Ashley Hillard
Just out of “The Green Lantern” press conference – and I gotta say, boy I love me some Ryan Reynolds!
Anyway, got to chat with Reynolds, director Martin Campbell, and “Lantern” co-stars Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard and Mark Strong…. and here’s what I learnt :
– Reynolds says he sees Hal Jordan as a cross between Chuck Yeager and Han Solo. “He’s the classic male hero archetype… he’s the kind of guy you want to have a beer with. He’s witty, he’s smart, he’s the life of the party…”.
– Reynolds says Jordan is one of these great characters that can “kiss the girl AND throw a punch” and that “it’s a lot of fun to play”.
– Reynolds studied a few “Green Lantern” comics in prep for the movie – mainly ‘Secret Origins’. He said Geoff Johns told him to think “Star Wars”.
– Reynolds said that, although “it’s been fun to train”, it wouldn’t be a Martin Campbell movie unless someone got hurt. Blake Lively says her only training was having to work so much with Ryan Reynolds.
– Campbell says it’s a very “straightforward” story that he’s bringing to the screen.
– Reynolds says when the film starts out, Hal Jordan is very “cocky and arrogant” but after his transformation into Green Lantern, he’s forced to change.
– Peter Sarsgaard says of his role, “There’s a fine line between science and wishful thinking. I’ve thought about the guys who have stretched our thinking …guys like Carl Saagan..”
– Sinestro, according to actor Mark Strong, is “an incredibly organized and fearless component of the Green Lantern Corps.”
– Reynolds says Green Lantern has a few cool one-on-one fights in the film, including one early on with Sinestro – but don’t worry folks, it’s only a ‘test’ that Sinestro is putting Jordan through!.
– Reynolds say whether he prefers to play Deadpool or Green Lantern. He also said he doesn’t differentiate between DC and Marvel.
– After the conference, Martin Campbell told me he hasn’t thought about a sequel yet, nor has one been greenlit, but there’s plenty of ideas for one.
