SIMON WELLS: (Director - credits include The Prince of
Egypt):
"I'm more open to criticism with this movie than anybody else is. My
colleagues and I made the creative choices with this film, but there are people
who are going to say, 'How could Simon do that if he's the great grandson of HG
Wells?'"
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WELLS on setting the movie in New York
instead of London:
"That choice had already been made before I came on board, but it wasn't
anything I fought because the interesting thing about New York City at the end
of the 19th century, was that there were people keeping sheep in Central Park;
it was practically open countryside. So from the visual standpoint seeing that
city erupt from being suburban to being the vast towering skyscrapers is a much
bigger change than happened in London."
Wells
on George Pal's version • Back to top
 GUY PEARCE: (Alexander Hartdegen)
"The reason why I wanted to do this movie was because of being such
a fan of the original George Pal film version. That whole notion of turning the
fantasies we have about wanting to go somewhere in the future or the past into
a tangible prospect is the most fascinating concept in the world."
Pearce
on physical work • Back to top
 SAMANTHA MUMBA:
(Mara)
"The George Pal version was a great movie for the time it was made, but
the effects are hilarious! I think the way the Eloi are presented in the movie
is quite clever, because it's the actual opposite of what the future race was
in the original movie. And it was lovely to play Mara; she's a very strong
character with a wise head on her quite young shoulders."
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WELLS:
"Pal's movie won the Oscar for Special Effects in 1960. It was the best
visual effects at that time. But there was a lot of stuff we wanted to update
in terms of making the effects as good as modern technology would allow."
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PEARCE:
"I don't see myself as an action hero, but I really enjoyed doing the
physical work in the movie. I'm not suggesting that I feel old, but as a 34
year old, it's certainly a lot more difficult to leap off towers than it was
when I was 21."
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