Jonny Weston leads Project Almanac as David. Heâs a smart kid with a very bright future who manages to build a working time machine with his friends, but heâs not particularly confident when it comes to striking up a simple conversation with his crush, Sofia Black-DâEliaâs Jessie.While on the Project Almanac set in Atlanta, Georgia, we got the opportunity to talk to Weston and Black-DâElia about their characters briefly before the duo was whisked off to lunch.  Hit the jump to find out how their characters fit into this found footage time travel adventure and be sure to check out Project Almanac when it hits theaters on January 30th.Question: Tell us about the first time you read the script. Did your roles stick out to you and what did you think of the blend of time travel and found footage?JONNY WESTON: I donât think found footage has been nearly kind of gotten into quite yet. Itâs an entirely new style of filming and everything like that is new so, you know, it was a challenge. Like, I knew it was a challenge ahead of time and it was exciting to look into. And then Michael Bay, obviously, has been putting out amazing work, so ⦠[Laughs]SOFIA BLACK-DâELIA: [Laughs] Heâs been pretty good lately, I guess. I first read the script and I thought it was so cool to have this time travel idea and make it also feel super real because I think thatâs really appealing like with Chronicle and films like that, when you feel like itâs really happening to teenagers and I think thatâs why I really was attracted to the script. The dialogue felt like it was really happening and even though these crazy circumstances were put upon the kids, they still reacted the way that a teenager would actually react in that situation and I didnât think it was overdone or anything. And I think that found footage kind of lends to that, so it feels like this really realistic kind of documentary-style thing, these kids can build a time machine and what happens next.WESTON: It really seems like what kids would do with a time machine if they got it. It was written honestly and not for slap-me comedy or anything. It has some deep moments. Itâs really well done I think. Who are your characters beyond the time travel element? Who are they as people?WESTON: My character is David and his father passed away when he was young and left him kind of something behind. Essentially, Iâm this kid with a couple of really close friends. Not necessarily popular, you know? And then I meet her and, I donât want to give too much away, but we all end up getting involved with each other. So, yeah, my characterâs kind of nerdy, kind of a smart kid and thatâs the best I can do.BLACK-DâELIA: My character is Jessie and I think at first she seems kind of like your typical popular girl, but sheâs pretty badass in my opinion and I think sheâs kind of the catalyst for a lot of things because being that theyâre smarter â¦[Sheâs interrupted. Theyâre being called back to set.]WESTON: We need a minute and a half, dude. Just a minute and a half.BLACK-DâELIA: What was I saying?WESTON: The catalyst!BLACK-DâELIA: Oh, right! Because theyâre smarter and not that popular and all of that, I think that they may be a little bit tepid and afraid to get started with everything, and I think my character is kind of bored with where sheâs at in school and life, really.WESTON: She definitely serves as an inspiration like, you know, the way that she comes in and brings the passion that we all kind of â not that we lack, but she brings kind of a level of balls. I donât know.BLACK-DâELIA: Thatâs really eloquent!WESTON: Can I say balls?BLACK-DâELIA: Beautiful, yeah. Really beautiful and poetic.I havenât heard anything about your mom in the story. A lot about your dad, but is your mom around? Is she part of the story?WESTON: Ah, yeah. Basically, my dad passed away so she raised me and everything like that. Yeah, Amy [Landecker], the actress, sheâs actually beautiful. We shot some stuff together already and she is a large element to the story, even when sheâs not on screen in terms of like, the way my character is and what his goals are in life and everything has a lot to do with her.You guys gotta run.WESTON: Yeah, I guess we donât wanna go to actor jail. [Laughs]BLACK-DâELIA: This is the first time theyâve ever wanted us to go to lunch this badly before, by the way. [Laughs] Usually itâs the other way around!Check out even more from my Project Almanac set visit:
- Over 20 Things to Know About Teen Time Travel from our PROJECT ALMANAC Set Visit
- Producer Brad Fuller Talks Hiring First-Time Feature Filmmakers, Casting Fresh Faces, Comparisons to CHRONICLE and More on the Set of PROJECT ALMANACÂ
- Sam Lerner and Ginny Gardner Talk Found Footage, Operating the Camera Themselves, Breaking the Fourth Wall and More on the Set of PROJECT ALMANAC