August 2007

Playing Doctor

Dreamy Daniel Craig’s first post-Bond movie sees him donning a white coat and fighting to save the world in The Invasion

By Earl Dittman

This month’s The Invasion is being released nine months after the film that changed Daniel Craig’s life forever. Yet, in a strange twist of moviemaking chronology, it was while filming the loose remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers that the British actor got word he would be James Bond in last year’s Casino Royale.

Craig says it was the intensive, 16-hour days on The Invasion’s Washington, D.C., set that spared him much of the anxiety over whether or not he’d snagged the role of the British secret agent.

“We were right in the midst of filming some of the most crucial sequences, so it was important that we focused on the work we were doing, not what we might be doing after we finished the film,” remembers Craig, lounging in a Beverly Hills hotel, dressed in a finely tailored Brioni suit.

“I still hadn’t decided if I wanted to commit that much of my life to playing the same character for an infinite number of films,” says Craig, “so I just concentrated on my character I was playing then and trying to help Nicole find a cure to an alien disease. I was too busy trying to save her son in the film, and the rest of the planet, to drive myself crazy waiting for the call.”

After a short break to fly off to London for a press conference announcing to the world that Bond had gone blonde, within a week Craig was back in the American capital battling extraterrestrials. “That was a really surreal time for me. One day I’m in London fighting off the global media, and the next day I’m back in Washington fighting off aliens for global domination. Actually, I don’t know which group was harder to beat off.”

As The Invasion begins, an unexplainable epidemic is quickly infecting populations all over the world, while the planet’s top scientists are unable to locate the source of the disease or a way to fight it. Then Carol (Nicole Kidman), a Washington, D.C., psychiatrist, figures out that the disease did not originate on our planet. While her theory is shunned by most, Carol has to trust her instincts, especially when the disease infects her own son.

Determined to develop a vaccine, Carol enlists the help of her colleague Ben (Craig) and the duo realize their failure to find a cure could mean the end of the human race.

While most of The Invasion was directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall), when the cast was reassembled in January of this year to shoot additional action sequences, Hirschbiegel was unavailable, so the Wachowski Brothers (the Matrix trilogy) were brought in to write new material and director James McTeigue (V For Vendetta) came in to supervise the filming of the new scenes.

“Reshoots and filming additional scenes happen all the time when you’re making a movie, it’s nothing strange or out of the ordinary,” insists Craig. “And if you have a cast that is committed to a lot of other projects — like becoming a secret agent — often, it can take a bit of time to get everybody back together. But we did. Look, reshoots are scheduled to make films better, and from what I’ve seen, it has — it’s going to entertain and shock a lot of people.”

What attracted you to The Invasion?

“It wasn’t one thing in particular, it was several things. I’ve always loved science-fiction movies, so it was a genre of film that I wanted to try out as an actor. I mean, I had done Tomb Raider, but that was more of an action film, and this is a real science-fiction movie with this great conspiracy thriller going on at the same time — very political, very extraterrestrial and very eerie.”

What did you learn about Nicole Kidman that you didn’t know before working with her?

“More than anything, I learned that she absolutely deserves that Oscar she won [for The Hours] because she is probably one of the most talented actresses in this business. She had some very tough scenes to do, and not just physically, but emotionally, and she did them with no problem at all.”

Are you a fan of the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers?

“Yes, I am. I love that original Body Snatchers and the Donald Sutherland remake. But I really don’t consider this a remake or sequel or new installment, because the stories are really very different. I think that people are using the term ‘based on’ because there are certain plot points — which I have been sworn not to reveal — that the films share. Beyond that, though, I think we made a whole new science-fiction movie.”

You became something of a real-life hero while filming a scene at the Chilean embassy. Is it true that you saved Nicole Kidman’s life?

“Saving Nicole’s life, I think, is a bit of an exaggeration [laughs]. Certainly, any of us could have gotten hurt, but I don’t think I really rescued anyone from being seriously injured.”

What happened?

“They had the rain machines on heavy, so the water was really coming down hard, so it was very difficult to see much outside of this SUV Nicole and I were in…. Nicole was driving, I’m in the passenger seat, and we were supposed to drive up to the entrance of the embassy and let the valet park the SUV. Everything seemed fine when Nicole and I got out, but then I noticed that the SUV was still moving — with no one in it! Apparently, Nicole had forgotten to put it in park, so it just started rolling down this hill. Nicole was right next to it, people were in front of it and it was on its own. So, without even thinking, I jumped in to stop it. I hadn’t closed the passenger door when I got out, so I jumped in, eyed the emergency brake and immediately engaged it. It stopped.”

