ANG LEE AND JAMES CAMERON TALK ABOUT BRINGING “LIFE OF PI” TO LIFE ON THE BIG SCREEN

If you’ve read the book, you know the story. But Life of Pi takes on a beautiful life of its own on the big in 3-D. In this video feature, Ang Lee and James Cameron, and crew talk about making the movie into a  spectacular adventure.

Life of Pi follows the life of and Indian boy named Pi in the ’70s. His father (Adil Hussain) owns a zoo, and Pi spends his days among tigers, zebras, hippos, and other exotic creatures.  He develops his own theories about faith, belief, and human (and animal) nature – but after Pi attempts to befriend a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, the young boy learns a harsh lesson from his father about the relationship between human and beast.  “The tiger is not your friend!” thunders Mr. Patel at his son. “Animals don’t think like we do; people who forget that get themselves killed!”

The diversity of Pi’s world is shaken by sweeping changes occurring in his country, and when Pi is seventeen his father and mother (played by Tabu) decide that the family must emigrate to a better life. Choosing to relocate to Canada, Pi’s parents close their zoo, pack their belongings (including some of the animals from the zoo), and board a Japanese cargo ship, where they encounter a sadistic French chef (Gérard Depardieu).  Late in the night, deep at sea, Pi’s joy at the onrush of nature turns on a dime to cataclysm.  The ship sinks, but Pi miraculously survives. He is cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean aboard a boat with a most unexpected traveling companion – Richard Parker.

As they embark on their adventure, the ferocious tiger, whose true nature was seared into Pi’s memory at his family’s zoo, is Pi’s mortal enemy.  But as they learn to co-exist, Richard Parker becomes Pi’s best hope in his quest to find a way home.  Their bond is reinforced by another shared experience: both Pi and Richard Parker had little understanding of the real world, and both were raised by the same master – Pi’s father.  Now, nothing else remains for them of that past, except each other.

In this featurette, director Ang Lee and James Cameron talk about the making of Life of Pi and bringing it to life in 3-D on the big screen.

Life of Pi opens November 21 and stars Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall, and Gérard Depardieu.