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Comic-Con: ENDER’S GAME Panel Recap: New Trailer Revealed, Orson Scott Card’s Involvement, Putting the Characters Before the Visual Effects, and More
by Collider Staff Posted Just now
I finally got around to reading Ender’s Game last month, and it’s an interesting book. It’s incredibly strange at some points, but it’s also quite visual in addition to having interesting characters, so there’s certainly the potential for a strong adaptation. After today’s Comic-Con panel, I’m still not entirely convinced, but I’m pretty damn close. If nothing else, the action should be exhilarating, and while it may not quite hit at the deeper themes (it sounds like they were going too broad to really hone in one aspect), it should at least be an entertaining sci-fi flick, especially where the space battles are concerned.
Hit the jump to read my recap of the panel. Ender’s Game opens November 1st.
Moderator Chris Hardwicke brings the panelists on stage: Producer Bob Orci, director Gavin Hood, and stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, and Harrison Ford. Naturally, the crowd goes wild for Ford.
Then they lead off with what they say is a new clip, but really it’s a new trailer. I’m not going to go through it beat-by-beat because it was rapid-fire, but the focus was on the epic battles between the International Fleet and the alien “buggers”. The effects look great, although I’m a little more curious about how Hood’s going to handle the null-gravity battle room since that’s a unique aspect to the story. We only saw a bit of that, but what we saw looked good. As for any narrative aspects, it’s mostly Colonel Graff (Ford) growling about how Ender (Butterfield) is Earth’s last hope even though he may not be ready for the weight of war.
After the trailer was over, Orci talks about the challenge of adapting the book, and while he didn’t write the screenplay, he wanted to make sure that the uninitiated could understand why the book has been so popular for so long.
Butterfield said he and Gavin talked a lot before they started shooting about how they envisioned the character, and it was a rewarding challenge to bring Ender to life.
Steinfeld talked about the physical demands and for the first time having to train for the film. They had three weeks of training—they went to space camp in Alabama as well as military boot camp to learn marching, saluting, cadences, etc.
When Hardwicke asks Ford about being Ender’s “mentor”, Ford replies that Graff isn’t Ender’s mentor, but “Ender’s manipulator.” Ford then joked, “I’m never coming back in response to Hardwicke’s previous assumption regarding Graff and Ender’s relationship. Ford goes on to say that he was interested by the moral questions especially as they relate to the military. He made the insightful point that the book envisioned what is now an every day reality in terms of being able to control war completely removed from the battlefield vis-à-vis our reliance on combat drones. There’s also the complexity of manipulating young people to do this kind of fighting.
Hood talked about the challenge of adapting the book, and the two things he liked the best. First, he loved the environment, especially the battle room, so there’s the visual idea. But he also loved the heart of the book because it’s not a simple story of good and evil. “Visual effects don’t do it for us unless they’re supported by a great story,” says Hood (a statement that was greeted by cheers). He added that he also liked how the characters wrestle with their morality, and he was glad to have actors who have the talent to convey that.
Audience Q&A:
Unsurprisingly, the leadoff question was about Orson Scott Card’s involvement with the movie due to his anti-gay comments and the proposed boycott because of the financial rewards he would receive from ticket-buyers. Orci says they didn’t want to invite controversy, but they wanted to use that attention to unequivocally support Lionsgate’s support of LGBT rights as a part of all human rights. “A lot of people worked on this movie,” says Orci, “and I would hate to see the efforts of all those people’s work thwarted because of those who were a very small percentage.”
On how they picked what themes they wanted to explore: Hood said they focused on the themes of leadership, compassion, tolerance, and self-identity. Also, “how do we arrive at the point where we figure out not just how to lead others, but how to lead yourself?” Hood added, “If I had one goal, it would be true to the story and the spirit of Ender Wiggin.”
If they could choose one prop to take home from the set:
Hood: “Harrison Ford.”
If Indiana Jones and Han Solo met, what would their first words to each other be?
Ford: “Hi. How are you?”
Does Ford think Han Solo would be a good fit for Colonel Graff’s army?
“I don’t think Han Solo would be good as a soldier in anybody’s army. He’s what we would call now, ‘an independent contractor’.”
As a newcomer to Ender’s Game, I don’t have the years (and for some, decades) of investment in a strong adaption. What I’ve seen thus far and what I gathered from the panel is that they have a solid understanding of the material (at least as I interpreted the book), and the challenge is finding a way to realize it. Visually, it should be a success. But until we see more character stuff (and I wish they had shown us an actual clip), I can’t say for sure if Hood has reached his goal of conveying themes of “leadership, compassion, tolerance, and self-identity.” But this is Comic-Con, and if it’s about dazzling the crowd with action, then Ender’s Game had a successful panel.
