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Tag: oona-chaplin

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Digital Release Cast Interview
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Debuting on digital March 31st and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD on May 19th, is the box office blockbuster ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which is the third film in the popular franchise and was once again directed by Oscar winner James Cameron (‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day‘).
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The film stars Sam Worthington (‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’), Zoe Saldaña (‘Emilia Pérez’), Sigourney Weaver (‘Aliens’), Stephen Lang (‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’), Oona Chaplin (‘Game of Thrones’), Jack Champion (‘Trap House’), Giovanni Ribisi (‘Saving Private Ryan’), Edie Falco (‘The Sopranos’), and Kate Winslet (‘Titanic’).

(L to R) Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang star in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which will be available on digital March 31st.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of visiting James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment offices to sit down and speak with actors Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang about their work on ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, what it was like for Chaplin to join the franchise and her approach to her character, Lang’s experience working on the films and his character’s arc, collaborating with James Cameron on set, and why Cameron reminds Chaplin of her grandfather, Charlie Chaplin.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Chaplin, Lang, and producer Rae Sanchini.

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

Oona Chaplin as Varang in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Moviefone: To begin with, Oona, what was it like for you to join this franchise and did you understand right away how you wanted to play your character, or did you find it when you were working on set?

Oona Chaplin: Joining the franchise, I mean, it’s still kind of like, I’m pinching myself. It’s a very strange thing to feel like it was a dream I didn’t even know I had, and it came true. I remember watching ‘Avatar’ and falling in love with the world, but it felt so far away from me. So, I’m speechless to be a part of it, and to not just be a part of the franchise, but to have really felt welcomed in by a family, and to feel so much love, intimacy, connection, respect, and care for the people. So, it’s special and it’s a unique feeling. Then the second part of the question is, did I find the character right away? I think a part of me did. I kind of connected with her anger quickly. At the time I was angry about the state of the world, and I could connect with the visceral injustice of, why is this happening? But weirdly, through playing her, I learned to come to a greater place of peace within myself because I don’t want to be like Varang, especially before my first coffee in the morning, my husband can attest it. There are some striking similarities. There’s a little bit in there wanting to get out.

Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Stephen, what has it been like for you to be part of this franchise and play this incredible character over three films?

Stephen Lang: Well, first, it validates my career choices. I would say I’m delighted that I became an actor, and it’s the kind of thing that you do dream about. I think when you talk about the arc of the character, that really is the key to me. I started in this one place, and he’s moved into completely different realms. So, much of it has been surprising to me, even though I know the story, and I’ve read it, I know where it goes. But to experience it, and to share it with my amazing colleagues that I’ve had starting with Sam (Worthington) at the beginning, and then to be gifted to be working within Oona Chaplin, has been just a great experience. So, no matter whatever happens from now on, it’s like I’m always a part of this. It’s funny, ‘Avatar’, in some aspect, enters my life every day. You know what I mean? Something happens that’s Pandora-ish to me. I meet someone who’s doing a little Varang kind of a thing on me, or whatever it is. It’s just being part of this family, it’s just always there. I mean, my life was good before but since ‘Avatar’, it’s just so enriched by the relationships that I have.

(L to R) Stephen Lang and Director James Cameron on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Stephen, can you talk about working with James Cameron on these three films and watching him execute his unique vision for this world?

SL: I mean, my respect and affection for Jim are boundless because he gave me the role. But it goes well beyond that to me. I just have an appreciation for him as a visionary guy in so many respects. To me, I’ve said this before, and I stand by it, he really is the Leonardo (da Vinci) of our age, and by that, I mean not just an artistic visionary, but an engineer, an inventor, and an explorer. The thing is, every character in this franchise is a manifestation of Jim, and a part of him. He is a guy, I believe, who runs towards danger. Why else would you go to the deepest part of the planet in a submarine that you yourself have designed? But working with him, we have a lot of fun together. We’re tough on each other, I think. But I just feel such support and mutual respect and affection.

(L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Finally, Oona, can you talk about working with James Cameron and what have you learned from watching the specific way he makes movies?

