Hanna
This past weekend San Francisco welcomed the annual WonderCon – the mini version of the San Diego Comic Con. Among the many panels and activities scheduled over the 3-day weekend was the presentation of the Focus Features film Hanna, which stars Academy-award nominee Saoirse (pronounced “sear-sha”) Ronan, Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett.
The film, which opens on April 8, follows a teenage girl (Ronan), trained by her father (Bana) who is an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of North Finland. She has the strength, the stamina and the smarts of a solider. She has been taught to hunt, been put through extreme self-defense workouts and home-schooled with only an encyclopedia and a book of fairy tales.
Having the opportunity to participate in the press room for Hanna, which included roundtable interviews with the movie’s director Joe Wright (who has directed Pride & Prejudice and Atonement) and actress Saoirse Ronan, the following is a look inside the making of this movie:
When asked about her training for the movie, Saorise stated she began training “a couple months before filming started, working in the gym 2 hours a day”. She worked on muscle definition as well as martial training that was combined with street fighting.
Saoirse then explained that Hanna is a “misfit fairy tale princess” because she has been raised virtually like a hermit, learning all she knows from her father and from one of only two books she has ever had: a Grimm Brothers fairy tales book.
The movie was filmed over a 3-month time span in Finland, Germany and Morocco and according to Director Wright, he stepped out of his comfort zone in directing this movie, as he had never shot an action sequence movie before. To his way of thinking, if he treated the movie “like a dance, it (would) all be fine.” And while he didn’t talk to other directors who have done action movies before, he did have brief conversations with director Paul Greengrass.
Both Saoirse and Director Wright have worked together before on the film Atonement with Director Wright stating he thought (Saoirse) “would be part of his life later on”. In turn, Saoirse had nothing but good things to say about him; namely, that he is “very artistic, imaginative and they have both grown” since working together on Atonement.
Before the interview came to a close, Saoirse spoke briefly about her upcoming project Violet and Daisy, which is a black comedy about two teenage assassins who accept what they think will be quick and easy but an unexpected target thrown them off their plan; and while this may sound similar to Hanna she made it clear that was not the case. She also cleared up the rumor that she is not attached to the Peter Jackson film The Hobbit. And, Director Wright will helm an adaptation of The Little Mermaid, which he stated has been a “favorite of mine since childhood”.
Make sure to check out the new box office film Hanna in theatres in this Friday, April 8. You can learn more about the film here.
Rueben's Ramblings 