- Title: FESTIVAL-TORONTO-THE MARTIAN Damon brings outer space to TIFF with "The Martian"
- Date: 12th September 2015
- Summary: TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA (SEPTEMBER 11, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** MATT DAMON AND HIS WIFE WALKING ONTO THE RED CARPET VARIOUS OF RIDLEY SCOTT ON THE RED CARPET ANDY WEIR, AUTHOR OF THE NOVEL, "THE MARTIAN" ACTORS ON RED CARPET ACTRESS JESSICA CHASTAIN POSING FOR PHOTOS MATT DAMON TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR MATT DAMON SAYING: "It celebrates ingenuity and intelligence. The guy would absolutely die if he doesn't do everything right and if the people on earth and all the rocket scientists don't come to his aid and help him. So it's about collaboration, cooperation and really smart people doing really smart things." VARIOUS OF JESSICA CHASTAIN TALKING TO A REPORTER VARIOUS OF ACTOR CHIWETEL EJIOFOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR RIDLEY SCOTT SAYING [ABOUT USING SPACE AS A STORY BACKDROP]: "Anything goes in your imagination and that falls into two categories, either real like Gravity or like Martian, or it's fantasy like Star Wars. And either way you've still got to draw up your rule book and stick within the confines of your rule book otherwise, it suddenly becomes bullshit." JESSICA CHASTAIN TALKING TO REPORTER VARIOUS OF CAST ON THE RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR MATT DAMON SAYING: "I probably wouldn't. I'd probably be dead within like I don't know, ten minutes." VARIOUS OF DONALD GLOVER MACKENZIE DAVIS TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR CHIWETEL EJIOFOR SAYING: "I don't think I could. I can't do any of the things Mark Watney can do. I'm an actor not a botanist. So, it would be a hard gig for me." MATT DAMON TALKING TO REPORTERS JESSICA CHASTAIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS JESSICA CHASTAIN SAYING: "It really is our final frontier. And what's wonderful about our film is that so much of the media highlights the negative parts of mankind. And we forget sometimes about the wonderful parts of mankind. The compassion and what happens when we ban together to save a life and to help someone." JEFF DANIELS MATT DAMON ON RED CARPET VARIOUS OF CAST OF "THE MARTIAN" AT PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR CHIWETEL EJIOFOR SAYING: "What happens is choices made politically that don't represent me and I don't think represent human instinct particularly, in fact, can be deliberately made to be contrary to human instinct for other reasons. So I still believe absolutely in the sentiment of this story and I think it does represents the better part of our nature." AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR MATT DAMON SAYING: "Looking at that one picture of the migrant flow across the Chain Bridge in Budapest, which is right where we shot this movie. And that was the view form the hotel was the Chain Bridge. So to see thousands upon thousand of people walking to Austria, having just been there a few months ago was arresting." MEDIA WIDE VIEW OF PRESS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE BUYING TICKETS AT TIFF BOX OFFICE
- Embargoed: 27th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA5M0F4UDIMEYH5C442L461JUS0
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Matt Damon had people buzzing at the Toronto International Film Festival. Hundreds of fans waited for a glimpse of the actor outside Roy Thomson Hall on Friday (September 11) as Damon hit the red carpet premiere of his new film "The Martian."
Directed by Ridley Scott, the film tells the story of Astronaut Mark Watney, played by Damon, who was part of a manned mission to Mars. After a fierce storm, the astronaut is presumed dead and left behind by the rest of the crew.
Damon says he believes the film "celebrates ingenuity and intelligence".
"The guy would absolutely die if he doesn't do everything right and if the people on earth and all the rocket scientists don't come to his aid and help him. So it's about collaboration, cooperation and really smart people doing really smart things."
Director Ridley Scott said he jumped on board as soon as he read the script, which is based on a novel of the same name, by author Andy Weir.
Scott, who is behind the films "Alien" and "Promethius" said he is fascinated by space and finds it to be an incredible backdrop for a film.
"Anything goes in your imagination and that falls into two categories, either real like Gravity or like Martian, or it's fantasy like Star Wars. And either way you've still got to draw up your rule book and stick within the confines of your rule book otherwise, it suddenly becomes bullshit."
Damon's character in the film must find a way to survive and signal to Earth that he is alive. Asked what he would do if he was stranded on Mars, the actor said "I'd probably be dead within like I don't know, ten minutes."
Earlier in the day, the cast attended a press conference and discussed that message the film sends about human nature.
Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor reflected on the migrant crisis in Europe and said he doesn't believe the situation is representative of man's nature.
"What happens is choices made politically that don't represent me and I don't think represent human instinct particularly, in fact, can be deliberately made to be contrary to human instinct for other reasons. So I still believe absolutely in the sentiment of this story and I think it does represents the better part of our nature."
Matt Damon added that it was hard to see some of the images of migrants crossing through the area where "The Martian" was shot.
"Looking at that one picture of the migrant flow across the Chain Bridge in Budapest, which is right where we shot this movie. And that was the view form the hotel was the Chain Bridge. So to see thousands upon thousand of people walking to Austria, having just been there a few months ago was arresting."
"The Martian" will be released in North America on October 2nd. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