Enders Game Comic-Con Panel Turns Into Harrison Ford Comedy Hour
Posted on Friday, July 19th, 2013 by Germain Lussier
While Id like to say the highlight of Thursdays San Diego Comic-Con panel for Gavin Hoods Enders Game was new footage from the film, that would be a falsity. The footage a new trailer that sells the movie as an epic action extravaganza was suitably impressive, even if its not exactly representative of the actual film. The real highlight was the second Comic-Con appearance of iconic actor Harrison Ford.
Ford, who first graced Comic-Cons Hall H to promote Cowboys and Aliens, returned for Enders Game and good-naturedly rolled with punches thrown at him by moderator Chris Hardwick, writer/director Gavin Hood and fans who asked questions like, What would Han Solo and Indiana Jones say to each other if they met? Read more about the panel, and the footage, below.
Lets start with the footage. After seriously geeking out (Ive dreamed about this, this is amazing) about being on the Hall H stage, Hood premiered a brand new trailer. It sells Enders Game as an epic war movie with huge space battles, and kids at the controls of it all. Which is only kind of true. It seems Summit knows showing a movie where kids float around and learn to be soldiers probably wont sell many tickets, so theyre highlighting some of the larger moments of the film. And those moments look really good. Big, bombastic and impressive. We saw Ender controlling his army, using some spoilery weapons and, surprisingly, just two quick shots of the Battle Room. I cant wait to see more of that.
Then the panel began. Hood and Ford joined producer Roberto Orci and stars Asa Butterfield and Hailee Steinfeld. After making fun of Hardwick for stepping on his words, Ford explained what drew him to the project. He said it was the complexity of the moral issues as well as the fact the nearly three decade old novel foreshadowed warfare waged from a world away. The reliance on children for their conceptual freedom was also a factor. Hood said what drew him to the project were the visuals, but mostly that Enders Game is not a straightforward story of good and evil. He said great movies need a great story to go along with the special effects.
Orci then addressed the controversy around writer Orson Scott Card, reiterating the statement Lionsgate issued recently and their full support of LGBT rights.
Then the fun began.
A fan stepped up to the mike and starting by saying Mr. Ford, what would Han Solo and Indiana Jones and Chris Hardwick stopped him. Really, man? he asked. Before sheepishly adding, Continue I want to know, too. What would Han Solo and Indiana Jones say to each other if they met? Ford looked noticeably frustrated at the question, which has now almost become his trademark, and he said Probably Hi, how are you? Huge laughs.
Next up, a Brazilian gentleman stepped to the mike and he and Hardwick bantered a bit, only to jokingly be interrupted by Ford. Come on guys, he said. The question then came, Would Han Solo have been a good soldier for General Graffs army? We all laughed, knowing Ford was annoyed by the question, but he gave a great answer. I dont think Han Solo would be a good soldier in anyones army. Hes more, what we call now, an independent contractor.
And like that, the panel was over.
Enders Game will be out November 1. Check back soon for that aforementioned trailer, when it gets released, and a huge write up on our visit to the set.
Comic-Con: Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield and Hailee Steinfeld Talk ENDERS GAME, Bringing the Popular Characters to Life, Favorite Character Traits and More
by Christina Radish Posted 1 hour ago
While at Comic-Con for a presentation in Hall H, co-stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld and Harrison Ford spoke to the press about their epic adventure film Enders Game. Based on the best-selling, award-winning novel by Orson Scott Card, the story is set in the near future, after a hostile alien race have attacked Earth and only the best young minds are recruited to lead their fellow soldiers into a battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.
During the interview, they talked about how cool it is to play characters from such a popular book, how they went about bringing their characters to life, the kinds of conversations they hope audiences will have after seeing the film, and their favorite trait for their character. Ford also talked about the differences between his character, Colonel Graff, and Han Solo, as well as his thoughts on author Orson Scott Cards anti-gay comments. Check out what they had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.
Question: Harrison, this is your big return to sci-fi and doing a film set in space. Do you see any similarities between Han Solo and Colonel Graff?
HARRISON FORD: Han and Graff are nothing alike. Graff is a very complex character who is charged with an awesome responsibility. He recruits and trains young Ender Wiggin, in this construction of the story. He faces a lot of moral issues that are involved with using young people for warfare. The complex moral issues really are part of Graffs story. Ender doesnt really face the issues of morality until the end of the film, when he knows whats happened to him, but Graff is aware of his moral responsibilities, all through his part of the story. The book deals with a lot of complex issues of social responsibility and the moral issues that one faces when one is part of the military establishment. I was just delighted to be involved in a film with such high ambition and such talented people. I think Graff is a much more complex character than Han Solo. That doesnt mean that I regret Han Solo.
