The 11-year-old might just be the only co-star to send Hugh Jackman home with bruises.
James Mangold's Logan is one of those endlessly fascinating Hollywood stories of a production with so many disparate parts that had no right working together as well as they did, let alone gelling into one of the most entertaining and solid superhero features we've seen in the modern era. It features Patrick Stewart reprising his fan-favorite role as Charles Xavier / Professor X, but flips the character from a confident and capable leader to an aged invalid whose decaying mental faculties makes him more dangerous than ever. Hugh Jackman returns to, arguably, his most famous role to date, only to bring us a gnarled and corrupted version of the ever-youthful Wolverine in what's likely the actor's last hurrah as the title character.
And then there's Dafne Keen, an 11-year-old unknown at the time of the audition process, who absolutely stole scenes and melted hearts with her performance. Child actors often sound the death knell for a feature film, but Keen's combination of raw, chaotic energy and quiet, personal connection with her co-stars is one-in-a-million. That special quality is on display in a newly released behind-the-scenes audition tape of Keen opposite Jackman, which will be included on the film's upcoming (and highly anticipated) home video release.
Check out the NSFW audition video below:
Here's what Jackman had to say to EW about his co-star back during the movie's marketing blitz for its theatrical release:
“How do you have an 11-year-old character who doesn’t speak in 90 pages? How does this happen? Who’s going to play it? [Director James Mangold] sent me a tape. Actually, it was just a still of an audition room somewhere. You could just tell by the look on her face. I was like, ‘Holy s—. This is something.'”
Logan is one of those rare movies that I'm definitely picking up as a home video release, not only to watch the masterful feature again but to enjoy special features like the one seen above. The real feature that sealed the deal, however, is Mangold's black-and-white cut, dubbed Logan Noir, which should be worth the price alone. Check out the details below:
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings Hugh Jackman’s celebrated seventeen-year run as Wolverine to a close when the box office phenomenon Logan arrives on Digital HD on May 16th and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™and DVD May 23rd. Sir Patrick Stewart (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Star Trek: The Next Generation), Stephen Merchant (Hello Ladies, The Office), Boyd Holbrook (Narcos) and newcomer Dafne Keen join Jackman in the iconic character’s final chapter, directed by James Mangold (The Wolverine, Walk the Line).
Touting an R-rating, allowing fans to finally see Logan’s legendary berserk rage unleashed, Mangold brings a visceral and gritty realism to the story, based on one of Marvel Comics’ most popular characters. In the near future, a weary Logan (Hugh Jackman) cares for an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart) in a hideout on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are upended when a young mutant (Dafne Keen) arrives, being pursued by dark forces.
In addition to nearly 90 minutes of original content, including deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes documentary, the Blu-ray™ will also include Logan Noir, a black and white version of the film that gives the acclaimed story an all-new look.
LOGAN 4K ULTRA HD AND BLU-RAY™ SPECIAL FEATURES
Logan Noir – black and white version of the film
Audio commentary by Director James Mangold
Deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by James Mangold (Blu-ray™only)
Making Logan – behind-the-scenes documentary (Blu-ray™ only)
And for more on Logan, be sure to check out some of our recent write-ups below:
