British heartthrob Idris Elba, who is about to hit the big screen in the Alien prequel Prometheus, said that working with Prometheus director Ridley Scott was like “taking a master class” every day on the set because he learned so much.
Elba praised Scott for how involved he was with the development of each character. Before filming began, Scott instructed Idris Elba to go home and read the classic novel Moby Dick. The novel helped inspire Elba’s character, Janek, so Scott believed it was extremely important for him to read the story in order to properly understand and portray the captain of the Prometheus ship. Janek comes across as the most practical member on board Prometheus, concerning himself specifically with the logistics of the mission rather than the other “lofty” goals that the other crew members focus on.
Elba also shared that before shooting, Scott would always sit down with the entire cast in an attempt to get to know them. “Even on American Gangster, I had a small role, but he took the time to sit with me and get to know me,” Elba told Yahoo! Movies, referencing his past experience with Scott back in 2007.
Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, and Charlize Theron will also be joining Elba on the big screen come June 8th when the science fiction movie hits theaters. Prometheus is set in the late 21st century and focuses on the crew members of the spaceship, “Prometheus.” Like most sci-fi blockbusters, the movie relies on a lot of CGI effects to make the setting come alive. According to Elba, however, they made sure they included an elaborately constructed physical set as well.
“It was like being on another planet,” Elba said. A key location during filming was the famous British studio Pinewood, which served as the set for several other blockbuster hits, including Batman and James Bond. Elba felt as if all the history in that building was simply breathtaking.
Elba will be quite the busy man over the summer as the 39 year old actor is set to appear in six other “yet-to-be-released” films, including his role as Nelson Mandela in the upcoming biopic. He admitted that sometimes his schedule is quite hectic and he’s confronted with the challenge of switching in and out of different characters.
With the ample promotion surrounding the film, Elba ensured fans that the many “sneak peeks” won’t be a spoiler for the entire film. “There’s so much more to it than [what is revealed in] the trailer,” he promised. Fellow cast member Noomi Rapace has been more willing to drop hints as she recently revealed that the alien’s metamorphosis will be “every woman’s worst nightmare.” Either way, Scott promised that the film will certainly “scare the living sh-t out of you.”
