘Bookworm’, his first reaction to the screenplay, the father and daughter relationship, working with Nell Fisher, learning close-up magic, shooting in New Zealand, and how it’s changed since he shot ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movies.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Wood and director Ant Timpson.

    (L to R) Nell Fisher and Elijah Wood in 'Bookworm'. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
    (L to R) Nell Fisher and Elijah Wood in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to this screenplay and why you wanted to be part of the project?

    Elijah Wood: Well, listen, I’ve worked with the creative team on another film called ‘Come to Daddy’ a few years prior and had a blast making that film. The director, Ant Timpson, the writer, Toby Harvard and I love their sensibilities. That was a very different film, also a comedy, but a very violent one. Very much for adults. The premise was pitched early on, because they’re all friends, and the idea was another father story, but this one being flipped with a father and a daughter trying to connect in an unusual circumstance, looking for this mythical panther in the wilds of New Zealand. I was intrigued by the premise and honestly just love the creative team so much that I wanted to work with them on anything else, and then I read the script and fell in love with it. I mean, it has so much of the humor that Toby and Ant possess, that very much is appealing to adults, woven into a story that is for families, this kind of fun adventure into the wilderness of New Zealand, looking for this panther, whilst these two characters who are thrust together for the first time are trying to connect as father and daughter with a real heart through the line of their connection. So, I loved all of that. I loved the character of Strawn, this absurd buffoon, washed up magician, who flies to New Zealand with all the bluster of trying to impress his daughter who he’s never met and failing miserably at that and failing miserably at anything to do with being in the wilderness. The fun of breaking a character like that down and finding the core was really intriguing to me. Honestly, the idea of getting to go to New Zealand on what was effectively like a work holiday and to get to share that with my family was also hugely appealing.

    (L to R) Nell Fisher and Elijah Wood in 'Bookworm'. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
    (L to R) Nell Fisher and Elijah Wood in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.

    MF: Can you talk about the father/daughter relationship between Mildred and Strawn, and what it was like working with Nell Fisher?

    EW: Nell’s amazing. I would say that the most challenging role in the film is probably Nell’s role. I mean, she really is the engine that drives the movie. She certainly is the engine that drives that dynamic. My character’s constantly on his back feet trying to impress her with her shooting him down constantly. So, a fair amount of dialogue for her. It was a really challenging role and she came into the film so prepared and with such enthusiasm and energy that she just made everything so easy. She’s also a delightful human being. She embodies a lot of the characteristics of the character herself. She is a bookworm and highly intelligent and just a delight. We had almost a week prior to shooting where we were able to put a lot of the scenes on their feet and rehearse and spend time together. It very naturally came together in that time, that dynamic, but also just the fun of working with each other. We just had a blast. She’s a total delight. I think she’s an incredible actress. She knows what she’s doing, you know what I mean? But she also embodies those characteristics too. It’s a healthy mix of both.

    Elijah Wood in 'Bookworm'. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
    Elijah Wood in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.

    MF: What was it like playing a magician? Did you take inspiration from any real-life magicians, and did you learn any magic tricks for the movie?

    EW: So, we had a spring shoot date looming, and months prior, Ant was sending me these Instagram videos of this magician with these highly complex tricks being like, “You can do this. You can learn this.” I was like, “Does he expect me to learn these complex tricks ahead of time?” I was in the middle of production in Vancouver, and so I didn’t have the time or head space to devote to it. It freaked me out a little bit, but I was like, “Okay, I need to get my head around something.” Anyway, prior to shooting, for about a month prior, I spent time with a magician in Los Angeles called Mike Pisciotta, who’s amazing. He’s a close-up magician. He’s I think the only magician on staff at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles. He’s amazing. My primary interest in sitting down with a magician wasn’t to learn a trick specifically, because there is no actual trick in the film that I had to display in camera realistically. The important thing to me was just that anytime I’m handling cards, it looks like I know how to handle cards. Just dexterity. Shuffling, fanning, those basic things, just handling the cards right. So, for about a month, I met with him every week and just worked on basic shuffling and card dexterity, which was enough to get me to a place where, I felt on camera, any of those bits that involved cards, it just looked like I wasn’t a total amateur. So that was the primary thing. Then regarding pulling inspiration, I mean, Ant had specific ideas. This is a process that we’ve gone through now twice, once on ‘Come to Daddy’ and on this as well where it starts with specific, almost outlandish concepts. Chris Angel was certainly an inspiration, that sort of rock and roll magician, so we’d start with that and then kind of find it in hair and makeup and wardrobe, and find something that is based on those inspirations but also exists in the real world, and finding the line honestly between something that feels absurd, because it is funny and it needs to be funny, whilst also feeling like it exists somewhat in the real world. It’s a collaboration amongst all those elements to just find the character that way. It is a combination of putting those things together and knowing it when you see it and feel it. So, it was a bit of discovery, but it came together quickly in New Zealand with our hair and makeup department and with the wardrobe, and it was so much fun to find it.

