The blockbuster season, traditionally in June and July, is approaching. There are a slew of big-budget films coming out that we are excited to watch, including Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Tom Cruise’s turn in The Mummy, but none has captured our attention more than Wonder Woman.
Chris Pine, who co-stars in the film alongside the heroine Gal Gadot, tells us more about the filming process and what it’s like to act alongside some of the most amazing women on the planet.
What previous exposure did you have to the world of Wonder Woman?
None, really. I often find the best thing you can do is to treat the script as your bible. The architect of that bible is essentially your director saying, “This is the story I want to get across.” My job is to fall in love with Diana / Wonder Woman, and that’s what I tried to do on screen. Which wasn’t all that hard.
What drew you to the project and character?
What drew me to Wonder Woman was our director, Patty Jenkins. When I first met with Patty, we had a two-hour conversation about everything, from film to ‘80s pop culture, and I just fell in love with her. I thought her take on the material and her energy was exactly what I wanted to be involved with, and I signed up because of her. Patty told me what she wanted the character to be, and how she wanted me to play off of Gal, both of which I enjoyed and aligned with my strengths. I thought I could bring something to the table.
What can you tell us about Steve Trevor?
Steve Trevor is an American pilot and spy working on behalf of the English forces to penetrate the German high command. He comes across a very dangerous weapon, which he smuggles out of enemy territory. In the midst of all this he meets Diana from this island called Themyscira. She’s never seen a man before and doesn’t know anything about the real world and the war that’s going on.
Steve, who is a hyper, morally hollowed-out realist, meets the hyper-idealist, wide-eyed, bushy-tailed neophyte, Diana, and he learns a little bit about hope, and she learns a little bit about being a human being.
What was it like when you first saw Gal Gadot in the Wonder Woman costume?
I don’t mean to sound chauvinistic, but Gal is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. She also has a great sense of humor, intelligence, professionalism and the ability to not take herself so seriously. It’s a pretty incredible combination.
All of that is crucial in creating the character Wonder Woman and bring the Diana-Steve love story to life. That is at the heart of the film, and it’s fantastic.
When Steve Trevor has to ditch his plane near Themyscira, he has his first encounter with a world populated solely by women. What was your experience working opposite dozens of women portraying the Amazons?
It was like nothing I’d experienced before. On set there were over 70 women from all over the world—many of them highly trained MMA fighters or CrossFit trainers, as well as a boxing champion, Ann Wolfe—plus, of course, Gal, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright and all the other actresses portraying the Amazons. It was a wonderful and unexpected environment, with husbands coming to set to watch their wives work, while the guys held the babies.
What was your most memorable moment on the set?
I call it the “Casablanca Moment,” where Steve confesses his undying love to Diana before they part ways. Filming the scene was just stunning. We were shooting on an airfield, with huge spotlights, wet cement and the setting of a World War. It was just insanely cool. Poor Gal was freezing, but it was just magical.
What do you hope audiences take away from the film when they see it in the cinema?
Wonder Woman marries a great romance with a huge action adventure. There’s some really great character work done by incredibly talented actors. And if you’re there for the spectacle, you won’t be disappointed.
Wonder Woman opens in cinemas island wide 31 May