The Point Radio: Talking Green And Scarlet With Elizabeth Olsen

A new take on GODZILLA hits theaters in a new days, and director Gareth Edwards and star Elizabeth Olson fill us in on the road they took to get the popular franchise rebooted. Plus Elizabeth talks about her prep for the role of Scarlet Witch in AVENGERS:AGE OF ULTRON. Meanwhile, out looks like comics will dominate the TV nets next season with no less than five news series!

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Transcript

The Point Radio. Hey, it's Mike Raub. Next stop on the summer movie blockbuster train, Godzilla. We talked to the folks involved in bringing the franchise back to the theaters. Plus, Elizabeth Olsen too, who also gives us a little insight on what it's like getting ready to play the Scarlet Witch.

Plus, five count of five new series based on comics, all headed to TV in just a couple of months. Let's get to The Point. This is The Point. The Point Radio. Get The Point Radio.

Hey, no pun intended, but bringing Godzilla back to the movies is a pretty monumental task. Especially when it comes to working with green screen monsters, not an easy task for any actor. But when I talked to Elizabeth Olsen, who stars in The Duke Godzilla, she told me her biggest challenge was actually working with a four year old co-star. I think I've had a lot of different actors tell me how difficult it can be working with some.

I mean, because we didn't hire a six year old who looked for, we had a four year old who played four. And so Carson and his mother and I started emailing before we were in Vancouver. And then I just kind of hung out with him every day. I would go to the parks with him. He's very easy to, he's a very open child.

And so it was very easy to connect with him. And we just played a lot. And I think Aaron did the opposite actually, because Aaron doesn't get to see him often. And it's a lot of improvising. And it's a lot of using another child when it's your close up.

But it's, I would love to do it again. It keeps you on your feet and it's always going to change. And there's nothing you can rely on to be set. And it was really, it's really fun. Godzilla's original appeal actually hit a different generation.

So getting into the franchise was kind of a learning experience for Elizabeth. It's been amazing to do group interviews with people who are a different generation than me with Brian and Ken. Because, especially from Ken's point of view, because the way he talks about Godzilla is with so much love. And it's so, so part of his country's culture. And it represents something so much larger than it has for an American culture.

And, but Brian, it was like his favorite thing as a kid. And I feel like I didn't grow up with a generation that that like loved Godzilla. Like I love Star Wars. Like that was my Godzilla, I guess. And it's amazing to be part of the history. It's especially for this film because we are being supported by Toho.

And we are being supported by the original production company. And it has been collaborative and it is, we are respecting the whole origin of the reason why it was made to begin with. And so I feel like our film is empowered with that knowledge. Big CGI driven films like this do need good storytelling to make them work. And Elizabeth said that that came from director Gareth Edwards.

I think that's what Gareth's big strength is. I think a lot of times when you make these these big films, action films, anything has to do with special effects. A lot of times I think like the new trend right now or has been is to get these really great storytellers. He's really great story driven directors. And a lot of times they know nothing about such special effects or they don't understand the larger picture of everything.

And Gareth is the opposite. Gareth comes from special effects but loves story driven pieces. But he, you know, instead of working at a production company, he worked for a special effects company. And so he he had confidence in that fully. And he had confidence also in working with the actors.

So all he really was there to do was to make us feel like he was there for the story. And I never felt overpowered or overshadowed by special effects. And also working with legendary as well. They don't they weren't stepping on his toes. They weren't a very loud presence except for support.

And that I think is really rare when you make a big studio film. When I talked to Gareth, I was curious to see if there was anything he was said to see cut from the final version of Godzilla. I mean, there's lots to be honest with you. When you make a film, there are many, many scenes and a lot of my favorite little ideas or shots are not in the movie because you've got to think of it as a whole from an emotional point of view in terms of like my love of Godzilla. The hardest thing was Akira Takarada, who was in the original films, did a cameo for us on day one.

And it felt very appropriate at the time because he played an immigration officer that welcomes Aaron's character to Japan. And so it was like this is perfect day one for a shot. And then when we construct the film like everything, basically, it was it was there was a lot of pressure to get on with the adventure and get to the monsters, you know, as soon as you can and things like this. And so lots of things came out of that part of the movie and lots and lots of my hang on to that to the last second. And it was still deemed by the screenings that we when we tested it that we had to get it shorter.

And so that that ended up having to go, which is probably my biggest regret. So was it hard finding live actors for this film with every actor, to be honest, and maybe they'll tell you differently. But with each actor, there was a hesitation about doing it because there's there's a version of this film where they feel could be not a great movie. And and I feel like a lot of actors, you get the impression looking at their resumes that they sort of go, I'm going to do a personal project and then I'm going to do a commercial project and I'll do a personal project and I'll do a commercial project. And I said to everybody, you have to view this as your personal project.

