ENDER'S GAME - New Photo and Asa Butterfield Discusses Film
Above you'll find a new photo from Gavin Hood's Ender's Game, featuring Asa Butterfield as Ender playing around in zero gravity with Harrison Ford's Colonel Graff. Empire Magazine also talked with Butterfield about the long-awaited sci-fi film, touching on subjects such as Space Camp, stunts, wire work, and the uncomfortable Battle Room Flash Suits.
On Space Camp:
That was our very first week. It really broke the ice between all of us kids — we were good friends by the end of it. And it also gave insight into how it would have been to gone to Battle School. We were taught to march, all about cadences, and did a bunch of army drills. Lights off at 9pm. Awake at 7am. Pretty brutal, but I’d do it again.
On Wires And Stunts:
It was really good fun. But yeah, wearing harnesses for nine hours, by the end of the day you’re glad to get out of them. It’s really tiring staying up there. And the chafing… it’s exactly as you might imagine. All through rehearsals we would spend an hour each day on the wires. And then we spent a month and a half shooting the scenes. There was plenty of time flying around.
There’s a really cool sequence where I’m sort of spinning over backwards and I let go of my guns. They’re floating by my side just going along. As I push myself through these two stars, I spin back over and grab the guns, then shoot the people around me. I loved doing that.
On His Battle Room Outfit:
It’s called a flash suit. It looks incredible, but wearing it was pretty uncomfortable, because they were tight and thick and didn’t give you all that much movement. It’s like wearing three wetsuits and then putting on body armour over that. We had a few versions: a normal one, and then a slightly bigger one which let you wear a harness underneath. You wouldn’t want to wear one for more than an hour.
You would think they would be able to make comfortable costumes these days for movies that can still look cool. I guess not. I've been waiting for this movie for years, and it looks like it will end up being a good adaptation. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but close enough.
Ender’s Game hits theaters on November 1st, 2013, and you can watch the trailer here. The movie stars Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Moises Arias, KhylinRhambo, Viola Davis, Brandon Soo Hoo, and Nonso Anozie.
In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite.
Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military’s next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he’s trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.