When horror stories are confined to a single location, every emotion is intensified. The visceral fear of being trapped in a confined space can be a gateway for great scares, especially when the characters realize there’s no easy way out. The psychological implications of single-location horror are multifold, as such stories are able to explore character motivations in contexts that everyday situations rarely afford. The associated tropes that come with them — twist reveals, cabin fever-induced confusion, and the human instinct to overcome impossible odds — only make the experience that much sweeter. Netflix’s new escape room thriller, “Brick,” tries to live up to those expectations, but it doesn’t arrive at any groundbreaking conclusions during the process. Nevertheless, it’s a film worth checking out.
If we take a quick look at Netflix’s weekly Top 10 movies in the U.S., “Brick” is sitting in third place at the moment, right behind the explosively popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” (via FlixPatrol). This high ranking seems well-deserved, though; “Brick” has an intriguing premise and delivers lots of twists and turns, all while challenging viewers to put on their thinking caps and figure out the solution along with the movie’s characters. Writer/director Philip Koch situates the story’s horror in the comfort of your home: What would happen if you woke up to discover all of your apartment building’s exits were sealed by huge, magnetized walls that do not appear to budge? Calling for outside help isn’t an option here, as the enclosed space is now off-the-grid, having been severed from the internet and all cellphone connections. But while it’s pure nightmare fuel, is that setup alone enough to sustain this sci-fi thriller?
I’m inclined to say no, as “Brick” does little with the claustrophobic urgency inherent to its central concept. And though the plot is still intense in bursts, it also has an emotional throughline that’s too grim for its own good. Even so, it’s worth taking a closer look at what Koch’s flick has to offer.
Brick lays a solid foundation, but it ends up crumbling under its own weight
Netflix
“Brick” centers on Tim (Matthias Schweighöfer, whom you might remember from Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” and Schweighöfer’s prequel, “Army of Thieves”), a game developer who lives with his girlfriend, Liv (Ruby O. Fee). Liv wants to escape the monotony of working long hours at their jobs, so she suggests a lovely trip to Paris, but Tim immediately shuts down the idea on account of being too busy. But just as tensions rise to the point of a potential break-up, Liv discovers a huge wall blocking their doorway, leaving her and Tim trapped inside their home. While their dynamic is still strained, things suddenly get a lot more serious, as the duo is forced to work together to survive this situation.
When the pair decide to knock down the walls separating their place from the neighboring apartments in search of other survivors, “Brick” begins to unravel as a hidden world of twist reveals and dirty secrets is brought to light. Other characters gradually become a part of this mystery as well, including the eccentric couple Marvin (Frederick Lau) and Ana (Salber Lee Williams), along with Yuri (Murathan Muslu), a tenant who doesn’t want to escape at all. Unfortunately, by the time we learn what the titular brick really is and why it suddenly decided to envelop this particular apartment building, the film is running on fumes, having exhausted all of its gimmicks. Beneath the layers of a grim story that doesn’t always lean into levity, though, there are glimmers of a better and adrenaline-fueled movie. On the whole, though, “Brick” often feels lethargic due to its muddled pacing.
Beyond the question of what the heck is happening to these characters and the world around them, the film focuses heavily on their shifting allegiances and evolving relationships with one another. The question of survival is also extended to fractured interpersonal dynamics, as we want to know whether Tim and Liv can weather this storm and emerge as a stronger couple together. Alas, even this emotional aspect starts to grow weaker as the movie progresses, robbing “Brick” of its ability to provide some satisfying pay-offs. Still, overall, there are a number of things to enjoy about this particular sci-fi/horror escape room movie. That said, I urge you to opt for the German-language version of the film, as the English dub leaves a lot to be desired.
Philo Beddoe in “Every Which Way But Loose,” where he was already giving off too-old-for-this-s*** vibes as he idly romanced Sondra Locke. He was basically as old as I am now (51), which, let’s face it, is old, so each new Eastwood film, particularly the action flicks, felt like a referendum on aging. When Clint chased down a perp as Dirty Harry or snuck into the Soviet Union to steal an experimental aircraft (“The Bridges of Madison County” — what, you don’t remember that subplot?), you sensed that he was engaging with a world that was on the verge of passing him by.
Clint Eastwood is now 94 years old and may or may not get around to directing another movie after swatting “Juror No. 2” out of the park last year (much to the apparent dismay of Warner Bros. Discovery honcho David Zaslav, who throttled the film’s theatrical release). He has admitted to “slowing down” according to those in his inner circle, but given that most people his age are incredibly dead, simply pondering a new film project feels like landing on the moon to me. If he’s got the energy to shoot a movie, though, I can’t help but wonder if he’d be open to stepping back in front of the camera for the first time since 2021’s “Cry Macho.”
