Moviefone Editorial

Tag: space-cadet

  • ‘Place of Bones’ Exclusive Interview: Heather Graham

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    Opening in theaters on August 23rd is the new western ‘Place of Bones’ from director Audrey Cummings (‘She Never Died’), which stars Heather Graham (‘Boogie Nights’ and ‘The Hangover’) and Tom Hopper (‘The Umbrella Academy’ and ‘Space Cadet’).

    Related Article: Emma Roberts and Tom Hopper Talk Prime Video’s ‘Space Cadet’

    Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror/thriller, 'Place of Bones', a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
    Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror/thriller, ‘Place of Bones’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with actress Heather Graham about her work on ‘Place of Bones’, her first reaction to the screenplay, her strong character, working with Tom Hopper, collaborating with director Audrey Cummings, making a Western and more.

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

    Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror/thriller, 'Place of Bones', a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
    Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror/thriller, ‘Place of Bones’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and why did you personally wanted to be a part of this project?

    Heather Graham: Well, when I read the script, I thought it was surprising. I didn’t know where it was going. We had a screening last night, and actually, a few of my friends said, “I really had no idea where this movie was going. I had no idea what was going to happen”. I just think it was a great character. As an actress, you want to find a juicy role, and it was fun to play this tough badass woman who’s super smart and gets to shoot bad guys with a gun. I think that you feel drawn into the story. You care about the characters. As an actress, you want an interesting role. For me, it’s doing something different where I feel like I get to play this tough badass character who can outsmart these bad guys. That was very fun.

    MF: Without giving anything away, were you surprised by the direction that the script goes in?

    HG: Yes, the ending is a super surprising ending that I was totally shocked by, but I like that, when I feel like I’ve never seen this before. It’s a different way of telling this kind of story.

    Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror/thriller, 'Place of Bones', a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
    Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror/thriller, ‘Place of Bones’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    MF: Pandora is a strong, independent, and resilient character. Can you talk about your approach to playing her?

    HG: I think my character’s had a hard life, so I basically have decided I’m going to keep my daughter safe. I’m going to keep her away from the rest of society because I don’t want anything to happen to her that happened to me. This fierce independence, I love that about my character. I’m flawed but I’m also a good mom in some ways. I think I have a lot of anger and bitterness and maybe I’m protecting her too much, but at the same time, I can understand why she would do that.

    MF: Pandora has spent a long-time away from civilization, can you talk about how she feels when these strange men approach her home?

    HG: I think a lot of bad things have happened to my character and my husband died, and I think I’m just incredibly resourceful. I think I read a lot of books. I think I know how to do a lot of things, so I know how to survive in the most difficult circumstances.

    (L to R) Heather Graham as Pandora and Corin Nemec as Calhoun in the horror/thriller, 'Place of Bones', a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
    (L to R) Heather Graham as Pandora and Corin Nemec as Calhoun in the horror/thriller, ‘Place of Bones’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    MF: Can you talk about the unlikely alliance that Pandora makes with Calhoun?

    HG: I think it’s an interesting relationship that we have. It’s not your typical movie relationship, but he’s likable and unlikable. He’s a good guy and a bad guy, and I think that I see who he is, and I don’t let him fool me, like he probably is a smooth talker. Even though he’s kind of a bad guy, he’s complicated and he shows up at the end being more of a good guy. I like that I don’t ever really trust him. Everybody’s really complicated in this movie, and nobody’s perfectly good except for maybe the daughter, but she’s pretty screwed up, too.

    MF: Brielle Robillard plays your daughter, can you talk about working with her?

    HG: Yeah, she’s awesome. She’s new, she’s young. She is so good. I just watched the movie on the big screen last night for the first time, and she did such a great job and she’s so real. The whole story for me is about how much I love my daughter and want to protect her and help her to have a better life than I had.

    (L to R) Heather Graham as Pandora and Brielle Robillard as Hester in the horror/thriller, 'Place of Bones', a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
    (L to R) Heather Graham as Pandora and Brielle Robillard as Hester in the horror/thriller, ‘Place of Bones’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    MF: Can you talk about preparing for the action sequences?

    HG: The gun shooting is fun. I had to do a stunt where I’m shooting at this guy and then I fall over, and they had a stunt woman there for me, but I ended up doing it myself. Then everybody clapped, and the stunt people were like, “Great.” So, I felt like I got cred with the stunt department. That was cool.

    MF: I know you only have a few scenes with him but what was it like working with Tom Hopper?

    HG: We have a big scene at the end where he’s so scary. He’s so cool. He’s so nice. He’s super cute. Him and his wife, they eat healthy. He was showing me this food that he cooks that looks amazing. He’s kind of the opposite of this character, but in the movie, he’s terrifying and horrible. The thing is, you take this guy whose so movie star handsome, and you want to like him because he’s just so handsome, but then his character is so horrible.

