Joe Pesci Joins Gotti Biopic, Lindsay Lohan in Talks

Joe Pesciis officially confirmed for the cast ofGotti: Three Generations, a biopic authorized by and centered on the family of American mobster John Gotti. The 68-year-old actor, who“retired” from acting in 1999, will play Angelo Ruggiero, a high-ranking member of the Gambino family.

Meanwhile, troubled former actressLindsay Lohan“crashed” the New York City press conference on Tuesday, according toUSA Today, fueling rumors that she is in talks to play Victoria Gotti, daughter of John Gotti Sr. (played byJohn Travolta).

Producer Marc Fiore confirmed the talks to the press, but stressed nothing is finalized. Presumably because Lohan is still facing charges of felony grand theft for allegedly stealing a necklace from a jewelry store, though her history of being famously unreliable and un-insurable is likely playing a factor.  We’ve seen producers exploit Lohan’s infamy before (the Linda Lovelace biopic, for example), but will someone actually cast her this time?

Fiore landing Travolta and particularly Pesci, who has worked almost as little as Lohan since 2006, is a major coup, especially when Fiore’s resume begins and ends with National Lampoon’s direct-to-video comedy One, Two, Many. But Fiore and John Gotti Jr., who sold the film, have turned this project into more of a media circus than a legitimate next film forThe Notebookdirector Nick Cassavetes.  A press conference for a movie that won’t shoot until October? A surprise appearance by a tabloid starlet?  An officialwebsitethat bombards you with Madonna? Is this thing for real?

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‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ Trailer, Poster

20th Century Fox has released the first trailer for Rupert Wyatt’sRise of the Planet of the Apes, the awkwardly titled prequel to the 1968 sci-fi classic (Tim Burton who?).

Ubiquitous actorJames Francostars as Will, a research scientist on the brink of discovering the cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which affects his father (played byJohn Lithgow). But when the cure is tested on primates, the experimental drug demonstrates the ability to enhance brain function, particularly in Caesar, a CGI,“photorealistic” ape created using motion capture technology and the movements of Gollum and King Kong himself,Andy Serkis.

The trailer (embedded below from our friends atTrailerAddict) has a certain rhythm to it, thanks to similar bass note beats as the unforgettableInceptiontrailer, but there’s something very misleading about featuring clips from the climactic third act. Plus, wait, is that Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton)?

Freida PintoandBrian Coxalso star.Rise of the Planet of the Apesis due in theaters August 5, 2011.

Oddly enough, before today, Fox had been leading the marketing charge for its summer tentpole with peeks at unfinished visual effects. CGI alone rarely sells a movie, but the studio’s trumped up five-second tease was merely a shifty-eyed ape nestled uncomfortably in the uncanny valley. Not much to be excited about there, unless youreallylike primates.

Yesterday’s“behind-the-scenes” Livestream discussion with the Weta workshop revealed little else about the prequel itself. Oh, the visual effects team wants the primates to look realistic?  That’s unexpected. However, spliced into the droning interview— which also included a half-assed“surprise guest” inlead apeAndy Serkis— were some potentially spoilerific concept art images, featuring the film’s third act when the apes do, in fact, rise.

Here they are, courtesy ofBadass Digest:

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Michael Shannon is General Zod in Superman Reboot 'Man of Steel'

Michael Shannonhas been confirmed to star as the villainous General Zod inMan of Steel, Zack Snyder’s reboot of the Superman franchise scheduled for December 2012.

Shannon, 36, was on theshortlist of namesbeing considered for the Kryptonian megalomaniac last month when Snyder selected three-time Oscar nomineeAmy Adamsto play Lois Lane. British actorHenry Cavillis set to play Clark Kent (a.k.a. Superman) and his adoptive parents (the Kents) will be played byDiane LaneandKevin Costner.

The return of General Zod has (expectedly) drawn some ire from Superman fans who, perhaps, wanted to see a new villain face off against the Man of Steel. But the first appearance of the character on screen in 32 years seems reasonable, especially considering the recycled baddies revolving through the beloved Batman franchise. Besides, General Zod presents not only a formidable challenge for the Kryptonian hero and his superhuman strength, but an opportunity to reference Superman’s otherworldly origins without a tedious revisit of his infancy— though, to be clear, Warner Bros lost the rights to Krypton and his parents, Jor-El and Lara, in a legal battle with the estates of Action Comics creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Further details on Zod’s involvement in the plot are, naturally, under wraps, but several reports have hinted at the similar return of Ursa, Zod’s female co-conspirator played by Sarah Douglas in the 1978 and 1980 films.She’s Out of My LeaguebeautyAlice Eve,Inglourious BasterdsactressDiane Kruger, and former Bond girlRosamund Pikewerereportedly in contentionfor the part, though Kruger has denied any involvement.

If you’re somehow unfamiliar with Shannon’s work, the diverse actor regularly delivers exactly the sort of intense portrayal expected from the menacing Zod, particularly after the iconic performance from Terence Stamp inSuperman II. Shannon absolutely crushed his conflicted, right-wing role on HBO’s“Boardwalk Empire” during its first season, somehow a standout amongst a packed ensemble of heavyweights. He picked up an Oscar nomination for his off-putting supporting role inRevolutionary Roadand recently glowered his way through a demented turn in Herzog’sMy Son My Son, What Have Ye Done?Perfect choice.

The announcement was officially made on Sunday, but Shannon didn’t have a chance to speak publicly about his casting until the RiverRun International Film Festival, where he described meeting Snyder and discussing Zod, a surreal moment he likened to an acid trip.