While you were filming The Invasion you were in meetings for Bond. But just weeks before your part was officially announced, you said you weren’t sure you wanted it. Why?

“Mainly that it was going to be a big leap for me. In those kind of situations I always feel you should do that list — the pros and cons list — and there were an awful lot of pros and an awful lot of cons, but I really didn’t get around to the cons list.... In the beginning, I realized it was a big commitment to make to something that I didn’t really have a huge amount of ambition about doing, to tell you the truth.”

How did starring in Casino Royale change your life?

“It’s certainly made me more recognizable on the street, and I’m getting handed a lot more scripts than ever before, but I’m trying not to let it change who I am, because it really hasn’t as far as I’m concerned. More people just know who I am, and I’m lucky to be part of this film legacy, but I’m still an actor looking for good
material to do. It hasn’t made me special or given me superpowers.”

Was there ever any point where you let the tabloid or internet criticism get you down?

“Look, it did affect me. It affected me. I will not lie to you. I went, ‘You know what, what can I do? I can’t answer it. I can’t start getting onto internet sites and talking back. I get it.’ I got the passion that people felt for Bond, and I understand it. I make films, and normally when I make a film we wait until we get to the premiere and we get to the time when the press sees it and then I start getting reviews. I was like, ‘See the damn movie and then you can say what you like about it, but watch the movie!’ There was no point in getting in tit-for-tat arguments about the way that I looked.”

How does working on large North American films compare to small British productions?

“There’s not really an awful lot of difference. I know that sounds kind of crazy. I mean, if you’re doing
something like Tomb Raider that’s a different deal. That’s an FX-driven movie and there’s a lot of waiting around, and it’s very dull. But if you’re on a movie like, let’s say we compare Road to Perdition with Layer Cake, once you’re on the set it’s the same deal. You’re trying to achieve the same thing. It’s just pared down. The food might be better and there might be bigger and better sets, but that’s just because it’s a money thing. Once the camera starts rolling, it’s about you and someone else or you and three other people. It’s the same thing and you apply the same rules.”

Do you consider this the best time of your life?

“I hope not. Not yet. God, I’ve got a few more years in me — God, I hope.”

So this isn’t the prime of Daniel Craig?

“I don’t know whether this is it. I feel very good about doing this now…. I don’t think that I could have done this five, six or seven years ago. And I have James Bond to thank for that. Bond came for me at a time when I went, ‘You know what, this is a huge challenge, but I really feel excited about doing it.’ If I hadn’t been able to have done that, then there was no need for me to try anything else. That was my test. And, it being successful, that was my ticket into making movies. I’m part of the show now, and I’ve got so many more movies I want to do, I’ll be doing this until I drop.”

Earl Dittman is a Houston-based entertainment writer.

Отсюда

пойду, подремлю

Хороший вопрос! Меня он тоже терзает! Неужели он на премьеру не приедет?

Four directors later, "Invasion" hits theaters

By Kirk Honeycutt
Reuters
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; 11:15 PM

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Few movies come into the market as radioactive as "The Invasion."

Bloggers declared the movie DOA months ago. Even its studio, Warner Bros. Pictures, didn't give the film a premiere, despite a starry cast of Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.

The film was intended as the English-language debut for German director Oliver Hirschbiegel, who made "Downfall," the utterly compelling dramatization of the last days of the Third Reich. After production wrapped in early 2006, the Wachowski brothers of "Matrix" fame were brought in for reshoots. They in turn hired their "V for Vendetta" director James McTeigue to direct new scenes they wrote.

One can play the game of who shot what and how a potential masterpiece of creeping paranoia was ruined by Hollywood suits forever. But what we have is this: an involving sci-fi action-thriller, probably longer on chase sequences than the original director wanted and shorter on the "ick" factor than the studio wanted.

Unless pre-word-of-mouth already has sullied the title beyond redemption, "Invasion" should see a solid two weeks of box office in theatrical release, both domestic and foreign, and then establish itself as a robust title on DVD.

This is, as you probably know, the second or third remake -- depending on what you count -- of Don Siegel's 1956 sci-fi classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Based on the novel by Jack Finney, that film deservedly is credited as being one of the screen's pre-eminent commentaries on the McCarthy era in America. This new version, scripted by David Kajganich, makes a feeble stab at contemporary relevance by interjecting President Bush, Iraq, Darfur and Hurricane Katrina into the mix through background news reports. But in this version at least, this political context a nonstarter.

