Elijah Wood

Interview by: Heather Wixson Despite having a background in architecture, director Shane Acker somehow knew he was bound for bigger and more creative outlets than building design. Little did he know when he made the switch from studying architecture to animation that his career would include working on one of the biggest film franchises in history (Lord of the Rings) and that one day he’d call Tim Burton a mentor on his first feature length film. “I have always loved stop-motion films so Tim was part of the inspiration for me for the 9 short film,” explained Acker. “When we were putting together the feature, I would take a cut of the film to him and he always gave me this feedback that really helped me in terms of story and content. Tim’s such a great resource to anyone because with his kind of vision, he can always see the forest through the trees.” The short film Acker is referring to his the 2004 Academy Award nominated piece that he created over 3 ½ years. Featuring no voices and only two characters, his work was strong enough to garner immediate attention around Hollywood. Acker said, “I always thought I was done with the world of 9 because I didn’t know it was ever going to be a feature. I honestly thought it was something that would get me other work. Then I was approached to develop it into a feature and I was a little apprehensive at first to do what seemed like stepping backwards.” “I began to realize that this was that I was being given a chance to explore the other characters and explore the desolate place around them. These were things I couldn’t do in the short so when I thought about that, I became invigorated by the idea of creating a feature film of 9. My imagination was fueled just by the possibilities,” Acker added. While Acker notes that some might foolishly dismiss 9 as simply a “cartoon,” the director definitely gave his canvas far more depth than just some creatures running through some animated cells on a screen. In fact, a lot of 9’s deeper messages date back to almost 2400 years ago. “I didn’t study philosophy but I am a huge fan of Plato and his theories on class structure within society,” explained Acker. “Some of my ideas in 9 came from reading “The Republic.” The creatures created by the scientist are different facets of just one soul so to me, each of them loosely represent parts of different classes. They all have strengths and they have weaknesses and its not until they all come together that they can be ultimately successful.” So now that audiences will be given a glimpse into the world of 9 in just a few days, is there a possibility that Acker would like to return to the world himself for a follow-up project? The director said most definitely he would and he’s already got some ideas in developing in his mind. Acker said, “We left the creatures as eternal shepherds for the world in this film. There is hope that the human spirit does prevail in the end. We know that life doesn’t exist on the planet at that moment but we’ve left it open that life could return and it would be interesting to see what that means for them.” “If we continue, there are so many themes I’d love to explore in this world if we bring back humans: Do the creatures intervene with humanity or do they step back? Should they try to keep going as machines that possess human souls or should they accept that they are themselves machines? And if they ever decide to evolve themselves mechanically, does that lead them down the same path of the evil machines then too,” Acker added. “There are infinite possibilities in the world of 9.” - Heather Wixson VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON! Got news? Click here to submit it! Stitch up some punks in the Dread Central forums

Interview by: Heather Wixson Best known to the world as Frodo, actor Elijah Wood is ready to take on another adventure seeking character in Shane Acker’s animated stitch-punk film, 9. In the movie, he plays number 9, the last creation of a scientist who dies while 9 is “born.” With no idea of who or what he is, or what happened to the world around him, 9 sets off on a journey. It was this character’s exploration of himself and what exists around him that initially attracted Wood to the project. “I absolutely fell in love with 9’s journey,” explained Wood. “He comes into this world where so much has already been established. He meets number 1 and the others who have established a community that is ruled by fear, where they don’t ever leave their boundaries. 9 doesn’t even have a concept of what he is or what befell humanity.” “9 is introduced into their situation with all these questions that throws a wrench into their existence. I liked that my character questioned things so that they could figure out their place in this world and work together to combat the machines,” Wood added. Wood was also drawn to the animated feature 9 because of Acker’s Academy Award nominated short film, by the same name. The actor said, “They first sent me the short, some concept art and the feature script and I was hooked immediately. I loved the animation style and this world that Shane created. There is no dialogue in short film so I found that immediately intriguing. I knew I wanted to explore who these characters were and what was happening in the world around them.” “I love animation and I think it’s a really interesting medium to tell stories,” Wood added. “It definitely can be an interesting place to create worlds when it’s done right. I knew that 9 was going to be a great opportunity to tell a different kind of story and do it in a format that was visually appealing too.” While most people see animated films as something “for kids,” Wood champions the art-form as something that can also be as appealing towards older audiences too. Wood explained that, “The notion here in the US is that animation is more family-oriented and overseas animation is more adult and action-focused. I saw 9 as a chance to bring that type of animation here to the states. So with this film, we have an action adventure story that can appeal to a different kind of audience that maybe you don’t always get with animation.” Even though both Wood and Acker worked on Lord of the Rings (Acker did animation on part three of the trilogy), the pair had never met before Wood joined the cast of 9. “I didn’t meet Shane with Lord of the Rings even though I did stop by the animation studio a few times,” said Wood. “So working with him for 9 was a completely new experience. He had so many hats to wear with this movie too. Here you have the filmmaker not only leading the ship, but also has this animation experience so he’s essentially the creator of this world. He had to manage a lot with 9.” “What was really great about Shane is that he was really helpful to me as an actor because he could explain these scenes and sequences to me in great detail before they were even finished. We’d discuss his vision and how he saw everything coming together so that was invaluable for me to have him as a leader and a resource,” Wood added. So are there more journeys in store for number 9? Wood thinks the chances are good for audiences to see his character explore this new world even more in the future. Wood said, “As a fan, I want to see where Shane could continue to go with the characters he created. We just get a glimpse in this movie, especially since we don’t know how long it’s been since everything has happened.” “Shane definitely leaves it open so that we could explore this world again and I know Shane has said that there are so many different ways he could tell stories that exist in the world of 9. So I would definitely be thrilled to come back to be number 9 again,” Wood added. - Heather Wixson VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON! Got news? Click here to submit it! Stitch up some punks in the Dread Central forums

Interview by: Heather Wixson Actress Jennifer Connelly has taken on a lot of intriguing and challenging roles throughout her career. Starting with her performance debut in Labyrinth, she continued to take on unconventional projects. Her latest movie, the animated feature 9, is no exception. In the flick, Connelly provides the voice for number 7, and it was a character that immediately spoke to her. “Number 7 is a lone warrior but is also still protective of her clan,” explained Connelly. “She has an independent streak to her too even though she was always looking out for the other creatures. I thought she was a fun but complicated character because of the duality of her nature.” Working on 9 was the first time the diverse actress had ever done a voice-over type performance. While Connelly enjoyed the experience, she did discuss how different working on animated film is when compared to working on a regular film set. Connelly said, “It was a peculiar experience. There are no rehearsals, so you get to know the other actors. You pretty much get your script and materials and then dive right into the work. I did work with Shane (Acker, the director) for the first session just so I could collaborate with him on my character. It’s interesting because you’re invested in something but you have this distance from it too.” While the actress has said that she doesn’t intentionally pick avant-garde work, she’s the first to say that she does generally only pick projects that resonate with her. Connelly said, “I don’t try to make a point to pick “weird” parts but I like to challenge myself with intriguing materials and to work with people who have a unique vision. For me, Shane definitely had that unique vision.” “Once I saw the short film, I completely trusted in Shane so I wanted my work on 9 to support his vision. He’s so talented and he’s got a lot going on in the film. I have no idea how he made this movie look as amazing as he has. It’s more than a movie, it’s a piece of art,” Connelly added. - Heather Wixson VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON! Got news? Click here to submit it! Stitch up some punks in the Dread Central forums