“So I go meet him {Zack Snyder} and he’s seriously sitting there and he’s telling me – he’s like ‘You can’t read the script, so I’m just gonna tell you what happens,’” Shannon recalls.“And he spent like a half hour telling me every scene in this movie. Then it’s a month later, it’s like‘OK, you’re General Zod.’”

Shannon elaborates on the studio vetting process, including his read with Cavill, in the video below (hat tip to/Film):

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Interview: Alex Shaffer, Tom McCarthy Discuss 'Win Win'

Tom McCarthy’sWin Winis one of familiar family life and mundane living, but is so extraordinarily well told that it’s impossible not to connect with the heart and the humanity of Paul Giamatti’s Mike Flaherty and his humble existence.

At the South by Southwest Film Festival, I had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion with the writer-director, Thomas McCarthy, and Alex Shaffer, the 15-year-old first-time actor who played opposite Giamatti and Amy Ryan.

Here is what McCarthy and Shaffer had to say about the film, in their own words (our interview with Giamatti and Ryan is coming very soon):

Was it always your intention to cast somebody with no background in Kyle’s role?

Tom McCarthy: Yeah, it was.  I think early on I decided I needed a wrestler for that role, not only because I used to wrestle but because I’m sort of a sports nut. I can’t stand when I’m watching movies and I feel like the actor can’t actually play that sport or play it well, especially when that character is supposed to be very good.

Like Stemler. I wasn’t as concerned that Stemler couldn’t wrestler. But David {W. Thompson} did, in fact, have some wrestling experience.  Moderate, as he said.  He actually said,“I actually used to wrestle like Stemler.” But I knew that with Alex’s character I needed that.  It was kind of an early decision.  We saw a day or two of actors, who were all very fine actors, but we said“Nah, we need a wrestler.”

Could you go a little bit over the basic story?

Tom McCarthy: A small town lawyer, Mike Flaherty, in an attempt to ease his financial strain, makes a questionable ethical decision, and takes on the guardianship of an elderly client and this brings into his life the elderly client’s grandson who’s a runaway from a broken home.  Mike is forced to take him in, and there are pros and cons to that situation.

Anytime that you’re doing a film that involves sports, inevitably there can be injuries. Where there any injuries on the set with Alex or with anyone else?

Tom McCarthy: No, these guys are young.  If we tried to do it, it’d be a different story.  Like the one where he keeps dropping that guy and throwing him into the table, that dude was tough.  Because you were really dropping him onto the table.  You could tell because every time he did it all the extra would all say,“Ooooh.”

These guys are all really good wrestlers. They could really go at it, so I could loosely choreograph it and then set up the camera.  I would tell the kid,“Really try to get an ankle. Try to get a single leg.” Alex was tough to take down any way, but if he knows someone is trying to get a single leg on him, it’s never going to happen. So that kid could really go for it.  That hopefully gave the wrestling some reality.

Alex, speaking of wrestling, was it hard to do some of the more emotional scenes, like the scenes with your mother?

Alex Shaffer: Yeah, it definitely was hard for me, because I’ve never acted before.  I got through it, I guess.  I was in great hands.  Tom helped me.  Whenever I had trouble with a scene… he even set me up with an acting coach. He gave me a movie to watch.  He helped me so much.

Were you given direction to play a stoic character? Nothing seems to get to you, or was it your idea to play the character that way?

Alex Shaffer: I mean I guess that’s how Kyle is, you know?  Its not like he goes with everything, but nothing bothers him, that much, except when it comes to Leo and his mother.

So, Alex, are people back at home giving you crap about all this?

Alex Shaffer: Yeah man, my friends tease me so much.  Not like a lot, but if we’re all at Chili’s, for example.

Tom McCarthy: Where you might be, of course.

Alex Shaffer: Yeah, so we’re at Chili’s and they’ll be like“Oh my god, is that Alex Shaffer?”

Tom McCarthy: I actually met his friends. They’re nice guys. I thought they’d be merciless.

Your other films that I’ve seen, it seems like they’re about family, but it seems like they’re about family being created out of totally disparate moments.  How did you decide this time around to have sort of a do-good family? Was that risky?

Tom McCarthy: What was more risky to me wasn’t so much dealing with family, that just kind of happened.  It wasn’t so much a conscious decision like,“I’ll show them, I’ll actually make a movie with a family.” It was risky setting it in that environment, in a conventional suburban American environment.  It’s not like I’m a champion of the suburbs and wanted my whole life to make that movie, but that’s just kind of where the story had to be told.  It was challenging because how do you make that compelling to an audience?  Especially because I didn’t think what we were setting out to do was to represent that world authentically without commenting necessarily to much on it.  On some level, I had to make that world something Mike wanted to fight for.  So I couldn’t shred it, you know.

This is a place where, as a young man, even though I had a good family and a good upbringing, I couldn’t wait to get out. My whole thrust was get me the hell out of here.  So to go back and make a movie was pretty interesting.  Maybe I’m just at an age where I could do it without going after it. I’m now able to see what Mike likes about this world.

The film’s about family and financial hardship; do you think that the recession is a creatively fruitful time to make movies?

Tom McCarthy: I think on a general note, when times are hard people do turn towards movies and other forms of entertainment. Escapism, right? I think there’s a level of escapism with the characters, certainly with Mike and Terry getting caught up in the sports.  Sports does that for me, a lot.  Movies aren’t an escape for me because I start thinking too much. But sports, I can’t do that, so I’m just like,“Cool.”

But I wanted to have fun with this movie. I wanted to lighten it up. I wanted it to be a little loose, a little sloppy, especially afterThe Visitor, which was such a delicate movie. I kind of wanted to throw the needle the other way. It was important that it didn’t become too preachy or too solemn.  So it didn’t become a movie about something that happened two years ago. Problems aren’t going to go away for a while. Things are gonna continue to be bad in the recession, but its more about how to recover responsibly and with a bit of grace.

