“ENDER’S GAME” MOVIE CAST TALK ABOUT GETTING THE STORY RIGHT FOR THE LEGIONS OF FANS
Entertaining young and old alike since its initial book release in 1985, Ender’s Game finally hits the big screen.
Ender’s Game, based on the book by Orson Scott Card, follows the story of young Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a wildly intelligent 14-year-old, who is chosen to lead an army against insect-like aliens in a massive war of the worlds. Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult challenges and simulations, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. His strong performance gets him ordained by Graff (Harrison Ford) as the military’s next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he’s trained by Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley) to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.
Like with any book adaptation, getting the story right in order to satisfy the legions of fans as well as finding the right cast was no small feat, according to producer Lynn Hendee.
“The book’s millions of fans have been projecting themselves onto the character for years,” said Hendee. “People who love the book see themselves in [Ender] and it was crucial for the story that we allow them to continue to do that.”
Asa Butterfield was already an up and coming actor who had caught the attention of both audiences and critics with his memorable roles in Hugo and The Boy In The Striped Pajamas. Butterfield wowed the film’s crew with his audition was almost immediately chosen for the lead role. “I knew it would be an exciting and fun shoot,” Butterfield stated. “Kid saves the world and fights in zero-gravity—what more could you want?”
Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin—who plays Ender’s sister Valentine— was also excited to be a part of the phenomenon. “They’re really best friends,” Breslin explains. “Valentine has been Ender’s protector in the family, and vice versa. When he has to go away, they have no way of knowing if they will ever see each other again. It’s just a really cool movie. There are parts of it that are scary and parts that are sad. All the emotions that you go through when reading the book are there in the movie.
Hailee Steinfeld, who shot to critical stardom with her Academy Award nominated role in True Grit, stars as Petra, one of the few girls at the Battle School who eventually becomes Ender’s closest companion. “All either of them wants is to get the job done and go back to their families,” she explains. “They make a very close connection, quickly, but not in a romantic way. They just feel like they have known each other for the longest time.”
Despite her status as a critically acclaimed actress, the naturally bubbly and smiling Steinfeld says she joined on simply because it looked like a fun role. “It seemed like an adventure I wanted to have,” she recalled. “Petra Arkanian is a very independent, strong character, which I love. She’s the only girl in Salamander, which is the top army at Battle School.”
Along with starring in one of the most highly anticipated adaptations ever, this cast of young actors got the opportunity of a lifetime starring alongside some of Hollywood’s best actors, including Harrison Ford. In an interview with Latino Review, Butterfield described Ford as “an amazing person and an amazing actor,” while Steinfeld couldn’t help but gush saying, “We were all super excited about working with him. Not only working with him on any movie but a science fiction movie was a dream. Just to be able to be a part of this with him is the coolest thing ever.”
Ender’s Game opens in theatres on November 1 and stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Harrison Ford, Viola Davis and Ben Kingsley.
—By Sarah Khan
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