matt-damon-promised-land-interview-sliceOpening this weekend in limited release is director Gus Van Sant’s Promised Land.  The film stars Matt Damon and Frances McDormand as natural gas salesmen who try to prey on an economic town in decline only to have their mission complicated by the citizens they encounter and an environmentalist played by John Krasinski.  Damon and Krasinski wrote the screenplay, and the film deals heavily with the consequences of fracking.  The film also stars Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook, Scoot McNairy, and Titus Welliver.  For more on Promised Land, here are seven clips and the trailer.During the recent Los Angeles press day I got to speak with Damon.  He talked about what surprised him when researching fracking, how the issue is very divisive, how lucky he's been as an actor, and more.  Damon also spoke about his reaction to seeing a rough cut of Neill Blomkamp's Elysium, confirms he's doing George Clooney's Monuments Men, and says he was happy to work with Terry Gilliam again on The Zero Theorem, but he only has a very small part.  Hit the jump to watch.Matt Damon:

  • T-shirt talk
  • How he won the actors lottery with how many great directors he's gotten to work with
  • Talks about how the issue of fracking is not a black and white issue
  • What surprised them when researching the issue that they wanted to make sure got into the story
  • Has he seen a rough cut of Elysium yet.  Talks about his reaction to the cut and the effects
  • Is he doing George Clooney's Monuments Men and how is it working with Terry Gilliam again (says it is a very small part in The Zero Theorem)

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