Like, don't be treating it like it's some popcorn blockbuster. Like, I want you to we need a performance that's as strong as like, you know, Oscar bait drama. And and they all responded to that really well. And when they read the screenplay and they could see that there was some emotion in there and and and hopefully another layer to the film other than just a monster movie. They all they all jumped on board for Aaron Taylor Johnson, who also stars in the movie.

Getting involved was a no brainer. Yeah, I was totally gone. How, as you say, very well. Yes, I mean, I sat down with Gareth Edwards the first time and we just didn't stop talking for about six hours about our love for film and how he wanted to shoot it and and where he wanted to take the character. You know, I came out of that meeting thinking, you know, 100 percent that I want to be on this journey with him and, you know, and everyone involved. And and had a whole other perspective on what Godzilla meant.

I think, you know, I never really saw any of the other movies. He said to go see the original. So I did, you know, and because he wanted to embrace the 1954 version in the movie and and have the origin story there and then also created Godzilla from that look. And we had the Toho approval and we had Toho guys come on set and felt very sort of bringing it back to its roots, but setting it in today and society now character wise. I guess the only challenge for me was I play a lieutenant in the Navy and it was kind of just getting behind that kind of mentality and that headspace of a guy that would be do that sort of a job. And also, you know, the way they talk, the way they, you know, carry a weapon and all those kind of things are my challenges in order to kind of be believable in that kind of setting.

All right. So preparing for Godzilla was one thing, but I had to talk to Elizabeth about getting ready to be the Scarlet Witch Avengers. I mean, for me, it was just like throw it all in and I just like read. I'm still reading just comics and and I also love looking at fan pages for something like that because you I think for something like like a comic book character. That's something else. Like I'm creating El Brody, but I'm also the first like human interpretation of the Scarlet Witch. So you want to be able to honor cartoons and comics and fans and all of that. So but bring your own thing to it that you're recreating. So that's been a really like that's been a really fun process.

It's a year away from the Avengers, but right now Godzilla is showing in 3D and 2D in theaters right now. It's what we do. Here's the latest in pop culture. Comic fans have dreamed about this for years. The upcoming television season will have no less than five new series based on comic book properties. It includes, of course, Agent Carter, which has been picked up by ABC Constantine on NBC and Flash and I Zombie on the CW and of course, the Batman prequel Gotham on Fox. In addition to this, of course, we still have The Walking Dead and another season ordered by ABC for Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Here's a publisher success story from free comic book day. One of the ones offered, of course, was V Wars from IDW.

And now the first issue of that, which is said to be in stores in just a few days, has already sold out before it gets there. IDW made that announcement and said they will be getting a second printing of the issue sometime in June. Check with your retailer if you want to be sure to grab that. The movie studio that gave us Hunger Games, Twilight and Divergent now is turning its attention to the Power Rangers. Lionsgate let out on Twitter a couple of days ago that they're planning a live action reboot of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and they say it'll look and we're quoting here, reenvision the franchise for a new generation. The original creators will be involved. No word yet on casting, though, or if any of those original Power Rangers we grew up with a couple of decades ago will make cameo appearances in the film.

And Captain America movie certainly helps sales of graphic novels in bookstores during the month of April. The Captain America Winter Soldier Trade paperback made the list of the top 20 graphic novels sold in bookstores again during the month. The top five included Marvel Encyclopedia's updated expanded edition. Number four, Walking Dead Compendium, Volume 1. Number three, best-selling graphic novels in the regular bookstores, Saga, Volume 3 from Image. Walking Dead Volume 20 came in at number two and Naruto Volume 65 was the best-selling graphic novel in bookstores in April. The acts is starting to fall as far as TV series goes. Over the next few days we should get a lot of good and bad news. For those on Fox who liked Enlisted, Surviving Jack, Dads and Rake, well the news not necessarily pleasant. All of those series canceled by Fox so far and still some questions to be answered about some other series on that network as well as some on the other nets as well.

And again we'll be giving the answers to those over the next few days. ABC has given a big vote of confidence to Jimmy Kimmel with a two-year contract extension based on his ratings growth over the past few months. On the other side of the coin, NBC has yanked both Believe and Crisis from the may sweep lineup. Not running any more episodes at this time and pretty much ensuring the fact that both will not get a renewal for the next TV season. Gotham is a go. It looks like the series will get picked up at Fox for about 22 episodes. At least that's the plan right now. Of course the trailer's been all over the internet the past few days and was in the pilot stage up until just this recent announcement. Gotham will premiere in the Fox lineup in the fall. We should get it at an exact time and date sometime over the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile David Goyer, someone not unfamiliar with DC's movie properties like Batman, has got a third season renewal for his series Da Vinci's Demons, that's on stars. Next season of that will be beginning early in 2015 on the cable network.

That's a wrap for right now but you can count on us being here twice every week on websites like ComicMix.com and MichaelDavidsworld.com and the iTunes podcast directory too. Plus anytime you need pop culture you can always get it 24-7 in our home base. GetThePointRadio.com. Listen online or on any mobile device either Apple or Android with a free app called iNed Radio. We'll see you back here in a few days. Thanks for watching!