Time Network feature article 2017 adapted from horror novel master Stephen King's "Joker Returns", dominating the summer box office that year as a dark horse, earning $700 million worldwide, exceeding the expectations of the creator, the 1400-page original is basically the weight of two novels, so the film will be filmed in two episodes, due to the success of the first part, the sequel "Joker Returns 2" was not screened first.
Joker 2 takes place 27 years after the first episode, and now that the "Scrap Wood Club" seven have grown up, except for Mike (Issaa Mustafa as the adult version and Jorson Jacob as the child version) who stayed in their hometown, the others have long since moved out of The Town of Drey.
The seven grown-ups have vague memories of 27 years ago and aren't even sure if it was just a nightmare. In the second episode, the crowd returns to Derry Town, once again confronting the biggest demons in their hearts.
I believe that you have watched the film through various channels, now let's review the video interview with the creator before the release of the film, and understand what really happened on the next set.
"I think the audience who liked the first episode will like the second episode," director Anders Musshti said, "because the second episode retains a lot of the elements and style that everyone likes the first episode, but it's more terrifying." But the emotions, shared values, and sense of humor in the first episode continue. ”
"Joker Returns" was planned to be made in two films, at least in terms of story content. "It may have been the success of the first episode that persuaded the studio to keep making it," Anders Musshti went on, "but I've always wanted to tell the story in two films." ”
Children of the "loser club"
Producer Barbara Mustesti went on to say, "We also discussed a trilogy when we made the second episode because the second episode was so informative. Anders revealed that the first cut was four hours longer, "but that was expected because our script was originally long." The release version of "Joker Returns 2" is 169 minutes long, and a director's extended version will be released in the future.
The sequel this time invited Hollywood's hot actors to play the "Waste Wood Club" adult group, and this time the opportunity to extend the first actor of all roles was very encouraging to the production team.
Joker Returns 2 poster
"Model Sister" Jessica Chastain was the first to join the crew, she starred in director Anders Musthiti's feature film debut "Mother Invasion", and then Model Labor's "Dark Phoenix" actor "One Beauty" James McAvoy also announced to join, not only because he is director Anders Mousshti's favorite actor, "He is also similar to the charm of child star Jetton Lieboch who plays Billy, which is very important to me." ”
Jessica Chastain described the first day of filming as "like the first day of school, I was nervous before I got there and wanted everyone to like me, so I bought a bunch of '80s tops." I'm the one who tries too hard to please everyone. James McAvoy, who was on the sidelines, continued, "You did have the best welcome gift, and it was amazing." I guess I just sent a postcard, right? ”
"The tacit understanding and chemistry between the actors is the most important thing for us," said producer Barbara Musshti, "but I think the tacit understanding they have cultivated in the past is also the strength of our films." ”
The tacit understanding between the various actors in the adult group, Barbara Mustesti cited the Chinese restaurant reunion dinner at the beginning of the film as an example. This scene was filmed in the first week of filming, a reunion dinner was filmed for four days, the theme is that although everyone who has been missing for many years does not remember the events of childhood, but through a late eating, drinking and fun reminiscing about the past, everyone once again finds the past contact. During the dinner, everyone kept joking with each other, and the atmosphere was as good as if everyone had never been apart.
The "Waste Wood Alliance" assembled at the Chinese restaurant
The main actors revealed that the weekend before the start of filming, everyone also went to sing karaoke together to cultivate feelings. James McAvoy said that filming the reunion dinner "was four days of laughter, and Anders gave the command next to him: 'Eat more fortune cookies, throw away food, and continue to improvise.'" ’”
Comedian Bill Hader, who originated on the American Saturday night show SNL, played the adult version of Richie in "Joker Returns 2", and in this scene, it can be said that he has a comical ability to squeeze the box. Bill Hader has shown his acting skills in the HBO drama black comedy "Barry" in the past two years, and he described the performance of "Joker Returns 2" as the same horror and fear as the audience, knowing that there is danger ahead, so he will always ask "Why do we continue to move forward?" ”
The fears in front of you are real
Vision gives you an unprecedented sensory experience
"Joker Returns 2" is longer and the scene effect is more grand. The art director invited the Oscar-winning best art director paul Scott of The Shape of Water. D. Osterbury is in charge, and the film builds a lot of realistic scenes, continuing the small town of Delhi and the town's underground waterway system that we know in the first episode.
