UK Sucker Punch Premiere where Zack Snyder talks Superman

The Sucker Punch cast & Director Zack Snyder at the UK Premiere

Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm and Scott Glenn

Emily Browning at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

This evening London’s Leicester Square played host to the UK Premiere of Zack Snyder‘s Sucker Punch and Live For Films’ Craig Grobler was there to tell you how it all went down.

Director Zack Snyder at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

I haven’t seen Sucker Punch yet, but it is mostly definitely on my list of films to see this year. You see I’m a fan of Zack Snyder. His take on Dawn of the Dead was respectful while updating George Romero’s classic Zombie flic to our modern need for excitement sensibilities.

Carla Gugino at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

I was dazzled by the visual spectacle that was 300. Zack Snyder in essence took Frank Miller’s story set in ancient Greece and presented it in away that a period film had never been seen on screen before. He took a comic book experience and put it on screen. I was enthralled. Not shying away from controversy Zack tackled Alan Moore’s much loved and revered graphic novel Watchmen next. I was there to see that at the IMAX the way it was intended. Again Snyder astounds when he takes Moore’s comic world and translates it to screen while being respectful but giving it giving it life in our post modern world.

Vanessa Hudgens at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

When I first saw some visuals from Sucker Punch I was completely fan boy’ed. It look liked Zack Snyder was taking every iconic visual and cool mythology from the last 20 years of zeitgeist and breathing life into it on screen. I don’t mention story as I try steer away from any information about a film before seeing it, because I enjoy the surprise of a story rolling out as it was intended without having parts embedded into my conscious leading to the story unraveling before it is intended.

Jamie Chung at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

Immediately I thought if Zack Snyder actually pulls off what I think he is intending with Sucker Punch filmmakers will possibly need to rethink the way they tell stories once it is unleashed.

Carla Gugino at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

I’m pretty sure by this stage I know a little too much about Sucker Punch and by definition of title wonder if Zack Snyder’s will actually still be able to Sucker Punch me? Or could it be a double bluff? Or will I even care as the left side of my brain is injected with that sweet celluloid Snyder magic?

Jena Malone at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

When the opportunity to pop along to the Sucker Punch premiere and possibly chat with some of the cast and director himself came up – you can be sure I pounced like a lethal jungle cat, but with laser guided precision.

Explosions & Zack Snyder at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

This evening as Leicester Square was lit (& warmed) up by explosions, my ears were rocked by some very cool tunes intermittently interrupted by the aforementioned explosions, host Alex Zane welcomed the stars of Sucker Punch up onto his metallic Sucker Punch stage for introductions. Afterwards I found out that the very cool music playing is from the Sucker Punch soundtrack, which isn’t a big surprise as Snyder’s films have the same amount of detail applied to the sound design as the visuals do to them. But what is a big surprise is that the music is performed by the cast.

Zack Snyder at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

The Red Carpet arrivals came fairly quickly and in a steady stream, with most of the stars staying on the carpet to sign autographs for the army of fans or chat with media. Those that attended the premiere from Sucker Punch included; Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Jenna Malone, Jamie Chung, Oscar Issac, Carla Gugino, Zack Snyder and then a surprise as Henry Cavill Zack Snyder’s Superman arrives Unfortunately and for obvious reasons Cavill is not doing any press.

Henry Cavill gets used to fans at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

Henry Cavill at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

Superman: Man of Steel just needs his cape

Superman: Man of Steel - Henry Cavill just needs his cape

First up is star of Sucker Punch, Emily Browning who arrived with beau Max Irons soon to be seen in Red Riding Hood. In this clip Emily Browning tells Live For Films about Baby Doll the character she plays in Sucker Punch.

Emily Browning at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

Emily Browning: I play Baby Doll, she loses everything that is important to her at the beginning of the film. She is then put into an insane asylum by her step father. She is willing to stop at nothing to escape, so she bands together with these other girls in an attempt to escape the asylum.

Next up is Jena Malone tells us about Rocket the character she plays in Sucker Punch.

Jena Malone at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

Jena Malone: I play Rocket who introduces Baby Doll to the asylum. She has grown numb living in the oppressive environment and Baby Doll inspires a taste of freedom in her.

Jemma is actually really fun and starts to create a symphony on Cinetalk’s iPad before being whisked away.

Abbie Cornish at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

Then we get to chat with Oscar Isaac who plays Blue Jones an orderly at the asylum. And he Gives Live For Films an update on Drive his new film with Director Nicolas Winding Refn of; Bronson, Valhalla Rising and soon Logan’s Run.

Oscar Isaac at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

Oscar Isaac: I have seen the finished film and it looks UNBELIEVABLE I think Nicolas is an incredible, incredible director that is going to change things in Hollywood.

Craig Grobler: I’m really looking forward to it.

Oscar Isaac: It is going to be amazing.

Then the man himself Mr. Zack Snyder pops by, after letting the reporter next to us know he can’t talk about his upcoming Chris Nolan produced version of Superman and his people let us know that there is only time for one more question before moving on as Zane is giving the final call for people to move inside for the UK Premiere of Sucker Punch. I start to ask him my question, however at the same time; a young boy who had won a competition to come along to the Sucker Punch premiere asks Zack a question. Zack kind of looks at me and I pass him over to the kid. It was probably a bigger moment for the kid during a formative time and I thought chances are I’ll get to chat with Mr Snyder at some point in the future. So all good.

But he must have appreciated the fairness with junior, as he came back to me, a bit cheeky but I have to ask:

Craig Grobler: How will your Superman be different from Superman Returns? And Zack answers. Thank you kid I owe you.

Zack Snyder talks about Superman at the UK Sucker Punch Premiere

Zack Snyder: I think it’s going to be different in a lot of ways from Superman Returns. For one, really the work we are trying to do with the film is to make Superman relevant, make him modern and live in the real world. And that is something we haven’t seen from Superman before.

I then went on to ask him about his inspiration behind Sucker Punch was?

Zack Snyder: The inspiration behind Sucker Punch. It’s kind of like if you take Dawn of the Dead and 300 and then Watchmen and look at what the next step might be. That’s where Sucker Punch came from. In a lot of ways it came from me thinking – I’m in genre now. I’ve got to make genre films now. So what does that mean? And that’s the thinking.

That kind of affirms the train of thought on the direction that Snyder might be going in with Sucker Punch and more importantly the impact it may have after it is absorbed into contemporary zeitgeist. After Sucker Punch story tellers are going to have to dig very deep to be creative in coming up with new mythologies or lexicons of cinema for audiences to be engaged. Which would explain why a realistic Superman would be an ideal project for Zack Snyder.