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Category: Press

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
PHOTOS: More from the Lasertag Arena at Gamescom

Gamescom wrapped up last week and Constantin Film put up a lot of great photos of the event on the official German Facebook page for Ender’s Game. You can check out some of them below!

August 29, 2013
Gavin Hood on the Grey Areas of ‘Ender’s Game’

Gavin Hood appeared as a guest at Fan Expo Canada this past weekend and spoke to press about the upcoming Ender’s Game adaptation. In an interview with Metro News, he talks about the difficulties of adapting the book and his interest in the grey areas of the novel.

“Some films masquerade as dealing with moral complexity, but in fact, for me, cop out a little by never putting the protagonist in a truly morally complex situation,” Hood said in a recent interview at the pop culture fest known as Fan Expo Canada. “There are films we can think of where, yes, the protagonist kills people, but actually all the people they kill are bad or awful in some way, (without) that moment of really having to face up to the grey zone, that place where you ask, ‘Am I capable of doing something morally repugnant because I believe it’s for a greater good?’

He also talks a bit about how he sees reactions to his decision to cut Locke and Demosthenes and his wife’s advice on the matter!

“My wife actually says to me, ‘Gavin, you have to stop going on the Internet. It makes you crazy.’ There’s so much chatter,” says Hood. “I found it hard to cut. But it really means you need to make a 15-part miniseries, and I was given the opportunity to make a two-hour film, so my focus was, ‘What can I do in a film that the novel might not be able to do as well?’”

You can read the entire interview at Metro News.

August 26, 2013
Ender’s Game at Toronto’s Fan Expo

Ender’s Game is at Toronto’s Fan Expo Canada this week and eOneFilms (Canadian distributor) is doing the green screen photos for fans that visit their booth. (photo from msnataliedee) If you’re not sure what Fan Expo Canada is, I wasn’t either, but apparently it’s the Canada’s equivalent of Comic Con.

Director Gavin Hood is there and did a press junket for Ender’s Game, so hopefully we’ll see some interviews coming out for that soon. He’s currently doing an autograph signing at the eOneFilms booth. If anyone snaps a photo please send it in to us at valentine @ enderwiggin.net!

August 24, 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
Ender’s Game Cast Watch #9 – Teen Choice Awards

Hey peeps,

it’s been a while since I did a regular Cast Watch. So let’s cover some ground!

1. TEEN CHOICE AWARDS

Last Sunday (August 11, 2013) the annual Teen Choice Awards were held at Universal Studios LA. Abigail Breslin and Hailee Steinfeld presented an award together, and they looked stunning.

If you really dig Hailee’s outfit and are interested in her nail art, here is a pretty little article about it.
During the presentation, the girls seem to have given it their all.

I had thought that this pose was exclusive to German pseudo-folk singers whose dirndl dresses are made by their mothers, but apparently not. Afterwards, Hailee went to thank her outfitters for her awesome look, while Abigail seemed preoccupied with shoe woes. I commiserate.

Aramis Knight and Khylin Rhambo attended some of the pre- and after-parties of the event. On Thursday, August 8, both went to the Style Lounge/Gifting Suite event held by Red Carpet Events LA in honor of the Teen Choice Awards. Here, Aramis talked to Red Carpet Report about Ender’s Game. We posted his interview earlier HERE.

On Friday, August 9, KIIS-FM held a Teen Choice Awards gifting suite and pre-party in West LA. Aramis met up with his friend Dylan Sprayberry there. Look at the coolness!

On Sunday, August 11, Aramis and Dylan went to the Teen Choice Awards after-party. Nice print!

2. ASA BUTTERFIELD X PLUS Y

While the LA kids were partying, Asa Butterfield was busy shooting a movie. And with busy I mean BUSY! Pick up at 6, working from 7 to 7 – it’s a hard life.

And not only that, the work seems to go on after hours, as some instagram images from during and after filming contest to. For instance, this one’s titled 10:26.

Since the young star is very busy, he doesn’t have much time to tweet. Some of the kids on the film, however, seem to be willing to share the occasional behind-the-scenes/late night rehearsal pic. Tumblr users lovezucks and elinabfb have been tracking down some of those pics to share with the general, Asa Butterfield-obsessed public.