(Spoilers in this question)At the beginning of the movie, Mike says he doesn’t want to be a bartender, but that’s what he ends up doing at the end. Both this film and The Visitorsort of end on a note of disappointment. Is that something you do on purpose or is it where the script took you?

Tom McCarthy: Where it took me. I think it’s realistic too. Trust me, a big part of me wanted to take Kyle’s character down to Atlantic City and win state. They’re holding each other’s arms up. I can see the poster.  Can’t we all? I say that jokingly, but I mean it truthfully because visually I thought,“Aw that’ll be really cool.” Because I felt so cramped in this movie by design.  I wanted it to feel like if a guy wants to have a cigarette he has to go behind the Quik-Check.  But I didn’t want it to be claustrophobic either..

I think it just felt honest to that world. It isn’t everything tied up at the end and it isn’t a wrestling victory at the end. The victory is pulling in the driveway and seeing the kids playing without thinking about it.  That’s the victory. That’s why people move to the suburbs, for that conventional, consistent life for the children. There’s nothing better to give a kid than that, a place where they can just be kids. As un-cinematic as it might be, that was the emotional victory of it.  So I tried to follow that emotional lead instead of“what would be cool here?”

What do you like so much about suburbia?

Tom McCarthy: Nothing. Again, it’s a challenge. What fascinated me was can I set a story here? And it was something personal going back to the world and trying to see it with fresh eyes.

What was that like?

Tom McCarthy: Tough to quantify, you know?  It was trying to see it in detail where I could make this story as specific as possible and it would hopefully resonate.  And people would see it in all parts of the country and parts of the world. I’m very curious to see how this movie does abroad, certainly in Europe.  I’m excited to travel with this movie and see what people take away from it. That’s an exciting part of the process. It’ll be interesting.

When Alex’s character shows up, it seems like Mike and his whole family are stuck in a rut, but it seems to be the change they so desperately need. At the same time it was a change that Alex needed in his own life too. At what point did you decide that the family elements were going to outweigh the wrestling side of it?

Tom McCarthy: Yeah, just because it’s fun too. Even for people who don’t know anything about wrestling. I have a friend who is a novelist who sent an email afterwards that said,“I can’t believe that sports exists, but I was so into it at the end. I think I want to do it.” It’s an addictive element of the story for a lot of people and it was nice to know we had that in our back pocket, in terms of story and an intellectual level.

But I don’t think the family is in a rut and if they are, it’s the happy rut of life. Routine is important to them.  I think they’ve settled into that. I think for Mike all he wants to do is be in that happy rut,  he just wants to be able to afford it and he’s not. I think that’s important. It’s not like Kyle comes into their lives and because of his athletic prowess he changes everything. I don’t think he even changes Jackie in that way at all.  She eventually finds it cool and cheers him on, like any parent might, but I think its her emotional connection with this young man.  Especially if you’re a parent and you have young kids, but suddenly you have a 16-year-old running around. It’s very different. ”Hold it, adult.” The way they talk and interact.  I think that is engaging.

When it came to casting, did you write the role specifically for them or was it just a happy coincidence?

Tom McCarthy: I wrote the role for Amy, definitely. Bobby I had in mind. Paul I always had in mind, but I had not decided and took a look at it and had to evaluate it.  Mike’s character could go a couple of different ways and I wanted to step back from it when it was done after a solid draft or two. It was an easy decision because I constantly heard his voice when I was writing it. Alex, obviously, I had to go find, and a lot of the other people were just discoveries.  My casting process is pretty quick.  I don’t spend a lot of time with it.

Alex, talk about the scene where you throw Paul to the ground. How did it work out? And were you scared that something might happen?

Alex Shaffer: No, I remember there was a double, but the double did not do that scene. I remember having that conversation with Paul and Paul was like,“They never let me do it. I want to do it,” and we ended up doing it.  I was not nervous, I mean, Paul is a tough guy.  But he did tell us later that he woke up the next day sore.

Tom McCarthy: It’s a pretty good takedown. It’s a violent takedown, even for wrestling.

Alex Shaffer: A blast double.

So Tom what kind of wrestler are you; were you on the A team? B team?

Tom McCarthy: I was trying hard to get on the A team. I was pretty good.  I started wrestling at 13.  Not nearly on Alex’s level. I never made it to state or regionals.  But I was decent.  By my senior year I was burnt out and quit.  I just realized it was a brutal sport and I was not having fun anymore. But I enjoyed it, the research side of things is fun to do now, the going and watching these matches. But when I heardabout Alex, he had a match that weekend and I knew the guy he was wrestling. It’s like Shakespeare, once you understand how the language operates, it opens up in this beautiful way. Joe {Tiboni} and I were dropping stuff all the time to go to these matches.  ”Guess who’s wrestling this week?”

Alex, how did it feel the moment you knew you were going to be in the film?

Alex Shaffer: It was cool. I was a little shocked. It was right after region finals, I just pinned Herberto Katana, who ended up wrestling in the state finals. I came home and Tom was on the phone. I picked up and Tom said, “Hey you got the part.” And I was like“ahh cool.”

Tom McCarthy: {laughs} This is a blow by blow.

Alex Shaffer: But then he told me not to dye my hair purple. Because in one of my auditions I said I was going to dye my hair purple for States.

Tom McCarthy: Why purple by the way?

Alex Shaffer: Its just really cocky. {laughs}  That’s the best way to put it.

Were the tattoos and dyed hair a way to get into character?

Tom McCarthy: Oddly enough, he came to us with that blonde hair. I liked the idea of him doing it because his team did it.  And the tattoos because you see a lot of guys tatted and I liked how it said something about where he is coming from.  Each tattoo had its meaning, to me, as a writer.