Yes, Eastwood has said his acting days are behind him, but he’s said this before and somehow mustered up the strength to give it another go. In fact, he previously considered retiring from acting before he directed the film that earned him his second Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director.
Eastwood couldn’t say no to his role in Million Dollar Baby
Warner Bros. Pictures
In a 2008 interview with Reuters tied to the release of the underrated “Changeling,” Eastwood was asked if he still had an appetite for acting. Given that he’d just completed the filming of “Gran Torino,” in which he plays a mostly unapologetic bigot who stands up for his Vietnamese neighbors, he clearly wasn’t quite done with the craft. However, he did acknowledge that, earlier in the decade, he’d thought about calling it quits. As he told Reuters, “I think I started saying that back a few years ago, I said, ‘I don’t think I’ll act anymore, I’ll stay behind the camera,’ and then ‘Million Dollar Baby’ came along and I liked that role.”
He’s terrific in that role and also gave a very moving performance in “Cry Macho” at the age of 90, so, being a lifelong fan of the old man’s work, I’d like to think we haven’t seen the last of Clint on the big screen. I’m not necessarily expecting my guy to punch another man’s lights out (as he did in “Cry Macho”), but if he’s with it enough to call “action” and “cut,” why not treat us to one more performance? If memory’s an issue, he can always pull a Marlon Brando and paste his dialogue on other actors and objects in the scene. He seems to have no interest in retiring altogether, so live it up while you’re still living, Clint!
Taylor Sheridan sued one of the main actors on “Yellowstone” over trademark infringement, so it’s safe to say that he’s dealt with his fair share of legal drama. However, the prolific creator might have landed Paramount in a spot of bother thanks to his oil drama “Landman,” as an audio clip featured in the season 1 finale is alleged to have been used without permission.
The episode at the heart of the drama, “The Crumbs of Hope,” contains a 90-second clip of the late real-life radio broadcaster Paul Harvey discussing oil prices on his “The Rest of the Story” show. The original segment, which can be found in the 2008 episode titled “Gas Crisis,” argues that rising oil costs are the result of greedy governments and corporations. However, Harvey’s estate, Paulynne, claims that “Landman” edits the clip to defend the oil industry while infringing on copyrighted material. Here’s what Paulynne’s attorney, Jaime Wolf, had to say on the matter (per The Wrap):
“In the world of audio licensing, 90 seconds is an eternity. Paramount not only grabbed a long, copyrighted audio clip without our client’s permission, but they also twisted the intent of Mr. Harvey’s words by editing his original broadcast.”
With the lawsuit, Paulynne is looking to have the clip removed from the episode. Not only that, but the estate also doesn’t want “Gas Crisis” recordings to be used in any future episodes, and it is seeking some financial compensation to make up for Paramount profiting from the clip. As of this writing, no representatives from Paramount have commented on the lawsuit publicly and neither has Sheridan (who is probably too busy focusing on “Landman” season 2 and other projects).
Landman season 2 is currently on the way
Paramount+
Taylor Sheridan’s TV empire keeps growing, so he won’t have time to let a pesky lawsuit take up too much of his schedule. “Landman” season 2 is currently in production, and he’s also working on several upcoming “Yellowstone” spin-off series that will probably lead to even more offshoots down the line. Throw in “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Special Ops: Lioness,” “Tulsa King,” and the occasional movie project, and it’s safe to say that his plate is full.
Lawsuits aside, though, “Landman” season 2 is shaping up to be exciting. Sam Elliot recently joined the cast, marking his latest collaboration with Sheridan following “1883.” What’s more, viewers can look forward to some cartel-centered drama when the new episodes arrive, as the season 1 finale ends with Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) feeling in over his head and fearing for his life.
The outcome of the aforementioned lawsuit remains to be seen, but it shouldn’t delay “Landman” season 2’s journey to the screen. However, maybe Sheridan and co. should resist the urge to include any more audio clips in the show that might get them into trouble, as legal drama is always a headache.
“Landman” season 1 is now streaming on Paramount+.
Fans who were excited to see Lola Tung and Nicholas Alexander Chavez in the new I Know What You Did Last Summer film shouldn’t get their hopes up.
Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson recently told People magazine that the two actors’ scenes were nicked from the final cut of the slasher sequel, despite the filmmaker initially planning to open the movie with them.
