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Ender’s Game and Drone Warfare

In almost every interview on Ender’s Game he has given Harrison Ford has pointed out how the relevance of this movie for today’s audiences hinges in part on its comment on current drone warfare. Some commenters have been equally persistent in claiming to see no connection between the two. Obviously, in the book there are actual pilots steering the ships while drone ships are generally just remote-controlled machines. But to point this out as the sole reason for negating Ford’s argument is a little too simplistic. After all, in both cases the decisions (and therefore the moral deliberations) are made by those who do not truly experience the horrors of war first-hand.

Now, Slate has published an interesting little article shedding light on what Ender’s story truly tells us about drone warfare. The article focuses not just on the game-like nature of drone attacks but also on the psychological effects on the decision maker.

[A] recent study has suggested that PTSD in drone pilots might be minimized by humanizing the drone interface. … [But] it is questionable whether we should wish to … help our soldiers kill with fewer psychological consequences. … War should be horrible and traumatic because otherwise it threatens to become merely a game, or merely a job, and the consequences of warfare where only one side stands to lose are inhumane and unacceptable.

Read the rest of the article HERE!

Source: Slate

November 13, 2013
VIDEO: Abigail Breslin Talks Valentine Wiggin

Online fashion magazine ContentMode recently published a photo series they did with Abigail Breslin for their current issue. In addition to a number of awesome pictures they also posted a video of Abigail talking about her fashion philosophy, filming August: Osage County with Meryl Streep, and Valentine’s relationship with Ender in Ender’s Game! Watch it below. The Ender’s Game part starts around the 2:55 minute mark.

Source: ContentMode

September 25, 2013
Gavin Hood Welcomes the Opportunity to Debate LGBT Rights

Ender’s Game director Gavin Hood has not been shy in voicing his disappointment in Orson Scott Card’s controversial views on gay marriage and continued to speak out on the issue when talking with SFX Magazine a few weeks ago.

“I said this is going to be a debate, and debate is good. The truth is that if we hadn’t made the movie we wouldn’t be having this discussion, and in some ways, in a twisted way I actually welcome the opportunity to express my views which appear to be the polar opposite to his. But the movie is not about the crazy things that Orson is saying. It’s about the nature of man in terms of his capacity for violence and compassion, and questioning this merging of game and reality in drone warfare. All of those themes for me remain extremely powerful despite the views on gay marriage that Orson has, with which I strongly disagree.”

This article can be found online at SFX.com and the above image is a preview of their full article on Ender’s Game that appears in SFX issue #240 (look for Thor on the cover!)

Source: SFX.com via Ender News

September 24, 2013
Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci in September Issue of Elle

Producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci spoke with Elle magazine for the September issue and talked Star Trek and Ender’s Game.

Another of your upcoming films is the Ender’s Game adaptation, which hits theaters in November. What drew you to this project?

RO: I read that book as a child. The same uncle who got me into Star Trek actually got me to read that book. I just thought it was fascinating that you could have young protagonists in a very adult-themed book, dealing with real issues like war, peace and leaving your family. It didn’t talk down to anybody, and both children and adults liked it. At the time I read it, it seemed unfilmable, but today we finally live in an age where the technology is available to do it. All the pieces came together and it was something we just couldn’t pass up.

I have to admit I’m a little confused by the photo and the magazine credit, since it’s clearly from an Asian magazine, but still love the photo of the two of them!

Source: Cool Hunt

September 23, 2013
Ender’s Game Cast Watch #11

Hey peeps,

I’ve been on vacation in the wilderness (read: visiting my family), which meant no stalking teenagers or posting random stuff for the obsessed. And while it was very relaxing, I’m happy to be back and ready to post some Ender’s Game cast news!

Let’s start with Abigail Breslin. Between tweeting about Pumpkin Spice Latte and working really hard on her newly established Tumblr, she found the time to both go to the premiere of the One Direction movie as well as appear at the Toronto Film Festival to promote her new star-studded movie August: Osage County. The movie is based on a play by Tracy Letts; Meryl Streep and Benedict Cumberbatch star among other great names. See Abbie at the premiere below and check out 20+ pics of her at the August: Osage County press conference HERE on JustJared.

