Courtesy of Skydance Media
For centuries, the human race has looked to the stars, questioning whether or not we are truly alone. But an encounter with the first piece of evidence of life on Mars that initially appears innocuous soon turns into a battle for the future of humanity as the crew finds themselves in a deadly game of cat and mouse aboard the International Space Station.
Thus the scene is set for Life, director Daniel Espinosa’s (famous for his work on Safe House) first foray into the genre of science fiction horror. Featuring Jake Gyllenhaal as David Jordan, an astronaut aboard the ill-fated research vessel, as well as Ryan Reynolds as Rory Adams, Rebecca Ferguson as Miranda North and Hiroyuki Sanada as Sho Kendo, the film seems to be on track to provide a claustrophobically intense experience.
The Emory Wheel and other collegiate newspapers spoke to Gyllenhaal over the phone about Life, which will be released March 24.
This is an edited transcript.
Rashika Verma, The Emory Wheel: Over the past few years we’ve seen several projects, from Gravity to recent films like Arrival, that show humans in space or extraterrestrial life — what makes Life different from those projects?
Jake Gyllenhaal: Well, obviously, they all take place in space. But, ultimately, what makes this one individual is that it’s all in zero gravity. And I also think [Life] leans more toward horror. It’s a bit like Jaws in that you have a group of people trying to survive in a space that has to do with your classic, fun, horror genre type of storytelling. And a lot of times in space movies, it’s about the survival of mankind in one particular way or another. I think space movies lend themselves to that idea. But [Life] is more terrifying in the classic sense that you’re used to in other atmospheres.
Latifa Obaid, Verge Campus: As an actor, what were some of the challenges you faced while working on this film?
JG: I’m not used to having as much fun as I had on this movie. I tend to, for lack of a better phrase, beat myself up and play characters that have recently been in pretty trying circumstances and environments. In this case, this was a really fun one to make. This entire film takes place in zero gravity, like I said. So we were on wires the entire time, and we’re doing dramatic scenes, literally floating around on wires. You know, as an actor you’re taught in the early stages [to find] your foundation, and knowing where you are in a space with your feet on the ground is a big part of it. It was a surprise to me [to figure out] how to [act] without that, and really fun.
Owen Baldner, State Press: What training or preparation [did] you and your cast mates go through in order to emulate the space station and the dangers as accurately as possible?
JG: We worked with doctors who had been in space, doctors who worked with astronauts — well, everyone specific to what [their character] did. I happen to play a doctor. And we had a movement coach studying the movement of the people on the International Space Station and then going back to our [characters’] backstories so that we didn’t all move the same way. We had a preparation period — I really had the shortest amount, about two weeks of physical prep on wires before we got there, because I was sort of the last one in. But I also liked that too. For me, not being as confident and also feeling like an outsider is also how the character feels. Particularly Rebecca [Ferguson] and Olga [Dihovichnaya] — the women in this movie … are truly the leaders. Olga [Dihovichnaya] is the leader of our ship and Rebecca [Ferguson] is really the bravest of all of us in the midst of all of this. And when people ask me why I chose to do this movie, that’s a big reason too. I’m not only concerned with myself and the character I play in the film. I’m also interested in what it’s saying. I love the fact that there were really good roles for women in this film, and that’s a very important aspect of all filmmaking. [We live in a] world where that is necessary and should be a standard we take for granted, but unfortunately [is] not.
Kendrah Villiese, Columbia Chronicle: Watching the trailer, there are a bunch of [horrific moments], and you just mentioned a couple of moments where you had some laughs. So how did you balance the two?
JG: Well, I think the thing about this film [and] about a lot of other space films I’ve seen [is that] they’re very serious. I think this one takes itself seriously because it’s beautifully made. But at the same time, we have someone like Ryan Reynolds whom I’ve never laughed so much on set with before. But, honestly, whenever you have a movie with Ryan Reynolds in it, it’s going to be funny. He is an extraordinarily funny comedian.
Sarah Nam, The Villanovan: What drew you to this part, and how did you come to be involved in this production?
JG: It was honestly the elements involved. The crew was already assembled, and they were incredible. And the script was just enthralling. It was terrifying when I read it. [Director] Daniel [Espinosa] came to me, and we were talking about the character and how he wanted to make the movie. Ryan [Reynolds] was already involved, and I adored the cast already and I thought it was such an interesting thing, and we’re shooting in London, and I love London. So there were just a lot of elements that worked. But ultimately it was Daniel. Daniel Espinosa has a way with commercial materials, but also really loves his actors. He understands the type of actor I am and really gave me my space. I have a much different technique than Rebecca Ferguson, for instance, or even Ryan. I need a longer runway when I’m doing a scene. I’m not one who can just deliver in a space immediately, so he would roll camera for me for long periods of time, and there would be a lot of improvisation and discovery of a moment without having to worry about an “Action” or a “Cut.”
Robert Gabe, The Quad: There have been a lot of sci-fi movies lately that run with the idea of [a] crew [finding] an alien, which leads to a breakout [and, eventually,] a lot of mayhem. So was there something different about this movie, maybe thematically, that drew you to the project?
JG: I mean, there are some times when the subject matter is so similar that I’m like “Nah,” but [recently] I’ve tried not to pay attention to what else is happening, and tried to go with my own instincts. And truthfully, a lot of actors talk about choice and what people are going to see — appeasing an audience with the subject matter — but I feel like you can only give to people what you love, and then if you try to appease people all the time, you’re gonna be miserable. So I am thankfully blessed to be able to make those choices. I was drawn to the group of people and that’s what you have as an actor. And it was just such a wonderful group of people, and I consider them all to be so talented that I wanted to do it, and I knew it would be original as a result.
