My first real big experience on set was with Sofia Coppola, and that was led by a woman in incomplete power. In my career, I’ve actually been really fortunate to work with many female directors.
I’ve worked with Mélanie before, and she came onto the project after my sister and I were already attached to it, but having a sister story, and for the story to be led by a female, is extremely important. Was that part of the appeal for you?įANNING: Yeah, it was. You’ve shared characters at different ages with your sister before, but you’ve never actually worked together for a film, and now you’re doing a story about sisters that’s written by a woman (Dana Stevens), adapted from a novel by a woman (Kristin Hannah), and directed by a woman (Mélanie Laurent). When you guys go on a journey like this together, does that make things like kissing scenes easier to do because you’re more comfortable with each other, or does it make it harder to do those scenes because you’re too comfortable to be serious, in those moments? Understanding can come from the unlikeliest of people.
You should just try to keep yourself open because you never know who is going to be there, to get you through those times. That’s part of why I really wanted the story to be made. I read the book when I was still in high school, when I was 14, which was a real long time ago, and I just felt like the emotions that I felt, at that time, were so true to how the book was written. So, to find someone, especially in high school, at that time, who understands you, is a really special thing, honestly. It’s just a symbol of their two personalities, them meeting in that moment.įANNING: The story is also set in a time of high school, which is probably the most terrifying, life-defining time, when everything is so climactic and huge, and you feel like it’s you against the world. I think she spends a lot of the movie trying to just feel again, and Finch is a huge contributor, in pulling her out of her shell and making her want to live life again. I think she’s just there and, honestly, trying to feel again. I don’t think her intent was to do anything, or to jump. And in the beginning, with that opening scene, you don’t really know why Violet is there. We’re immediately two contrasting characters, the introvert and the extrovert. That’s also a very iconic moment from the book, that a lot of fans of the book really, really love and gravitate towards, with the characters, because it’s a real introduction to Finch’s personality, the frenetic energy that he has, and his daredevil-like ways that Violet definitely does not have. Do you feel like that moment means something different for each of your characters, whether they even realize it, at the time, or not?įANNING: Oh, yeah. Last Person on Earth, Robot, Inventor, Animal Lead, Post Apocalypse, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Road TripĪmblin Entertainment, ImageMovers, Reliance Entertainment, Walden Media, Misher FilmsThis story definitely jumps right in, when the two of you cross paths and meet each other, literally standing on an edge. As the trio embarks upon a cross-country journey, the scientist must teach his creation to become “human” enough to take care of its charge… and the beloved pet to accept and trust his new master.Īugust 20th, 2021 (Canceled) by UniversalĪugust 20th, 2021 (Canceled) ( Australia)
Finch, an ailing inventor facing his own mortality, builds a robot to keep his beloved dog safe.