Exlusive chat with Twilight's Jodelle Ferland

Jodelle Ferland, what a lil’ champion. I interviewed the 16-year-old actress a few weeks ago ahead of her trip Down Under this weekend for the Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Brisbane. You may have read part of my exclusive chat with Ferland when we discussed her audition for the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. Unfortunately she didn’t get the part and, as we now know, it went to the much older and blonder Oscar-nominee Jennifer Lawrence. I still have my fingers crossed for her nabbing a support role, but I digress. Ferland is best known for her role as Bree Tanner, the ill-fated teen vamp from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. For horror buffs, we’ve been familiar with Ferland for a long time. After becoming the youngest Emmy Award nominee in history for her role in TV movie Mermaid at age four, Ferland has taken the unusual route of going from child star to horror movie star. The 16-year-old Canadian has made a career out of manipulating her innocent exterior into something much more sinister and given her filmography, many consider her a pre-pubescent Jamie Lee Curtis. Outside of the Twilight Saga, she has a dedicated network of horror fans who have followed her starring roles in films such as Silent Hill, They, The Messengers, Trapped, Case 39 and TV shows such as Supernatural, Stargate Atlantis, Smallville and Dark Angel. She recently completed work on Buffy creator Joss Whedon’s horror film The Cabin In The Woods and chiller The Tall Man with Jessica Biel, which we talk about in the interview. Ferland was such a lovely interviewee to chat to and I’ve included a full transcript of my interview here so you don’t miss any of the good bits. Of course, I don’t like repeating myself so you can read her comments on The Hunger Games here. Otherwise, Ferland talks Twilights, Twihards, a Bree spin-off film and much, much more. Movie Mazzupial: Hello Jodelle? It’s great to talk to you, how are you doing? Jodelle Ferland: It’s great to talk to you too, I’m doing good. MM: I have to apologise if I sound a tad drowsy, it’s early morning here Now where are you talking to me from at the moment? JK: I’m at home in Toronto, Canada. And it’s not early here, otherwise I would be out of it too. MM: (Laughs) Okay, thanks, that makes me feel a bit better. Now, straight to it; tell me about your experience working on Eclipse. That set that shoot must have been incredible? JK: It was absolutely amazing, I was so shocked when I found out I got the part. Oh my gosh, I couldn’t believe I got to be a part of this amazing series of movies. On set it was so unreal seeing all the actors who you forget are real people because you’re so used to seeing them on posters and in magazines everyday. But they were all such nice people and so down to Earth. MM: Once you got the role of Bree, did you have any idea just how coveted that character was and how much people wanted to be a part of the film? JK: Wow, if everybody wanted it as badly as I did then a lot of people were disappointed. I wanted it pretty badly and honestly, I didn’t think I would get it. I try not get my hopes up, especially for something as big at that. Only the first movie had come out at that point (when I got the part) and I had just finished reading the last book and thought they were amazing, Stephenie Meyer is great writer. MM: Well, Stephenie wrote a whole book about your character too. How exciting was that for you, to have a whole story about Bree? JK: I was amazed Stephenie had actually written a book all about my character. Of all the people in the saga she choose Bree. I’m a huge reader, I love books and I read everything. I got to be one of the first people to read the book and I was reading it on set as we were filming. MM: Now, there have been rumours circulating for a while that after the success of the Bree novella the folks at Summit (Entertainment) are