What "Invasion" -- like all its remakes and imitators -- has going for it is a mortal fear of microbes, going as far back as the Black Plague or as current as AIDS. And there is always that anti-establishment tone in the material, which sees government, police and all authority as untrustworthy. This time a space shuttle cracks up on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and strews wreckage across America along with a strange substance. All the scientists know is that "it ain't from around here."

The film's protagonist, somewhat arbitrarily, is Carol Bennell (Kidman), a shrink. A patient complains that her husband is not her husband. Emotionless people stalk the streets. Her beloved son Oliver (Jackson Bond) comes home from Halloween trick-or-treating with this strange substance in his candy.

She takes the substance to an infatuated doctor friend, Ben Driscoll (Craig), who immediately gives it to lab technician Galeano (Jeffrey Wright), who right away knows something is wrong. Meanwhile, the government and media report that this is nothing more than a flu strain.

To cut to the many chases, a spore from outer space is attacking human DNA while people sleep and usurping their bodies. This is seen in hooky 3-D animation inside the body that looks like those Let's Learn Chemistry exhibits at Disneyland many years ago. Swiftly everyone around Carol and Oliver turns into pleasant though malevolent humanoids.

Carol's estranged husband, a doctor at the Centers for Disease Control who already is a humanoid, forcibly infects Carol. On the run, searching for Oliver, who turns out to be mysteriously immune, and linking up with the dashing Driscoll, Carol has the main goal of staying awake for as many hours -- or days -- as it takes to reach the safety of unaffected humans.

This involves chases, car crashes, shootings and hideouts as she gulps uppers. What is never clear is why the humanoids think this shrink and her son are so important. They still have the rest of the world to infect.

From the peeks at "the Hirschbiegel movie," one can perhaps glean amid all the action that the director -- who still is the director of record -- appears to have wanted a much more claustrophobic film, a paranoid nightmare about a frantic need to stay awake rather than sleeping oneself into a placid, lotus-eating nonexistence.

Maybe some day Warners will release both versions on DVD. For now we have an effective action thriller that only hints at the psychological complexity the director might have wanted.

Cast:

Carol Bennell: Nicole Kidman

Ben Driscoll: Daniel Craig

Tucker Kaufman: Jeremy Northam

Galeano: Jeffrey Wright

Oliver: Jackson Bond

Wendy Lenk: Veronica Cartwright

Dr. Belicec: Joseph Sommer

Ludmilla Belicic: Celia Weston

Yorish: Roger Rees

Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel; Screenwriter: David Kajganich; Based on the novel by: Jack Finney; Producer: Joel Silver; Executive producers: Roy Lee, Doug Davison, Susan Downey, Steve Richards, Ronald G. Smith, Bruce Berman; Director of photography: Rainer Klausmann; Production designer: Jack Fisk; Music: John Ottman; Costume designer: Jacqueline West; Editor: Hans Funck, Joel Negron.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Источник

Почему???

Чего пишут? может... просто перенесли сроки?

Silly 'Invasion' is a big snooze
Smart cast can't save remake's dopey script

August 17, 2007

BY TERRY LAWSON

FREE PRESS MOVIE CRITIC

At some point in "The Invasion" -- an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" remake that manages to be silly, superficial, incoherent and boring -- the psychiatrist played by Nicole Kidman realizes that if she nods off she will turn into one of the Pat Boone-bland aliens who are taking over our bodies.

"Oh God, I just want to sleep," she moans, and I knew exactly how she felt.

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There have been two official remakes of "Invasion," and both tapped into the original's fear and dread of a society subverted by the others. This one taps only into that part of the brain that shuts down when confronted with witless tedium.

Dr. Carol Bennell (Kidman) is first alerted that people are acting weirdly when her ex-husband Tucker (Jeremy Northam), a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control, moves back to Washington, D.C., in the middle of an influenza outbreak and asks to spend time with his 6-year-old son Oliver (big-eyed Jackson Bond), in whom he has shown little interest. Then, one of her patients (Veronica Cartwright) reports that her annoying but nonviolent husband is acting different -- as in choking the family dog.

When Carol finds a weird piece of protoplasm in Oliver's Halloween candy, she takes it to her doctor friend Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig), whose best pal Dr. Galeano (Jeffrey Wright) just happens to be one of those brilliant researchers who uses terms no one understands but sound pretty ominous.

At this point there were so many doctors in the story I wondered whether director Oliver Hirschbiegel didn't plan to make his "Invasion" an allegory about how the creeping menace of HMOs and insurance company profit were the undoing of America.

