Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror thriller “Place of Bones,” a release from The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
The new western “Place of Bones” by director Audrey Cummings (“She Never Died”) will be released in cinemas on August 23. The film stars Heather Graham (“Boogie Nights” and “The Hangover”) and Tom Hopper (“The Umbrella Academy” and “Space Cadet”).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with actress Heather Graham about working on Place of Bones, her initial reaction to the script, her strong character, working with Tom Hopper, collaborating with director Audrey Cummings, filming a western, and much more.
Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror thriller “Place of Bones,” a release from The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
Moviefone: First of all, what was your first reaction to the script and why did you personally want to be part of this project?
Heather Graham: Well, when I read the script, I thought it was surprising. I didn’t know where it was going. We had a screening last night and actually a couple of my friends said, “I really had no idea where this movie was going. I had no idea what was going to happen.” I just think it was a great character. As an actress, you want to find an exciting role and it was fun to play this tough, badass woman who is super smart and gets to shoot bad guys with a gun. I think you get drawn into the story. You care about the characters. As an actress, you want an interesting role. For me, it’s something different where I feel like I get to play this tough, badass character who can outsmart these bad guys. That was a lot of fun.
MF: Without giving too much away: Were you surprised by the direction of the script?
HG: Yes, the ending is super surprising and totally shocked me, but I like that when I feel like I’ve never seen anything like it before. It’s a different way of telling this kind of story.
Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror thriller “Place of Bones,” a release from The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
MF: Pandora is a strong, independent and resilient character. Can you talk about your approach to portraying her?
HG: I think my character has had a rough life, so I basically decided that I’m going to protect my daughter. I’m going to keep her away from the rest of society because I don’t want what happened to me to happen to her. That fierce independence, that’s what I love about my character. I have flaws, but in some ways I’m also a good mother. I think I’m very angry and bitter and maybe I’m overprotective of her, but at the same time I can understand why she would do that.
MF: Pandora has spent a long time away from civilization. Can you talk about how she feels when these strange men approach her home?
HG: I think a lot of bad things have happened to my character, my husband died, and I think I’m just incredibly resourceful. I think I’ve read a lot of books. I think I know how to do a lot of things, so I know how to survive in the most difficult circumstances.
(Left to right) Heather Graham as Pandora and Corin Nemec as Calhoun in the horror thriller “Place of Bones,” a release from The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
MF: Can you talk about the unlikely alliance that Pandora forms with Calhoun?
HG: I think we have an interesting relationship. It’s not your typical movie relationship, but he’s likable and unlikable at the same time. He’s a good guy and a bad guy, and I think I see who he is, and I’m not fooled by him, he’s probably a smooth talker. Even though he’s a bit of a bad guy, he’s complicated and in the end he turns out to be more of a good guy. I like that I never really trust him. Everyone in this movie is really complicated, and no one is completely good, except maybe the daughter, but she’s also pretty crazy.
MF: Brielle Robillard plays your daughter. Can you talk about working with her?
HG: Yes, she’s great. She’s new, she’s young. She’s so good. I saw the movie for the first time last night on the big screen and she did it so well and she’s so real. For me, the whole story is about how much I love my daughter and want to protect her and help her have a better life than I had.
(Left to right) Heather Graham as Pandora and Brielle Robillard as Hester in the horror thriller “Place of Bones,” a release from The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
MF: Can you talk about the preparation of the action sequences?
HG: Shooting the gun is fun. I had to do a stunt where I shoot a guy and then fall over. They had a stuntwoman there for me, but I ended up doing it myself. Then everyone clapped and the stunt people said, “Great.” I felt like I got recognition from the stunt department. That was cool.
MF: I know you only have a few scenes with him, but what was it like working with Tom Hopper?
HG: We have a big scene at the end where he’s so scary. He’s so cool. He’s so nice. He’s super sweet. He and his wife eat healthy. He showed me this meal he cooks that looks amazing. He’s kind of the opposite of that character, but in the movie he’s terrifying and horrible. The thing is, you take this guy who’s so good-looking like a movie star, and you want to like him because he’s just so good-looking, but then his character is so horrible.
Tom Hopper as Bear John in the horror thriller “Place of Bones,” a release from The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
MF: What is it like working with Audrey Cummings on set as a director?
HG: It’s great. I love working with a female director and she’s cool. She loves genre films and it’s just fun. I think we both identified with the character of Pandora, so we had a great time together.
MF: What do you generally expect from a director when you work on set?
HG: I think you want to work with someone who supports you, who believes in you, but who also helps you be the best you can be. I think Audrey really helped me stay grounded and be more natural and authentic in the film, which I really appreciated.
(Right) Director Audrey Cummings behind the scenes of the horror/thriller “Place of Bones,” a release from The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
MF: What is it like to make a western and are you a fan of the genre?
HG: It’s a mixture of very beautiful and freezing cold. It was so cold I almost died. It was very uncomfortable. I like westerns, but sometimes I feel like there isn’t enough female energy or female characters in them. That’s why I found this exciting because it tells a bit more of a female story.
MF: Finally, and again without giving too much away, the film mixes the Western genre with other genres. Can you talk about that?
HG: Yes, it has aspects of a thriller, it has aspects of a horror film, and I think there’s a lot of humor in it, which surprised me last night at the screening. A lot of people were laughing at a lot of points, so it’s kind of disturbing, but it also makes you laugh. It’s not so much horror that you can’t sleep at night because of the nightmares.
“A mother’s love can kill.”
Show times & tickets
On a remote ranch, a mother (Heather Graham) and her daughter struggle to survive when a wounded outlaw seeking refuge confronts a notorious bank robber and his ruthless… Read the plot
What is the plot of “Place of Bones”?
On a remote ranch, a mother (Heather Graham) and her daughter fight for survival when a wounded outlaw (Corin Nemec) seeking refuge brings a notorious bank robber (Tom Hopper) and his ruthless gang, desperate to recover a stolen fortune, right to their doorstep – in this action-packed horror western.
Who is in the cast of “Place of Bones”?
(Left to right) Corin Nemec as Calhoun and Heather Graham as Pandora in the horror thriller “Place of Bones,” a release from The Avenue. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
