“The Vanishing of Sidney Hall” is a new drama about a young novelist and the mystery that surrounds his disappearance from the spotlight.
The Vanishing of Sidney Hall follows Sidney Hall, played by Logan Lerman, at three different times in his life as he becomes one of the biggest literary minds of his time before dropping off the face of the Earth. Tracing the history of Hall’s life, a man played by Kyle Chandler attempts to unravel the mystery of what caused Hall to disappear in the first place. The film is directed by Oscar-winner Shawn Christiansen and written by Christiansen and Jason Dolan, and also stars Elle Fanning, Michelle Monaghan, Nathan Lane, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and more.
While at the LA premiere for the film at ArcLight Hollywood we spoke to some of the cast about the making of the film, learning about how to build characters and more. Starring as Hall himself, Lerman spoke about channeling a character, saying he had to “devot[e] time and thought, letting yourself dream about the character and allowing yourself to make discoveries.”
Michelle Monaghan, who plays Lerman’s mother in the film, explained how she found developed Mrs. Hall, noting how important it was to work with the writer-director Christiansen in order to refine the character. “We developed the character over many, many months. We talked about many details which allowed us to be really prepared on the day [of filming].” She also had kind words for her on-screen son Lerman, calling him “very committed and dedicated” to the craft of making their relationship pop. Monaghan (perhaps best known for her roles in like Mission: Impossible III and the first season of True Detective) also spoke about stepping out of that kind of character, saying that this more complicated character was “easier to delve into… and you have fun exploring it.”
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also walked the carpet, the actor playing the teacher that first helps get Sidney Hall published. Abdul-Mateen had some prior experience that allowed him to develop his role as a teacher and mentor, because he “taught architecture for a little while… I have experience being a teacher and working with young people” This prepared him to work on this film, as he knew how to “form friendships with younger people as they mature and as they get older,” reflecting the relationship that Abdul-Mateen’s character has with Hall.
The Vanishing of Sidney Hall premieres in theaters on March 2nd.
Trivinski Taylor contributed reporting.