That would have been far superior to what this movie has in mind, which is that removing emotional response could only result in a bright shiny world. Would you trade passion and anger for peace in the Middle East and family solidarity? The original was a conservative call to heed the dangers of communism; this one is telling us that if we don't get it together, space invaders are coming -- or that we should all dump the Prozac.

"The Invasion" has clearly seen a lot of post-production tampering, recutting and reshooting -- a scene from the middle of the film is now clumsily used to open it, making it not only more confusing but anti-climactic. The script is just awful, but almost as difficult to comprehend is how Kidman, Craig, Wright and Northam, smart actors all, ever ended up in a film as absurd and unnecessary as this one.

Отсюда

читать не буду , пока сама не посмотрю и мнение не составлю!

I went to the theatre that was supposed to have the premeire. They had 1 litle poster for The Invasion that said "coming soon". When I asked the girl in the ticket booth about the premeire she said there never was on scheduled! But, I could tell she had probably been asked that question a few times that day.

Короче, перенесли премеьру, по крайней мере, для обычных зрителей

I just came back from The Invasion and to my surprise, I really enjoyed it!! It was pretty good I must say. I jumped, I screamed and I even covered my eyes at some point... and there is a very nice kiss between Nicole and Daniel. Not enough of Daniel, but man! when he was on the big screen, just wow! those eyes were so blue! But I could tell when he was wearing the wig though I would put 8/10 for this movie. I was entertained and that's what I want from a movie.

отсюда

здесь

Про Дэниела говорят где то на третьей минуте, она называет его Mr Adrenalin himself! душка Николь

Да!! Какая она хорошенькая! Прелесть! И про Дэниела замечательно сказала!

The Visiting Press Conference
Source:Jay Shepard
September 28, 2005

Warner Bros. Pictures held a press conference on Friday, September 23rd to announce the start of production of the sci-fi thriller The Visiting. The event took place on the 9th floor (roof) of the historic Hay-Adams hotel in the heart of Washington, DC, overlooking the White House, Layfayette Park and the Washington Monument. Participants included stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Jeremy Northam, as well as director Oliver Hirschbiegel, screenwriter David Kajganich (Monkey's Paw) and producer Joel Silver ("The Matrix" trilogy).

ComingSoon.net attended the event and the following is the full press conference, along with video clips of various segments:

Jennifer Lawson: We want to welcome you to the press conference for the "The Visiting". I'm Jennifer Lawson. I'm the General Manager of a TV station, Channel 32 WHUT here in Washington, but this afternoon I'll be serving as your moderator. And we're delighted to have you here. And first I'd like to invite our talent to come on up. And today we have with us, producer Joel Silver, the cast for the film, actors Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, and Jeremy Northam.

We are also joined today by director Oliver Hirschbiegel and our screenwriter David Kajganich. This film is a quite special to us residents of DC because they plan to do something very interesting with our city here. And to welcome them, the cast and the production to DC, we're very fortunate to have with us today the honorable Linda Cropp who is chairman of the DC city council. And I'd just like to ask Mrs. Cropp to come up for a few words.

Linda Cropp: Thank you very much Jennifer and to the cast and crew and everyone associated with "The Visiting". Welcome! As you look out you can see the wonderful things that we have to offer from the citizens and the city of Washington, DC. I'm very pleased to welcome you here on behalf of our residents. You look out and you see historic buildings, patriotic views and a diverse array of residents are a potent formula for making Washington, D.C. just a darling and a fantastic city for you to shoot a film.

You know, sometimes while technology and budget restraints cause some producers to create Washington, DC on film, there's nothing like the real thing and the real views. Whether it's the monuments or the people that make up this great city. And you know that Washington, DC is one of the greenest cities that we have in the United States. And you can get hundreds of film and TV crews that can find the majesty for TV dramas and feature films.

Warner Brothers' decision to film "The Visiting" here, a sci-fi thriller, that is certain to be a blockbuster hit, will shine the entertainment spotlight on our beautiful city and the nation's capitol. We especially want to thank Nicole Kidman, Joel Silver, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam, Oliver Hirschbiegel and David Kajganich and Warner Bros. studios for casting the District as the silent star in your movie.

And you have an opportunity to share with I say the rest of the nation and in fact the world as this blockbuster hit becomes a reality. The beauty and the things that all of us who make Washington, DC our home that it is just a wonderful place. We also have to say that we like the fact that it helps significantly with our business interests. And the only other thing I'd like to say to you, like it was said a long time ago: Veni, Vici, Vidi - I came, I saw, I conquered. I have to tell you -Veni, Vidi, Visa - I came, I saw and I Spent. We need the tax dollars. Welcome to Washington, DC.

