London, TAG – For Daniel Radcliffe, it's time to forget Harry Potter.
The 22-year-old actor, inextricably linked to the boy wizard he played
throughout the movie franchise, takes on his first adult role in Victorian-era
horror film "The Woman in Black."
Hitting theatres in Britain on February 10 and a week earlier in the
United States, the movie is a step into the unknown for an actor who grew up on
the set of one of Hollywood's most successful series.
Instead of production budgets of $250 million or more, The Woman in
Black cost an estimated $17 million to make. And however big Radcliffe's fan
base around the world, another billion-dollar box office looks out of the
question.
James Watkins, who directed The Woman In Black, called it a
"reinvention" for Radcliffe. "I think it's the start of that,
absolutely," Radcliffe told Reuters
in an interview ahead of Tuesday's red carpet world premiere of the new movie.
One of the attractions of playing Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer and
father mourning the death of his wife, was the obvious break with what went
before.
"People haven't seen me looking like this before. People haven't
seen me playing a father -- all those things are going to help separate it in
their mind," Radcliffe said.
"But I think ultimately the thing that will help that reinvention
is the fact that the story is so good. I think people will very quickly forget
that they're watching Harry Potter."
In The Woman in Black, Kipps is forced to leave his three-year-old son
and travel to a remote village on the east coast of England to look into the
legal affairs of the recently deceased owner of Eel Marsh House, a creepy
mansion cut off from the mainland when the tide rises.
He discovers a dark family secret that helps explain the appearance of a
mysterious, ghost-like woman dressed in black who beckons children to an early
grave.
The film is based on a novel by Susan Hill that was adapted into a
successful West End play, still running in London.
Jane Goldman, who co-wrote the scripts for "Kick-Ass" and
"The Debt," was brought in to translate the page to the big screen,
and horror specialist Watkins directed.
Radcliffe said he did not think too hard about trying to be different
from his Harry Potter character when he worked on the set of The Woman in Black
and was pleased with the results.
"I think my work in this is certainly on a par with the work I did
on the last Potter which I was very, very proud of."
He will soon discover if critics agree. Throughout the Harry Potter
series Radcliffe earned mixed reviews, although any negative comments did
nothing to deter record audiences.
And his two main stage roles -- "Equus" in 2007 and "How
to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" in 2011 were generally
well-received, particularly Equus.
Looking ahead, Radcliffe said proving he was not a one-part wonder would
take time.
"It's a long road. It's not going to be one film and suddenly
you're off. It's going to be a combination."
That combination will involve both stage and screen.
"In an ideal world I would like to mix them as much as possible. In
March I'm filming a movie called 'Kill Your Darlings' in which I'll be playing
a 19-year-old Allen Ginsberg.
"That's the next thing on the plate
and after that we'll see."[]
Related articles:
Potter Star Looks To Life Without Wands or Wizards
Reviewed by theacehglobe
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January 26, 2012
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Reviewed by theacehglobe
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January 26, 2012
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