UNITED KINGDOM: Cult director John Landis premieres "Burke and Hare" starring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis
Record ID:
219392
UNITED KINGDOM: Cult director John Landis premieres "Burke and Hare" starring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis
- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Cult director John Landis premieres "Burke and Hare" starring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis
- Date: 26th October 2010
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 25, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DIRECTOR JOHN LANDIS TALKING TO MEDIA (2 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOHN LANDIS, DIRECTOR, SAYING: "They're businessmen. They're much more amoral than immoral and it's a fine line, the difficulty is that we're trying to make a romantic - the movie is a romantic comedy it's not a horror picture, it's a romantic comedy. Very bittersweet but you have to like them."
- Embargoed: 10th November 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
- Reuters ID: LVA858TUZH6LVH04G4B08UP2W7U2
- Story Text: Director John Landis has returned to feature directing for the first time in 12 years with the black comedy "Burke and Hare", which premiered in London on Monday (October 25).
The film is a romantic comedy set against the unlikely true story of William Burke and William Hare (played by Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis respectively) - the notorious body-snatchers of Edinburgh, Scotland, who turned to murder to keep medical schools supplied which fresh cadavers for research and dissection in the late 1820's.
The film depicts the two men as driven to their murderous trade by desperation, poverty - and love.
It might not seem like there is much comedy to be found in the subject matter, but it wouldn't be the first time Landis has seen humour in unlikely scenarios. Shooting around Edinburgh and London, the production brought the director back to the territory of one of his biggest cult hits, the darkly comic horror "An American Werewolf in London".
It was his friend, British "Bend it Like Beckham" director, Gurinder Chadha who introduced him to the script and producer, Barnaby Thompson.
"Gurinder Chadha's office was at Ealing Studios and I went: 'This is Ealing, wow, Ealing?' And she said said: 'Yeah they've started Ealing again'. And she introduced me to Barnaby and so I told Barnaby of my admiration for the classic Ealing comedies, most of which were very dark and he said, really? And he had one, he said: 'Here is this script' that had been around for five or six years and I quite liked it and here we are," Landis recalled at the premiere.
Star Simon Pegg, who launched his career with films and television shows like "Shaun of the Dead" and "Spaced" that frequently referenced popular culture, said Landis had been a major source of inspiration.
He added that the experience of getting to work with one of his heroes measured up to expectations.
"It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It was a lot of fun and he was extraordinary. He is an incredible presence on set. He's a ball of energy and puts everyone to shame, really, because he sets the tone."
Co-star Andy Serkis agreed that, while Landis hasn't directed a big screen feature in over a decade, he is far from rusty on set.
"He's amazing. I mean, the thing is, he doesn't ever make you feel like-- he's just such a get your hands dirty director, he treats everybody the same. He's loveable, absolutely adorable, brilliant. You know, fiery, shouts a lot, screams a lot - you know we had our moments but it was great, really brilliant," Serkis said.
Serkis, known for his CGI enhanced role as Gollum in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy also expressed hope that the film adaptation of J.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" would also be shot in New Zealand.
Hollywood studio Warner Brothers threatened to look elsewhere to make the mega-budget project after union protests stifled production.
Thousands of New Zealanders took to the streets to protest against plans to relocate filming and the country's government even vowed to step in to try to keep the 500 million dollar project in the homeland of director Peter Jackson.
Unions who issued "do not work" orders to actors since backed down, but studio executives are yet to make a final decision on whether New Zealand will again serve as Middle Earth.
"I'll be there if Peter (Jackson) wants me to be there of course, there's no question," Serkis told Reuters Television, adding: "I'm desperate that it's shot in New Zealand because it's where it should be shot."
"Burke and Hare" also stars Isla Fisher, who was pregnant during filming with her second child with "Borat" comic actor Sasha Baron Cohen. Tom Wilkinson, Tim Curry, Ronnie Corbett and Christopher Lee also co-star.
The film opens in UK cinemas on October 29. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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