With Voyagers opening in theaters this weekend, I recently spoke with writer-director Neil Burger about making his sci-fi thriller. During the interview, he talked about how Voyagers depicts a possible future for our planet to survive, the changes he had to make to get a PG-13 rating, if he had a longer cut, his desire to eventually release an unrated version, and more. In addition, he talked about directing Billions, how he’s developing his dream project, and the status of his next film, The Marsh King's Daughter, with Daisy Ridley.
If you haven’t seen the trailers, Voyagers takes place about forty years in the future and it’s about a group of young men and women sent on a very long expedition to colonize a distant planet with the goal of saving the human race. As their mission unfolds, and with the passage of time, they uncover secrets about the way they are being managed, which leads them to exploring their most primitive natures. As life on the ship descends into chaos, they’re consumed by fear, lust, and the insatiable hunger for power. Voyagers also stars Tye Sheridan, Lily Rose Depp, Fionn Whitehead, Colin Farrell, Chanté Adams, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Viveik Kalra, Archie Renaux, Archie Madekwe and Quintessa Swindell.
Check out what Neil Burger had to say in the player above and below is a list of what we talked about.
Neil Burger:
- Was he surprised at the popularity of Billions?
- If he could get the financing for any project what would he make and why?
- How close did they get to getting an R-rating?
- What they had to change to get the PG-13 rating and why.
- Has he thought about doing an unrated extended cut?
- Did he have a longer cut of the film?
- How the film depicts a possible future for our planet.
- Did he ever think about telling this story as a series?
- How they’re talking about Voyagers as a possible series.