“In every movie, it’s best laid plans, and then you edit the movie and you put it together and you go, ‘I love this in a vacuum. This is a fantastic scene. But it doesn’t fit in the movie,’” Robinson explains of her decision to cut Tung and Chavez’s scenes.
“It was just one of those situations where it had nothing to do with Lola and Nicholas — they are both so fantastic. I really would love to work with them again. I loved working with them. They did a fabulous job,” she added. “But in the larger tapestry of the film, it just didn’t fit.”
The Do Revenge director said it always “sucks” when you have to cut someone’s scenes, “because you don’t want to do that to those actors. And it sucks when you love something as a scene but that scene just doesn’t work in the final cut of the film.”
Chavez, who rose to fame last year with his portrayal of Lyle Menendez in Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, previously told The Hollywood Reporter that he “had a really great time” shooting the reboot.
“All of the horror fans are gonna come for me as soon as they see this, but I had no idea what I Know What You Did Last Summer was before they came to me with the idea,” he added about joining the project. “I live under a rock — please don’t give me a hard time about it — but we started talking about it and then I turned to my girlfriend who’s like the biggest horror movie nerd of all time, and her whole face lights up, her jaw drops and she’s like, ‘We gotta go watch the movie right now.’ So we go into the living room where our TV is and we throw it on and it was just so much fun.”
Chavez continued, “I grew up a Scooby-Doo kid, so to see Freddie Prinze Jr. doing a different thing other than Fred, that was a lot of fun. So I got back on the phone and talked to the director [Robinson] and was listening to her pitch the direction that it should go in, and I was like, ‘Yeah!’”
The I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot, which hits theaters on Friday, sees Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt reprise their roles from the original 1997 pic. The film also stars Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Sarah Pidgeon, Jonah Hauer-King and Tyriq Withers.
In James Gunn’s “Superman,” the charming and talented Skyler Gisondo plays Jimmy Olsen, the plucky reporter for the Daily Planet. He is depicted as something of a ladies man, the cute boy of the office, often drawing demure titters from his co-workers. Jimmy seems a little baffled by how attractive he is; he’s no lothario. Jimmy is also secretly in contact with Eve (Sara Sampaio), Lex Luthor’s girlfriend, which allows him access to vital information late in the film.
Gisondo vibrated with “leading man” energy, and he once even (naturally) assumed that his audition for James Gunn was actually to play the role of Clark Kent. The only think keeping him from playing the Man of Steel, one might argue, are his boyish good looks.
Gisondo is also no stranger to the world of superheroes or legacy characters. As a child, Gisondo already voiced the golden retriever puppy B-Dawg in multiple “Air Buddies” movies, and he played the young Tommy Doyal in Rob Zombie’s remake of “Halloween.” Tommy was, horror fans can tell you, the young boy being babysat on the night of Michael Myers’ notorious killings. He would play the young Moe Howard in the Farrelly Bros.’ underrated “Three Stooges” movie, and later in his career, he would play James in the remake/sequel of “Vacation.”
Attentive readers might also know that Gisondo had a small role in Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” and its sequel. He played Howard Stacy, the younger brother of Gwen Stacy. He didn’t have many scenes, and his presence doesn’t have too much bearing on the plot, but he is memorable nonetheless. Also, his work on the “Amazing” movies make him one of a handful of actors to have appeared in both high-profile Marvel films and a high-profile DC film.
Skyler Gisondo played Gwen Stacy’s younger brother in the Amazing Spider-Man movies
Sony Pictures Releasing
As Spider-Fans recall, the “Amazing Spider-Man” movies were a reboot of the superhero’s continuity after Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 3” disappointed fans. Peter Parker was now played by Andrew Garfield, and his usual girlfriend, Mary Jane, was replaced with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Gwen is the daughter of a police captain, George Stacy (Denis Leary), who doesn’t much like Peter, and certainly doesn’t like Spider-Man. Gwen also has two little brothers, including Howard, seen at the dinner table above. It’s Skyler Gisondo. He asks his father if he’s caught the Spider-Guy yet. Later, he asks about a cuss word that his father drops. Other members of the Stacy clan were played by Kari Coleman, Charlie DePew, and Jacob Rodier.
(The fact that Gisondo’s character is named Howard Stacy might be a little confusing for Spider-Fans, as actress Bryce Dallas Howard played Gwen Stacy in “Spider-Man 3.”)