*Applause*

Q: What can you tell us about the film?

Joel Silver: I have some friends here with me. So Oliver why don't you give an overview for the folks here.

Oliver Hirschbiegel: Well, that's kind of easy. I have it right here. I think it's a good description of what we are doing. I just read it.

READING: "The Visiting" tells the story of a mysterious epidemic that alters the behavior of human beings. When a Washington, DC psychiatrist (Nicole Kidman) discovers the epidemic's origins are extraterrestrial, she must fight to protect her son, who may hold the key to stopping an imminent invasion."

Hirschbiegel: That's it in a nutshell. It's going to be very scary.

Q: You're also filming in Baltimore, what areas of the city will you be filming in? Why did you choose to come to Baltimore?

Silver: The film is being shot in DC and in Baltimore, and it was a great combination. We had a lot of locations that were really great for us here, and a lot of locations down there in Baltimore. And it's just worked really well for the story of the movie. And we've had a great support from both cities to help us shoot there and to let us .. To make a difficult movie in a really comfortable situation, so we're very happy to be in both these two cities.

Q: Any specifics of where in Baltimore you will be filming?

Silver: All over the town. People will see us.

Q: Nicole, what is your process in choosing films?

Kidman: I think it's whether I respond to the themes of the movie and I think particularly with this it was, I suppose a thing that runs through a lot of my films is, the love that a mother has for a child. So that's what I actually responded to with this.

Q: I want to ask the same question to Daniel and Jeremy...What was it that attracted you to this film in the first place? And can you tell us something about the characters you play as well?

Daniel Craig: I play a doctor. One of things I responded to was coming to work in Baltimore and DC but also working for these people. It was a huge attraction. And hopefully having a go at something of making of sort of a scary movie but with a good heavy point.

Jeremy Northam: Yeah, I reiterate what others have said. And I don't know if you've seen "Downfall," Oliver's last movie, but that was a big consideration..but the script...If you read a lot of scripts, a good script like this really does leap off the page and is very tight. It's a genre picture, sci-fi thriller, but it's very intelligent and very tightly written. I'm very happy to be here in Washington and Baltimore.

Q: I have a question for Oliver. Has "Downfall" been the reason why you were cast for, or were you hired for this particular movie? Or were you in contact with the producer before the movie?

Hirschbiegel: No, no, no. We got in touch after he had seen "Downfall".

Q: Is "Downfall" the reason you got hired for this particular movie?

Hirschbiegel: I guess so. You see after that experiment I got representation with UTA and I got a lot of scripts sent over to read. Even more after "Downfall"...and this film was by far the most original for me. It was a good thing that Joel chased me and made me read this.

Q: It looks like the aliens are pretty restless these days. We have "War of the Worlds" and we have so many TV shows, what is it about the aliens right now? Why are they so topical?

Silver: Well, this is a very different version of those kind of movies. I mean this is very...this is about fear, this movie. It's not that much of a visual effects picture. It's smart. And I think what Oliver is doing is telling a really insidious tale that has great resonance for today and is scary and threatening and an interesting way of telling a science fiction thriller. The script is wonderful that David wrote but Oliver's way of shooting it is very exciting. We're really gonna shoot the city of Baltimore in a way that we've never seen before.

Q: Oliver Hirschbiegel, what does it mean to you to jump across the ocean, becoming famous, your first production in the United States, even though Hollywood begins in Washington for you?

Hirschbiegel: It's exciting of course, I guess any director in the world has this idea to maybe once do a film with the Hollywood people. But in the end it's..I'm basically doing the same that I've done in the past 15 years. I'm basically climbing mountain after mountain and hopefully coming up with a good result.

Q: And to Nicole Kidman, have you seen the movie "Downfall" and what did you think of it?

Kidman: I saw it when it came out. And I was telling Joel about something else and then he mentioned that Oliver was interested in directing this film and that was far more interesting to me than the other project. And we sat down and we talked and that was how it came together. I thought "Downfall" was a great piece of filmmaking and I'm very excited to be in his hands.

Q: I have a question for the writer. I know the source for the film, is the original short story by Finney and I know with 'Body Snatchers' when that came out they were precluded from going into the political dimensions due to the McCarthy Era. Is that something that this film is going to delve into, the political motivations and overtones and I had a follow up.