    (L to R) Nell Fisher and Elijah Wood in 'Bookworm'. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
    (L to R) Nell Fisher and Elijah Wood in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.

    MF: Finally, obviously you spent a lot of time in New Zealand filming ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movies. What was it like to return and film their now, and how has it changed since you were first there?

    EW: I mean, it obviously represents a huge part of my life. Look, it’s an incredible place to go back to. It was a huge part of wanting to work on this film. It had been nine years since I’d been to New Zealand, so it’s a flood of emotion for me. There are so many memories. We didn’t go to Wellington, which is where I was based during ‘Lord of the Rings’ and on ‘The Hobbit’ as well. We were primarily in Canterbury, which is just outside of Christ Church, which I’d spent a little bit of time in, but not a ton. So, some of that was somewhat new to me as well, and that was fun. I got to bring my kids and my wife and that was also exciting for me that I got to share in this country with them. It’s flying into Auckland, which I’ve done so many times, it just carries this incredible emotional resonance for me. It feels, in many ways, it feels like going home. I think it’ll always feel that way. The better part of four years I was traveling there so often and living there part-time. So that hasn’t left. I’s wonderful to revisit and it’s a place that I still really love. It’s a very special place. I wish I would’ve capitalized on that slightly more 20 years ago. A part of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ cast, there’s a sense of slight regret that none of us bought property when it was far easier and more affordable to do so.

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    What is the plot of ‘Bookworm’?

    ‘Bookworm’ follows 11-year-old Mildred (Nell Fisher) whose life takes a wild turn when her estranged father, Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood), a washed-up Las Vegas illusionist, suddenly reappears. Years ago, after a magical encounter with the once-charming Strawn, Mildred’s mom moved back to New Zealand. Now, a comical mishap leaves Strawn caring for Mildred while her mom is hospitalized. Their first adventure? Camping to hunt for the mythological Canterbury Panther. As this mismatched duo navigates the wilderness, magic tricks, and an extraordinary quest, hilarity ensues, and they might just find a way to piece their family back together.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Bookworm’?

    (L to R) Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher in 'Bookworm'. Photo: Rialto Distribution.
    (L to R) Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher in ‘Bookworm’. Photo: Rialto Distribution.

    List of Elijah Wood Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Elijah Wood Movies On Amazon

     

  • ‘Punch’ Interview: Tim Roth Talks New Coming of Age Drama

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    Opening in select theaters, On Demand and on Digital March 10th is the New Zealand drama ‘Punch,’ from first time writer and director Welby Ings.

    What is the plot of ‘Punch?’

    ‘Punch’ follows the story of Jim (Jordan Oosterhof), a promising teenage boxer, training under the watch of his demanding and alcoholic father, Stan (Tim Roth). When Jim develops a relationship with a male classmate, Whetu (Conan Hayes), the two are forced to navigate isolation, homophobia, and the brutality of small-town life. As Jim discovers what it means to be gay, he realizes how little strength has to do with heroism.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Punch?’

    ‘Punch’ stars Academy Award nominee Tim Roth (‘Reservoir Dogs,’ ‘The Incredible Hulk’) as Stan, Jordan Oosterhof as Jim, Conan Hayes as Whetu, Abigail Laurent as Chelsea, Sage Klein as Amber, and Wilson Downes as Riley.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Tim Roth about his work on ‘Punch,’ what attracted him to the project, the father/son relationship, overcoming homophobia, and working with first time actors.

    Tim Roth as Stan in director Welby Ings' 'Punch.'
    Tim Roth as Stan in director Welby Ings’ ‘Punch.’

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Tim Roth.

    Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to reading the screenplay about this touching father and son story?

    Tim Roth: Well, just that really. It came from one of my gang that I’ve worked with since forever in London. The same agency as when I first started, and they just sent me this email saying, “Tim, I think you should look at this.” Just like that. That always sparks my interest because it’s not often the case. I was very moved by it and fascinated by it on many levels. My father dealt with his PTSD from the Second World War by self-medicating, by being an alcoholic, as did many people that we knew when we were growing up, to be honest. So I was very aware of that and what that was. Then his reminder to me we were kids of homosexuals dying in the camps alongside the Romany community, alongside Jews and so on, he said, “Always remember that.” So homophobia was something that we were very much aware of, and it was pointed out to us by our parents as one of the evils of society. That element of the character I felt I could get inside quite easily. The homophobia and homosexuality are the two branches of the story. I was very aware of my gay friends when I was a child growing up through school. The homophobia was rampant and it was considered normal to berate, bully and beat people who happened to have a different sexual identity from you. So I was very aware of that right up through college. But then there’s the love affairs that cross the film, most importantly, I think. The love between the father and the son, particularly from the inability to express that. Then so simply to be able to do that when everything opens up was, I thought, a lovely journey. Then the casual homophobia of the son to protect himself against the homophobia that he’s surrounded by, I thought to be really poignant. I loved the notion of that, just the audience seeing that, hiding out amongst an oppressive community and then him finding the love that really spoke to him. Then from that journey, the crossing over that culture, what that means and how different societies in New Zealand are, and how they deal with these issues. I found it touched on so many important notes. I thought it was so beautifully and simply told, that you just dive in, really, don’t you? You should. Anyway.