"It's a great gift that we found Paul," director Anders Musthiti said, "and he and I never said anything like 'the second episode is going to be more terrifying,' and the focus was on the extension of the world, how it would be visually presented." ”
Live-action construction, reproduction of horror scenes
In the previous episode, the story takes the audience to the Joker's underground sewer system, and "Joker Returns 2" will take the audience to the next level of the underground sewer system. Director Anders Musshti said: "The [biggest] challenge is how to create a scene with another ending, the scene at the end of the first episode is impressive, how can we recreate at least the same sensory experience." ”
However, Anders Musshti said that some vividly depicted scenes in the novel will not be put on the screen, especially some visually excellent pictures, the production cost is too expensive and does not help the story to advance, "it is better to stay in the reader's imagination world." ”
The realism of the real scene also made the protagonists praise, and the protagonists said that the art design's dedication to detail helped them feel like they were in the scene. The lead actors all believe that the various degrees of wetness in the whole body during filming are the biggest physical challenges filmed in the whole scene.
James McAvoy said that when filming, "there was always blood on the body, a little wet." ”
Jessica Chastain, the "model sister" who plays the adult version of Sophia in the film, said that although she knew the shape of the character film, she did not think that the whole scene should be soaked when filming, "so when the director shouted to start shooting, the other boys were fine, and I would have three girls coming towards me, and then spraying water and spilling prop blood at me, all day long, and the set also turned on the air conditioning..."
The "daily life" of the model sister on the set
Bill Skarsgaard returns to "Joker Returns 2" to play the creepy and bloodthirsty clown, which frightens the new lead actors very much. James McAvoy said that the first time he saw the Joker, he thought it was okay, and Bill Skarsgaard's usual image on the set was not like that of the Joker, but the first time he saw Bill Skarsgaard fully engaged in the role on the set, it was still very shocking.
Bill Skarsgard, in order to play the Joker, physically did things that many others could not do. The first is the Joker's unique voice, and it was Bill Skarsgard who tore his own throat to cause that kind of creepiness.
Because it is too surreal, many people think that it is a post-special effect, but it is not. The shape of the clown's lower lip is also a funny move that Bill Skarsgard has been doing since he was a child. The Joker's eye movements are the "originality" of another Skarsgaard, who was born to be able to move only his left eye and not move his right eye.
Just ask who sees who is not afraid?
We can feel the horror of Bill Skarsgard's creation across the screen, and it's hard to imagine how terrifying it would be to play with him on set. "[Bill Skarsgard] was emotionally and physically thoroughly into the character, it looked horrible and weird, and I thought, 'I don't like that... I don't want to be alone with you when you're like this. James McAvoy said. So it's easy to react horribly. ”
There's a controversial end to the original joke about Joker Returns, where director Anders Musthiti says it won't be in the film, "I've always wanted to end the film, but the challenge is how to switch to the film." ”
"I appreciated the way the original connected the two timelines, so there must be one in the second episode. There's flashbacks back to 1989 and it's part of the plot, not just the character's memories," Anders said.
"It's important for us to preserve the mood of the ending," producer Barbara Mustesti said. "But the last half hour of the film stirs up every emotion in the audience." After watching the movie, you will feel more relieved, just like the first episode.
The sequel is a complete upgrade of the previous adventure
"Joker" has a unique way of expressing fear
TIME: What would you most like to convey in this film? Because it's a sequel, what different things do you want to build?
Anders Muschetti (Director): First of all I want to be faithful to the original and show the depth of the second half of the story, which is more mature, involving the fears of adult characters, which are mainly derived from childhood trauma. On the other hand, I also want to create a more exciting movie-going experience for the audience, and I'm lucky enough to have the resources and budget to shoot it well and create a bigger adventure.
TIME:TIME:Bill said he was going crazy when he shot the last scene, was that the effect you were after? Did you expect him to fly to this point? Or was it forced out by you?
Anders Muschetti: Bill doesn't restrain himself when it comes to highly tense and scary scenes, and he can act whatever he wants. He will be very intense, not at all, and extreme in physical performance.
There were times during the filming that he also needed to exercise restraint, and in the third act, when he was facing the losers, he was performing in a prop, showing only one face, his body curled up inside, and his performance was extremely hard, to the point of near embarrassment. But the effect is great, you can see it in the movie, and the last scene is very scary.
Work photos on set
Time.com: Stephen King said he was a box office poisoner, and if you let him make a cameo in a movie, would it make you hesitate?
Anders Muschetti: Not at all, I'm not superstitious, he's just kidding when he says that. He has a great sense of humor and I think he's happy to be a part of it because he loved the first Joker Returns and he was so confident in the adaptation that he was happy to have a cameo and we had a great time that day.
The origin of the "clown" is actually a drunkard?
Regarding the scare point, the film and the script are completely different
Time.com: Taking over a film sequel has always required careful consideration, especially since you didn't participate in the first film, what is the most important thing for you to participate in this film?
Andy Bean (starring): Don't disappoint expectations.
James Lanthorne (starring): It's an honor to be able to participate in such a classic Stephen King work.
Andy Bean: We're lucky to be in Steven King's work, and we just want to do the best we can.
Time.com: When you see the script, do you also need to get a sense of fright in order to transmit that fear on the screen?
