Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a short interview I did with Marc Forster, director of FINDING NEVERLAND and MONSTER'S BALL. This was originally scheduled as a phoner, an interview done over the phone, but the small headcold I caught from some dastardly individual at Butt-Numb-A-Thon turned into a flu that sent me into 5 minute coughing fits and also decided to take away 97% of my voice. Thanks to the lovely Sylvia at Bumble Ward, we were able to do this interview via email. I hate doing interviews via email... makes it very impersonal, but there was no choice with this one. I think it turned out pretty good, though, if a bit short.

Now, I missed the press screening of FINDING NEVERLAND way back in November, so I collected a box of tissues and got together with my equally sick friend, Kraken, and we headed to the theater the night before the interview to catch a screening of the flick. Kraken's wife, wiped out from the pre-Christmas blitz, decided to call it a night and my girlfriend was working, so picture two men in their 20s sitting in a theater with a lot of old women pretending we didn't see each other wipe away tears after that powerful closing scene. Needless to say, I loved the movie and I wish Mr. Forster the best luck going up against Scorsese, Eastwood, Payne and Nichols. He's gonna need it! Anyway, on with the interview!!!

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QUINT: First off, I love your casts. The headliners are great (Depp, Winslet, Thornton, Berry), but where I think you really succeed with your casting is in the supporting area, like Peter Boyle and Sean Combs in MONSTER'S BALL and Dustin Hoffman, Julie Christie and (being a big, big fan of THE OFFICE) Mackenzie Crook in FINDING NEVERLAND. What do you look for in casting the leads and supporting roles in your films?

MARC FORSTER: In leads, I'm looking for people who I would love to watch for two hours. Obviously it is essential that they have the sensitivity to capture the truth/depth of the character. Supporting roles are usually written to be slightly more two dimensional, it is key that the actors expression/look makes them three dimensional without any dialogue or exposition.

QUINT: So, are you going to get a casting credit on CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY?

MARC FORSTER: So far, nobody has returned any of my calls.

QUINT: Tell me how you came to choose Freddie Highmore to play Peter? Did he wow you at an audition? What was it about him that won him the role?

MARC FORSTER: Kate Dowd the casting director in London brought him in to read for me and I cast him on the spot. He gave me chills, I had never witnessed that kind of simple, honest, and truthful performance before.

QUINT: It seems to me that their relationship is one of the most important threads in the film. Did he and Depp get along as well off screen as on?

MARC FORSTER: Yes! Johnny bonded with all of the kids, including Freddie. During shooting we became that family. We spend a fabulous summer together and we all became very emotional on the last day.

QUINT: Visually, you had a tough job with FINDING NEVERLAND, at least with the PETER PAN fantasy sequences as so many filmed versions of the PAN story have been done. Where did the choice for making the Neverland and imagination bits theatrical come from (ie the waves during the Pirate sequence) and how tough was it to implement?

MARC FORSTER: From the first time I read the script I always felt that all of the fantasy sequences should be "child like" and naive. They should represent a child's point of view. Very mechanical (like the waves) and theatrical even when the script suggested staying in fantasy the entire time.

QUINT: How is it to be going on the awards circuit again? What do you think of your competition this year?

MARC FORSTER: I'm honored to be part of it but I never have any expectations. I'd rather put my energy into my current project.

QUINT: What've you got coming up?

MARC FORSTER: I'm finishing a movie called "Stay" -- due out next year and I'm starting one called "Stranger Then Fiction"

QUINT: What's your favorite dirty joke?

MARC FORSTER: You can't translate dirty Swiss jokes!

There you have it, squirts! Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks to the Bumble Ward peoples and Mr. Forster for taking the time to talk to me and to you folks out there. I've got some more goodies up my sleeve, squirts, so keep your eyes on the site!

-Quint