Gisondo has been working steadily ever since. He had already appeared in all 31 episodes of “The Bill Engvall Show,” and had a recurring role on the hit series “Psych.” In 2019, he would attract a lot of attention for playing the vapid, rich Jared in Olivia Wilde’s “Booksmart.” He also had a noted appearance in P.T. Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza” in 2021 and a great run on HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones,” all leading to his gig on “Superman.” He has expressed an interest in playing Jimmy Olsen in any upcoming sequels or DC-related TV shows, and that he feels Jimmy could expand as a character. Let’s hope he gets his wish.
[This story contains spoilers for Superman (2025).]
Superman breakout Sara Sampaio knew that her Eve Teschmacher character would be misjudged until she wasn’t.
When the official trailer for James Gunn’s Superman arrived, the Portuguese actor understood why viewers questioned her character’s decision to take selfies of a nearby attack on Metropolis. We now know that she was in the LutherCorp control room that was orchestrating said attack and that she was never in any imminent danger herself, but the inappropriateness of the act still stands given the danger to those citizens caught in the crosshairs of Lex Luthor’s (Nicholas Hoult) nefarious scheme.
Sampaio admits that Eve’s selfie-obsessed manner is heightened for comedic effect, but the behavior is very much rooted in reality. She acknowledges that we live in a time where influencers staged photo ops for themselves during 2020’s various protests before going straight home. In Poland, the Auschwitz Museum routinely pleads with visitors to stop taking selfies on the grounds where 1.1 million people were killed. When the entire global population has a camera in their pocket, lines of decency are inevitably going to be crossed.
Overall, Eve’s selfie fixation wasn’t solely geared toward the vanity of social media. She was also protecting herself if/when she became another imprisoned ex-girlfriend of Lex Luthor. As a result, she exposed Lex’s plot to manufacture a foreign war in the name of destroying Superman.
“Everyone underestimated Eve [from the start]: ‘What is she even doing in the movie? Why is she taking selfies? This is so stupid,’” Sampaio recalls to The Hollywood Reporter. “And now everyone is like, ‘Oh!’ She saves the day at the end, and it’s a brilliant way of showing how humans and characters are not just one thing.”
As a highly accomplished supermodel turned actor, Sampaio has likely faced similar forms of judgment while working tirelessly the last seven years toward pursuing her original dream.
“Modeling was never really the plan. I’ve just always wanted to act,” Sampaio says. “And while I’m so thankful for the opportunity that I had with modeling, I just always felt that it wouldn’t fulfill me. So acting was always in the back of my mind, but I wanted to do it well, and I didn’t have time to go to classes [due to modeling]. That’s when I had to make that decision to take a step back and focus on acting.”
While Gunn was watching self-tapes for Eve Teschmacher, it was his wife, Jennifer Holland, who saw something in Sampaio and urged her husband to give her a closer look.
“At the premiere, I told Jennifer that I wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for her pointing out my self-tape to James. I’m so thankful to her,” Sampaio says.
Below, during a recent spoiler conversation with THR, Sampaio also discusses the process of taking a thousand selfies across her 20 days on set, as well as some deleted moments from the Fortress of Solitude sequence.
***
Between the opening weekend box office and the reception from audiences, you likely had a very exciting past weekend. Was there a cast group chat to react to it all?
Yes, we have a group chat that’s called the “Superman Gang.” The whole group chat is just us bullying Beck [Bennett]. (Laughs.) He can take it. But it’s been very active this weekend; everyone is just really excited.
You already had a very successful modeling career, but in 2018, you moved to L.A. to give acting a shot. Did you feel like you needed a new challenge in your life?
Modeling was never really the plan. I’ve just always wanted to act. Even when I was going to [University of Lisbon], I wanted to study acting, but my parents convinced me to get a “normal” degree. I then started modeling, and so I didn’t do either. And while I’m so thankful for the opportunity that I had with modeling, I just always felt that it wouldn’t fulfill me. There was something missing. So acting was always in the back of my mind, but I wanted to do it well, and I didn’t have time to go to classes [due to modeling]. That’s when I had to make that decision to take a step back and focus on acting. I was like, “Whatever happens, happens. But if I don’t try now, I’ll never do it.”
You eventually made a self-tape for what you knew was Superman, and James Gunn’s wife, Jennifer Holland, was actually the one who pointed you out to him.
At the premiere, I told Jennifer that I wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for her pointing out my self-tape to James. I’m so thankful to her.
How confident were you going into the screen test?