3. MISCELLANEOUS

In other news, Aramis Knight hung out with fellow child actors Danika Yarosh, Mason Cook, and Jadin Gould at Olivia Holt’s Sweet Sixteen, as wells as with his buddy Khylin Rhambo for some knar skateboarding session prior to the Teen Choice Awards.

Khylin Rhambo, after some contemplation (check his Twitter), has apparently decided to go back to a regular high school instead of continuing home schooling. Good Luck!

And finally: Listen Up, New Yorkers! Abigail Breslin is to perform at The Bitter End on Monday, August 13, from 7 pm!

Sources: Zimbio, the cast’s Twitter and Instagram accounts, lovezucks an elinabfb on Tumblr

August 17, 2013
PHOTOS: Asa, Hailee, and Aramis at Summit’s SDCC Party

Yes, it’s a month later and we’re still catching up with Comic Con stuff…

Here are photos of Asa, Hailee, and Aramis at the Summit VIP party on July 18, 2013 at the Hard Rock Hotel. Kelly (from Ender News) and I got to go to the party and briefly said hi to Aramis and met moms of both Asa and Aramis, who were very nice! These photos are from the press line/carpet area before they came in.

Image source: Zimbio

August 15, 2013
VIDEO: Gavin Hood On Making Ender’s Game an Unusual YA Movie

Another wonderful interview with Ender’s Game director Gavin Hood! I have to say, the more of these I see, the more excited I get for this movie. Gavin talks to MoviesDotCom about making Ender’s Game a Young Adult movie (PG-13!) that doesn’t talk down to kids, how he tried to incorporate epic scifi elements as well as the intimate character story, why he cut Locke and Demosthenes, and his stance on possible sequels.

Source: MoviesDotComOfficial on Youtube

August 13, 2013
VIDEO: Asa and Hailee on Petra, Graff, and the Movie’s Time Frame

There are still Comic Con videos trickling in. This one was posted recently by Entertainment Weekly. Watch Asa Butterfield and Hailee Steinfeld talk about Petra being the only girl, Graff being the “overbearing tyrant” of Battle School and their favorite thing to shoot. Also, Asa Butterfield speculates on when the Ender’s Game movie is actually set.

I’m not sure I believe the 50 year time frame. Maybe he means that that is when the first invasion occurs?

Thanks to asafarrbutterfield and ellassecretworld for posting this on Tumblr.

Source: EW’s Youtube Channel

August 13, 2013
Harrison Ford: Ender’s Game is “Pretty Heady Stuff”

In an interview with Reuters, Harrison Ford talked a bit about what attracted him to Ender’s Game.

Q: In November, you star in “Ender’s Game.” Your character mentors a child who is training to be a military specialist and fight future alien invasions. Were you familiar with the book?

A: I was unaware of the book until the script came along and I was asked to be involved. The book was written 28 years ago and is remarkably pressing in terms of the things that are part of modern warfare. Also the questions of moral responsibility for military leadership, the questions involving young people in warfare, manipulating children possibly for the good of mankind – that’s pretty heady stuff.

Q: Do you have any thoughts about those things as they relate to today’s world news?

A: I’m real interested in what’s going on in the world. I have personal feelings and opinions, but it’s not the opinions that drive my participation. I participate in things because I have an emotional recognition in the scenes that I’m reading about that’s beyond subject and is about human behavior.

Ford can be seen in a new movie out this week called Paranoia also starring Gary Oldman and Liam Hemsworth.

Source: Chicago Tribune

August 12, 2013
GALLERY: Comic-Con 2013 “Ender’s Game” Press Conference

I know they’ve been long in coming, but here are the final photos from the “Ender’s Game” press conference held on 18 July 2013 at San Diego Comic-Con!

I had the amazing opportunity to sit second row, a mere ten feet from a fabulous ensemble: Writer/Director Gavin Hood, Producer Roberto Orci, Asa Butterfield (Ender Wiggin), Hailee Steinfeld (Petra Arkanian), and of course, Mr. Harrison Ford (Colonel Graff). I’m not really sure what they talked about, since I spent most of my time trying to snap photos and take video simultaneously. Though I’m pretty sure one of those surlier photos of Harrison came shortly after some silly reporter said the words “Han Solo”…

(These photographs are the property of Elizabeth C. Spencer and may not be utilized without permission. If you want to share them, link to them, no problem – just please make sure to credit your source!)

written by Elizabeth Spencer

August 11, 2013