    Tom Hopper as Bear John in the horror/thriller, 'Place of Bones', a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
    Tom Hopper as Bear John in the horror/thriller, ‘Place of Bones’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    MF: What’s Audrey Cummings like to work with as a director on set?

    HG: It’s awesome. I love working with a female director, and she’s cool. She loves genre movies, and it’s just fun. I think we both related to the Pandora character, so we had a great time together.

    MF: In general, what are you looking for from a director when you’re working on set?

    HG: I think you want to work with someone who’s supportive, who believes in you, but also helps you bring out your best work. I think Audrey really helped ground me and make me more natural and real in the movie, which I really appreciated.

    (Right) Director Audrey Cummings behind the scenes of the horror/thriller, 'Place of Bones', a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
    (Right) Director Audrey Cummings behind the scenes of the horror/thriller, ‘Place of Bones’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    MF: What’s it like making a western and are you a fan of the genre?

    HG: It’s a mixture of being very beautiful, and it was freezing. It was so cold, I was dying. It was very uncomfortable. I like Westerns, but I sometimes feel like there’s not enough female energy or female characters in them, so I felt like this was exciting because it told a little bit more of a female story.

    MF: Finally, and again, without giving anything away, the film mixes the Western genre with other genres, can you talk about that?

    HG: Yeah, it’s got aspects of being a thriller, it’s got aspects of being horror, and then I feel like there’s a lot of humor in it, which I was surprised last night at the screening. A lot of people were laughing in a lot of places, so it’s kind of disturbing, but also it makes you laugh. It’s not so much horror that you can’t sleep at night because of your nightmares.

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    What is the plot of ‘Place of Bones’?

    On a remote ranch, a mother (Heather Graham) and her daughter fight for survival when a wounded outlaw (Corin Nemec) seeking refuge brings a notorious bank robber (Tom Hopper) and his ruthless gang, all desperate to reclaim a stolen fortune, right to their doorstep in this action-packed horror Western.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Place of Bones’?

    (L to R) Corin Nemec as Calhoun and Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror/thriller, 'Place of Bones', a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
    (L to R) Corin Nemec as Calhoun and Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror/thriller, ‘Place of Bones’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.

    List of Heather Graham Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Place of Bones’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Heather Graham Movies on Amazon

     

  • ‘Space Cadet’ Interview: Emma Roberts and Tom Hopper

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    Premiering on Prime Video beginning July 4th is the new comedy ‘Space Cadet’ which was directed by Liz W. Garcia and stars Emma Roberts (‘Madame Web’), Tom Hopper (‘The Umbrella Academy’), Poppy Liu (‘The Afterparty’), Desi Lydic (‘The Daily Show‘), Gabrielle Union (‘Strange World’), and Dave Foley (‘A Bug’s Life’).

    Related Article: Director Alejandra Márquez Abella Talks ‘A Million Miles Away’

    Emma Roberts and Tom Hopper talks 'Space Cadet'.
    (L to R) Emma Roberts and Tom Hopper talks ‘Space Cadet’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Emma Roberts and Tom Hopper about their work on ‘Space Cadet’, their first reaction to the screenplay, their characters’ relationship, singing karaoke together on screen, and working with director Liz W. Garcia.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Roberts, Hopper, Poppy Liu and director Liz W. Garcia.

    Emma Roberts in 'Space Cadet'.
    Emma Roberts in ‘Space Cadet’. Credit: Eric Liebowitz//Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Emma, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay, and what was it like playing a character who has such a positive attitude?

    Emma Roberts: I love the script for ‘Space Cadet’. I read it and immediately fell madly in love with the character of Rex, and it was fun to get to play someone so optimistic and upbeat and also a little bit tiring.

    MF: Was it emotionally draining playing a character as upbeat as Rex?

    ER: I mean, a little bit, but also it was fun. I’ve been doing a lot of much darker stuff the last few years, and so it was fun to play someone that I felt like the audience will connect to and feel uplifted by and inspired by, because I just feel like we’ve all been through a lot these last few years. So, to do a movie where there is no real darkness, it really is light and fun and something you can watch with your family and friends and siblings and not be embarrassed that you’re watching it with them, was fun.

    Tom Hopper and Gabrielle Union in 'Space Cadet'.
    (L to R) Tom Hopper and Gabrielle Union in ‘Space Cadet’. Photo Credit: Eric Liebowitz//Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

    MF: Tom, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and your approach to playing Logan?

