Behind The Scenes: Director Gavin Hood & Harrison Ford On The Set Of ENDER’S GAME
Director Gavin Hood’s 2013 film Ender’s Game works against all odds. The film, a big screen adaptation of an ‘80s young adult science fiction novel, had a lot stacked against it. The beloved book (which I haven’t read) has been in development in Hollywood for over twenty years, but a movie continued to elude filmmakers. However, Hood was the man to carry it over the finish line, delivering a well executed film with great effects and strong performances.
Hood’s film has to balance a lot of elements, as Ender’s Game is part teen drama, science fiction action film and political commentary. It manages to be successful in all of these areas without feeling like the others are being ignored. From what I know, Orson Scott Card’s novel follows Ender over a couple of years, from child to teenager. However, Hood makes the right choice by ditching the possibility of going too ‘cute’. Butterfield is able to make the character of Ender interesting, showing a growth in character that feels real.
Set in the future when Earth is still reeling from an attack from an alien force called Formics, Ender’s Game follows ‘Ender’ Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a young teenager sent to a military academy to be trained as military leader. Ender is an outcast with a strong aptitude for military tactics and Colonial Graff (Harrison Ford) believes that he may be able to defeat the alien force once and for all. Along the way Ender befriends Petra (Hailee Steinfeld), who teaches him how to fit into his new world, which in turn helps train him to become the great leader that everyone hopes he will be.
Budgeted at $110 million, Ender’s Game grossed $61.7 million at the US box office and $125 million worldwide following its release in 2013.