OC: It was just a master class every single day. Because this universe wouldn’t have existed without his brain, but also his heart. He cares so much about this world, about Pandora, about the people in it, and he’s so curious. He really treasures questions, and he will do everything in his power to answer the good questions. He’s got this incredible rigor, and it’s incredible to live in, because he brings the best out of everybody. I could go on for hours and hours because it is boundless, and to work with that love, that breadth of genius is very humbling and inspiring. He’s the person that reminds me the most, of my grandfather, Charlie Chaplin, because of the way that he is pushing the boundaries of cinema, technology, and storytelling.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ will be available on digital March 31st.

What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.

Who is in the cast of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?
- Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
- Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri
- Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch
- Oona Chaplin as Varang
- Cliff Curtis as Tonowari
- Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey (“Tuk”)
- Jack Champion as Miles “Spider” Socorro
- Bailey Bass as Tsireya (“Reya”)
- Kate Winslet as Ronal
- Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge
- Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman
- CCH Pounder as Mo’at
- Brendan Cowell as Captain Mick Scoresby
- Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin
- Filip Geljo as Ao’nung
- Duane Evans, Jr. as Rotxo
- Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel
- Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet
- David Thewlis as Peylak
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ will be available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD May 19th.

List of James Cameron Movies:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)
Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon
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April 1, 2026
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Crosses the Billion Dollar Mark
Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Preview:
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ has now crossed a billion dollars at the worldwide box office.
- James Cameron’s latest has earned $306 million domestically.
- Disney has now release three billion-dollar grossers in the past 12 months.
The changing of the seasons. The tides of the sea. Immutable.

Add to that list the power of director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ franchise entries to earn a billion dollars, with the latest, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, crossing that point today according to studio backers Walt Disney.
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The official figures are that ‘Fire and Ash’ has earned more than $306 million from domestic box office and $777.1 million internationally. All in all… a billion and counting. Which makes three billion-dollar worldwide titles for Disney released in 2025, as ‘Fire and Ash’ joins ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘Zootopia 2’.

Related Article: Every James Cameron Directed Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.

How has ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ been performing?

A scene from 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The latest entry has been praised for its visuals and its sweeping scope, though both reviewers and audiences have still been less enamored of it in general.

Still, that clearly hasn’t hurt its box office power. The bigger question is whether it can match the previous movies, which both crossed two billion. All told, the franchise has earned more than $6.35 billion to date.

James Cameron on ‘Avatar’s future

(L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

This is what Cameron recently told The Hollywood Reporter about his feelings on the future of the franchise:

“This can be the last one. There’s only one unanswered question in the story. We may find that the release of ‘Avatar 3’ proves how diminished the cinematic experience is these days, or we may find it proves the case that it’s as strong as it ever was — but only for certain types of films. It’s a coin toss right now. We won’t know until the middle of January.”

And regardless of the final performance, the filmmaker himself is feeling like he might be ready to move on:

“I feel I’m at a bit of a crossroads. Do I want it to be a wild success — which almost compels me to continue and make two more ‘Avatar’ movies? Or do I want it to fail just enough that I can justify doing something else?”

He has a variety of other projects in the works, with an adaptation of Charles Pellegrino’s book ‘Ghosts of Hiroshima’ among them. So he may also feel like stepping away completely or handing the ‘Avatar’ directing duties to someone else. As always, though, the decision rests in Cameron’s hands.

(L to R) Director James Cameron and Zoe Saldana on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

List of James Cameron Movies:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)
Buy Tickets: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Movie Showtimes

Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon
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January 5, 2026
Movie Review: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
Oona Chaplin as Varang in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Opening in theaters on December 19th is ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which is the highly anticipated third installment of ‘Avatar’, one of the most successful franchises of all time, and was once again directed by Oscar winner James Cameron (‘The Terminator’).
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The sequel stars Sam Worthington (‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’), Zoe Saldaña (‘Emilia Pérez’), Sigourney Weaver (‘Aliens’), Stephen Lang (‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’), Oona Chaplin (‘Game of Thrones’), Jack Champion (‘Trap House’), Giovanni Ribisi (‘Saving Private Ryan’), Edie Falco (‘The Sopranos’), and Kate Winslet (‘Titanic’).

Related Article: Director James Cameron and Kate Winslet Talk ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

Initial Thoughts

(L to R) Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

I walked away from watching ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ having the same reaction I did to the last two ‘Avatar’ movies. I thought it was a completely entertaining and stunningly visual theatrical experience, and I will probably never watch it again. It’s a one-time theatrical experience, not unlike an amusement park ride or seeing a concert at The Sphere, it’s extremely satisfying, but only once.

