Guy Pearce on searching for humanity with new film: ‘The evolution of technology is both fascinating and disturbing’
It’s not every day you find yourself getting existential with a film star – but as Guy Pearce’s new film is set in a futuristic world where life-like droids can’t be discerned from real people, it’s got him questioning what it is to be human.
In Zone 414, the actor plays David Carmichael, an ex-police officer tasked with finding the kidnapped daughter of the man who creates the world’s AI machines.
In order to find the missing girl, his character must befriend one of the look-alike robots, forcing him to reflect on what’s real, and what’s programming.
The film also stars Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz
Pearce, best known for films including Memento and LA Confidential – as well as his rise to fame in Australian soap Neighbours – told Sky News it’s a question we may need to ask ourselves as real-world tech gets smarter.
“The whole evolution of technology and where we’re heading and this rapid desire for very smart people out there who invent technology to create versions of ourselves is really kind of fascinating and disturbing at the same time,” he said.
“And the idea that will those robots, will those androids, become more human or more human than us, or will they become human at all? You know, that’s fascinating as well.”
The actor says he has been asking himself some fundamental questions.
“Where does humanity really come from? Where does it sit? Is it only injected into us as human beings or is there just as much humanity in a chicken, but just because it doesn’t speak we don’t know and could it therefore be implanted into a robot?
“That whole idea about our identity and psychology in this kind of setting was really fascinating.”
Despite grappling with the issues around developments in AI, Pearce said the technology is not something he is familiar with.
However, the star suspects he’ll end up learning from the next generation.
‘That whole idea about our identity and psychology in this kind of setting was really fascinating’
“If Siri accidentally comes on, I’m immediately going, ‘no, off, I don’t need your help, go away!’
“I’m not so much a Luddite, but just an oldie I guess – it’s interesting having Monty, my little boy. He’s only five, so he’s not really aware of what’s possible on a screen yet, but certainly you see him being drawn to it. And I know there will clearly come a point, probably very quickly, where he’s way ahead of me.”
Pearce’s character in Zone 414 is a man of few words. He says he prefers to portray what’s going on through his physicality.
“I’m eliminating dialogue all the time if I can,” he said. “I’ve got to be careful not to fall into the pattern of just turning every character into a silent communicator, because that’s not right for every character – some people are just naturally much more verbose.
“But in this case we understand later the baggage that he’s bringing with him and that on some level he’s shutting down as a human being – he’s just doing what’s necessary to survive… there’s something in that that I find kind of sympathetic and sad, noble or frustrating as well.”
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Earlier this year, Pearce played a love interest for Kate Winslet’s Mare in the hugely popular small-town US crime drama Mare Of Easttown.
As an old friend of the Oscar-winner, he came on to the project late after another actor dropped out – and admitted it still seems strange that he was in it at all.
“They had been shooting for some months anyway by the time I came in, funnily enough. I did one day on 12 March of last year and we shut down [due to the pandemic],” he said.
“And I really only had about seven or eight days work, so that in the end took about six months because we didn’t go back until September of last year to finish off my stuff, and so in a weird way I feel slightly disconnected from the show because it was such a brief time – but I also feel very connected to the show because of my connection with Kate.”
Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce star in Mare Of Easttown. Pic: Sky UK/HBO
Pearce, who was born in Cambridgeshire but grew up in Australia, says he was “wrapped” when Winslet, Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson won Emmys for their roles in the series.
“I was very, very happy for the show but it was funny too watching the show because my story is kind of really separate from everything else in Mare’s life,” he said. “I was really just there, I guess, to sort of remind Mare that she can have love in her life as well as work really hard.
“So it was funny watching the show because I just felt like I was a fan watching, you know, like anybody else can: Oh, and there’s me – oh that’s right, I forgot I did this.”
Zone 414 is available on digital download from 4 October
Entertainment
Jeff Bezos’s Venice wedding celebrations begin with star-studded party after fresh protests
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s star-studded wedding celebrations in Venice have begun, with VIP guests including the Kardashians descending on the Italian city.
The billionaire Amazon founder and his journalist fiancee waved to onlookers as they left a luxury hotel to travel to their pre-wedding reception by water taxi on Thursday evening.
Hollywood star Orlando Bloom was seen flashing a peace sign to fans as he left Venice’s Gritti Palace Hotel and he was soon followed by TV presenter Oprah Winfrey, who smiled and waved.
Orlando Bloom donning all white. Pic: Reuters
Oprah Winfrey is one of the 200-250 guests. Pic: Reuters
Kim and Khloe Kardashian travelled to the reception with their mother Kris Jenner – who snapped a picture of the pair on a water taxi – and other notable figures in town for the nuptials include Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
Some 200-250 A-list guests from showbusiness, politics and finance are expected to attend the events, with the wedding and its parts estimated to cost €40m-€48m (£34m-£41m).
Bezos, his soon-to-be wife and their famous guests have taken over numerous locations in the city, with the couple staying in the luxury Aman hotel, where rooms go for at least €4,000 per night.
Kris Jenner snaps a photo of Khloe and Kim Kardashian. Pic: Reuters
The bride and groom leaving their hotel. Pic: AP
The first of the weekend’s many wedding parties is taking place in the cloisters of Madonna dell’Orto, a medieval church that hosts masterpieces by 16th century painter Tintoretto.
While the couple and their A-list guests were all smiles, some in Venice are not happy about the wedding – with protesters seeing it as an example of the city being gift-wrapped for ultra-rich outsiders.
Read more: Why are activists protesting the wedding?
An activist from Extinction Rebellion unfolds a banner in front of St Mark’s Basilica. Pic: AP
An activist climbed one of the poles in the main St Mark’s Square on Thursday, unfurling a banner which said: “The 1% ruins the world.”
Elsewhere, a life-size mannequin of Bezos clutching an Amazon box was dropped into one of the city’s famous canals.
In a bid to keep demonstrators away from Thursday’s party, the city council banned pedestrians and water traffic from the area surrounding the venue, from 4.30pm local time to midnight.
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Bezos wedding protests explained
The couple will exchange their vows on Friday, on the small island of San Giorgio, opposite St Mark’s Square.
Another party will follow on Saturday – the venue for which was changed at the last-minute earlier this week.
Entertainment
Denis Villeneuve: Director of next James Bond film announced – and says he’s a ‘diehard 007 fan’
The director of the next James Bond film has been announced.
Denis Villeneuve – a four-time Academy Award nominee who earned critical acclaim for the Dune Franchise and Blade Runner 2049 – said the role is a “massive responsibility”.
The Canadian filmmaker described himself as a “diehard” fan since childhood, adding that it is a “huge honour” to come on board.
“Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery,” Villeneuve said.
Sean Connery as James Bond. Pic: The Legacy Collection/THA/Shutterstock 1963
Reassuring fans, the director continued: “To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come.”
His appointment comes as the British spy franchise experiences a major overhaul, with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson handing over creative control to Amazon MGM Studios.
Daniel Craig as James Bond in Spectre. Pic: Columbia/Eon/Shutterstock
The Broccoli family have long been the force behind the Bond films, and now co-own the intellectual property.
Two recently appointed producers – Spider-Man’s Amy Pascal and Harry Potter’s David Heyman – said securing a director and developing a screenplay were top priorities before deciding who would succeed Daniel Craig in the role.
Read more entertainment news:
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Denis Villeneuve. Pic: Reuters
The head of Amazon MGM Studios, Mike Hopkins, described Villeneuve as a “cinematic master whose filmography speaks for itself”.
He added: “Denis has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters, and – most importantly – the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theatres.
“James Bond is in the hands of one of today’s greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007’s next adventure.”
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