David Kajganich: If you know anything about the mythology of the 'Body Snatchers' it's hard to escape a certain political element because the allegory is one of people being taken over when they're not paying attention; when they're sleeping. So there's an element to that, but I started the script before any of this was happening. It was just me in my room. And I went back to ... I deliberately did not watch the film adaptations, and I started with the book. And I thought, what is it about this book that would carry over today? And what I liked so much about this book was that Finney was trying to give people a way to talk about their anxieties and fear, without talking about their anxieties and their fears. So I wanted write a film that was deeply scary but also deeply meaningful because people could connect it with their everyday fears not necessarily in a political realm, although there's some of that of course. But just a sense that we're living in another age of fear now. And I think it's important to tell stories about it even if they're not the hard hitting kind of political stories you might be referring to. To tell it in a genre vehicle I think is a smarter choice because it affects more people.

Q: Ms. Kidman, do you see this as a thriller along the lines of a "Dead Calm", like a psychological thriller or more of a gritty type of film like a "Downfall"?

Kidman: Hopefully a mix. I tend not to think it terms of the genre, I just think it terms of my character and I leave the rest of it up to the director. So, but I see it as something I can really get lost in.

Q: Ms. Kidman can you tell us what your own views are on extra-terrestrials? You've played witches and do you believe there's intelligent life elsewhere? And also Mr. Northam, Mr. Craig?

Kidman: Honestly, heh. Not right now.

*Laughter*

Kidman: Over dinner.

Q: Question for Nicole. Shirley MacLaine recently told our magazine that she could actually make herself invisible. And the way she can do that is to walk into a room with you. And I thought we'd give you this opportunity to respond to that.

Kidman: I thought you were going to say that Shirley MacLaine said I was an alien. But I think coming from her, that's a compliment. So she said a lot of things, no that's not true. Actually when you walk into a room with Shirley MacLaine that's when I feel at ease because she's so sort of adept at handling things. She's a lot of fun. She's not in this movie.

Q: I heard that you were filming at GW Hospital (George Washington University Hospital). Why did you choose GW Hospital and will you be casting GW students as extras?

Hirschbiegel: We are not shooting in the hospital, we are shooting at the hospital. The extras are not really cast from the hospital.

Lawson: He was asking if you'd be casting students as extras at any point.

Hirschbiegel: I make sure the extras that we are having in this movie represent a maximum variety of anyone living in the city. So, you'll have students just as well as working class people; blacks, whites, Asians, whatever. So of course there will be students as well.

Kajganich: GW Hospital is in the script because I had my appendix out there. And they did a great job.

Lawson: That's what happens when you have a writer who knows Washington and Baltimore so well.

Q: For Mr. Hirschbiegel. Hitler's in his bunker and the enemy's coming. And we Washingtonians are in our own bunker and the aliens are coming. Apart from what I presume will be a happier ending, can you describe the difference between the two films?

Hirschbiegel: Why, the major difference is this is fiction, right? This is, I would call it a universal tale and "Downfall" was purely based on true facts. And you must not forget these aliens they land here but they go everywhere. They just start here.

Q: Nicole, have you ever been to Baltimore and are there any specific sights in Baltimore that you're interested in visiting while you are there?

Kidman: I haven't been to Baltimore, but I have a number of friends that have told me that I have to go and eat crabs at this particular restaurant. I've got a little list of things to do. I lived in Washington, DC until I was three so this is the first time I've been back since three. My dad was studying in the Institute of Health here getting his PhD. And they're actually both going to come over and visit for Thanksgiving.

Q: Nicole, has your father recommended any places that he remembers for you to see or have others recommended anything here in Washington?

Kidman: I have not...I have been so focused on just preparing for this that I haven't really taken into account for what I'll be doing on the weekends.

Northam: You're not really going to have much time are you?

Kidman: No, they work me very hard on this film. I think I have one day off. But I'll be out and about.

Q: This is for Mr. Silver and Mr. Hirschbiegel, I was just wondering why did you choose to film in DC rather than recreating DC in Hollywood?

Hirschbiegel: If you look at the films I've done in the past, I'm very much about shooting on original locations. Of course I had to recreate the bunker in Berlin, but I' made sure the bunker never felt like a studio set. So it was just a solid construction. You could not take out walls and all that. And shooting in DC... it was out of the question for me to not shoot here. It had to be here. Of course for several reasons we shoot a lot in Baltimore too but, it will all be real locations and will make it look like DC, as real as possible.

