Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin and Margaret Qualley star in "The War of the Last," a new post-apocalyptic thriller directed by Ridley Scott about survivors of a global pandemic.
Set in 2035, the film is based on Peter Heller's hit novel and explores what it means to remain human when survival is the only thing that matters.
The story takes place in Erie, Colorado, near the Front Range north of Denver. Survivors attempt to rebuild their lives after a deadly flu decimated humanity, leaving many of those who remained alive suffering from a crippling blood disease.
The cast also features Allison Janney, Benedict Wong and Guy Pearce.
Production methods
Scott, the four-time Oscar-nominated British filmmaker whose credits include "Gladiator," "Thelma & Louise," "Black Hawk Down" and "The Martian," employed a fast-paced production method. He used multiple cameras to capture scenes from different angles and often shot complete sequences in a single take, leaving the production open to happy accidents.
Elordi said Scott was a cinematic pioneer and a visual storyteller. The actor said that as soon as he received the script, he told the director he would work with him without hesitating a second, adding that he was attracted to the project purely and exclusively by Scott.
Elordi said the director prepared for each day by sitting in the back seat of a Maybach on the way to the set, using coloured markers to draw storyboards that he then shared with the actors as a visual map.
Brolin said Scott's approach did not follow standard Hollywood formulas and forced actors to abandon their usual routines. He said the uncertainty was disconcerting at first but became a creative stimulus.
The actor said that when working with Scott, people left aside the schemes they were used to. Brolin said he became so comfortable with the freedom of the process that he wanted to continue after the shoot ended.
Filming pace
Qualley said the energy of the shoot transferred to the location work.
The actress said she was very surprised by the pace. She said she had heard Scott liked to film with several cameras and that it felt like doing everything on the fly, but that it was impossible to understand until experiencing it. She described his set as a perfectly oiled machine running at full speed.
Elordi said the production travelled through Italy from north to south until reaching Rome, adding that shooting in historical settings with a legend like Scott was an unforgettable experience.
The film, which focuses on the intimacy of characters trying to survive amidst the devastation, is also screening in IMAX cinemas.
