- Title: USA: "The Box" starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden premieres in New York City
- Date: 5th November 2009
- Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 4, 2009) (REUTERS) LOEWS THEATER, VENUE FOR PREMIERE OF "THE BOX" "THE BOX" POSTER ACTORS CAMERON DIAZ AND JAMES MARSDEN ON THE RED CARPET DIAZ POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS CAMERAPERSON DIAZ AND MARSDEN GIVING INTERVIEWS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAMERON DIAZ, LEAD ACTRESS IN "THE BOX", SAYING: "It's meant to sort of make us think about what are the consequences to our decisions and the choices that we make. And I think that in this situation, it is set up very well, the disparity of this family, and also it's very relevant to this day and age because we have made a society that's really based on monetary wealth over our spiritual wealth. That is why people say - I pushed that button and they don't even think about it. I think it is a very interesting comment on that." DIAZ AND MARSDEN GIVING AN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAMERON DIAZ, LEAD ACTRESS IN "THE BOX", SAYING: "I love sci-fi, I do, I grew up with it, my father was a big sci-fi reader, so it's something that I'm very fond of. I think it's also an interesting way to contemplate our existence." (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAMES MARSDEN, LEAD ACTOR IN "THE BOX", SAYING: "I love science fiction. At the core of science fiction is the human condition and everything else beyond that is fun and not ornamental, but just exciting. And so many different universes to explore and I love science fiction. I love the suspension of reality, and what is reality?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAMERON DIAZ, LEAD ACTRESS IN "THE BOX", SAYING: "Remember when Star Trek was sci-fi and they used to talk into that little thing with no wire and you'd go - that's impossible. There's no way that we could talk into something that doesn't have a wire and talk to somebody thousands of miles away. And here it is today. I think sci-fi also lays the foundation for our future, our future world in fact with what can the world be. We create it there." DIRECTOR GIVING AN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) RICHARD KELLY, DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER "THE BOX", SAYING: "I think it is a science fiction thriller, but it's also a love story. It's also a melodrama in a very traditional, old fashioned style, the 1970s melodrama. It's also a conspiracy thriller. I like to meld a lot of genres together and I think science fiction kind of provides us with a blanket in which to kind of wrap everything up and so I am excited also to hopefully for this to be a film that also crosses more into the mainstream, which would be nice for me. VARIOUS OF DIAZ GIVING AN INTERVIEW
- Embargoed: 20th November 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVAC9MPJVXP9UJHM9XQMGWK9C7ZY
- Story Text: Actress Cameron Diaz along with co-star James Marsden walked the red carpet in New York City for the premiere of their new film, a science fiction thriller called "The Box".
The film is based on the classic short story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson. The story was adapted into a screenplay by Richard Kelly, who also directed the film. Kelly, best known for his 2001 film "Donnie Darko" and the 2006 "Southland Tales", said he was fascinated by the short story as soon as he read it and immediately set about trying to get it on to the silver screen.
"The Box" is set in 1976. Norma Lewis, played by Diaz is a teacher at a private high school and her husband, Arthur, portrayed by Marsden, is an engineer working at NASA.
They are shown as an average couple living a normal life in the suburbs with their young son, until a mysterious man, played by actor Frank Langella, appears on their doorstep and presents them with a life-altering proposition in the shape of a box. The box contains a button that if pushed, could bring the couple a million dollars, but would also take the life of someone they don't know. The couple has 24 hours to make their choice and as the plot unravels, they realize that the ramifications of this decision are beyond their control.
Diaz, best recognized for her comic, light-hearted roles in films like "There's Something About Mary" and "Charlie's Angels" told reporters on the red carpet that "The Box" was rich in a moral complexity that she found fascinating.
"It's meant to sort of make us think about what are the consequences to our decisions and the choices that we make. And I think that in this situation, it is set up very well, the disparity of this family, and also it's very relevant to this day and age because we have made a society that's really based on monetary wealth over our spiritual wealth. That is why people say - I pushed that button and they don't even think about it. I think it is a very interesting comment on that," said Diaz.
Diaz also confessed that she loves science fiction and that it presented an "interesting way" to contemplate human existence. Marsden, best known for his role in the X-Men movie franchise, said that he shared Diaz's love for science fiction.
"At the core of science fiction is the human condition and everything else beyond that is fun and not ornamental, but just exciting. And so many different universes to explore and I love science fiction. I love the suspension of reality, and what is reality?" said Marsden.
Meanwhile, Kelly agreed that "The Box" certainly fell under the science fiction thriller category, but also insisted that it was more than just that.
"It's also a love story. It's also a melodrama in a very traditional, old fashioned style, the 1970s melodrama. It's also a conspiracy thriller. I like to meld a lot of genres together and I think science fiction kind of provides us with a blanket in which to kind of wrap everything up and so I am excited also to hopefully for this to be a film that also crosses more into the mainstream, which would be nice for me," said Kelly.
"The Box" releases across the United States on November 6. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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