With Cyrano now playing in select theaters, I recently spoke to director Joe Wright about making his brilliant movie musical. Cyrano is based on Erica Schmidt’s stage adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, with music by The National’s Aaron & Bryce Dessner and lyrics by The National lead singer Matt Berninger & Carin Besser. Wright’s version reimagines the timeless tale of a heartbreaking love triangle with Peter Dinklage as Cyrano de Bergerac, Haley Bennett playing Roxanne, and Kelvin Harrison, Jr. starring as Christian. The film also stars Ben Mendelsohn and is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Guy Heeley.
During the interview, Wright talked about why he wanted to tell this story—which he says is his most personal film since Atonement—how he staged the musical numbers, and what it was like directing Dinklage and watching his amazing performance up close. Wright also discussed how he felt so close to all the characters, and shared a great story about having to evacuate an erupting volcano while shooting. In addition, he talked about a book he’s trying to make into a movie, why he wants Charlie Brooker to write a movie, and what film you should start with if you’ve never seen his work.
Wright has crafted one of his best movies with the retelling of the Cyrano story and Dinklage gives what might be his best performance. While the past year has seen some fantastic movie musicals, I cannot recommend Cyrano enough.
Watch what Joe Wright had to say in the player above, and below is exactly what we talked about.
Joe Wright
- If he could get the financing to make any project, what would he make and why?
- If someone has never seen anything he’s directed, what should they start with and why?
- Would he do another episode of Black Mirror?
- Why he keeps asking Charlie Brooker to write a movie so he can direct it.
- Which of his films was the most challenging to put together in the editing room?
- Why the Cyrano editing process was a challenge.
- Why did he want to direct Cyrano?
- How he feels extremely close to all the characters but especially Cyrano.
- How he staged the musical numbers.
- Why they used longer lenses with Cyrano.
- What were some of the big challenges in the making of Cyrano?
- How they had to evacuate from an erupting volcano while shooting.
- How it felt really good to be filming on location.
- What is it like directing your significant other?
- What was it like directing Peter Dinklage and watching his amazing performance up close?
- Did he have a much longer cut of Cyrano?
Check out the official synopsis for Cyrano:
Award-winning director Joe Wright envelops moviegoers in a symphony of emotions with music, romance, and beauty in Cyrano, re-imagining the timeless tale of a heartbreaking love triangle. A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac (played by Peter Dinklage) dazzles whether with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel. But, convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of the love of a devoted friend, the luminous Roxanne (Haley Bennett), Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her — and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.).