PD: What made you want to adapt the Detroit: Become Human video game for the big screen?
JS: Well let's say it's a game I'm fond of because it was my first game for the PS4. I was fascinated by that moment and started to think it would be interesting to create a script for a film. Obviously the three-narrative story like and the crossroads story like in the video game were probably impossible to maintain so I had to make some changes and cuts that I hope will be appreciated. I wanted to keep the story of the two protagonists' journey and struggle for survival in that raw and cold world and I think Villeneuve was the right choice for that. I honestly don't know what the critics' idea will be about this film but I'm crossing my fingers.
PD: It's been a couple seasons since your last film, Queen Margot. That film was a huge flop at the box office despite good critical reviews. What do you think went wrong there?
JS: Yes indeed that was a bad bomb at the box office. The film had production problems so the film was delayed a couple of times. I honestly also believed that the critics would have destroyed it and instead in the end it was my best rated film. It was a flop for two reasons I guess. The first is that it had too many characters that the budget has increased too much for such a film and even the lead character has perhaps been overshadowed by the co-stars. The second reason is that the story and the setting are probably not interested in the general public, too bad. Let's hope Detroit: Become Human goes better although I think the budget will be quite high.
PD: The two lead roles in Detroit: Become Human are filled by two stars with a less than stellar track record at the box office in LRF (Jennifer Lawrence and Michael B. Jordan). Do their box office issues make you nervous about the film's chances at success?
JS: I honestly didn't do these things while I was thinking about the casting of the film. I hardly ever use super expensive actors/actresses in my movies but as long as I was playing the video game I kept thinking "I wanted Jennifer Lawrence badly for this movie!" and when I told her about it she agreed right away. She told me that she hadn't played the game and that she would purchase a copy to play while pregnant. On set she was extraordinary and meticulous and I think she gave a great performance. She has been nominated 7 times for best actress, I hope that sooner or later she will manage to win the coveted award. As far as Michael B. Jordan is concerned, he was among the eligible actors who could fill the role which is however less central than that of Lawrence, in fact it is a little more in the background. However, he too accepted that role willingly and I'm happy with his performance. However everyone was good, Samara, Octavia, Alfred, little Lexi and I also thank Woody Harrelson who joined the film at the last minute. I'm happy to have been able to work with him as he is one of my favorite actors. However, everyone has been good and I hope that the public will appreciate it.
PD: You've now bounced around between new genres along with your more traditional horror/thriller projects in recent seasons. Do you have a favorite genre to write? And why?
JS: Yes, it is true, however, almost all films have horror or supernatural and thriller veins. Since I was a child I have always loved the old horror and sci-fi classics and so I started collecting DVDs mainly of those genres. In recent years, however, I have also been collecting films of other genres.
PD: Do you have any new projects in the works?
JS: There are some projects to finish but there's only one ready, a kind of slasher but quite particular.
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