The movie is meant to be seen in 3D on the biggest screen possible surrounded by an audience, and in that way, ‘Fire and Ash’ is a huge triumph, and another cinematic extravaganza from the “King of the World” James Cameron. But, with vague characters that never grow or change, a limited plot and almost no real story to tell, I fear the movie will not hold up in repeat viewings, especially on smaller home screens, with no real substance outside of the visual spectacle.

Story and Direction

(L to R) Stephen Lang and Director James Cameron on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Following the events of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, ‘Fire and Ash’ finds Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family dealing with the aftermath or their son Neteyam’s (Jamie Flatters) death. With their adopted son Spider’s (Jack Champion) breathing mask running out of battery, they plan to travel back to Dr. Spellman’s (Joel David Moore) base to get a new mask but are attacked by a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin).

Meanwhile, Spider’s birthfather and Jake’s sworn enemy Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is still in hot pursuit of Jake and his family. Soon, Quaritch makes a deal with the Mangkwan clan and teams up with Varang to wipe out Jake and his clan. Now, Jake and his family must fight Quaritch and the Mangkwan clan to save Spider, their people, and the planet from destruction.

That’s the basic plot, and let’s be honest, it’s a little thin. The visual effects and the world building that Cameron has created masks it in the first viewing, but once you take this movie out of the incredible theatrical experience, I fear the film will have nothing valuable to offer.

(L to R) Director James Cameron and Zoe Saldana on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

But it’s not just the story that is thin, there is also no real character development, and the characters are more like archetypes than real people. There are also so many characters that it’s hard to get enough time to really care about any of them. Kate Winslet’s Ronal, who was a lead in the last film is barely in this one, and even Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri, arguably the heart of the franchise, is regulated to the background. And the two main characters of the franchise, Jake and Quaritch, now seem like characterizations of the actual characters they once played.

But at the end of the day, I guess you’re not going to an ‘Avatar’ movie for a great story or in-depth character development, you are going for the visuals and the spectacle, and in that sense, Cameron delivers a home run crafting a must-see theatrical experience. It’s kind of like eating at McDonald’s, the foods not good for you, but it tastes great going down!

Cast and Performances

(L to R) Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

With a script, story, and characters as poorly crafted as this, it seems almost unfair to criticize the actors and their performances as I’m sure they did their best, but here we go.

After three films, and almost 20 years of playing the character, you would hope for more from Sam Worthington. His Jake Sully is still the heroic leader, but we really know very little about the character at this point other than he wants to protect his family and the actor’s performance is one-note at best.

As previously mentioned, it was shocking to see how limited screen time Zoe Saldaña and Kate Winslet’s characters had, especially considering Saldaña was really the lead of the first film, and Winslet the lead of the second. Neither actress has enough to do in this installment, which is disappointing and a waste of the two Oscar winning actress’ talents.

Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

However, the one standout performance of the film is from new edition Oona Chaplin, who gives a fiery performance as Mangkwan clan leader Varang. Actor Jack Champion is also quite compelling as Spider this time around, growing into the part and surprisingly having a bigger role in the story in this new installment.

While somewhat limited, legendary actress Sigourney Weaver returns as both Dr. Grace Augustine and her Avatar’s daughter, Kiri, who was also adopted by Jake and his family. Augustine may not appear on screen for long, but Kiri is a major part of the story and Weaver is excellent playing the rebellious teenage Na’vi.

Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Giovanni Ribisi and Edie Falco also return as members of the evil RDA military and mining operations, but like many of the other excellent actors in this film, are given very little to do other than move the plot forward with exposition.

Finally, Stephen Lang still plays Colonel Miles Quaritch like a generic villain, and while he does have some great moments with both Chaplin and Champion, the character, who technically died in the first movie, hasn’t changed at all and is still playing the same note.

Final Thoughts

Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

While the story and character development are almost nonexistent, and the dialogue at times is laughable, director James Cameron still delivers a visually stunning and completely satisfying and entertaining theatrical experience, even if it will only work in your first viewing. ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is worth spending money to see it in a theater, but after that, you can forget about it and will probably never revisit the film again.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ receives a score of 79 out of 100.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ opens in theaters on December 19th.