Alex Shaffer: That one actually wasn’t cocky. We had to wrestle our rival.  So we all went over to a friend’s house and dyed our hair.

Tom McCarthy: Hair party.

Alex Shaffer: Little crazy.

Tom McCarthy: You guys cut it loose.

Alex, did you have any input on how the fights went down? Did you choreograph at all?

Alex Shaffer: Yeah I had some input.  We all got together in rehearsal and went over it with the stunt coordinator.  We went over what moves would happen.

Tom McCarthy: I wrote it pretty specifically, and I would ask for ideas just like you would for an actor and a script.  Just like that really cool throw Alex does were he pins Kenny Randall, that was Alex’s move.

Do you consider yourself a jock or an athlete and is there a difference?

Alex Shaffer: Hmm, an athlete. Just because I’m an athletic kid. My interpretation of a jock is that Nerds movie.

Tom McCarthy: Those hair parties. Jocks don’t say,“Alright everyone, my place at eight. Hair party.”

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'World War Z' May Have Financing, June Start

Last week, it looked as thoughWorld War Z, an adaptation of Max Brooks’ zombie novel with Brad Pitt attached to star, might be dead without proper financing at Paramount Pictures. Vulturereported the film’s imminent demise without a producing partnership to share the $125 million risk.

ButDeadlinehas learned Skydance Productions may be riding to the rescue and is in“heavy” talks with the studio and star/producer Pitt. Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) is lined up to direct, but no word on whether those rumors of paring the violence down to a PG-13 are true.

Brooks, son of director Mel Brooks, wrote a well-liked novel, but the screenplay by J. Michael Straczynski is one of the best I’ve ever read. The film, a chronicle of a post-apocalyptic world where zombies have overrun most of the world, centers on Gerry (Pitt), a researcher for the United Nations’ post-Zombie War commission instructed to investigate and interview survivors to learn from the widespread outbreak.

WhileWorld War Zmay wind up one in a horde of shuffling undead movies and TV shows, the movie’s broad scale should set it apart from the zombie romances (Warm Bodiesand CW’s“Awakening”), the re-imagined period piece (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) and everything else (Jonah Hill’sKitchen Sink). Specifically, the story is weighted in social significance and commentary, such as a discussion with a flight attendant about zombies overtaking the plane (terrorism), a border guard talks of illegal undead being smuggled into the country, rampant political corruption and ineptitude, and the chaosof aimless refugees and widespread looting (a Katrina allegory that may have attracted Pitt in the first place).

The script has been reportedly rewritten by Matt Carnahan, but if Skydance agrees to share the costs, production could be underway by this June. Founded in 2006, David Ellison’s Skydance contributed to the budgets of True Grit and Mission: Impossible– Ghost Protocol.

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Interview: Michelle Monaghan Unlocks the 'Source Code'

After the world premiere of Duncan Jones’ sophomore film,Source Code, at the South by Southwest Film Festival, I had the opportunity to sit down with Michelle Monaghan (and other journalists) to discuss her recurring role in the sci-fi thriller.

The first thing I noticed about Monaghan, a former model turned actress, is her natural beauty. But once I had finished swooning like a teenager, I was immediately infected by her upbeat attitude and bubbling personality. She beams a perpetual smile and exudes a certain enthusiasm you rarely see from Hollywood talent, especially in the midst of an ongoing press tour, and it was refreshingly honest.

We riffed about the difficulty of reinventing and reliving a role that repeats itself, the science behind the source codes, what sort of movies she enjoys watching and making, and a bit about her upcoming films,Machine Gun PreacherandBetter Living Through Chemistry.

(Stay tuned for our interview with Vera Farmiga, Jake Gyllenhaal, screenwriter Ben Ripley, and director Duncan Jones!)

Did you see the movie last night for the first time?

Michelle Monaghan: It was not my first time. But it was my first time with an audience, which was so awesome. You know, it makes a world of difference. It’s so great, because when you watch it on your own, of course you know the story and the jokes aren’t funny to you anymore because you did them a thousand times. Maybe they weren’t even funny the first time. But last night was so great because the audience was really enthusiastic. It was a really warm reception. I really felt like the audience got it and it was great. So I was really excited.

Can you talk a little bit about what it was with the script that really attracted you to the project?

Monaghan: I think, initially I was really struck at what an original idea it was. From an actor’s point of view, the role of Christina, I thought it was just gonna be a really cool exercise and performance, and a real challenge. It felt really daunting to me initially and then I got really really intrigued. I especially became more intrigued after I spoke to Duncan. We Skyped and for meit became very apparent that he wanted it to be character driven more than anything. I haven’t really ventured into sci-fi as a genre. I’ve done a lot of other things, but sci-fi was not one of them. So I really thought,“Wow. Why not go on this endeavor with somebody as cool, young and energetic as Duncan Jones?” He’s great at telling a story. So I thought if anybody can do it… I don’t necessarily think it could work in anybody’s hands, it was difficult material for all the actors I think. It was a really fun. It was a really fun experience. It felt like we were making a student film a lot of the time. Because we were just sitting in this commuter train, that one car, and we would huddle and work it out, each source code, and it was really fun. It was really cool.

You basically had to do the same scene 12 different times or something like that, what kind of challenge did that bring?

Monaghan: That was the challenge. The first source code was the most challenging source code. Fortunately we got to shoot them chronologically. That was a luxury you don’t have in any film. So that was cool. But the first one was really really important because everything was going to be set in stone from that point on. So working out the choreography for that for all the actors on the train was really long and hard.