I was insanely nervous. It was Superman and a role that I obviously loved. I started acting and doing auditions when everything went to self-tape and Zoom [during the pandemic]. So I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to be in the room, and I didn’t know what to expect. But because the character is already so all over the place, I just put that energy into the character. My mentality going into it was like, “Do your best, present your version and have fun. It’s incredible you get to even have this opportunity to do a chemistry read in front of James Gunn.” So I wasn’t expecting anything, and I tried to not put too much pressure on it. I was just really grateful for the opportunity.
Did you read with both Nick Hoult and Skyler Gisondo?
It was just me and Skyler. Most of my scenes are with Skyler, and we had a lot of fun.
But you and Nick had already been acquainted with one another through an Armani campaign years earlier?
Yeah, we were both under contract with Armani at the same time, so we would always see each other out and about. So knowing that he got cast as Lex Luthor, I was like, “Okay, at least I have someone in the cast that I know.” Nick is the nicest guy ever, and I knew that if I was feeling overwhelmed, I could ask him for advice or anything like that. But everyone in the cast ended up being so amazing, and they really just made me feel at home.
Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher in James Gunn’s Superman
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
There are lots of Eve Teschmachers in the world today. Did you base your performance on anyone in particular?
I didn’t base her on anyone in particular, but there’s definitely parts of me in her. I’m sure there are parts of my friends in her as well. I was also inspired by Harley Quinn and the original Eve Teschmacher [Valerie Perrine]from the Richard Donner Superman movies. Both characters are seen as sex symbols in a way, but they also have this endearing quality that I really did not want to lose. So I really wanted to really make her grounded and believable.
Between you and The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior, James has had good luck with Portuguese actors. Did he ever set up a call between the two of you?
Portugal’s industry is not very big, so I actually knew Daniela already, and we have a lot of friends in common. I’m always so happy to see Portuguese talent succeed in anything, really, so I reached out to her and offered my congratulations when she got the role. We’ve kind of become friends, but I don’t see her as often because she lives in Portugal.
Jimmy and Lex are polar opposites. One has a full head of hair; the other is bald. One is on the shorter side; the other is very tall. One makes a modest living as a journalist; the other is a billionaire. What do you make of Eve’s wide net?
(Laughs.) I don’t think Eve is someone who’s used to hearing the word no a lot. She’s used to getting what she wants. Lex is powerful, rich and handsome, and he offers this lifestyle and security that she’s not super accustomed to. Above all else, security is what she craves the most, and Lex provides that for her. But knowing what he’s done to all his ex-girlfriends, she has to make sure she ends up okay [by taking incriminating selfies].
But Jimmy was probably the first man to say no to her. So in her mind, she’s like, “What do you mean you don’t want to be with me? Everyone wants to be with me. Now I really have to have you. I want you even more because you don’t want to be with me.” It’s an obsessive mentality involving conquest and cat-and-mouse games.
When the first shot of Eve came out, some people wondered why she would take a selfie during an attack, but that type of behavior feels so authentic to me now. People take selfies in every situation imaginable, no matter how inappropriate. Even during the protests in 2020, influencers staged photo ops for themselves before they got back in their cars to go home. Did Eve’s behavior always feel believable to you despite being a bit exaggerated?
A hundred percent. She’s obviously a comedic character in the movie, but James kept saying to me that she has to feel grounded. She has to feel like a real person. And what you said is true [about influencers staging photos during protests]. So Eve is also not aware of what is inappropriate. For her, it’s just a great photo that would get so many likes. Her mind is more focused on what will do well on social media. She has that kind of self-obsessed thinking. But at the same time, she’s not dumb, and she uses that to her own advantage.
If you had to guess, how many total selfies did you take on set?
I had a set phone to use as my character’s phone, and I had to take selfies the whole time. So I think I took over a thousand photos, and while we shot for seven months, I was only on set for maybe 20 days. So that’s a lot of selfies in that time. I keep saying that I need to get that phone back. There were some funny ones in there, for sure.
Were you able to snap a few selfies on set with your own phone?
Yeah, I took a few. I should have just AirDropped [the selfies from Eve’s phone] to my phone, but I have a few that I took with my phone. I’ll probably start posting them on my Instagram.
Did James compose some of her selfies with the same detail as all the other shots in the movie? Or did you get to lead a lot of them?
It was a little bit of both. There were a few selfies that had to be very specific. You had to see certain things in the background on purpose. There is one with Eve and “Mr. Handsome.” He’s the weird-looking alien that drives the [transport vehicle] in the pocket universe. We called him Mr. Handsome because he’s anything but handsome. But there’s this photo where Eve is on his lap, and that was just fun to do. Of course, Eve would take a selfie with him and think it’s the coolest thing ever. So some of the selfies were very organic, and some needed to be very specific, so James was there to guide me.
