Ender’s Game success ultimately rests on the shoulders of Asa Butterfield (Hugo). Butterfield stars as Ender, a genius sixteen year old, who is enlisted into a program designed to train youths in a war between humanity and a hostile alien race. Of course, not everything is as it seems – and just what is being fought for and who is in the right may not be so black & white. As the titular character, Butterfield ably portrays a young man struggling to define himself be it via the violent sociopathy of his brother or the compassionate righteousness of his sister. It’s a striking performance - in that even when millions of dollars of spectacle are unfolding on the screen, they don’t hold a candle to a simple single of the young actor.
In the following interview with Asa Butterfield, he discusses shooting Ender’s Game on a NASA facility, fan reaction to his casting and the tricks of the trade he’s learned from Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley. For the full interview, hit the jump.
Asa Butterfield:
- How familiar was Butterfield with the novel Ender’s Game?
- What has the fan reaction been like to Butterfield’s casting in the film?
- What was it like shooting the film on a NASA facility in New Orleans?
- How much preparation goes into performing the stunts for the film?
- What was the auditioning process like on the film?
- What are the secrets to nailing down an American accent?
- How did you go about crafting such a complicated character like Ender?
- What sort of tricks of the trade have you been able to pick up having worked with such esteemed actors as Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley?
- What future projects does Asa Butterfield have coming up?