Also, Jake’s and my character and I are really disconnected at that point. So from a performance standpoint that wasn’t something that I had ever come across, where you’re not supposed to connect with the actor.We’re both in two different realities, so everything I was saying he was just… It made the acting thing really difficult. But we worked that out by doing something kind of clever.

So that was hard, but then it was just a matter of Duncan and I during the rehearsal process coming up with an idea of how I wanted each source code to be tonally. Out of example, the first source code I really wanted her to be a bit mysterious, almost more like Hitchcock. So there was a certain posture, a certain voice. There’s a certain direct eye contact that was sort of unwavering. Then everything started to kind of loosen up as they started to connect a little bit more. Duncan and I were always talking about it to make sure we were always on the same page. So there would be an arc by the end of it.

It’s amazing at the beginning of each source code you still manage to have the same smile and deliver the same line the same way. Was that difficult for you, did you have a mirror you would look into?

Monaghan: No, because, you know, for continuity. I mean, there was always like“Yes, my leg was here. Yes, I took that.” That’s why the choreography, the technical stuff, is really challenging, and if you go back there are little different variations of“I took your advice, it was very good advice” and then there’s another one. I don’t want to do line reads, but it was like“It was good advice” and then I left out very or it was“very very good,” just little different things that would help, because that was the one line that kind of then made the whole rest of it come together. So always trying something subtle. That was the thing, the challenge of doing something subtle and nuanced, but not too much that it kind of threw the audience.

Did you do any research into the science behind it?

Monaghan: HELL NO. Hell no. I took the pod and I took the source Code, I separated them. I thought,“That’s their business. They can work out all of that on their own.” You know what, I understood it, but I couldn’t go into that. I was really overwhelmed with the same thing and I was thinking how could I just make these same six pages essentially into 40 pages. So I just didn’t worry myself with that. And I’m sure Vera {Farmiga} probably did the same thing. You know, separated her stuff. It was challenging for everyone. Vera, I’m so impressed with. Jake as well. But with Vera in particular, that’s not an easy thing to do, to sort of act with a camera. That’s tricky and a testament to her talent.

Have you ever been to South by Southwest before?

Monaghan: No, and this is awesome. It’s so funny, I meant to go. My friends and my husband have been down here, and I meant to come down here, this trip, as a fan. Then the movie came down here. So now I’m not. I mean I’m down here as a fan, but I don’t have time to see anything, unfortunately. So next year I’ll be down here as a fan.

But as a filmmaker how’s the vibe for you?

Monaghan: Oh my God, it’s amazing. Seriously, I’ve been to a few film festivals and this has got much energy and it’s really young. We just did a Q&A and I was so excited because there was an editor there asking questions and a composer. There was a writer. An actor. Everybody was sort of in their own creative field and everybody’s here really representing film. Everyone’s real appreciative of it. It’s not real critic heavy, I don’t think. I don’t know maybe their hiding out there somewhere. It just feels like a nice supportive environment. It’s a nice festival.

As an actress do you get to watch a lot of movies just for fun? Is that a way you unwind or do you do other things?

Monaghan: Yeah, you know, honestly I really like documentaries a lot. I’m really a big fan of documentaries. So it’s really a big toss up when I go to the movies because, first of all, I have a kid so we don’t go to the movies that much anymore. It’s usually between this movie or a documentary, and probably 7 out of 10 times the documentary wins.

What have you seen recently that you liked?

Monaghan: Inside Man, I love. As far as a documentary. {I believe she meant Oscar winnerInside Job.} As far as a film, my favorite film of last year was the Aussie film,Animal Kingdom. LOVE that movie. LOVE. I want to work with that director very badly.

Now that you’ve done science fiction are you getting a lot more science fiction scripts? Are you open to doing more science fiction movies?

Monaghan: Yeah, I’d be open to doing it. Definitely. I don’t think I’ve received any. Oh, I just did receive one, I haven’t read it yet. But I’m excited to read it. And it’s very sci-fi. It’s kind of a sci-fi love story. Oh, I haven’t done that before, have I? But yeah I’m always open. I always just wanna do stuff that’s kinda new and interesting and challenging. You know, just depends on the material. If it’s a drama, if it’s a little indie, if it’s studio, comedy, action, any of that stuff, I’m down for it.

We were talking to Ben {Ripley} earlier about infusing humor into the script, and balancing the characters. You’re part of the group that had to keep doing it over and over, how difficult was it on set to keep it fresh, to keep it funny, but keep it from going Groundhog Day?

Monaghan: Do you know what it was? It was so important. Duncan was really smart. It’s a film that knows it’s a movie, so it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The improvisation became easier as the source codes moved on because we were able to free ourselves up from the story once the puzzle pieces started to come together.

I think there was one day, it was the end of the source code, and there’s this scene in the movie where Jake’s like,“Do you wanna go get a coffee?” It’s the profile shot. And we were just like,“Oh my God, this is so ridiculous, get her a coffee already!” It’s like it’s the same thing. And we were like,“the audience is gonna buy this?” Then he’s always like“I’ll be right back” and we’re like“this poor girl.” That long suffering girl. So he said,“I’ll be right back, I gotta go save the world,” and he improved that. And I was like,“I knew he was a keeper.” So we improved that, right? And then we cut and everyone says,“That was so funny, that was great.” So the crew kinda got the joke. Then it was like,“Ok, let’s do it again.” So we kinda go back.

But those are those sorts of things, but that actually worked. But last night, people laughed at that! And I was like,“Oh my God, they got our joke.” So it felt really good, because they got the moments of levity. We knew by that time, people would be clued into the facts. The instincts were right. So that’s really encouraging. So Duncan had those instincts from the very beginning and so did Jake. There are very subtle things where just the way he moved or the delivery… he’s a very smart actor. I think I answered your question, but maybe not.

