Ioan Gruffudd Interview, Fantastic Four 2
Movie Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer Posted By:
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We had a chance to catch up with
Ioan Gruffudd to talk to him about Amazing Grace and not only did he spill the beans on Fantastic Four 2 he also mentioned the third installment which apparently is already in the works. Marvel's first family of superheroes, The Fantastic Four, meets their greatest challenge yet in "Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer" as the enigmatic, intergalactic herald, The Silver Surfer, comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction. As the Silver Surfer races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Dr. Doom, before all hope is lost. Here is what he had to say.
Q: Are you allowed to tell us any information about Fantastic Four 2?
Ioan: Well, I had a phone call this morning from Fox saying ‘will you stop talking about the movie so much and stop ruining it for everyone’. So, what I can tell you, as the title suggests, it’s the rise of the Silver Surfer and that’s it [laughs]. At the beginning of the movie, we are embracing our powers, sort of coping with living in the public eye so that’s an exciting element of it. There’s an aspect of the movie where we sort of toy with the idea of not being superheroes anymore because it’s such a responsibility.
Then, of course the Silver Surfer arrives and the world is looking to us to help save it again. As far as a movie, I think it’s a much better movie than the first one because that was sort of an origin movie and we were trying to sell it to a wider audience and not just cater to the fans. So, I think the fans were slightly disgruntled with the first movie because it took so long to get into it. And, we were working out the difficulty of presenting four or five different effects together working simultaneously. So, this one, we start the movie with a bang and it doesn’t relent till the end. It’s a real roller coaster of a ride.
Q: Is there any worry though that there’s already four of you and Dr. Doom, throw in Silver Surfer and Galactus, is it too much?
Ioan: I don’t know. We’ve established Dr. Doom and the four of us so that’s fine. I think the Silver Surfer is such a great character. You need somebody of that nature to come and steal our thunder.
Q: Did you watch the trailer that’s been released?
Ioan: Yeah.
Q: What did you think of how they’re pushing an action sequence rather than doing a bunch of little things?
Ioan: I think it’s very smart of them. It just proves how far our franchise has come from that original movie. Now, this movie is full of those sequences. So, they know best how to market these things and get bums on seats.
Q: How has Tim [Story], as a director, changed?
Ioan: He’s a lot more confident now, as we all are. We’re sitting comfortably in the skin of our characters. We know each other. Because we are friends, it has made it easier to work together. When we did the first movie, we were just figuring each other out and Tim also, but now we’re a family. It gives us a lot of confidence to do this movie.
Q: You mentioned some disgruntled fans after the first film. Did you take that at all personally?
Ioan: No. You can never do that. I don’t listen to that. You’re never going to please everyone. As an actor, I’ve always said, half the audience is going to love you, half is going to hate you so just live with it. It’s easier that way.
Q: Did you ever have any doubt that there would be a number 2?
Ioan: Certainly, there was doubt. You don’t know. You sign up for three movies and, of course, you wish to do the three but it is a business and it is all dependent on the box office . Thanks to the fans and general movie-going public, the movie was a success.
Q: In the superhero world, who, not made into a movie yet, would you like to play and what historical figure would you like to play?
Ioan: In the comic book world, I’m afraid I’m not well-versed. I’m not an authority on comic books. I didn’t read comic books as a child so I’m introduced to this via The Fantastic Four so I don’t really have an image or person from a comic book that I’d love to play. In history, gosh.. John F. Kennedy.
Q: Is the second Fantastic Four on a bigger scale?
Ioan: Absolutely on every level. There are so many more effects shots in this movie compared to the first one.
Q: Was it a harder shoot?
Ioan: It was harder because of the weather in Vancouver. It was slightly harder this time around. There are a lot of exteriors. But, it was more fun of a shoot because we were all so much more comfortable with one another.
Q: With the success of Ghost Rider over the weekend, has the studio shown you even more love?
Ioan: I haven’t heard a word from them until this morning when they said ‘stop talking about the movie’. I think no news is good news because the last time around, they were on the phone almost immediately ‘reshoots, we’ve gotta fix this, gotta fix that’. So this time I guess they’re sitting on something really special. I don’t know.
Q: So, you aren’t kidding, you actually got the mandate from them to stop….
Ioan: Yes. What was happening is my mind was on this [Amazing Grace] and somebody asked me about it [Fantastic Four 2] and I go, ‘Oh yes. Blah, blah, blah’ and then thought ‘*****, I shouldn’t have said that. That’s spoiling the whole movie and then nobody needs to come and see it’.
Q: Was there one straw that broke their back?
Ioan: What I’m saying is there is a presence of Galactus. That’s all I’m allowed to say.
Q: That would have gotten out there with or without you.
Ioan: I know, I know. Like they told me ‘don’t talk about
Doug Jones as the Silver Surfer’. I’m like ‘but, he’s credited as The Silver Surfer’.
Q: He told us about it.
Ioan: I know. I think it’s to the detriment of the movie. They should be celebrating
Doug Jones as the Silver Surfer. He’s brought this great character to life.
Q: What was it like working with someone who is so talented?
Ioan: Exactly. I thought he was under-appreciated because they say ‘don’t mention Doug’. No, no, Doug has brought this character to life and they’re just manipulating what he did on set; putting that sheen on him. I thought it was wonderful, so majestic. When you meet him, he’s like a beanstalk of a guy, isn’t he? But, his movement is fantastic, breathtaking. When I saw ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ I was like ‘that’s you?’ It’s beautiful. I just want him to have his credit where credit’s due.
Q: How does a British audience react to you in a Fantastic Four movie compared to you in a period piece?
Ioan: That’s interesting. I haven’t really spent any time in the U.K. since Fantastic Four came out. I did shoot this movie there but, I suppose it goes hand in hand for them for me to be seen in the frocks and wigs.
Q: Has Fox already said to you that if Fantastic Four 2 does really well, it will jump right back into Fantastic Four 3?
Ioan: Certainly when we were shooting the movie, you got that sense that they want to try and complete this franchise. I can’t open my mouth.
Q: Perhaps the movie ends in a way that you might want to see a third movie?
Ioan: [grinning] Perhaps it does. Everyone’s aware that people have signed a three picture deal and I’d love for that to happen. They probably know now how it’s going to perform with the tracking and they have an idea.
Q: Perhaps Fox is working on a third script as we speak?
Ioan: I’m sure of it. Yeah, they must be. If they have half a brain.
Q: Have you seen the movie?
Ioan: Haven’t seen a frame of it, no. I saw a little bit of dailies but it’s somebody standing next to you in a green suit or a tennis ball with an X on it. I haven’t seen any of it put together, but that’s the exciting aspect of making a movie like that is that I am like an audience member when I see if for the first time. I’m like ‘whoa, I can’t believe they made me stretch and do that!’
There were bits in the first movie where they manipulated me entirely. There’s a scene in the Baxter building where Dr. Doom is throwing lightning bolts at me and he eventually throws me out the window and I’m hanging outside the building. I remember shooting the bit where he threw lightning bolts at me and pretending to avoid them and they put the effect on and from then on, I run to the window and fall out the window. I never did that. It was a digital me, amazing. I didn’t do any of that. It is breathtaking, really impressive. The difficulty with the new movie is every frame that the Silver Surfer is in, even just as a character talking, is an effect so it’s costing a fortune.
t: He's used to handling the press from an early age, like Jessica. Ryan Murphy trusts him enough to let him and his co-star in on a lot of the plot twists far in advance on Nip/Tuck. I think he knew Famke was playing a man before she did! 
Lots of action. 
I want to see the Thing clobbering everything, and everyone in sight.