considering making another film based on that spin-off book with Bree. Is that something that’s going to happen? What can you tell me about that? JK: It’s definitely a possibility. They could easily do a movie about Bree, but nobody knows for sure. They’re really concentrating on finishing Breaking Dawn (Parts I and II) and getting that right, but once they’re finished . . .nobody knows for certain, but I’ve heard it’s definitely a possibility. MM: That would be fantastic for you, a whole Twilight movie to yourself. BK: (Laughs) It would be great, but we’ll see. MM: Now what was it like working with all the actors on Eclipse? I mean, as well as Robert and Kristen, you’ve got the whole cast of Cullens and the Wolk Pak. JK: It was amazing, I tried not to be too star stuck. It was really weird when everyone is in front of you on set. I guess you never think of these movie stars as real people until you get to meet them and know them. People think those who are really famous are snobs, and sometimes that’s true, but nobody was on Eclipse.MM: That’s nice to hear. Did you have any concept of just how hysterical the fans are about these movies when you signed on? JK: I already knew going into Eclipse that there were pretty dedicated fans because we started shooting just after the first movie had come up. I knew it was a really big deal and (I knew) how crazy it was when I went to the premiere and saw fans that had been camping out for almost a week. It’s hard to prepare yourself for something like that. I don’t think I signed so many autographs in one day. When I watched the first movie I never considered that one day I’d be part of those films. MM: Coming out next for you, you’re in Cabin In The Woods which, as a huge fan of Joss Whedon, I’m very excited about. What can you tell me? JK: It was a pretty cool experience, especially as someone who’s a fan of Joss Whedon and Buffy (The Vampire Slayer). I’ve been a fan of that show forever, it was so cool to work with him. I can’t tell you too much about it because they’re still working on it. You will have to wait and see. MM: Fine, keep your secrets. JK: (Laughs) Sorry, MM: No, it’s alright. I’m just teasing. I’m going to bug you again though, you’re in TheTall Man with Jessica Biel as well. Can you talk about that? JK: Yes, well, we just finsihed filming on that. It’s still pretty secretive and you will have to wait again, sorry. MM: (Laughs) Okay. It’s another horror, you’ve done a lot of horror films and supernatural thrillers. What is it about that particular genre that attracts you? JK: I do get typecast quite a bit, but that’s okay because I enjoy it and it means I’m good at something. I’m a fan of most of the types of movies I do. I do like horror movies and I love being scared, but only when I’m watching them with friends or under a blanket. MM: (Laughs) It’s more atmospheric that way I guess. Now, this is your first time to Australia. Is there anything in particualr you want to do or see? JK: I’m really excited, it’s one of the places I’ve always wanted to go. What I usually do when I go to a place is I ask the people from there on Twitter to give me advice. I definitely want to go to a zoo and see the different type of animals, kangaroos and koalas are so adorable MM: I’m sure your Twitter followers will have plenty of advice for you. Thanks again for chatting with me Jodelle, it was truly a pleasure and hopefully I’ll see you at Supernova. JK: Great, thanks so much and I might see you there. See, what did I tell you? A lovely, lovely girl. And I’m not just saying that; I practically interview a Disney star under the age of 17 every second week and Ferland was a very intelligent young woman who didn’t reek of the well-trained media machine that I so often associate child stars with. Seriously, their answers are almost interchangeable. Anyway, if you want to follow Jodelle Ferland I recommend you follow her on Twitter here or check her out at Supanova this weekend here.