Asa Butterfield has been busy shooting (and wrapping) his new movie X Plus Y while Asanators have been swamping Tumblr with pics from the shoot. Here are a few choice ones found on various Instagram accounts of the X Plus Y cast and such by Tumblr users ceolwaerc, elinabfb, asabutterfielded and asaisthebest.

After the movie wrapped, it was straight back to London, where Asa is now attending Sixth Form College (note: that’s still regular school, not college in the American sense of the word), presumably at his old school, Stoke Newington in Hackney/London. His GCSE results were pretty good, so Ender’s academic future looks bright and rosy.

In other news, Asa has just struck up a Twitter friendship with Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams. Shame that I can’t think of a Song of Ice and Fire role I could see Asa in. Any ideas?

Between Comic Con, shooting X Plus Y and getting ready for advanced schooling, Asa seems to have found the time to squeeze in a photoshoot with Teen Vogue as well. Is that Beetlejuice with a hat? Check out the making-of video HERE.

By the way, the cover model for this very issue of Teen Vogue is none other than Ender’s Game’s Hailee Steinfeld. Watch the video of her cover shoot below.

In addition to working as a cover model and reminding people on Twitter that Ender’s Game is less than two months away, Hailee is also promoting her other new movie, the newest adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. While she was in Rome for some touristy stuff about a week ago, she posted this pic of herself and two of her cast mates with a countdown leading up to the Romeo and Juliet release date. It’s only about a month away, guys, so now is the time to brush up on your Elizabethan English!

For Suraj Partha, the past two weeks were basically filled with preparing for the SATs, talking to Crystal and Kelly on EnderCast, and being a musician. He posted not only one, but two new videos on Youtube! Check out his covers of Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House” and “Wait for Me” by Kings of Leon HERE and HERE. And in case you have a little time to spare, Suraj’s Youtube channel is awesome! Check it out for various vids of Suraj performing privately and publicly HERE.

In addition, he stepped in last minute to play Beethoven’s 9th at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with a youth orchestra on August 26. Just like that. Sure. I can play that kind of music on short notice. No problem at all.

Speaking about music, Jimmy Jax Pinchak posted a new video of himself and his band playing Muddy Waters’ “Trouble No More” on facebook. If you like Blues, here you go:

Finally, Aramis Knight and Brandon Soo Hoo seem to have new jobs. Brandon recently tweeted about some work on the new TV series Instant Mom, while Aramis seems to have become a clothing line model for Barnabas.

Phew, that was quite a bit of stuff. Check back here for more random cast news next week. See ya!

DEE

Sources: Huffington Post Canada, JustJared, Wikipedia, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube

September 10, 2013
Moises Arias On Being a Child Actor and Favorite Roles

A couple of days ago, Moises Arias (Bonzo) tweeted this little interview he did in The Standard Lifestyle‘s Artist Issue. Click through for a bigger/readable version of the scan!

August 17, 2013
PHOTO: Graff and Mazer Rackham Face Off with Ender Wiggin

Although we just posted an image that is from Entertainment Weekly’s Fall Movie Preview, turns out that was the bonus tablet image. The image above, which shows Mazer Rackham looking at Ender while Graff gives Ender an angry look, is the actual image from the print issue on stands today. (look for the Anchorman 2 issue)

In the brief article, Gavin Hood talks about how when he told his visual effects supervisor what he wanted for the Battle Room, “his eyes nearly popped out of his head”.

HUGE thanks to my friend Michelle for helping me view this on her iPad!

Source: Entertainment Weekly tablet edition

August 9, 2013
Ender’s Game Cast Watch #7 – Power of Youth

This week’s cast watch mostly revolves around yesterday’s Variety Power of Youth event. Abigail Breslin was honored as one of five young performers for her involvement in Project Sunshine, a charity for children with disabilities, HIV and other special needs. Here is Abigail with her co-honorees Jake Austin, Quvenzhane Wallis, Nina Dobrev and Tyler Posey.

