The Royal Festival Hall in Waterloo, London played host to the world premiere of THE WOMAN IN BLACK on Tuesday, as rain threatened to break overhead and fans gathered alongside the red carpet and on the overpass above the proceedings. The carpet itself is covered by a thin sheet of plastic, giving it more protection than the hapless journos or the eager onlookers. Before long the sheet is removed, the rug is given a quick hoover, and the premiere is underway, and THN was there to have a look.
The film of the evening, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, is a chilling adaptation of Susan Hill’s seminal ghost story of the same title, which has already seen a hugely successful transformation for the stage (which is still enjoying the second longest ever run of any play on London’s West End). The film, set in the early 20th century, stars Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps, a solicitor forced to leave his young son in London in order to attend to the affairs of the recently deceased Alice Drablow, the owner of Eel Marsh Manor. There, he encounters a town beset by tragedy and fear, and slowly begins to uncover the secrets surrounding the unexplained disappearances of local children, as well as the vengeful mysterious woman in black. Naturally, this brings Kipps to the very brink of his own fears.
The premiere was attended by a respectable collection of celebrities both within and without the film world, but it would be folly to pretend as though the main draw was anyone other than Radcliffe himself, who manoeuvred his way around fans who screamed his name for the length of his tour of the red carpet. A true veteran of receptions such as this (and, compared to some of the Harry Potter premiere events, this was likely refreshingly easy-going), Radcliffe was an enthusiastic ambassador for the movie.
THE WOMAN IN BLACK marks Radcliffe’s first major feature since wrapping up the Harry Potter series last year with the box-office smash HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART II, and clearly marks a career path leading away from the more family friendly fare he is generally associated with. The role sees him playing several years above his own age, as well as playing both a father and a professional within period settings; needless to say, it serves as a compelling glimpse at what may be in store for the actor. On playing the role, Radcliffe said:
“It was wonderful! It’s a very complex character, and it’s all about the restraint and the withheld quality. I’m quite a hyperactive, excitable sort of person, so it was just a matter of taking away my own natural energy; subduing that, to give some sort of pathos and depth, I guess.”
Also starring in the film is fellow Harry Potter alumnus Ciáran Hinds as wealthy local landowner Sam Daily, who befriends Kipps. Hinds has had a rather successful 2011, with roles in THE DEBT and TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, as well as featuring in the upcoming Disney film JOHN CARTER. Sporting a smart moustache on the night, he spoke about the film:
“It’s great to see it [on the big screen]; it’s really well shot and photographed, and hopefully the element of suspense will work for everyone tonight.
“The horror genre is not really mine, but this is more sort of suspense and psychological than horror-stroke-slasher, to me. It’s the kind of thing I prefer, because it’s about the human condition under extreme duress.”
The woman in black herself is played by Liz White, best known for her starring role in the BBC’s LIFE ON MARS. She said a few words about playing the eponymous ghostly figure:
“It was fabulous. The costume and the make up did it all for me, so as soon as I had all the garb on, that did the character work. You feel scary, you’ve got a scary presence, people can’t talk to you because you look so weird. So it gave me a feeling of isolation and gothic-ness and, well, morbid depression that’s needed to play someone with such anger issues.”
It takes more than acting talent to make a film, however, and scriptwriter Jane Goldman, with husband Jonathan Ross and family in tow, was quick to arrive on the red carpet and share a few words about the film:
“Horror is my favourite genre, so it was an absolute delight to get involved and try and make something that was scary. It’s been so exciting seeing people’s responses; people seem to be very, very scared!”
“I was so excited when Daniel came on board and we were all just blown away by his performance; he’s been absolutely incredible.”
Producer Simon Oakes, who has recently been a producer for THE RESIDENT and LET ME IN, as well as holding the position of President and CEO of the legendary Hammer Films, spoke about continuing his company’s legacy into the modern day:
“It’s a really gothic looking film, isn’t it, and Kave Quinn is a brilliant production designer. There are certain moments which are quite a homage to the old Hammer, and Jane Goldman is a great Hammer fan and understands the genre really well. I think she brought that out in the screenplay. Bear in mind that the book itself was a sort of pastiche on the Wilkie Collins type books from that period of time, and Jane Goldman just really brought it out, I think.”
On the film’s 12-A certificate:
“There are lots of considerations; you don’t want to have a rating that’s basically wrong for the film, and if we thought it was too frightening then it shouldn’t be 12-A. But honestly, we think it’s spooky, we think it’s scary, but we don’t think it’s exploitative.”
Also in attendance was Hollywood icon Corey Feldman, who spoke words of encouragement for Daniel Radcliffe:
“The reason why I was intrigued to come out tonight was because I’m a fan of Daniel Radcliffe; first of all, I think he’s a good actor, and secondly, I know how hard it can be to be the star of a franchise and get kind of moulded into one character. As an actor, it’s always a quest and a challenge to be able to move forward with your career and do something completely different. So I’m very proud of the fact that he’s doing that, and I’m here to support that.”
THE WOMAN IN BLACK is released in UK cinemas on 10th February, 2012.
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