What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.

Who is in the cast of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?
- Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
- Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri
- Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch
- Oona Chaplin as Varang
- Cliff Curtis as Tonowari
- Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey (“Tuk”)
- Jack Champion as Miles “Spider” Socorro
- Bailey Bass as Tsireya (“Reya”)
- Kate Winslet as Ronal
- Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge
- Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman
- CCH Pounder as Mo’at
- Brendan Cowell as Captain Mick Scoresby
- Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin
- Filip Geljo as Ao’nung
- Duane Evans, Jr. as Rotxo
- Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel
- Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet
- David Thewlis as Peylak
(L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

List of James Cameron Movies:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)
Buy Tickets: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Movie Showtimes

Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon
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December 16, 2025
‘Lullaby’ Interview: Oona Chaplin Talks New Horror Movie

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Opening in select theaters and On Demand December 16th is the new horror movie ‘Lullaby,’ which was directed by John R. Leonetti (‘Annabelle’).

The film stars Oona Chaplin as Rachel, a new mother who discovers a lullaby in an ancient book and regards the song as a blessing. But her world transforms into a nightmare when the lullaby brings forth the ancient demon Lilith (Kira Guloien). Ramon Rodriguez (‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’) also stars as Rachel’s husband, John.

Actress Oona Chaplin was born into acting royalty as she is the daughter of actress Geraldine Chaplin, granddaughter of legendary filmmaker Charlie Chaplin, and the great-granddaughter of playwright Eugene O’Neil.

Chaplin is probably best known for her role as Talisa Maegyr on HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones,’ and will be seen in the upcoming sequels for James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ currently entitled ‘Avatar 3’ and ‘Avatar 4.’

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Oona Chaplin about her work on ‘Lullaby,’ how she got involved in the project, her character, and the legend of Lilith, as well as working with Ramon Rodriguez, director John R. Leonetti, and a baby that won’t cry.

Oona Chaplin stars in director John R. Leonetti’s ‘Lullaby.’

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Chaplin and director John R. Leonetti.

Moviefone: To begin with, how did you get involved with this project and what was your first reaction to the screenplay?

Oona Chaplin: Well, John Leonetti actually reached out to me, which I found extremely flattering and wonderful. We met up in Toronto and talked about the script. Then I think the reason that it appealed to me was a number of things, but the main thing was this mother’s love, and the lengths to which a mother will go to take care of her baby.

That journey is really beautiful, especially with this person who is coming from a very successful career. She knows what to do, she’s got everything under control, and then she completely loses control because she invites life into this world and then there’s no stopping the baby from crying. So, it’s like this person that’s got everything all set suddenly being challenged with the most natural process in the world that she can’t handle and then that gets taken away from her. It was an interesting piece.

MF: Every new parent fears for the safety of their child, can you talk about how being a new mother affects Rachel and your approach to playing her?

OC: I have never had the experience and I hope to God that I never needed to deal with it, but I imagine that losing a child is the most horrible thing that can happen to a person. It takes a lot to recover from it. But I think the fact that the child isn’t lost, that it is just taken somewhere else is easier, I think.

Oona Chaplin stars in director John R. Leonetti’s ‘Lullaby.’

MF: Your character spends most of the film either exhausted or in complete fear. What was the mood on set and was it difficult to keep those emotions going while you were shooting?

OC: It’s very tiring and it’s also really fun. It’s only fun because of the people really. The people make it fun. I was blessed with the most beautiful group of people to make this film. It was just so chipper in between the takes, even though the takes were very horrible, and we were just finding moments to laugh with one another in between the horrible horror moments. So, that makes it easier.

But it was very, very exhausting. My nervous system was completely shot. I think that’s one of the great gifts that John gives, is he’s not relying on CGI. So, he wants everything to happen right there. So, that for me was like, let’s do this, because it really stretches your imagination and it stretches your emotional resilience.

MF: Can you talk about Rachel and John’s marriage, and what it was like working with Ramon Rodriguez?

OC: Ramon and I clicked instantly. It was on Zoom and it was more like we spoke about relationships and in that conversation, within the first two minutes, I just thought, we think about things in a really similar way. We’re going to get along just great. This is going to be really easy. We can totally go. So, that made things very pleasant.

