Interviewer: First of all, thank you very much for visiting with me.
I have to start by asking what do you think
it is about, these fairy tales in general, one, that are so timeless,
and two that are right for being re-imagined for modern
times?
Interviewee: I think the reason, they are obviously just good stories,
with a classical, I've been asked this question a million times,
But, I always, I think it's that they have darkness, they this
have moral lesson for the children, and they go places where
children stories shouldn't go, and that's why I loved Hansel and
Gretel, because I listen to the tape when I was a kid, and I was
scared to death by it, because it was so extreme, and burning
witches alive, and trying to eat children, I mean, it's pretty,
pretty dark stuff, and I think that's the reason, if you look at
children's stories that come out today, they can't, they're not
even close to the Grimm brothers,
Interviewer: No.
Interviewee: which is a shame I think, but, and yeah, I had this idea,
for quiet a long time, and when I pitched the idea to Paramount,
there was, the only fairy tale move that had come out was, Alice
in Wonderland.
Interviewer: Right.
Interviewee: And after that, yeah there was this, rumor of all these
stories, and again, I think it's just great stories, and great
characters, and of course the studio loved, the fact that it's
already established around the world, it's public domain, which
always helps.
But for me it was because I truly loved it growing
up, and I always thought it would fun.
I always wondered what happened to Hansel and Gretel, and this is
the action, version of that.
Interviewer: And what elements of that original story, when you sat
down to write it, did you want to keep, or at least maybe the
themes, or did you want to just kind of, blow it out of the
water, and start over.
Interviewee: I knew I wanted the original fairy tale as the opening of
the film, that I knew, I, because I always thought it read like
a first, a fantastic first great scene.
Basically it does because it leaves those characters in such
a cool place.
Interviewer: Yeah.
Interviewee: And such a great original story, so that was it for me, I
knew I wanted that, that I knew I wanted to go back, see them as
grownups, going back to the way everything happened, and
discovering the real truth about the gingerbread incident.
Interviewer: Incident.
Interviewee: Yeah.
Interviewer: I love it.
And speaking of our Hansel and Gretel, you couldn't have cast two better actors, in Jeremy
and Gemma, and trace what, you know, each, in your opinion,
you brought to the role, and why they were so perfect?
Interviewee: Well Jeremy was on board first, and I saw him in the Hurt
Locker of course, and that was, and then he read the script
really shortly after that and he was on board, and the reason I
think, again, I saw the film and I knew he would be perfect, but
when you meet him, you realize he's really funny as well, he has
a great sense of humor, and that's what he loved about the
script when he read it, the mix of tones, and how he could show
a more humorous side of himself, and I knew I wanted a bad ass
Hansel, but at the same time, somebody who could sell the humor.
Which he did.
Gemma I saw in film called The disappearance of
Alice Creed.
Interviewer: Yes.
Interviewee: Amazing film, and amazing performance, and She just,
she's so to-, I mean in film she's more of a classic action
heroine, and bad ass, but she has a streak of vulnerability,
about her, she never feels like a super woman, which I like
about her.
And, of course, but we were casting a brother and
sister, you have to make sure they like each other, and so we
got them together, and they clicked straight away, and we knew
we had them.
Interviewer: Well and the thing is, with the brother and sister, they
have to have a chemistry, but it's not shown as much as, say
romantic chemistry is needed, You know, what kind of things did
you have to do to facilitate that, that, kinship between the two
characters, or you know, you also put it in the script clearly
too.
Interviewee: Yeah, and that's what, part of the thing that they
responded so well to.
Train.
Interviewer: Oh yeah, Glendale.
Interviewee: We good?
Alright.
No, that relationship was part of the reason why they both wanted to do this film,
because it's so rare to see a brother and sister relationship
driving a film like that, and they both had siblings and
they both have strong relationships, very strong, yeah, relationships
to their sibling, and they wanted to bring their own
things into that and they just, that was one of the selling points
with them I think, actually going into it, because they, wanted
that, and they liked it, and they brought me many ideas,
and, but, you know when we had them together, we kind of knew
it, they were just, it felt like they'd known each other for years.
Interviewer: Yeah.
Well it comes through in every frame.
Interviewee: Good, good.
Interviewer: Lastly, maybe hard to choose, but what was the best day
on set?
Interviewee: The best day on set.
Interviewer: I stumped him!
Interviewee: I liked the, I liked the, well the troll, helps Gretel
with the sheriff, and his men, that was fun to shoot, but, I
would say that the finale, where we had all these crazy
creatures, and the troll and witches and children, and Hansel,
and Gretel and, Muriel, of course, It was just everything
together at once, which was of course very challenging, but at
the same time, a lot of fun, and there was just a crazy, crazy
set to work on.
Interviewer: Yeah, I believe it.
Interviewee: But again, part of the reason I'm doing this at least,
is because I want to have fun when I'm shooting a film, and I
make sure when I cast people, and I crew, that we can get along,
and we really had a great time shooting it.
Interviewer: Well if you're having fun, the audience is having fun.
Interviewee: Yeah.
Interviewer: And clearly, the case.
Thank you.
Interviewee: Thank you.
Interviewer: So very much.
Such a pleasure.
Interviewee: No problem.
Interviewer: All the best.
Interviewee: Thank you.