Had you familiarized yourself with Duncan’s previous work, Moon?

Monaghan: Oh yeah, that was a movie that I had saw, I think, right when it came out, and I was just blown away. Like really blown away. And Sam Rockwell, holy cow. I mean he’s just amazing. He’s just amazing in everything. He’s a phenomenal actor. So I was really excited. That was definitely one of the ingredients that drew me to this role for sure.

Did he meet your expectations of did he surprise you?

Monaghan: He totally surprised me in the sense that he’s such a great collaborator. And I say that in the sense like he had the technical aspect down. He definitely had a vision for it. For me, you can tell me something is gonna explode and you look at the green screen, so you do that and there’s a big explosion, you’re like“ahh!”

It was clear right off the bat how invested he was in the characters. If you don’t believe you want her to be saved in his turmoil and Vera’s sort of ethical dilemma… If you don’t believe in that, then none of it works. It doesn’t matter how cool the special effects are. So he made that really evident from the very very very beginning. He was true and blue. It was fun. He was always very open. It’s nice when a director lets you improve and really supports your creative instincts.

Speaking of special effects, how did it feels to see your face basically get melted off?

Monaghan: No, but that really happened! You know when you see that scene where I’m like… That really happened cause they put a wind thing on me. This thing where it’s like really fast and it shoots and it fits like this… {mimes a cover to her face}. It was the last night of filming and they brought in the special effects to do that and they were like “you don’t want to do that do you?” I was like “of course I wanna do that, that’s awesome!” So they did it. We probably did it 4 or 5 different times and they used it. I forget how slow they played it back. It was seriously the ugliest thing. Everybody was like“Ohhh my God” cause it was like my lip was like over my nose, my gum was like that. Then they paused it and I was like “holy shit I need braces.” I need braces, I had no idea. It was the craziest thing. I must have been red for like 2 hours. But it was a really fun effect to do, I’m glad they asked me to do it. Then when I saw it in the movie I was like, “wait a second, I didn’t think they were actually gonna use it.” I thought there were going to fix my lips, you know? But it was cool that they left it like that. It’s neat cause that’s really how we shot it. It was cool. It was really really cool.

What’s up next for you now?

Monaghan: I’ve got a film coming out in the fall which I’m really excited about. A drama, based on a true story, Mark Forster directed it. It’s starring myself, Michael Shannon and Gerard Butler and it’s amazing. So excited.

Is that Machine Gun Preacher?

Monaghan:Machine Gun Preacher, yeah. It’s great. I just saw it couple weeks ago and I’m really excited about it. Then I’m gonna shoot a little indie with Jeremy Renner in the fall, or in August, summer, calledBetter Living Through Chemistrywhich is a small little, cool, awesome, indie. Jeremy is awesome.

What’s your advice to actors?

Monaghan: Perseverance, man. From the beginning to someone at my success, or lack thereof, whatever it is. I’m such a firm believer in that. You have good days and you have bad days, and just let it roll right off your back. You can’t dwell. I don’t dwell. Maybe if people were booing last night, I might not be over it today. But tomorrow I’d be on the plane back to my daughter and my husband and I’d be ok. But perseverance, in any field, but especially in any creative field.

Since you have a kid now, do you have any interest in doing a children’s movie or animation?

Monaghan: Big time. Big time. I just found out that I might actually get to do Sesame Street with Elmo. Honestly I think it might be one of the best days ever because, if I get to bring my daughter, it will just be the coolest thing ever. Anytime she gets pissed off or upset I’ll just push“play.”

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Interview: Vera Farmiga Talks About 'Source Code'

At the South by Southwest Film Festival, we had more than eight minutes to sit down with Oscar-nominated actressVera Farmiga, one of the stars of Duncan Jones’Source Code.

The talented, cat-eyed Farmiga plays Colleen Goodwin, the military officer who welcomes Jake Gyllenhaal’s Captain Colter Stevens back to reality after he’s plunged continuously into the finite, 8-minute world of the source code. Farmiga discussed with us how she became involved with the project, the process of shaping the role with Duncan and Jake, and the difficulty of acting with only a camera lens, as well as brief forays into the philosophy and science ofSource Code.

{Our interviews with Gyllenhaal, Jones, and screenwriter Ben Ripley are on the way, but be sure to also check outour ginterview with Michelle Monaghanand ourreview of the film.}

Have you seen the film all the way through?

Vera Farmiga: Yeah, I saw it yesterday. I also saw it in my living room.  I just had do some satellite interviews.  It helps to see the film before you talk about it. The process of it and seeing the finished product are two entirely different things for most films.

Especially with a film like this. Did you do a lot of research for it?

Farmiga: Look, earlier in my career I played uniform women and there’s always the politics of gender within that profession as a uniformed officer and who your boss is, what your job is. The dynamic is certainly something to consider though. I’ve talked to many uniformed officers, female officers. So, that is something that’s in the back of your head. I don’t think it was so much considering that as what her task at hand is, which is to save a whole lot of people. I think all of us could connect very easily with that idea and that urgency and the need. You turn on the television and don’t you wish you had a program like this so you could give fair warning or to evacuate, whatever the disaster may be. Hindsight is always 20/20. I think, who amongst us can’t connect with that?

This wasn’t a real research kind of a role it was really just using your imagination and working within the confines of the role which was pretty limited. As far as the kinds of roles that I’m normally drawn to are pretty much the antithesis of this character. But arc is always important to me and I found the challenge of that arc within these limitations of these 8 minute increments.  I found that to be compelling, how quickly she changes.  And the moral dilemma within that, treating culture as a science project first, and then getting to know her personally within these 8 minute increments and then having that impact the way she does her job.