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The Aryans descend

It's confirmed. Jennifer Lawrence has been cast as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games. Hitler has won. The Aryan super race are taking over. A little dramatic? Not when casting directors choose a blonde, buxom, pale-skinned actress to play a character blatantly described as someone with olive skin and dark features. It seems The Hob's article on whitewashing the role of Katniss was right on the money. Look, don't get me wrong, I think Lawrence is one of the most talented actors of my generation - her performance in Winter's Bone was incredible and she carried Lori Petty's The Poker House. But she's not Katniss. Or maybe I'm just being an obsessive fan? Meh, I just think Emma Roberts or Jodelle Ferland would have been better choices.

I first picked up the news over at Screen Rant and with this latest development, I think it's safe to say the filmmakers will be going with older-looking actors for Peeta and Gale - given Lawrence is 20 already and the film's a whole year off from release. Which means the smart money would be on Alex Pettyfer and Thomas McDonell for Peeta and Gale respectively. The only casting I'm interested in now is Prim and Haymitch *grumble grumble*.

With my last few Hunger Games posts I've included some of the rad fan art I've found online, and this is definitely another gem courtesy of the talented Elontirien over at Deviant Art. It's Katniss and Rue in the arena sharing the Gosling. High five.

For glossy reflection, you can read my exclusive Hunger Games post with Jodelle Ferland here and my film here.

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Hunger Games exclusive with Jodelle Ferland

Alright, now that I’ve got my full Hunger Games breakdown out of the way I can bring you my exclusive chat with Canadian actress Jodelle Ferland. The 16-year-old is best known for playing the role of newborn vampire Bree Tanner in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. But the teen has over a decade of acting experience behind her and at the age of four, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award, the youngest nominee in history, for her part in TV movie Mermaid.

She’s gone on to forge a successful career, from child to young adult actress, with starring roles in everything from Terry Gilliam’s Tideland to supporting parts in TV series such as Supernatural, Smallville and Stargate: Atlantis. But Ferland has gained a cult following for meaty roles in a swag of horror films such as Silent Hill, The Messengers and Case 39 – that’s not to mention her upcoming parts in Joss Whedon’s Cabin In The Woods and The Tall Man with Jessica Biel.Ferland fanatics really had something to get excited about last Halloween when the self-confessed book lover posted pictures of herself dressed as Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games trilogy on her Twitter account (pics above). And sure, it was a home made effort, but the girl sure looked the part! With news that Lions Gate were developing a film based on the first book, Hunger Games-heads went into overdrive speculating about her fierce desire to be cast as Katniss. Although she was quick to downplay any such ambition, I had the opportunity to chat to the incredibly well-spoken teen yesterday and she confirmed she is vying for the role. Unfortunately, so too is every other young actress in Hollywood. Here’s a snippet of our interview.

Movie Mazzupial: As far as other popular young adult books-to-movies go, I was looking at your photos thinking `she would make a great Katniss Everdeen’ and then I heard you were interested in the role, is that right? Have you auditioned?

Jodelle Ferland: Any sane 16-year-old girl would be interested in the role of Katniss, but we’ll see. It would make my life (complete) if I could have that part. I love the books. I’m a big reader and read pretty much anything I can get my hands and those books are amazing. To get that part would be amazing. I believe they’re still auditioning now and they might go older or they might go younger, but I have my fingers crossed. If not the part of Katniss, there’s plenty of opportunity with the other tributes to play a supporting role or something.

MM: Well yeah, if not Katniss you could play one of the career tributes or a character from The Hob.

JF: Yeah, exactly.

MM: So, if you’ve auditioned . . . you must have read some of the script? Please tell me it’s faithful to the book. As a fan, are you happy with the approach they’re taking?

JF: I’d rather not talk too much specifically about the movie, but I’m excited to see how it turns out and I hope they do a good job. I think they will.

MM: Fine, keep your secrets. Katniss is certainly a very unique character. What is it about her that’s made you hungry for this role?

JF: It would be such an amazing part. Katniss is one of my favourite characters out of any books I’ve read; she’s so strong and independent. She’s an example to people. In a world where everyone gives in and does whatever it takes just to stay alive, she’s the only one who stood up for what’s right.So there you have it - add Miss Ferland to your list of potential Katniss Everdeen’s. With the likes of Oscar nominees Jennifer Lawrence and Hailee Stanfield in the race, she’s an outside chance to be sure. But casting director Debra Zane has said publicly they were auditioning unknowns as well as established actresses, so why wouldn’t they go for the perfect mix – a relatively unknown name, but one that still has the acting chops and years of experience in the industry behind her. Let’s not forget she had a supporting role in Good Luck Chuck, from the same studio developing the Hunger Games, so Ferland is a familiar face to Lions Gate. In a world where all is just and fair, she would be right up there with Stanfield and Emma Roberts in my list of top three Katniss candidates. Stay peeled for my in depth interview with Ferland next week, where we talk Twilight, Twihards, the one and only Joss Whedon and a Bree Tanner spin-off movie.

In other news, here's a fantastic lil' Hunger Games cartoon I found while trawling the internet for fan art. Epic LOLs.

