On Wednesday, December 4th, the New York premiere of acclaimed director Tom Harper’s latest film “The Aeronauts” premiered at the SVA Theatre in Chelsea.
The Aeronauts tells the story of a balloon pilot who teams up with a meteorologist with the goal of flying higher than anyone ever has and advancing human knowledge of the weather. Over the course of their research, the pair breaks records and advances scientific discovery, while simultaneously facing physical and emotional challenges in the thin air.
Before the premiere we had the chance to interview the director Tom Harper about his hopes for the film, as well as, co-stars Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne about their experience working on The Aeronauts.
The Knockturnal: How did you first come across this story and what made you want to turn it into a movie?
Tom Harper: Well I was in Russia directing War and Peace and my cameraman had heard a little bit of it read out on the radio and he said “wouldn’t it be amazing to tell a whole story set in the sky”. I though it would so I bought the book and I read it and it was amazing. I just couldn’t believe I hadn’t really heard about it before. And in particular the thing that really inspired me was that thirst for adventure and that desire to see the dream of flight. To see the world differently and to push the limits of our knowledge. And really for the betterment of humanity.
The Knockturnal: This story is based off of true events, so how did you strike the proper balance of remaining authentic to the actual story but still adapting it so that it is fit for the screen and an audience?
Tom Harper: It mean it was inspired by a number of different flights in the sense that I read the stories and I thought it would make a great movie. I would say about 90% of what happens is real but it just all happened at different times and is a combination of different things. So it’s about trying to capture a spirit of the adventure and the sense of wonder and what they were trying to achieve. At the same time its acknowledging that we’re making an entertaining action adventure.
The Knockturnal: What was it like working with Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne?
Tom Harper: It was fantastic. They are such magnificent actors. And they’re such generous, kind, wonderful people to work with. So we all inspired each other and sort of pushed each other to go further, to take more risks, to explore the depths of the characters. And that was a really exciting process.
The Knockturnal: How do you hope to leave audiences feeling by the end of this film?
Tom Harper: I hope a lot of things really. I hope they’ve had an entertaining experience. I hope they keep looking up. That’s really the spirit of the film. We’re in this age where we have cell phones and we have electronic devices and we have a 24-hour news cycle. It’s important to remember that there is wonder out there if you look up in terms of your thinking and in terms of your attention.
The Knockturnal: I read that you had a few difficult stunts in the film. What was the process like preparing for that?
Felicity Jones: It was hard work. I worked very closely with an acrobat which is something I’ve dreamed of doing my whole life, having watched the amazing trapeze work and things like that. So that was about a good couple of months before we starting shooting and then I worked with a stunt team very closely and I was learning all different stunts that we we’re going to be putting together. So it was as a real adventure.
The Knockturnal: What do you think you took away from the experience of playing such a powerful and inspiring woman in the film?
Felicity Jones: I think I took so much from her. She is so kind of forthright and brave and gets on with it. And gets up there and doesn’t overthink things. She’s got an amazing spirit and a strength of mind that she probably doesn’t know herself at the beginning but then comes out by the end of the film. And also a good sense of fun.
The Knockturnal: What was it like having the opportunity to reunite with Eddie Redmayne on the screen?
Felicity Jones: It was lovely. It was so nice to build on that relationship we had in The Theory of Everything. He’s a phenomenal actor and when you work with good people, it makes you so much better yourself.
The Knockturnal: What initially drew you to this role?
Eddie Redmayne: When I read the script there was a moment in it in which Felicity has to climb to the top of this balloon in the middle of the stratosphere and it was unlike anything I had ever read or could imagine. And I thought I want to be a part of that image and I want to see that image on the big screen. And it felt sort of a weird mixture of something historical and emotion but also it was a thrilling ride it was like an adventure movie.
The Knockturnal: Was there an added pleasure in telling a story based off of real life people and real life experiences?
Eddie Redmayne: Well you know the film is a conflation of experiences so its inspired by various true events. So I think we use the word inspired really. I did all my research. When you have to play someone real you do all the research but then you throw it away. In my case in this film the gentleman was in his 50s and I’m in my 30s. Tom allowed us the freedom to go. We’ve taken these stories as the inspiration for the film. So don’t be too weighted downed by it.
The Knockturnal: What was your favorite part of the filming experience?
Eddie Redmayne: My favorite part was actually when we shot in the real air balloon on day one. Before we had a horrendous crash there was a very beautiful serene moment in which we were flying over Oxford, Felicity and I. People were walking their dogs, shouting up to us and waving back. It was spectacularly beautiful and very peaceful.
The Aeronauts will be released in theaters on December 6th and will be available on Amazon Prime starting December 20th.