Then I feel like the trust, it’s very difficult to trust other people when you don’t trust yourself. I think that in fact it’s impossible. I think that what happens is that Rachel finds herself not trusting herself, and she’s not used to that. So, therefore in that place, she can’t trust John. She can’t trust anything.

So, until she finds that trust within herself again, and it happens in the film, then she’s working with John and they’re in tandem again. I don’t know if the writers did that on purpose, but it was a really astute analysis of relationship. Because it’s what it’s like. If you don’t trust yourself, there’s no way you’re going to trust anyone else.

(L to R) Ramon Rodriguez and Oona Chaplin star in director John R. Leonetti’s ‘Lullaby.’

MF: Can you talk about the challenges of acting opposite a baby?

OC: It was challenging because the babies were so well behaved and they were having the time of their life, and the baby’s are supposed to be crying the whole time in the film. They wouldn’t cry! They were just smiling, super chill and fascinated by the camera and playing with my face. They were so adorable. It was like, how am I going to make this baby cry?

So, I’m trying to hide his head away from the camera. The parents were there. They were so sweet. The parents, they were such a beautiful family and we were so blessed to have gotten to be with them in that time. But yeah, the babies were just having the time of their lives.

MF: Lilith is based on an actual character from the Talmud, can you talk about how she is depicted in the film?

OC: I think that it’s really handy that she has that horrible hag doing her dirty work, because they make a really good duo. Then Lilith, for me, for the movie as the Boogeyman, it was just great because she’s super beautiful, but really spooky, mesmerizing and enchanting. But then if you look at the real Lilith myth, I feel like they didn’t quite do her justice. It’s like we get to explain in the movie, there’s a lot that happened to this woman.

MF: Finally, what was your experience like working with director John R. Leonetti?

OC: Working with John was great. He’s extremely nice and that was very confusing to me because he makes such scary films. I was a little bit nervous because he’s created so much horror, and then he’s so lovely. As I said, I really admire his conviction of making things that are right there on the set without having to lean too heavily on fancy computer stuff.

Kira Guloien stars as Lilith in director John R. Leonetti’s ‘Lullaby.’
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December 15, 2022
‘Game of Thrones’ Cast: Filming the Red Wedding ‘Shattered’ Them

HBO

Nearly six years later, we’re still traumatized by the Red Wedding scene in “Game of Thrones,” and so are the actors who filmed it.

In a new oral history, the cast told EW how gut-wrenching it was for the five emotional days they filmed one of the most shocking sequences in TV history.

It was possibly the worst for Oona Chaplin, who played Robb’s pregnant wife, Talisa as she was the first to be killed. (In the book, she isn’t part of the Red Wedding.)

Recalls Chaplin: “I was praying for a cool death and when I read [the script] I was like, “F—, everyone dies!’ But even when it was on the page it was nothing compared to what it was like on the day…. I was actually crying while I was dead. The director had to come over [and tell me], ‘Oona, you need to stop crying, dead people don’t cry. You’re dead, just be dead.’”

HBO

It was also rough on Michelle Fairley who is the last Stark standing after the bloodbath. Her character Catelyn manages to take one of Frey’s young wives hostage, but it doesn’t make any difference. Her son, Robb (Richard Madden) is killed anyway and she chooses to kill the girl, knowing she’s also already dead.

Says showrunner David Benioff, “Michelle is such a powerhouse… [it’s] one of the greatest death scenes that’s ever been shot. Her performance in that scene is just epic.”

Madden recalls, “It was, Michelle and I, our last scene on ‘Game of Thrones.’ It had been an exhausting five-day shoot. We were mentally exhausted. I cried my eyes out, completely, as did a lot of the crew and other actors. It was very emotional. The wrap party was that night, but I had to start filming another job the next day. So I washed my blood off and got on a plane.”

How shook up was Fairley? She didn’t talk to anyone for a week. “We tried to call Michelle afterwards. She wasn’t answering,” says showrunner D.B. Weiss. “A week later she wrote an email saying, “Sorry, I haven’t been able to talk to anybody because I’ve been so shattered.”

We know just how she feels! We’re still not over it.

Read the whole oral history of the Red Wedding at EW.

March 8, 2019