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The Hunger Games breakdown

(Above): Possibly the best piece of Hunger Games fan art I've seen going around - the pivotal scene with Katniss and Peeta.

Words cannot describe how excited I am to bring you my first post on the Hunger Games – the movie adaptation of one of the greatest book series I’ve ever read. Yeah, that’s a pretty loaded way to start but if you’ve read Suzanne Collins’ trilogy you would understand why I’ve been ranting about it here and on Twitter for the past year. I’ve got an interview coming up with Jodelle Ferland (Bree from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) this morning and rumour has it she’s auditioned for the role of Katniss Everdeen, so I can’t wait to find out whether that’s actually true or more Hunger Games hysteria. Lord knows she looked fantastic as Katniss when she dressed up as her for Halloween last year, despite later tweeting “Don't take it so seriously ... I'm not trying to say, 'Hey, look at me. I should be Katniss.” In the meantime, until I get to speak with someone who might have actually read the script, here’s my Hunger Games wrap.

The Plot

Set in a dystopian future over the course of three books, the world’s remaining population live in 12 districts in what used to be North America. All of the districts are controlled by the Capitol, a 1984-esque superpower who defeated the districts in an uprising several decades earlier – including the complete annihilation of District 13 (or so the say). To keep the districts in their place and constantly reminded of the Capitol’s complete power over them, each year two young adults – aged between 13 and 18 – are drawn out of a ballot and forced to compete in the Hunger Games; a Gladiator-esque fight to the death between 24 district tributes which is broadcast throughout the nation of Panem. It’s like Big Brother, but with weapons and things that go `boom’.

Living in the poorest area, District 12, is 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen who is the sole provider for her mother and little sister Prim after her father was “blown to bits” in a mine explosion when she was 11. Katniss has kept the family alive by illegally hunting in the woods surrounding the district with her rebellious best friend Gale and she’s about as handy with a bow and arrow as Legolas. Suffice to say, she’s a badass. Come The Reaping, she volunteers herself for the Hunger Games after Prim’s name is drawn out (scene depicted in fan art above). The other tribute from her district happens to be the baker’s son Peeta, who helped keep her family alive several years ago with a loaf of bread and who, unbeknownst to Katniss, has been in love with her ever since. Anywho, without spoiling the plot further, the pair head off to the Capitol and compete in the Hunger Games with the shaky guidance of their damaged and always drunk mentor Haymitch, who won the Hunger Games for District 12 25-years ago. The outcome of their mission to stay alive continues over the remaining two books, Catching Fire and Mockingjay, but since we’re just talking about the first film I’ll restrict the plot synopsis to that.

The Crew

(Above): A turning point in the second book, Catching Fire, depicted in more brilliant, atmospheric fan art.

On board to direct is four-time Oscar nominee Gary Ross (Big, Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) and Billy Ray (Shattered Glass, State Of Play, Flightplan) is responsible for the screenplay. A trio of relatively inexperienced producers – Nina Jacobson, Jim Miller, Ali Shearmur – are also on board, but for me Ross and Ray are the most interesting talent here. I have a lot of faith in Ross. He’s a filmmaker who doesn’t just pump out pictures for the sake of it, with 10 years between writing and producing Big to his directorial debut Pleasantville, then another five for Seabiscuit. Although he’s not onboard as a writer or producer with this, like he was with his three previous efforts, it’s clear he has in-depth understanding of what makes a decent script and that will be essential when it comes to making a film adaption on such already well-developed material like the Hunger Games. Ray’s involvement is another point to be excited about because he’s one hell of a screen writer, as we saw with the stellar Flightplan and State Of Play. He’s also responsible for directing one of the best films about journalism ever – Shattered Glass – and he brings knowledge to the table about what will and won’t work from script to screen.

The Cast

Well, this is the news EVERYONE has been dying to hear in Hollywood and the Hunger Games roles have become some of the mostly hotly contested in recent years, with everyone from MTV to The New Yorker covering the casting developments. Although no final announcements have been made, lord knows they’re coming soon, and here’s the confirmed talent vying for a spot.

