Have you seen 10 Cloverfield Lane yet? If the answer is no then you are missing out on a tense and thrilling night at the movies (read our reviews here and here). With the “spiritual sequel” to Cloverfield now released in many territories, director Dan Trachtenberg has been discussing the film and revealed that he wasn’t the first choice for director.
SPOILERS FOLLOW…
Speaking to The Q&A Podcast, director Trachtenberg has revealed that co-writer Damien Chazelle, who was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for his debut Whiplash, was set to sit in the director’s chair in the initial production of the film.
“Damien was originally going to direct it as well, and then Whiplash came up, so I have so many things to thank him for. He made an awesome movie that I love, and because he went and made that awesome movie, I got a chance to make a movie, and he did a great job with the script. He really gifted me with so many things,”
He also spoke about the script itself, saying that he didn’t ever reach the original draft of the script.
“I only know of it from when we were auditioning, some actors would come in to read for parts, and their agents, thinking they were being savvy, would slip them the actual script, as opposed to our sides, and the characters were completely different….The Emmett character was the bad guy in that version of the script, so [the actors auditioning] were all a mess, it was a real shame. But Damien came in and gave it the ending that it has and a lot of the character dynamics are all [his].”
Also added late in the process was the inclusion of Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), whose voice cameos as Michelle’s (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) fiancee early in the film:
“For a while it while it was just my editor [as a place holder voice], and we were getting nearer and nearer the release, and a lot of people in the office would swing by and see if [their voice] would work. And then eventually J.J. was like, ‘I wonder if Bradley would want to do this?’ And we’re like, ‘Who’s Bradley?’ ‘I was thinking Bradley Cooper,’ and we’re like, ’Yeah, go ahead!’ And he was totally down to help us out.”
Will there be potential sequels to the film? Trachtenberg says they have “fantasised” about the next film, which would “definitely follow in that Ripley/Sarah Connor model, but who knows…”
10 Cloverfield Lane is out now in US and UK cinemas.
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Originally published March 22, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
