Video:Director Martin Campbell Green Lantern Interview
with Rebecca MurrayDirector Martin Campbell's handled big budget films before, but 'Green Lantern' is his first film of the superhero genre. At the 2010 Comic Con, Campbell said that while the shoot's been strenuous, it will all be worth it in the end.
Transcript:Director Martin Campbell Green Lantern Interview
Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the 2010 San Diego Comic Con.
Martin Campbell - Green Lantern
How are things going on the film because you're not done yet?Martin Campbell: "Really badly."
Horribly, and that's why you're here today.
Martin Campbell: "No. I'm on my 92nd day and I've still got two weeks to go."
Is it turning out how you expected? Are there problems you've encountered that you didn't expect?
Martin Campbell: "There are always problems with these things, but it's been a pretty... It's a very strenuous shoot, very tough, but everyone's been really great. To be honest it's gone very smoothly. And so far, touch wood, the weather's been very good in New Orleans, just for what we wanted. And yes, a strenuous shoot but we're almost there. And then the real work begins with obviously the effects which is a lot."
What kind of effects are you putting in? Anything we haven't seen before?
Martin Campbell: "We'll certainly the planet of Oa is going to be extraordinary, I think. And we have the production designer of Lord of the Rings is with us so he's got all sorts of very interesting concept stuff that's going to go in. So, yeah, I think it's going to be very interesting indeed."
This is one that not everyone knows. Is it easier for you because it's a comic book that people don't know?
Martin Campbell: "I think so. As it's my first superhero movie I sort of, 'Whatever,' in the sense of that as a character he has much more going for him and the scope of his world, or should I say universe, is much more interesting I think than most of them."
What was the biggest challenge?
Martin Campbell: "Just getting my head around the sheer mechanics of it all. I've done blue screen obviously and effects in other movies, but not to this extent. We've done weeks of it, sitting in the studio for 12 hours a day with someone tied up in ropes and flapping his arms as though he's flying through space. It's sort of unique."
What's the tone of the movie?
Martin Campbell: "If I say light, I mean I think it'll be very entertaining. I think it's quite moving in places. I think he's very much a real character. I tried to keep the characters as real as possible, don't make them 2-dimensional. There's a lot of humor in it, which obviously with Ryan Reynolds is clearly important. It's by no means a comedy - it's certainly not that - but there is a lot of humor. And I think the relationships between all the characters are very solid and very real."
Why is it important to have him as the star of this? What does he bring, specifically?
Martin Campbell: "Who? Ryan? Well just what can I say? Ryan Reynolds. Well, first of all he's bloody good looking. How about that for a start? Secondly, he looks fantastic because he muscled up for the part - did all of that. Absolutely was up at 4 in the morning for god knows how many months getting himself in shape. He's a wonderful actor, great sense of humor, and he's also very adept at being able to improvise in a scene. Because so often in scripts, and particularly in these types of scripts, we have what's known as a cheese meter. So if we get news that the cheese meter was going up, we immediately adjust. So if it gets too cheesy, we immediately rethink it."
Has it pinged that meter very often?
Martin Campbell: "No, no. Hopefully it doesn't ping at all. But we're all very aware of it."
Will this be the first in a trilogy? How open-ended is this movie?
Martin Campbell: "Well you know as well as I do if it bombs, which it won't I hope, they won't make another. But if it is successful, then they will."
Does that put any pressure on you?
Martin Campbell: "Green Lantern is the one character or the one comic that has no problem with stories in the future. There are tons. And all the characters, of course, a lot of them go to the dark side so it's endless the potential for stories on Green Lantern."
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