Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman talk about the making of their new action-adventure movie “Thor,” which is loaded with dazzling CGI special effects. After years in development hell the film will hit theaters in May.
It’s the latest superhero film based on the comic book character published by Marvel Comics, so it should have a ready-built fan base, and interest seems high in the production.
The film plays off Norse mythology. Thor, played by Hemsworth, is the god of thunder.
After igniting an ancient war, his father, the supreme god, Odin, casts him to earth where he is forced to live among humans as punishment.
He meets up with Jane Foster, a scientist, played by Natalie Portman. (And that’s called punishment?)
In any event, Thor must learn how to be a true hero, and he gets the chance when the darkest forces of the realm of the gods, Asgard, invade Earth.
“In the beginning of the film, he goes against his father’s word and creates chaos,” says Hemsworth in the featurette, explaining the rift that lays the premise for the film.
“He’s from another planet and an advanced society and the two worlds meeting was such an interesting and unexpected idea,” adds Portman.
This is not her usual type of film. But in an earlier interview, Portman said she couldn’t resist the part.
“I just thought it sounded like a weird idea because Kenneth Branagh’s directing it, so I was just like, ‘Kenneth Branagh doing Thor is super-weird, I’ve gotta do it,”she said.
Portman, a veteran of the “Star Wars” movies early in her career, said she also wanted to do a “big effects” movie that also focused on the characters. And, Thor has plenty of those.
The movie juxtaposes an advanced, heavenly city, “a spectacular visual world” against a raw, desert town. Both were created from scratch, one using CGI the other picks and shovels.
Check out the video below.
