Sure, New Moon's vampires and werewolves may get all the attention, but it's Bella's gang of high school friends who keep the movie centered in reality. Anna Kendrick, Michael Welch, Justin Chon and Christian Serratos (who play Jessica, Mike, Eric and Angela, respectively) talk about providing the franchise's comic relief and keeping it real as mortals amongst all the supernatural shenanigans.
Unlike Twilight, which was shot in Portland, you shot New Moon in Vancouver. What was that like?
Justin: The weather's actually been better here. Portland was very, very, very cold and rainy. It's a little bit nicer here.
Anna: One of the freaky things about shooting New Moon in a different location than Portland was the re-creation of things, like the high school parking lot. It was like déjà vu because we were in a different country but they completely recreated the parking lot from the school we shot at before.
You also got a new director. What was it like working with Chris Weisz?
Michael: Chris was really great. Catherine [Hardwicke] was wonderful too, but they're just totally different in terms of their style and their process. And I think that as a result, you're going to end up with a film that just feels very different. I think that Chris made more of a conscious effort to have a visual cohesiveness in terms of how the film is going to look and feel with the vampires, the werewolves and the humans. Visually, it's more stylistic. And as far as the way he likes to work on set, he's just very calm and very clear-headed and intelligent. He knows what he wants and puts a lot into the preparation so by the time we get to the set it's all sort of mapped out for us.
Christian: He's really awesome. He's very well-organized, well-spoken, fun and carefree - simultaneously. It's incredible.
If you weren't playing humans, which would you prefer to play: a vampire or a werewolf?
Anna: I would personally rather be a werewolf since they seem to get to have a lot more fun. The vampires are very cool, but they have to be very calm and collected all the time. The werewolves get to let loose a little bit more.
Michael: I'd much rather play a vampire. Being a vampire would be cool, I think, for the first 100 years or so. It'd be fun to be able to play because vampires are just too cool; they're just sexy and interesting and complicated.
Christian: I'd play a wolf. I'd play Leah, 'cause she's sassy.
The mood for New Moon is pretty bleak for a lot of the film. You guys represent the normal world for Bella, but you also provide a lot of comic relief.
Justin: Bella's really depressed throughout the movie so we really have to bring light to it, otherwise it's just too dark the whole time.
Michael: Our job is to add a little humour, add a little levity, and just come across as realistic kids in a small town in Washington.
Anna: And I think that there's an inherent comedy in our blissful ignorance of everything that Bella is going through in the supernatural world.
Have any of your characters changed since Twilight?
Anna: Jessica's still pretty self-involved. I would definitely say she hasn't done a lot of personal growth between Twilight and New Moon. She does provide a level of silliness at a point where Bella is feeling pretty hopeless. I don't know that she necessarily cheers up Bella, but hopefully it ends up providing a little bit of a break for the audience.
One of the funniest scenes in the book is Mike's "date" with Bella, when he takes her to a horror film and ends up getting sick. What was that like to shoot?
Michael: That was a lot of fun to shoot. That's one of those moments that I think pretty much anyone can relate to. I've certainly had moments in my life that are almost unbearable at the time but as you're watching it, I think the audience will find it very sad and funny. I think that's what's so great about playing Mike: I get to relive all of these horrible high school moments and it's almost given all of that a purpose; it allows me to connect to that very easily.
Everyone always talks about Team Edward and Team Jacob. Don't you think it's time to start Team Mike and Team Eric?
Michael: Ya, I do! Actually, I've had friends who've jokingly made up some Team Mike t-shirts.
Justin: I would love to do that. I think you'd have to campaign. It's political. I'd need lobbyists and stuff.
There's a lot of new cast members in New Moon, including Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning and all of the new werewolves. Who haven't you shared a scene with that you'd really like to work with in the upcoming films?
Michael: It's funny because I worked with Dakota Fanning years ago in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. She played my younger sister; she didn't have any lines and all she did was run around trying to bite the Reese character. And then like three months later she got I Am Sam and became a superstar. So I would be really curious to catch up with her again. And Michael Sheen is also just amazing.
Justin: I'd like to be in a scene with the Volturi, but it doesn't happen in the books so it's never going to happen.
Christian: There are so many great people on this project now. I can't even believe how large and massive this cast is.
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