Filming any movie presents actual challenges. Script issues need to be worked out. The budget's always a concern. But none of those things produced quite the number of obstacles as the weather did for Fede Alvarez as he chipped away at this week's blockbuster release, The Girl in the Spider's Web. Movies based on the Millennium series of novels are distinct for their icy cold European backdrops, and when CinemaBlend spoke with Alvarez about shooting this new movie, he opened up to us:
The toughest part was just enduring the cold. Because, even the action stuff that you do indoors, well, you are indoors. A lot of stuff that we did in this film, we actually went into the elements, in some of the coldest places on Earth. And that being your office [for] 12 hours a day really takes a toll. And it was super tough for the actors, particularly for Claire.
We were joking with colleagues following our screening of Fede Alvarez's new film, The Girl in the Spider's Web, that the next Lisbeth Salander adventure needs to be set in the Caribbean. Could you imagine Lisbeth (Claire Foy) using her hacking skills to track down a devious target in a sunny beach town? Me neither.
These stories come with the snowy, frigid backdrop, and the location is just as important to the action as are the characters. In fact, Lisbeth in this movie basically uses the elements to her advantage, trapping her prey in difficult situations that are enhanced by the ice and the cold. In one thrilling scene, Lisbeth even rides her signature motorcycle across a frozen body of water. That's spotted briefly in this clip:
These scenes look cool. And the frozen tundra is important to the overall tone of a Girl story. But shooting those scenes is something else entirely, and Fede Alvarez said he took real joy in watching his leading lady transform to meet the elements and embrace the hard-hitting action that's crucial to this movie's success. Alvarez tells CinemaBlend:
It was great to see Claire doing that, because she's never done that before, right? But she's so devoted to her craft, and you could see her training and being ready to do those things, doing push ups on set all of the time. Seeing her from doing The Crown to suddenly doing this person, it was fascinating to see that.
The Girl in the Spider's Web offers a different take on Lisbeth Salander. It's a more streamlined and knuckle-baring brawl of a film that moves with an intensity we expect out of a Fede Alvarez film. Where the previous movies kept audiences at an arm's length, this one is more accessible, and it's because of Claire Foy's interpretation of Lisbeth as a warrior with no quit in her.
Here's Fede Alvarez, talking about the biggest challenges of filming The Girl in the Spider's Web:
And soon, you will have your chance to see the movie, as it opens in theaters on November 9. Stay tuned for even more from our press day with the Girl in the Spider's Web cast. And be sure to bookmark our 2019 Movie Release calendar to find out all of the movies that are coming to theaters soon.
