Few actors in the whole world are extra qualified to talk about franchises than Djimon Hounsou. The person who most individuals first met when he did Steven Spielberg’s Amistad has since made an unimaginable profession for himself leaping between fantastical film worlds. He’s labored with Marvel. He’s labored with DC. He’s been within the Quick and Livid, Quiet Place, and Kingsman. He’s additionally been in a number of movies (Tarzan, King Arthur, Eragon) that had franchise aspirations however as an alternative fell flat. His newest journey takes him to Insurgent Moon, a two-part sci-fi epic from director Zack Snyder and Netflix. Hounsou thinks it’s Snyder himself that not solely makes Insurgent Moon distinctive however provides it an opportunity to develop into one thing extra.
“The factor that’s distinctive about Insurgent Moon is the story. The essence of the story, through which I may see the relevance of our world,” Hounsou advised io9 over video chat. “The relevance of our actuality, in a manner, comes off the web page. I can communicate for the geopolitical tentacles which were holding the continent of Africa again for hundreds of years. That felt prefer it got here off the web page. Simply the make-up of the continent, to the way in which he was capable of inform the story of at present in such an natural and grounded manner actually drew me [in] and speaks volumes in regards to the state of affairs at present.”
Within the movie, Hounsou performs Common Titus, a as soon as well-known navy genius who has turn into misplaced and is preventing as a gladiator (sure, that he beforehand performed a gladiator in a well-known film with that title was a selected wink to the viewers from Snyder, confirms Hounsou). Titus is recruited by the mysterious Kora (Sofia Boutella) to hitch a random group of warriors all with a rating to settle towards the evil Motherworld.
Although we don’t study a lot about Titus partly one in every of Insurgent Moon, Hounsou guarantees half two dives deeper and he had entry to all of it. “When it comes to backstory Zack knew a lot about that world,” Hounsou mentioned. “Every character is nicely detailed by way of its again historical past in a vogue that it was virtually like Zack Snyder was actually a Bible for every character’s backstory. I imply, he is aware of it forwards and backwards. He is aware of the place they arrive from and the place they’re heading.”
Which he’d should, as a result of one other factor that makes Snyder distinctive is simply how busy he’s. Hounsou, who has labored with the likes of Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Bay, James Wan, Man Ritchie, and others, nonetheless discovered himself amazed and impressed by Snyder the filmmaker. “He’s that distinctive as a result of he’s is a good author, to start with,” Hounsou mentioned. “And he’s, in fact, the director and in addition the cinematographer and he’s the cameraman as nicely. So the spectrum of actually bringing this life [together] it’s unbelievable to see. I imply, the person is tireless. The way in which he approached the work and the truth that he’s embraced every character with our personal little cultural essence… He’s introduced a world forged collectively in a vogue that hardly ever anyone ever does. I imply you’ll be able to’t be extra numerous than this.”
One other factor that makes Snyder distinctive is his fan base. Snyder is a filmmaker with a really passionate, very vocal fanbase, and Hounsou admits that essence is one thing he felt going into the challenge. “I feel it does affect you somewhat bit,” he mentioned. “That is the person who iconically created a movie known as 300. Irrespective of the place you go on the earth, anyone has a DVD of that. However I feel if something, it solely enhanced and supported our contributions to creating Insurgent Moon. He’s undoubtedly a filmmaker aside, within the methods he’s holding so many torches as a cinematographer, as a director, as a author, and as a producer as nicely. So there’s lots of hats he’s sporting each day. And I discover it extraordinarily commendable with the extent of composure through which he comes on and off set.”
Whether or not or not Insurgent Moon reaches the success of Hounsou’s different franchises, we could not know for some time. However that Snyder and his world impressed an actor of his expertise and expertise says quite a bit.
Insurgent Moon: Half One – A Youngster of Hearth is now streaming on Netflix.
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