Asa and Hailee, how cool is it to play these characters, from such a much-loved book?
ASA BUTTERFIELD: I read the book. Im a huge fan of science fiction, so I had a great time reading it. Yes, the film is a science fiction epic, but to me, theres a lot more to it than that. One of the reasons this character was so intriguing to me is because of the complexity of it. Me and Gavin talked a lot, prior to shooting, about where we wanted to take it. We talked a lot about Ender and the constant internal struggle that hes facing throughout the film. His development is apparent, and it was really intriguing for me. We had a good time experimenting with it.
HAILEE STEINFELD: Something that I loved about the project, as a whole, was the fact that it had such a huge fan base. Creating a backstory for Petra was interesting because youre introduced to her a little further into the story. But, one of the most exciting things is experiencing the excitement that everybody around us has. Its been such a great experience and were so excited to share it [with everybody].
Harrison, the anti-gay views of the books author, Orson Scott Card, have been getting a lot of attention. Were you aware of his work with anti-gay organizations before working on this film, and has that changed your view of it, at all?
FORD: None of Mr. Cards concerns regarding the issue of gay marriage are proper thematics of this film. He has written something that has value to us all to consider moral responsibilities. I think his views outside of those that we deal with in this film are not an issue for me to deal with, so I really have no opinion on that issue. I am aware of his statements admitting that the question of gay marriage is a battle that he lost. He admits that he lost it. I think we all know that we have all won. Humanity has won. I think thats the end of the story.
This is a very ambitious project with complex characters. In what ways did you research your roles, in order to bring your character to life, on screen?
BUTTERFIELD: For me, having a novel to refer to is always helpful. Ive been in a few films that have been adapted and, as an actor, the amount of resources and things you can gain just from reading the story, as well as the script, are so massive that its something you just cant put down.
STEINFELD: I would say that having a novel to go to is so helpful. Its an extra 200 and something pages of ideas and clues. There are just so many things that you can pick up on, whether its written about your character or the other characters. Theres so much there and so much to play with. For me, this is actually the first film that I had to do a lot of physical training, which was a lot fun for us. We went to space camp. We learned how to march. We learned how to salute. We learned different cadences. From day one, it was just such a great experience.
Harrison, youve had great success in the sci-fi and action genre, but these films also talk about important moral and social issues. What kinds of conversations are you hoping people will have, after seeing this movie?
FORD: I think this movie is very pressing, and I think that the novel was very pressing, in recognizing something that we now have as a reality in our lives, which is the ability to wage war at a distance and to do the business of war. We are somewhat emotionally disconnected from that. So, the morality of a military commander and a military command structure, and the morality of a society which raises a military that wages war, are the moral concerns of this film and they are something that we are now wrestling with daily, in our lives. The issue of inter-planetary warfare is the science fiction aspect of it, but what gives it such an emotional tone is that these are the concerns of our everyday lives now. Drone warfare and the capacity that we have technologically is one part of the moral package. The other is the use of young people in the business of war. That has always historically been the case. The youngest and fittest of our culture have always been the ones who were first in line for warfare. In the book, Ender Wiggin starts out at seven years of age. In this case, they wisely changed it to be a young person closer to matching Asas age of 12 or 13. But, the character that I play is responsible for manipulating young people, in service of some perceived need for humanity, as a whole. No matter how you try to wrestle with the questions of warfare and the military, the more you realize how complex these issues are and how much attention they deserve. Its really important for us to visit these questions, not only in the daily news, but also in our emotional and civic lives.
Harrison, what was it like to work with Sir Ben Kingsley on this?
FORD: It was great. Despite his moniker, there is a real guy there who I vastly enjoyed working with. I had known him before, but the pleasure of working with him, as an actor, was a real treat, as was working with these young people who dedicated and devoted themselves to the telling of this story, and who also possess a surprising understanding of the craft. It was surprising to me, for their ages. They are enormously talented young people. I give credit to them, and I give credit to Gavin because casting is so important in these things. I was delighted to be involved.
Asa and Hailee, what was your favorite trait for your character?
BUTTERFIELD: One of the things that I really enjoyed playing with Ender was how hes constantly struggling between his brother and his sister. Its like hes got two sides to him. And Ive always wanted to play a darker character, and in this film and in the novel, Ender has his moments where he isnt a glorified hero. As with every human being, we have a darker side, which I had a lot of fun playing with throughout the film.
STEINFELD: My character is very strong and independent because she has to be. Shes put into a world where she doesnt know who to trust and who not to trust. In most cases, theres nobody to look to. My character is one of very few girls in the battle school and the only girl in the army that shes in. Shes constantly looking to maintain the respect from the guys around her. When she meets Ender, theres this really truthful connection between the two of them that comes from finding their way and finding their place.
