Exclusive Interview: James Purefoy & Michael Bassett on Solomon Kane

SHH: That’s amazing. You went for a very classic score instead of doing something more contemporary like having rock or metal music.

Bassett:
No, because I think it would betray the very classic nature of the material and that measured classical approach to how we’re going to put the film together. In temp scores we probably tried to see if we could make it more current or modern for the kids but that’s not what this movie is. This movie is a proper piece of classical storytelling.

Purefoy: It’s horrible when they do that. They did that with the trailer for “Ironclad,” they put a whole load of guitars on it. It was disgusting.

SHH: That does date a movie when you put a specific song over it…

Purefoy:
Because it immediately makes it naff.

SHH: But Motorhead never gets old or dies. So obviously you’re doing “Silent Hill” next so is that all done?

Bassett:
Yeah, it’s done and ready for release. It comes out Halloween. So “Kane” comes out four weeks before “Silent Hill” comes out.

Purefoy: Well, good. Maybe that will jolt it to a place where we can start making #2.

Bassett: Yeah, but that was a 3D experience which is a very different kind of filmmaking.

Purefoy: Did you shoot it in 3D with 3D cameras?

Bassett: Yes, absolutely.

Purefoy: Cool.

Bassett: It was a learning curve and it’s a giant pain in the ass.

Purefoy: Is it?

Bassett: Because they’re big unwieldy slow things and changing lenses takes 15 minutes, but it’s better than post-coverting 3D which is horrendous.

SHH: “Solomon Kane” has already been out everywhere else but once it comes out here and if people really like it, would you be up for sitting down to write another movie?

Bassett:
I already have. All the story is planned out, because the idea was always that this was going to be the beginning of his journey. It hasn’t yet finished its journey around the world–its World Tour if you like–but when the US is done, North America, all those territories, we’re both anxious to sit down with the producers and say, “This is where we want to go with it…” Whether it’s a TV series, which would work really nicely or a movie, which would also be great, we’re going to go after it.

Purefoy: 3D TV.

Bassett: There you go, that would be something.

Purefoy: What I like about the whole idea of 3D TV or just 3D is that it works in a way as more of a reflection of its pulp origin and I think that would work well.

Bassett: Yeah, so it’s coming out of your way. I can’t imagine doing 3D camera work in the African jungles though, and I don’t want to stand in a blue room.

SHH: Are you developing another movie right now as well?

Bassett:
I’m always developing movies because you can’t stop writing story ideas down. They always come to you so there’s always bits and pieces out there, but nothing to be revealed.

SHH: And you have a new television show?

Purefoy:
Yes, “The Following.” It’s Kevin Bacon, he plays an FBI agent, at the beginning of the show, he gets called up because of a serial killer that he put in prison ten years previously has escaped and it turns out that this serial killer has used social networking and the internet to create a cult of serial killers, which is a very scary idea. I’m the serial killer. It is a very cool show and quite alarmingly, we were just doing a signing over there in the convention center and a guy came up and put the poster in front of me and said, “I saw the pilot.” “Oh, good, great.” And he went, “I’d kill for you.”

Bassett: (laughter) You know you’re reaching the right audience when you get that.

Solomon Kane is currently playing on VOD and will open theatrically on Friday, September 28.

Trending

X