Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson) in Columbia Pictures’ LIFE.
Coming to 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on July 31st from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Skydance Productions is the thrilling sci-fi drama Life.
The top-notch Hollywood cast includes the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal , Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds who star as a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station who discover a rapidly evolving life form that threatens the crew and all life on Earth. Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, and Olga Dihovichnaya are also amongst the cast of Life, which is directed by Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) and written by Deadpool screenwriters, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.
To co-inside with its UK home release, we caught up with Rebecca Ferguson to talk about her role as Dr. Miranda North.
Why do you feel the film and how it taps into our primal fears that makes it so scary?
For me what made it scary is the idea that we ourselves in the name of science go outside to find something and take it from its natural habitat, that we provoke it and we gradually create what becomes a disaster for us. Human curiosity.
And what is it about Calvin’s escalating aggression that makes him or it so chilling?
I thinks what’s scary is how it feeds on us, on our life form, on our energy and light and air. It goes hand in hand with us, it’s quite similar to us, it responds to our reactions. If we are kind to it it’s kind back, if we start provoking it it provokes back and the harder we provoke it provokes ten times more intelligence and faster. It’s the grand scheme of things with how it grows and how extremely smart it is, knowing that we cannot control it.
How does Calvin’s relationship with the crew change over the course of the film?
I think we all have a different relationship to it. I love how Derry sees it as a little baby because he loves science and he loves seeing it grow and nuture. I think for my character, who is all about firewalls and protecting, it’s seeing disaster after disaster and disaster and realising how we are just out of control, how gradually this thing just takes over the ship and becomes the fittest survivor of us all basically.
How do you think you’d fare in space and what would you most miss?
I think first of all I would not go out into space. I think the void, the emptiness, can be somehow absolutely thrilling and beautiful and looking back at earth but I wonder if it would make me feel godlike or insignificant. What would it do with my mind? I would miss the possibility of opening a window and hearing birds and the sound of wind. There’s nothing, there’s nothingness, out there and that’s scary. And when you don’t choose it, when you want something else there’s no other option. I wouldn’t want to do it. I want to jump and land on the ground again.
Do you find the prospect of alien life on other planets scary or exciting?
I find it exciting and thrilling and I don’t walk around staring up wondering every day if there is alien life out there. I expect there to be something out there and I think it’s more a matter of: How do you see an alien life form? We’re sending drones to Mars, we’re finding water on the Moon, in water there are parasites and for me that is alien life form, if there’s a plant out there… I mean, there must be something out there if you know how big it is. It would be quite ignorant to say otherwise.
Most of the film is done in zero gravity. How was that done and was it fun that fun to do?
We had acrobats, we had stunt coordinators, we had Alexandra Reynolds, who is the most incredible movement coach. It was hard work – core work, back work – and then trying to find your own characteristic trait of how to move on the ISS. I mean for like Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, David Jordan, he’s been on the ISS for so long he’s kind of a part of the ship whilst my character is the newest recruit so she is allowed to bump into things. She’s maybe a little bit more clumsy. Movement is so important for the film and making it realistic, watching so many YouTube videos of astronauts and how they eat and drink and wash their hair.
Was there a scene you particularly enjoyed doing?
I actually really loved the scenes when we’re all together. First of all when we were rehearsing, everyone finding their space… What would your character be doing in the kitchen? It’s a quick sequence where I think there’s a voiceover – it might be my voiceover – when I say ‘I’ve set up a new firewall’ and they zoom in to the kitchen. I think I’m reading a book, someone’s eating something, someone’s throwing someone a drink. It feels like home on earth with everyone doing their specific things in different areas.
The movie is incredibly tense but did anyone lighten the mood with any pranks during filming?
All the time. All the time. In between takes, during takes, after the film is done, during the press tour… I mean, it’s a very sort of familiar domestic environment. I think also because Ryan [Reynolds] and Jake knew each other from before and Daniel [Espinosa] and I have our own relationship from back in Sweden and with the Swedish… I’ve always wanted to work with him. It becomes close, sibling-like for all of us.
Life is available on digital download now and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD from July 31st.
