finds Nicholas Hoult looking for love in a post-apocalyptic wasteland despite being a card-carrying member of the walking dead. As it turns out, the zombie romance only marks the beginning of Hoult's extended stay at the end of civilization. Next up for him are two more dark visions of not-too-distant futures: Mad Max: Fury Road and X-Men: Days of Future Past.
And despite logging considerable hours in various dystopias, Hoult doesn't feel any better prepared should the world as we know it ever cease to exist. If I ever found myself in such a situation, I could be terrified without someone telling me exactly where to stand and what to say, jokes the self-effacing 24-year-old Brit. I'd be lost. Just kind of wandering around, completely discombobulated.
That pretty much sums up the state of Hoult's character when Warm Bodies commences. Lurching about aimlessly and lunching on human flesh, R advises us courtesy of a thoughtful, forlorn voiceover that he yearns to connect with someone. When he subsequently lays vacant eyes on Julie (Teresa Palmer), his attraction to her slowly start to breathe new life into him.
On receiving writer-director Jonathan Levine's script (adapted from Isaac Marion's novel), Hoult recalls, I pretty much heard the concept and just picked it up and started reading. He was immediately taken with the concept of a socially isolated character rendered physically incapable of communication. I mean, guys struggle enough talking to girls anyway. So, this is just kind of that on an extreme level.
The involvement of Levine who previously directed the locally-shot cancer comedy 50/50 was another selling point. His films are funny and keep a light tone without turning it into a parody, enthuses Hoult. Once on set, his faith in the 36-year-old writer-director proved well-founded. He's really enthusiastic and creates a really fun environment in which you feel pretty safe. This was a tricky gig in some respects. If I'd been self-conscious or panicked, it wouldn't have worked.
That said, Hoult has little interest in making things easier on himself. When asked whether he'd welcome the chance to get the girl without having to play a furry mutant X-Man or ashen-skinned monster, he replies, I like putting a twist on it. And most of the time, the things that these characters are feeling or struggling with... minus the giant feet or the blue hair... They're exactly the same things that people go through anyway. It just adds a more physical level to what they're experiencing.