So that’s really what I focused on most, all the sort of psycho-spiritual energy between the two and how best to convey it when the actor is not in your presence.  So I did not work with Jake {Gyllenhaal} at all, except for in rehearsal.  It’s important in rehearsal to hash out some stuff. We sat opposite the table in rehearsal so we had that time spent.  He was there a couple days reading lines off camera, but other than that it was a script supervisor and me staring into the barrel of the lens, which is extremely difficult to do for an actor that spends most of their time ignoring it.  I’ve only been asked once to do that.  There was this one moment inManchurian Candidate. I think as a device he used an audience connection.  I thought it was one of those difficult things for me to do.  To know that, oh God, your face is gonna be distorted in really outrageous ways the ways.  The way your face tends to do when you look into your iChat camera.  Thinking about thecharacter in these ways, how best to convey the emotional life of the character and the mental life with very little movement and the confines of the space.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the part originally written for a man?

Farmiga: I don’t know. It doesn’t surprise me.  But that’s interesting I’ll ask Ben {Ripley} about that.  How interesting, I wonder if it was.

How did you become involved with the film?

Farmiga: I’m a tremendous fan. It really stems from that.  I sawMoonat least eight times. Sam {Rockwell}’s a good friend of mine.  He’s an actor that is just too much under the radar.  He’s gotten a lot of attention.  I’ve worked with him. I’m so fond of him.  I just dug his performance.  I thought really highly of Duncan as a story teller.  I thought he’s a unique voice, a new vision for a genre that I don’t really connect with that’s really plot driven.  He shines a spotlight on the characters and really operates fromthat angle. He makes you use your noodle when you watch a film. It’s not only stimulating so many visceral ways, this film in particular, but you really got to think.  It’s mind bending and boggling. It took me several reads of the script, even on set it would still… It’s interesting how articulate he is prior to shooting on the visuals. You walk into preproduction studio and every space on the wall is filled with visuals, which helps you create the character psyche.

It came to me because I was a fan of Duncan’s, ofMoon. I love puzzles. I’ve loved putting puzzles together since I was a kid. I think every piece is important. The role itself isn’t something I would probably be drawn to, normally. But I really love any film, honestly, that leaves you with a healthy perspective on life.  I’m a mom with two kids. I have a 4-month-old, a two-year-old and an amazing husband.  So it’s a good reminder to cherish the now and cherish everything that you hold dear in life. I love the note that it ended on, in addition to all the levels that the script works on. I just wanted to be a part of that puzzle.

When you and Jake were rehearsing, was there anything that changed from the script that came out of those rehearsals?

Farmiga: Sure, sure. Oh, what can I tell you precisely… I think there was a big change in the scene where she reveals… I think each character has some sort of revelation of a life beyond what you see on screen.  A family life beyond that. I think the scene in which Colter asked me if I’ve ever been married before. I think it explored more a history. Where that ended up being, that scene in particular, the first time their really personal with each other. I think that morphed and changed. I’m not even sure from what.

I have this strange brain that compartmentalizes every job experience. I truly, literally, forget. I don’t care how great the experience was, I just forget. I have to take copious notes to see what I was thinking at the time. I know it was something to do with that scene and getting that right, making it brief. These are 8 minute increments. It is plot driven.  You’ve got to keep that train running so to speak. There’s no time to wallow.  There’s an urgency, there’s a tempo, there’s a staccato, to the piece on a whole that you have to honor. I know that scene as an actress I wanted to luxuriate, I wanted more depth and more exploration of my character. But we ended up paring it down to the essential what would convey that she has issues. It’s trusting. I just directed my first film and editing was probably the most surprising thing about it. You don’t have to beat audiences over the head. You can trust that they’re savvy enough to pick up details. You don’t have to spoon feed them every information. So that was something that I learned from the new experience of directing.

You and Jake only have about two minutes before you push him back into the source code, how did you keep your energy up to be so simple but be so exact while you were doing that?

Farmiga: I do have tendency to embellish and luxuriate. To me what’s most important, and this is where I had to be efficient and this is where Duncan was very useful as a director, cracking that whip saying“urgency, urgency, urgency, keep in mind there are hundreds of lives are about to be lost.” And he really kept reminding me of that. Because I think the tendency as an actress, what compels me about a character is not what the written lines are, what happens between the lines and what the character is not saying. To me I always tend to luxuriate that way because I think that’s what flushes out a role for an audience. There’s great opportunity there as an actress. I think it’s Duncan being the metronome. In a role like this you almost want to do more, you tend to want to… You know I only have a certain amount of time and he’s like “no” deflating that accordingly, every time it opens up.

As horrific as the source code is, the actual reality of the machine and the hardware, it did work. Sort of.  So if you found out there was something like a source code going on right now, would you support it and why? Or would you be against it?

Farmiga: You know, I think there’s a little box you check off on your license that probably should be honored. If you don’t want your body used post mortem in this very scenario, as useful as it can be a tool.  Some of us our soldiers, some of us our not. We all want peace. But some of us our soldiers, some of us don’t have the heart and the mind. Some of us don’t even have the faith and force.  So yeah, I think we all should really consider that box. But that’s the moral dilemma and that’s the consideration for my character. She gets to know Jake’s character and feel for him. And know him personally and love him in that sense and care for him. Her job becomes harder and harder to execute.  Whereas Rutledge is a man of science, with good intentions, but it still can come across as ruthless. Which it is. You havean original idea, someone has already thought of it.  So if this film exists then maybe this program can exist.  I don’t know.  I didn’t take physics. I was able to skirt that one and take a really good art class instead in high school. I think there should be outright volunteers if that is a valid scenario.