Q: Joel, is this gonna be like all the action packed sequences that you do with the 'Matrix' and your past films? Is this gonna have a lot of that in there with the green screen and everything, and if so for Daniel, Nicole and Jeremy, what are you going to do to prepare for that. Is there a lot of training?

Silver: This is a character-based movie. Oliver is very...very specific how he makes a picture and we're not really going to have the kind of...I mean there's action in the movie, and there's tension in the movie but it's not in that same kind of green screen activity. So, it's a very different kind of science fiction picture. It's really more intellectual and smart. And I think what Oliver is intending to do is something people haven't seen before and that always excites me. So they're not going to be hanging from wires and spending months in front of a green screen. No.

Q: Ms. Kidman, I thought you're comment about the mother and child relationship was important. How do you relate that to the political and social allegories that the screenwriter has raised in this movie?

Kidman: That's basically what I responded to in this film and I think also now with what's happening, particularly in New Orleans, you see these, you know, families coming together and staying together and trying to find their children and the loss of a child -- all of those things are powerful. And that's something I respond to. So it's not so much the screenwriter and the way in which he's incorporated into the film, it's now what I have to bring emotionally to the film. So that's what I'm sort of feeding off of at the moment.

Q: Nicole, you seem to have a lot of other projects lined up.

Kidman: No, this is it. I don't know. I think you get that off the Internet 'cause a lot of people have asked me that and I keep saying no. I have the possibility of a film with Baz Luhrmann next year but that's it.

Q: Do you believe in aliens?

Craig: I don't believe in them. No.

Kidman: No, I don't think I believe in them either.

Northam: I don't believe in them either, but that's not really the point of this movie, whether they exist or not. It's about...

Kidman: Do you believe in them? I think you do!

Northam: It's much more about does the individual imagination play tricks, are you seeing what you think you're seeing, are you feeling what you're really feeling. Or are you being manipulated or are you being paranoid? I think that's as much as anything the film centers on those areas. I wouldn't know what to say to an extra-terrestrial. "Good Afternoon!"

Q: Oliver, is there a specific landmark here in DC that you'll be using often for the shooting?

Hirschbiegel: I'm trying to avoid the postcard shots as they often use. I will have the Washington Monument in frame one time. I'm going more for areas, certain architecture and all that. So we're shooting in Georgetown and the Embassy and the District in the center of the city. People who know Washington will recognize it of course. Others might go "Oh that's what Washington looks like." The White House will not be ever seen. It's hard to shoot anyway because they closed that street. So for a filmmaker it's kind of difficult.

Q: Speaking of Aliens, I see you've assembled an entirely international talent slate here besides David who wrote it in the first place. Any particular reason besides their intrinsic quality?

Silver: Well they're fantastic actors and we're excited about this group together. When we sat down and we talked about the cast, I mean...Oliver it's his first movie in an American company, with Warner Bros. And he said, you know, can we get Nicole Kidman, and I said well we can try. Can I get Daniel Craig and Jeremy Northam and I said well let's see what we can do. So we're all here together and I'm happy they're all working on this movie with us. It worked out very well.

Q: Nicole, you have such a great love for your children, I was just wondering if there was a particular author or book, children's book or children's author that you've enjoyed and read to your children frequently?

Kidman: Oh ,many. I mean I grew up, I think I became an actor through reading. So I'm ...they're whole childhood is reading to them. I suppose Roald Dahl would be my favorite.

Q: Question for Mr. Hirschbiegel, can you tell us how many weeks you anticipate to be filming here in DC and Baltimore?

Hirschbiegel: I think it's 4 weeks, I'm not sure. Something like that.

Q: This is source material that has been used famously twice before. Were you aware of the two previous versions of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" before you started? Have you watched them since you signed on to make this film? What do you think and what is your favorite take on the material so far?

Northam: I've yet to see the 50s version. You can't get it in the UK on DVD. And I have seen the 70's version. To be absolutely clear this isn't a remake. It's reinvented shall we say, using the original source material. It's very interesting to see that, in my case having seen the 70's one, to see the flavor that it takes on from the time in which it was filmed. And I think inevitably that will be a consequence of this version too.

Craig: I mean I kinda figure as filmmakers it's a responsibility when we live in the times we do we have to comment on it. And this is..this film by also being entertaining and being very scary and being something that people want to watch, We have a responsibility. That's what I want to do, and that's what I think we all want to do. Is to try to raise some debate about fear.

Q: I wonder if at any part in the film, Baltimore will be playing Baltimore and not Washington.

