MTV cartoon hero Aeon Flux is back and in the flesh, as Academy Award-winner Charlize Theron takes the futuristic form-fitting-bodysuit-clad sci-fi heroine to the big screen in the appropriately titled "Aeon Flux," set to open nationwide December 2. Set in the year 2415, the film tells the story of a renegade warrior who combats the Big Brotherly government of Bregna, Earth's only surviving colony of humans who escaped a devastating plague.
Earlier this week, the Daily participated in a conference call with Theron to talk about her transition to the world of the sci-fi comic book
adaptation film genre.
Q: How difficult is it for you mentally and physically to change your body so often for different roles?
CT: It is challenging, but it is part of the challenge that I like. I mean, a huge part of this film for me was the physical aspect, and I said pretty early on that I did not want to just be in a gym and change my body to look a certain way; I really wanted to go and learn these skills. So what happened to my body was really secondary, but I wanted to go and learn gymnastics and I wanted to learn capoeira [form of martial arts]. I wanted to learn how to actually do these things, versus just making my body look like I could do them, but [in reality] I could not. So my body just naturally changed. But, at the same time, I learned incredible skills...
Q: You are known for your strong roles in films that deliver a sense of social commentary. Do you feel this story comments our current political situation in any way?
CT: The whole film is really about questioning your government, and I think right now, in this day and age, I think the majority of America is doing that right now, and so I think it is a very relevant film. It is not about being blindsided and just kind of sitting back and thinking everything is fine, but really taking a stance and asking questions about what your government is doing, and that is really what Aeon does. Aeon is that quintessential character who stands up against the government and does not give in. ... I sometimes did not think of this as a futuristic film at all; it deals with issues that I think we are dealing with right now. If we do not pay attention to them, we will be dealing with the final product of what "Aeon Flux" deals with 400 years in the future. So maybe we can learn something.
Q: You worked with many female directors recently: Patty Jenkins ["Monster"], Niki Caro ["North Country"] and now Karyn Kusama. Was this a conscious choice, and how have your experiences differed working with female directors in comparison to working with male directors?
CT: No, it was not a conscious decision. I just want to work with good directors; I don't care what sex they are. At the end of the day, I want to work with directors who believe in me and who see those possibilities within me, and whether they are a man or a woman really does not matter to me ... I think maybe, all of these years, male directors have seen me very differently than a woman, for instance, like Patty or Niki. Do I like working with them more? Well, no. I mean, I just particularly liked working with these women because they were, incredible directors; they were incredibly smart, and as a woman, it is nice to be around women like that who can inspire you.
Q: There are a lot of [film] adaptations that kind of fall flat. Do you feel that [this incarnation of "Aeon Flux] really does the show justice?
CT: I do. I mean, I think a lot of people who are a fan of the anim?© ·ill understand. I mean, if you know the anim?© eally well, you understand that it is pretty much impossible to double that exactly on film; it's a cartoon, and I am not a cartoon, and I cannot run around in a G-string and do the splits, because Paramount will not be able to release the film. So I think - I really truly feel - that people who do love the [original] show will not be disappointed. For [creator of the original "Aeon Flux" cartoon] Peter Chung to come on the set and feel the same way, I think is a huge validation for fans of the show.
Q: Now, after winning an Academy Award [for her leading role in "Monster"], do you feel an obligation to yourself and to your fans to pick roles that are kind of socially conscious?
CT: The one thing that you learn pretty quickly on in this industry is that you do not have any power or control over what happens to a film. Of course, I care about my fans and I care about what people want to see, but the thing is, there is no recipe. There is no formula that really works.
At the end of the day, you have to make decisions based on what you as an artist really want to do, because when it does not do well at the box office, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you did something for yourself as an artist that made you grow, that made you explore things and elements about your craft that you never could have done... I do not want to go through my life sitting by the phone on a Friday night to see how the opening weekend is and then feeling like I have let somebody down or let myself down if the movie is not performing really well.
So Oscar or no Oscar, for me as an actor, the most important thing always has just been to be true to myself and to do work that really means something to me...Those things are usually a surprise, and they are usually things that I least expected myself to do.
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