This all coincides beautifully with Duncan's tweet (here via ManMadeMovies) yesterday that the US and the UK will share the same release date for Source Code - 1 April 2011.
Back to the interview and the beginnings of Source Code: 'I don’t think I would have wanted to have jumped into Source Code, which was a much bigger film than Moon, without having done a feature before it. Also, Jake wouldn’t have been interested in me in the first place. His interest in working with me was very much based on his appreciation of Moon.'
'In all honestly, I met up with Jake Gyllenhaal and it was to discuss another project, one of my own, that I’ve been trying to do for a long time, a film called Mute. So I met with Jake and he had seen Moon and he was a big fan and we just started talking about possibly working together. Jake was already attached to Source Code and would be doing it next and he was very keen on me directing it and he asked me if I’d be interested in collaborating with him and working with him on that. I think Jake’s a fantastic actor and I very much wanted to work with him. I read the script and I thought it was pretty good and wanted to get on board. I wanted to work with Jake.'
'In all honesty, I think they were already pretty far along with the project. Jake was already attached, they knew when they would be shooting the film. At one point I think there was another director attached but Jake was very complimentary about Moon and when I met with him he told me that he wanted me to direct. I came in there with my own take on things and I think I messed up a little bit of their planning since I obviously had my own spin on how things should be done. But it all worked out and I’m lucky that I had very talented people around me. But I came onto it fairly late in the day, in fact what is it now? It’s January now, I think mid-November of last year is when I first agreed to be on board with Source Code, so that’s pretty fast really.'
We've talked here about the possibility that Source Code may remind us of other time jumping films and Duncan addresses that, referring to Deja Vu and Vantage Point: 'You’re just gonna have to watch it. It’s not like those films. Ya there are similarities in plot devices but it’s so different to those films in my mind that I would just suggest the audience go see it because it’s not the same as those films... With Source Code, there are things we do in the story which take it in different directions, but ya there’s a few twists. I think it’s all fitting though, within the story and very much within the tone of this kind of story. It’s all good fun.'
Interestingly, Duncan does relate the film to Hitchcock: 'That’s funny, I’m not sure that there was anything that relates directly. There were some Hitchcock films we looked at and some more unexpected things but nothing specifically. We may have visually referenced some things but it would be more subconsciously nothing overt.'
Finally, working with Jake: 'I have to say, one of the things that really drew me in and made me want to work with Jake is, well, I had an amazing meeting with Sam Rockwell for Moon. We really clicked, as people, besides the work, we just got on really well. I had a similar thing with Jake. He’s a really funny and smart guy. After I read the script we started talking about it and about putting the humor back in. He’s got a great sense of humor and he’s very creative. He’s willing to throw himself into things and try new things. While shooting, having him and Michelle Monaghan, Vera, Jeffery, all working together and with Jake willing to try stuff and be goofy and do the unexpected, I think we had a really enjoyable set. All the actors were really enjoying themselves.'
This is a very special interview - many thanks to WGTC for doing such a thorough job and to Duncan for being so open. There is much, much to it, so do read it all at WGTC.
Videos
Many thanks to Monica for sending me a link to this Christmas message to Brazil from Jake and Anne, as well as some other stars.
There are some other videos from the Globes. I love the first below because Jake is his charming self and winds down the car window to wave to his fans.
And in the next, we can see Jake and Michelle Willams - and some other stars - ouside the Sunset Tower at the afterparty.
Out for coffee
As for Jake, yesterday (18 January) he was out for a coffee with none other than Marc Silverstein again. It's good to see Jake out and about with his friends.
Many thanks to IHJ for the pictures and scans.