Hirschbiegel: Oh yes! At a certain point at the end of the 2nd act, the 3rd act starts with our heroine leaving for Baltimore because she got the information that her son she's searching for might be in Baltimore. So she goes there. The whole ending is going to be in Baltimore for Baltimore.

Q: This question is for Nicole and Oliver...can you share some of the fear prior to the shooting? What is the biggest fear that you have?

Hirschbiegel: When I'm shooting I start every day sh*tting my pants. *laughter* And any director that tells you different is lying. I don't know about Nicole.

Craig: I wondered what was wrong.

Kidman: My biggest fear about the shoot? No. I don't know if you mean in terms of filming the film or in my life? I'm not going to answer things about my life here, right now. So in terms of the film I suppose as an actor you're always nervous before you start filming. So in a state of you know, unrest waiting to start.

Q: I wanted to ask, while you're in Washington, is there anybody you'd really like to meet? President Bush? Hillary Clinton? Who are you hoping to get a chance to have a cup of tea with?

Kidman: No times for cups of tea?

Northam: I must admit it's not something that's crossed my mind. I haven't put my mind to it. I doubt anyone would want to meet me. But, it's sort of a fantasy question with me really. I'll have to put some thought to it.

Q: If you're shooting at GW I'm sure there are some students that would like to meet you.

Northam: Oh, well thank you very much.

Q: Nicole, any interest in working with Spanish filmmakers in the future?

Kidman: Well I did. I worked with Alejandro Amenábar but yeah I'd love to work with Pedro Almodóvar. I'd love to travel the world with, I suppose, all nationalities. That's obviously something that's intrigued me that Oliver is coming in and being German and directing this film. That's interesting to me.

Q: For Daniel, just a quick question. Any update on the possibility of you being the next James Bond or is that nothing you want to speak about right now?

Craig: No.

Q: For Oliver is there any difference between the filmmaking process here versus in Germany and do you see yourself staying here in America as a filmmaker or will you still continue to make films in Germany?

Hirschbiegel: There is not such a big difference. They make it much easier for you to do what you do here. And I must say as a director here, you are way more respected than you are in Germany. In Germany they really don't know what you are doing. And here being a director means something special. It's like being a doctor or a lawyer or something. You're a respected person. So that's nice. The process itself is basically the same it's just that you have more people helping you here. And I have the feeling that people let you do your picture. Which is not necessarily the case in Germany because very often you have to deal with the television money and they kind of try to get towards certain directions and you have to obey because otherwise there's work.

Q: How do you remember your lines?

Kidman: Different films, different things. I mean I think it's what, when you're an actor it's what you are raised with in a way. It just becomes 2nd nature to you. I don't know, people always ask you how you act. How you learn things. I have no idea. I've always said I'd never be able to teach an acting class cause I have no idea. I'd never be able to teach people to learn lines. I think it's all individual.

Northam: I've always thought that learning lines was the easy bit in a way. It was what you did before that that's the hard stuff. And you have to go off on your own I think. I always think it's a thing that's a bit overrated in the scheme of things. As Nicole said it's practice, it's what you do, so you just get on and do it. But it's the last thing you do really, is learn the lines.

Q: I just wanted to follow up on something that Daniel said that was interesting, about filmmakers having a responsibility to make films that reflect the times that we live in. I just wondered if I could get comments on that from Nicole and Jeremy and Oliver as well. With particular reference to this film because obviously if they are overtly there or not people are going to see the political subtext in this aren't they?

Hirschbiegel: The general theme here is fear. Which is a universal thing. Everybody understands about fear. Everybody has their fears. The key fear we are dealing with here is the fear to lose someone loved. To not be loved anymore. To find a world waking up that has changed completely. Like the people you care for are not the people they used to be. That's like what Freud called uberangst. That any child has that fear that the parents would desert them and leave them alone. And here we are dealing with that very much as well as a mother fearing for her son. Not knowing what happened to him. Not knowing where he is. Then on another scale, we all know that in any civilization fear by the people who were in power was used to get the people to do what they wanted. And of course there are references to that in this movie as well.

Video Clips:
- Nicole Kidman - on which themes in the story she responded to, how the role came about for her, and thoughts on the emotional aspects of the story.
- Daniel Craig - on his character, why he became interested in the role, and the way in which the film is relevant to present times.
- Jeremy Northam - on the themes the film focuses on and the film's relation to "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".
- Joel Silver - on the general theme of the film, the genre, and how the casting came together.
- Oliver Hirschbiegel - on the general themes of the film.
- David Kajganich - on what influenced his script, including politics and the book version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".

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