If people catch you taking selfies in public, they’re inevitably going to compare you to Eve. Do you think you’ll be taking a lot less of them now?
(Laughs.) I really don’t take many selfies in the wild, and after this movie, I don’t know if I want to take a selfie anytime soon. Since they started that Instagram, “Influencers in the Wild,” I’m scared of showing up on it; Eve would a hundred percent be on it. But if anyone wants to take a selfie with me, I’ll happily do that. It’s part of the character, and I’m so happy people are embracing her and her selfies.
I also hope people take from this character that she’s more than an influencer and some vapid person. Smart people can enjoy pink and bedazzled clothes. Humans are complex. If you look at Lex, his reasons [for being scared of Superman] are valid in a way, but the way he goes about it is completely wrong. And to somehow end up feeling a bit of empathy for the biggest villain of all, that’s all James’ incredible writing.
Everyone underestimated Eve [from the start]: “What is she even doing in the movie? Why is she taking selfies? This is so stupid.” And now everyone is like, “Oh!” She saves the day at the end, and it’s a brilliant way of showing how humans and characters are not just one thing.
Yeah, I’ve seen two types of reactions to Eve. Some people are calling her the MVP/hero of the movie, while others believe that the movie is mean to her. But I keep coming back to Lois’ quote to Jimmy: “Your hot ex is a genius.” Eve played a huge role in taking down Lex and vindicating Superman. So how do you view the movie’s treatment of her?
I keep joking that everyone yells at Eve the whole time, and while she does do stupid things that make no sense in the moment, it was all to show the duality of people. Eve was taking selfies when she shouldn’t be, but she was wisely taking care of herself at the same time. And by taking care of herself, she ended up saving the day for everyone. She used her tools and what people think of her to her own advantage. That’s kind of genius. She’s still an intense character who loves attention, and it was too much for someone like Jimmy.
Jimmy named Eve “Mutant Toes” in his phone. I know it was just him being a jerk, but did you ever ask James if she’s potentially a metahuman?
I asked James, “What do you mean by ‘Mutant Toes’?” And he was like, “Oh, he’s just being an asshole to her. He’s trying to find any excuse to not like her. He doesn’t like her.” And I was like, “Okay, that makes sense because I have pretty feet.” (Laughs.) And he was like, “He is just being a jerk.” So Jimmy is sick of Eve, and he’s creating defects that don’t exist just to make himself feel better about not liking her.
Eve is taller than Jimmy, and at the end, she has to jump on him while wearing these huge platform heels. Was that tricky to pull off?
(Laughs.) I keep joking that I did my own stunts. Everyone had stunt doubles to do all their hard stunts, but that was all me running in those big heels. But because they were platform shoes, it wasn’t as bad. There’s also this gag that she’s supposed to run weirdly, and it’s because she’s always wearing very tight dresses and very high heels. So she has to do little penguin steps to move fast, and I was mostly just trying to not fall down.
You previously said that there’s a deleted moment in which Ultraman punches Krypto. Was that during the Fortress of Solitude scene?
I didn’t expect that to go so crazy [viral], but yeah, that was during the Fortress of Solitude scene. There comes a point where you don’t want to do things just to shock people, and James made the best decision for the movie.
Is there anything else involving Eve that didn’t make the cut?
Not much. While I was walking towards the Fortress of Solitude, I did one little beat where I saw this monster on the snow that Krypto killed. And I, as Eve, was like, “Ooh!” I then took a photo with it, but that didn’t make it into the movie. Little things have to be cut for time, especially if they don’t really inform the story. But from reading the script to seeing the movie, I don’t remember much being cut, to be honest.
Decades from now, when you’re reminiscing about this experience, what day from Superman will you likely recall first?
It would probably be my first day on set with James and these incredible actors. We were shooting in Svalbard for the Fortress of Solitude [exterior], and it was the most insane location. It was me and Nick’s first day of filming, and Gabby [de Faria] and David [Corenswet] were there. I almost forgot my line during my first take; I was just so overwhelmed and so nervous. I was like, “Calm down. You’ve got this,” before we did it again. From how nervous I was, to how beautiful the location was and how much fun we all had, I’ll have that in my brain forever. I was just really happy, and that was the moment where I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.
*** Superman (2025) is now playing in movie theaters nationwide.