    Tom Hopper: First reaction was that it’s very fun. I read a lot of scripts, and there’s very few that make me laugh and make me think all at the same time, and then also have a character that is compelling and that I would have a good time playing. So that was my first reaction, and certainly one that I took into wanting to have the meeting with Liz Garcia. Then in terms of Logan, for me, someone like Logan is an example of what I think a lot of people end up doing, which is they become their job. They identify purely by their job rather than who they really are as a person, and they fit into that mold. That’s what’s happened to Logan. I think he’s very much by the book. Then, I think there is a more human side and more fun side of Logan that is then brought out by Rex and that’s why he’s so compelled by her, but also scared of her as well, because she represents the thing that he’s kind of shut down and pushed away. So, he is kind of fighting that thing to bring that back to life, which I think is kind of a lovely message of the movie that the Logan character brings, is that we should all kind of try and do that sometimes.

    MF: Emma, how would you describe Rex’s friendship with Nadine?

    ER: We were channeling our ‘Romy and Michele’. I loved that duo. I remember when Poppy and I were walking into the high school reunion and we were like, “It’s ‘Romy and Michele’”. We had to. It’s one of my favorite movies.

    Emma Roberts in 'Space Cadet'.
    Emma Roberts in ‘Space Cadet’. Credit: Eric Liebowitz//Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

    MF: Emma, can you talk about Rex’s relationship with Logan, what she sees in him, and what was it like for you working with Tom?

    ER: Tom Hopper is a literal joy. He is the real Rex. He comes to work every day and is just the happiest guy there and just uplifts everyone. But he was so fun, and I loved Rex and Logan’s relationship because obviously it’s super unlikely and I especially love their karaoke scene together. I think people are going to love it because I know when the Counting Crows comes on, I lose my mind. So, I think people are going to love that little throwback that they give.

    MF: Tom, how would you describe Logan and Rex’s relationship, why he’s attracted to her and what was it like for you working with Emma?

    TH: I think it is an unusual match. But like I say, underneath it, they’re probably more similar than they realize. But I had a great time working with Emma. I think from what was on the page to what it became, I think I’m really pleased with how it turned out. Emma was a great scene partner. She brought her A game every day, and she’s just so full of life. She comes to life on set and on screen, and it’s very easy to work with.

    Emma Roberts and director Liz W. Garcia in 'Space Cadet'.
    (L to R) Emma Roberts and director Liz W. Garcia in ‘Space Cadet’. Photo Credit: Eric Liebowitz//Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

    MF: Was it fun shooting the karaoke scene and singing Counting Crows’ ‘Mr. Jones’ with Emma on screen?

    TH: Yeah. We started rehearsing that the hour after I landed in New Jersey. We went and rehearsed that straight away, along with two other songs, because we didn’t know which song it was going to be at that point, because they were still figuring out the rights for the song. But when it turned out, I was pleased it turned out to be that song, because that was my favorite one of the three. But yeah, it was an experience. We just sort of dove in head-first together, and it was a lot of fun. It was a good way to get to know each other quite quickly.

    MF: Finally, Tom, what was your experience like collaborating with director Liz W. Garcia on set?

    TH: Liz is wonderful as a director. She’s so collaborative. I knew from the first meeting I had with her that we were going to get along. Her manner and her energy were perfect for this movie. Plus, she’s the writer as well, right? So, when it came to suggesting stuff on set, she had full reign to be able to just move things around and say, “Oh, say this, or say that.” For me, I love that. When a director is just going to get their hands dirty, and comes in and you collaborate and you say, “Oh, what about if I did this?” Or “What about if I did that?” I think that’s when comedy particularly is great, because you get to just play, and you get this sort of synergy with the director. She’s great for that. She’s amazing. It’s always super helpful having the writer as the director, for sure. Sometimes you get that leeway with a director that’s not the writer, because they’ve been given free reign of the script to move it around on the day. They don’t have to go and check with the writer. But it’s always amazing when it’s a writer/director. They’re not married to their words, and they’re very open to you to come with suggestions and make it real for you. So, if they’re fully behind that, then that’s a match made in heaven. That’s great.

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    What is the plot of ‘Space Cadet’?

    Tiffany “Rex” Simpson (Emma Roberts) has always dreamed of going to space, and her “doctored” application lands her in NASA’s ultra-competitive astronaut training program. In over her head, can this Florida girl rely on her quick wits, moxie and determination to get through training and into the cosmos before she blows her cover?

    Who is in the cast of ‘Space Cadet’?

    • Emma Roberts as Rex Simpson
    • Tom Hopper as Logan O’Leary
    • Poppy Liu as Nadine Cai
    • Kuhoo Verma as Violet Marie Vislawski
    • Desi Lydic as Dr. Stacy Kellogg
    • Gabrielle Union as Pam Proctor
    • Dave Foley as Rudolph Bolton
    Andrew Call), Desi Lydic, Josephine Huang, and Yasha Jackson in 'Space Cadet'.
    (L to R) Andrew Call), Desi Lydic, Josephine Huang, and Yasha Jackson in ‘Space Cadet’. Photo Credit: Eric Liebowitz//Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Space Cadet’:

    Buy Emma Roberts Movies On Amazon