Katniss Everdeen

She’s the heart of the film, literally. Stuff up the casting of Katniss and you may as well throw the Hunger Games movie in the trash, along with Charlie Sheen’s career. Like a cross between Ellie Linton from the Tomorrow Series and Rose Hathaway from Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series, she’s arguably the greatest literary heroine since Lisbeth Salander. It’s no wonder every actress with a pulse is fighting for the role. Apparently the front runners are Oscar-nominees Jennifer Lawrence and Hailee Stanfield (below), with the former being too old for the character (in my opinion) and the latter being just perfect. Other actresses who have auditioned include Lyndsy Fonseca (maybe), Abigail Breslin (no!), Chloë Moretz (maybe), Emma Roberts (hells yes), Saoirse Ronan (sure), Emily Browning (too porcelain), Jodelle Ferland (hells yes), Malese Jow (hells yes) and Shailene Woodley (hells no). Only time will tell who gets to don Katniss’ signature bow and arrow, in the meantime here’s a Hunger Games fan’s interpretation of the character:
Peeta The cooling waters to Katniss’s fire, the role of Peeta is a fight between Alex Pettyfer (above) and Aussie Liam Hemsworth. Apparently Scream 4’s Nico Tortorella has read for both Peeta and Gale too, but I consider him an outside chance for Peeta. Another Aussie, 20-year-old Lachlan Buchanan is also in the race. Personally, I think either Pettyfer or Hemsworth would be great, but I tend to lean towards Pettyfer simply because of his superior acting chops compared to Hemsworth. But hey, if they go with a dark horse like Buchanan I’d be all for that – he certainly looks the part.

Gale Ah, Gale. The handsome, loyal and fiercely rebellious best friend, the fire to Katniss’s, erm, fire. This is also a two man race, with Thomas McDonnell (above) and Robbie Amell sweating it out for Gale. Sure, Amell is pretty, but I think McDonnell would own this role and I’m not just saying that because he has awesome hair. Physically he embodies everything Gale is described as in the book and put simply, he fits.

Supporting Cast

Who cares? I mean, really. Okay, maybe the casting of their mentor Haymitch will be interesting (Hugh Laurie is rumoured) but the rest are just background fillers. There’s a tonne of talented actors and actresses out there who would fill the supporting roles so I don’t think it really matters, the focus is on the above trio. You only need the others to do a good job, no big names needed.

Development

Filming is set to get underway in California within the next month, which makes things pretty tight for the crew as Lionsgate have already locked in a March 23, 2012 UK and US release date. No doubt there’s going to be a lot of post-production work needed given the original and colourful description of the Capitol and all the bat-shit craziness that happens in the arena. But with Gayle Busby (300, Legion) and Chris Watts (Where The Wild Things Are, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, Gattaca and the incredible Watchmen short film Tales Of The Black Freighter) on visual effects duties, I have faith. I’m fascinated to see how this puppy develops and before people write it off as another `young-adult’ squeal-fest let me stop you there; it’s most definitely not another Twilight. One of the reasons I loved the books was its incorporation of genuine, blood splattering, flesh tearing horror, inventive sci-fi, ball-dropping action and a romance that wasn’t by-the-numbers. There are complex themes of loyalty, freedom, justice and responsibility that take it beyond the young-adult fiction pigeon hole and into the realm of something Stephen King can praise.

In the meantime, the rumours surrounding the Hunger Games film are about as ferocious as a career tribute and this is shaping up to be the film hot young actors want to be associated with. Naturally, given the awesomeness of the books, there are a tonne of fan sites dedicated to the latest Hunger Games news. If you want to stay up to date, I’ve done the hard work for you, trawled through them, and these are the best sources for diehards and rookies alike:

- Mocking Jay Manual
- Jabberjays.com
-Mockingjay.co.uk
-Girl On Fire
-Down With The Capitol

I leave you with this fantastically animated and accurate drawing of some of the central characters from the Hunger Games, courtesy of the talented Elontirien over at Deviant Art. Kudos.

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