At the event, Abigail met up with her August: Osage County costar Dermot Mulroney …

… and probably with some of her Ender’s Game buddies, because it seems that Aramis Knight and Khylin Rhambo were also in attendance. Khylin tweeted this “epic” picture of himself with Percy Jackson‘s Brandon T. Jackson and The Maze Runner‘s Dexter Darden.

Aramis met up with some friends and then posed with Tyler Posey (pun intended), tweeting: “Everyone thinks I look like this guy.” I wonder why everyone thinks that … oh wait, BECAUSE YOU DO!

Apparently, Abigail Breslin played matchmaker for Aramis Knight at some point around the time of the event. Hmm, very cryptic.

In other news:

Abigail Breslin did a photoshoot with The Icon Magazine. Looks amazing.

Asa Butterfield is shooting a new movie, modding Skyrim, and letting himself be stung in the lip by wasps. (I’m still waiting for photos.) Hailee Steinfeld is seeing Bruno Mars tonight. And the Jimmy Jax Pinchak Band just started playing at the Venice Beach Summer Fest 2013. Check their WEBSITE for upcoming gigs.

PS: If you are at Venice Beach right now, Jimmy is signing a limited number of Ender’s Game posters after the gig!

Sources: Variety; Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

July 28, 2013
PHOTO: Graff and Ender

Since we are posting new stills today, check out this picture of Ender and Graff showing them shortly before Ender enters the battle room.

This image appeared in the special Comic Con edition being handed out in the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter during Comic Con.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

July 26, 2013
Hailee Steinfeld on Petra and Strong Female Roles

In an article on the “new wave of strong female-led sci-fi” published yesterday by the Los Angeles Times, Hailee Steinfeld speaks up about what attracted her to the role of Petra in Ender’s Game. According to the article, it wasn’t easy for her to find a challenging enough project after her highly acclaimed performance as Mattie Ross in True Grit (2010). The role of Petra Arkanian seems to have changed that.

When ‘Ender’s Game’ came along with Petra, I found that I’m really attracted to the strong female roles. Not only do you have to look harder for those parts but you have to fight for them. But fighting for what you want is the best part of the job. It’s what I love.”

The rest of the article focuses on other strong female characters in young adult franchises such as Divergent, The Mortal Instruments, and The Hunger Games. While many fans of Card’s novel are tired of Ender’s Game constantly being compared to The Hunger Games, Hailee nevertheless has something to say about which kind of impact the Hunger Games movie had on her and the rest of the young cast during the filming of Ender’s Game:

We all sat in the theater and we were all in awe. Most of us had read the book and we were excited. It was cool to see that ensemble cast just bring it 110%. It motivated us to really come together and make a great movie.

Check out the entire article HERE!

Source: LA Times

July 13, 2013
Entertainment Weekly Reveals New Ender’s Game Cover

Check out this awesome cover of Entertainment Weekly featuring none other than Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield in Ender’s Game!

We get a great look at Ender in his Dragon Army flash suit, carrying in his arm his Dragon Army helmet. It’s a “bonus” cover, so you may have to check around to find this one for yourself!

Source: Entertainment Weekly

July 10, 2013
Behind the Scenes Photo from ‘Ender’s Game’ in Empire Magazine

Thanks to a photo by @charloteburows, we can see that Empire magazine has a cool behind the scenes photo of Asa Butterfield as Ender (right in white), Suraj Partha as Alai (center), and director Gavin Hood (left).

The article was released online in May with an exclusive photo of Graff watching Ender in the Battle Room.

We’ll try to get a better look at the image soon!

July 3, 2013
Mazer Rackham Still in Entertainment Weekly on Stands Today

Those of you wanting to see Sir Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham in print can pick up the May 10th edition of Entertainment Weekly on newsstands today. Will post a scan once I pick my copy up from the post office tomorrow! Who knows, maybe they’ve included some print exclusive quotes!

Here’s the cover to look for, since I know some stores take a couple of days to replace last week’s issue:

May 3, 2013