Bryce Dallas Howard, Paul Giamatti and M. Night Shyamalan were the centre of attention in Leicester Square last night, as the award winning director’s latest movie Lady In The Water swam into London for its European premiere.
The recently announced mother-to-be Bryce Dallas Howard was the first to sweep along the blue carpet – see what they did there? – flanked by fans, all eager for a glimpse of “The Lady” herself. Even though she received plaudits galore for her part in Shyamalan’s The Village, the offer of the lead role in the helmer’s next project still provided oodles of excitement and anticipation, as she enthused, “Night put me in a very painful position as he offered me the part eight months before it was even written – on the day I first saw The Village – so it was a very dramatic and moving moment [and] the wait was somewhat treacherous”.
Paul Giamatti, this fairy tale’s bumbling anti-hero, was slightly more matter of fact when asked to recall his first encounter with the script: “I was told Night wanted to meet me, so I went and met him. He said he had a script that he wanted me to read, so I read it…I was particularly struck by the fact it was a story that was aware it was a story, a movie that was aware it was a movie, and an allegory that was aware it was allegory”.
It seems “going with the flow” was Shyamalan’s main aim when developing the idea, which began as his children’s favourite bedtime tale before morphing into fully-formed big screen mythology. As he explained, “when I watch The Wizard Of Oz or Peter Pan you get a sense of the free-spirit of the author. It’s like they’re following a light. That’s what I felt when I was telling the story to my kids and I really wanted to bring that feeling to the movie”. This self-confessed obsession with “pure forms of storytelling” is evident throughout the film – no doubt highlighted with the help of Australian cinematographer Chris Doyle: “[Chris] has made some of the most beautiful movies ever” said Shyamalan. “In The Mood For Love is one of my favourite movies so he was a great inspiration throughout the shoot”.
A sense of unpredictability is often expected in a M. Night Shymalan movie, particularly in the seven years since The Sixth Sense and its revelatory twists and turns. However, this time Giamatti may have felt the tide turn even before the casting of Lady… was confirmed: “Yes, you could have been talking to Kevin Costner tonight!” he chuckled, referring to the rumour that the director may have been considering Costner for the role if Giamatti turned him down. “It could have been much more fun for the ladies I suppose!”
That is, of course, in the past, as the future for the film’s stars looks tremendously bright. Giamatti – amongst a host of other new projects – confirmed his role in the new Philip K. Dick biopic: “That is definitely one in the works – yes sir. No script as of yet”. And having completed a screen adaptation of As You Like It with Kenneth Brannagh – “an amazing man” – Howard will return to cinematic grandeur next summer in Spiderman 3. But, by Venom’s venom, she is keeping tight lipped about her journey as the pivotal Gwen Stacey: ”I can’t tell you about *that, *I’ll spoil it for everyone”. Yeah…but we…oh alright - we’ll wait.