{This one question contains spoilers.}So there is the alternate universe aspect of this and, briefly, you’re playing a second version of your character. Did you think about giving that second version of your character different motivations or different emotions?

Farmiga: Yeah, I didn’t get that far. I didn’t get that far because it blows my mind. {laughs}  I think it’s very scary, another me. I don’t know if it’s the same, it depends. I have no idea how to even begin to think about it.  It’s too challenging for my small brain. I don’t know.  No, I don’t think it was so important to be so precise in that frame of thinking to convey that last final moment of bewilderment.  But, you know, anything’s possible. The way you think about it is,“How would I have done things different? How can I approach things different?” Often times in my own life I wish I had a couple chances at reacting to things.

Did you guys talk at all about the muli-verse? Or any of the science behind it all?

Farmiga: Yeah, Duncan has that kind of a brain. I like listening to it. But I’m very much me, and in the now. I guess you have to be a philosopher by nature in that respect. It’s too mind boggling for me.

What was the most difficult part about filming Source Code?

Farmiga: The most difficult thing is having a scene where there’s legitimately two characters, but not being in the presence of each other. Shooting is difficult and acting with those physical limitations, that’s the hard part. But you know, expository dialogue ismaddeningfor an actor. It really is.  It’s boring. All it is in information.  It’s very difficult to infuse character in it and nuance.  And there’s a whole lot of it, for me.  So finding my way through that was a challenge.  Conveying that in an interesting way was challenging.

You mentioned that because you had to stare at the camera while you were shooting those scenes. Was there an iChat where you got to see your own image?

Farmiga: There was only a camera, like a barrel camera. That was right in front. Not only that camera, that’s Jake’s perspective.  Then you have the audience perspective and there’s usually two cameras from either side at different lenses, preserving the audience perception of me.  So we’re going between these two different experiences, Jake’s character and the audience’s perspective. So in a couple days we had speaker systems, Jake showed up and did his lines.  But you see in the last moments of the film what I’m actually seeing to be able to communicate. That’s an entirely different… again, I don’t want to reveal too much. I wish I could see if there’s a pupil dilation thing that happens, or if it actually works. There’s a couple times when I thought,“Ugh, let me try staring at my reflection” so it feels like there someone there. Because you can see your little self in the thing. I don’t know if it brings your, then I stop, because I think I’m gonna come across cross-eyed. So I stopped after a while.

Did it ever get any easier?

Farmiga: Yeah, yeah, once you accept it. Everything is easier after day one. The first time your really in your uniform and you feel that starch and the polyester, it takes a good 24 hours to get through the first day. Then everything comes easier, for me at least.  I just have to get through the first day.  Then there’s more of an ease to it. But yeah, embracing that. What’s interesting too is that Duncan gave us the luxury, because it was just one space, we had the luxury of chronology and be able to shoot the scenes in sequence. Even my discomfort, the actor’s discomfort with it, also translated to my discomfort with him and getting to know this guy who’s a part of this mission.

After being sort of bottled up in this movie, would you want to trade places with Jake and do the running around?

Farmiga: I feel like I usually get that role, especially in independent cinema. This is a studio film and I find that studio films I don’t often get the role, but in independent films I do. I do more independent film, than I do studios. I do get the opportunity a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot.  Just with smaller paychecks.

How as the screening last night and your feelings with the audience Q&A?

Farmiga: Yeah, they seemed to be really embracing and energized by it. They were really receptive audience. I LOVE watching films. Most of the films I do are supported by independent film festivals. That’s usually the launching pad for the kind of films that I do. I just love their eager festival goers, they’re also the harshes critics. These are the kind of people that see a lot of movies. Since they really love film and you also see a lot of it, I love experience that. They’re passionate audiences. Particularly a film like this is meant to be seen on a large screen, not on your own personal device.I don’t often go to see these kinds, you know action, thrillers, I normally don’t see these kinds of films. So it was really exciting for me to experience the way films should be, with congregation of people. People vibe off each other’s emotions, someone giggles, that gives you permission to laugh.

Have you been to South by Southwest before?

Farmiga: No it’s my first time. It’s usually Sundance or Toronto, but this is my first time here. I thinkUp In the Aircame, but they didn’t invite me. {laughs}

I’m not sure what it’s called technically, but the thing you say to Jake’s character to bring him back, I don’t know what the technical term is…

Farmiga:“Beleaguered castle, acknowledge transmission.”

Do any of those things have significant meaning or hidden meaning?

Farmiga: Ask Duncan, I know Duncan will know the answer to that. I can’t remember what it is. Good question. I don’t think it’s just a random, I think there is a significance, it might be a Ben question.

How many times did you have to say it?

Farmiga: Several times. Every time you see me. I think I start off each scene with that rant. Calling him into the mantra. It’s his mantra, it’s what clicks him into my reality.

If you could give a small tid bit of advice to actors, what would that be?

Farmiga: If you’re frustrated with not working, then create your own opportunity. I think it’s so easy these days with cameras becoming cheaper and cheaper each year, and everything’s turning digital.  Camera phones. I think short films are as important as features. If you’re frustrated, just do it.  That’s how I directedHigher Ground, this was after the Oscars last year. Granted, I found out I was 2 weeks pregnant three days before the Oscars, so that put me out of the loop for certain things. Great material always comes my way, but still, given the economy, it’s really few and far between to read those gems. It’s pretty cutthroat for actresses that are vying for those roles. So my manager gave me that advice. He was like, “What are you waiting for? Stop asking for permission.” Just create your own opportunity. Where there a will there’s a way. But you’ve got to have a story to tell, or an idea. If you want to work badly enough, there’s always people you can collaborate with to at least keep your craft sharp, to keep your mind.

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