Bill Hader (starring): When we look at the script we can all guess where the scare point is, but you can never guess the movie, I watched it for the first time last night, you can never guess what will happen
James Lanthorne: A lot of the scare points are cut out by editing, and where the audience feels scared...
Bill Hader: It wasn't scary when it was filmed, it didn't feel like it was trapped in a haunted house, it was like playing in a haunted house, and when it was filmed, it wasn't scary at all, and there was no inner fluctuation
Time.com: When I first saw the film last night, what surprised you the most?
Bill Hader: The difference between the finished film and the script seems to be quite large, especially the children's scenes. The story often switches back and forth between two timelines, which is the horror version of "The Godfather 2".
TIME: Have you ever thought that this movie has completely changed the image of the Joker in the hearts of audiences around the world?
Bill Hader: I rarely think about the image of clowns, like the clowns of the world, they have always been scary, isn't that the characteristic of clowns?
James Lanthorne: Was that the style of this a long time ago?
Andy Bean: The origin of circus clowns is actually drunks, and their noses are very red because they are drunk
And they walk with swaying, of course this is only a theory.
Bill Hader: I always thought Clown killer John Wayne Gacy was the originator of the Horror Clown.
Andy Bean: The Horror Clown is supposed to come from him.
James Lanthorne: The Image of the Joker was ruined by him
Bill Hader: He destroyed one more thing, and he ruined something uncountable.
The older you get, the more timid you get?
Do we have to face our fears?
TIME: Is it a bold choice to be in a film like this?
Jessica Chastain (starring): Not for me, this is my third horror film, I love the genre, there are two kinds of horror films, one is psychological horror and one is abusive horror. I love psychological thrillers, and I'm excited to be in this film, and I'm excited to be working with Andy again.
TIME: Stephen King said that as we get older, our fears become stronger, do you agree with that? Is there anything you are particularly afraid of?
Ishaa Mustafa (starring): I personally have a lot of fear of rats, yes, this fear will continue to develop, maybe not to become a ghost or a clown or something, but it will become something else, and when I grow up, I will still be afraid.
Jay Ryan (starring): If you ignore the fear, the fear will get worse and worse, and the longer it goes on, the more it will affect you.
Jessica Chastain: Sometimes it's not necessary to face fear, like snakes.
Isaah Mustafa: Or spiders, you just have to find a way to avoid them. Just call the rat exterminator to come
Time.com: This is not only a horror movie, but also a movie about friendship, do you still have any contact with your childhood playmates?
Jessica Chastain: It's a pity that I grew up being a bit lonely, and I didn't have a group of friends like losers, and if I did, I would definitely benefit. I went to college to find friends who could have fun, and those classmates and I are still friends.
Ishaa Mustafa: I also have some high school friends who are still in touch, and they have a headache, they never cover their mouths, they always say to me, what kind of movie are you making?
Jessica Chastain: Didn't spit on this one?
Ishaa Mustafa: Not really, they say we still prefer you to play rugby, at least get free tickets.
Growth and friendship have new notes
What was it like to write to your adult self?
TIME: I heard that you were forced to write letters to your respective adult actors, did that help your performance?
Jeremy Ray Taylor (childhood character starring): Yeah, I started out with a difficult and scary feeling because they were all big stars. But it was still interesting to start writing and allowed me to get to know more about my role, although it may be a little late because we have all played the first part, but it has allowed me to know my role better
Sophia Lilith (childhood character starring): I had to do my best because these good actors would watch this movie and watch our performances, so I was really stressed, but at the same time I was excited.
Jon Jacob (childhood character starring): Very happy, I am looking forward to which actor will play our adult version. When they said they were going to write to them, it was really emotional because we were very young, and this occupied four years of our lives, and it was important to us and I will never forget it for the rest of my life.
TIME: What's the most unexpected comment you've heard from your fans or family?
Jaden Martell (childhood character starring): When I brushed Instagram today, I found that the fans seemed to be very sad, as if after the premiere of this film, we would never see each other again. There's been a special relationship between the fans, they've formed their own community, and it's great to see that we've fostered their friendship.
Valette Olef (childhood character starring): We have a lot of memories together, breaking box office records when the first episode was released two years ago, and when I first heard about it, I was ecstatic. We made this film together because we love storytelling, and the whole set is filled with that passion, and it feels really great to be able to tell Stephen King's story, to bring joy to everyone, to do what we want to do.
Time.com: Does this film give you a different view of fear, friendship, and success?
Jon Jacob (childhood character starring): I feel like it's an honor to make a successful film at a young age, and it makes us learn a lot. Of course, we are very happy to see this movie achieve good results, and we all have to thank you for going to see the movie. But what I really like is the friendship I formed with everyone during the filming process. It puts fame aside and friends first, and I'm looking forward to a sequel, not because I want audiences to see the film, but to reunite with friends.