    ordan Oosterhof as Jim and Tim Roth as Stan in director Welby Ings' 'Punch.'
    (L to R) Jordan Oosterhof as Jim and Tim Roth as Stan in director Welby Ings’ ‘Punch.’

    Related Article: Tim Roth Talks ‘Resurrection’ and ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’

    MF: I was really touched by the scene where Jim comes out to his father, and I was surprised by Stan’s reaction to what his son tells him, as it was not what I expected from the character. Can you talk about Stan’s reaction and shooting that scene with Jordan?

    TR: It was actually one of my favorite moments from my perspective, to be honest with you. But the unexpected reaction, and I think we worked on it when we were there too, and I talked to the director and to Jordan. Unexpectedly, it’s total acceptance. It’s like, of course, whatever you are. It’s so brave from Sam’s perspective. It’s so brave to come out to his father at that moment. He is not expecting that. I found it to be incredibly touching. It was quite a celebratory day when we shot that, remembering just on a technical level, the two lead actors in this had never done this before. They were brand new. Never done this. First time in front of the camera. This was all new. I was watching them learn as we were going over our six weeks or so, to try and scramble to make this happen.

    Conan Hayes as Whetu and Jordan Oosterhof as Jim in director Welby Ings' 'Punch.'
    (L to R) Conan Hayes as Whetu and Jordan Oosterhof as Jim in director Welby Ings’ ‘Punch.’

    MF: What was it like for you working opposite first time actors like Jordan Oosterhof?

    TR: Well, they were as fresh as it gets. I thought it was extraordinary watching the sort of wheels turn because I remember from my own experience very clearly. There were times when they felt that they had to do a lot, to earn their crusts in a sense. But you say, “No, just look at me and have the conversation. Have the conversation. Everybody goes away. Okay, now talk to me. Tell me what you are feeling, and what your character’s feeling. Give it to me. Okay, try it like this. Do a bit like that. Very quietly.” Then you bring the crew in and say, “Okay, don’t worry about them. They’ll find the moment for you. You just carry on, and hold on.” There were those lovely moments and I think it’s fantastic. It was their first feature, and I think for the director as well. I think it’s fantastic working with new talent. I think it’s some of the best work that you can do, whether or not the audience is there for it. Nevertheless, as somebody who’s done this for so long, I think some of the best times are when you work with the brand new people and you can learn a lot from them too.

    Jordan Oosterhof as Jim in director Welby Ings' 'Punch.'
    Jordan Oosterhof as Jim in director Welby Ings’ ‘Punch.’

    MF: In that moment that Jim comes out to his father, he shows the type of courage that Stan has been trying to teach him to have in the ring. Can you talk about that and why Stan pushes his son so hard?

    TR: I think there’s echoes of that for sure. But it must have been, for so many people, so hard to have that conversation. It must be the one that is just buried and sometimes forever buried. So I think as evidenced in this particular moment, yes, the bravery, the courage you learned from being in the ring that his father has taught him in his own way, has maybe landed with this boy and helped him. I think the fact that he does manage to have that conversation is probably bigger than anything he would ever achieve as a boxer. That’s the one. That’s the championship right there.

    MF: Finally, Stan uses alcohol to mask his health issues and his emotions with his son. Can you talk about how that affects him and his relationship to Jim?

    TR: He’s self-medicating and he cannot discuss, as opposed to what happens in that conversation with his son. He hasn’t got the vocabulary. He doesn’t have the mechanics to do that. He buries it. As a lot of people do with trauma, he buries it. The agony that he feels, he feels that confronting that with alcohol will make it better. That’s his drug of choice, or that’s the drug that chose him. Either or. But he’s not as brave as his son in the end. He is so desperately impressed by the bravery of his son. It’s an interesting dynamic.

    Writer and director Welby Ings, Jordan Oosterhof and Tim Roth on the set of 'Punch.'
    (L to R) Writer and director Welby Ings, Jordan Oosterhof and Tim Roth on the set of ‘Punch.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Punch:’

    Buy Tim Roth Movies On Amazon

    ‘Punch’ is produced by Blueskin Films and Robin Murphy Productions, and is scheduled for release on March 10th.