Scott Z. Burns proved far too prescient when he wrote infection – the 2011 pandemic thriller that nine years later became one of the most-streamed films during the first weeks of real-world COVID-19 lockdowns.
So it’s scary to think about how accurate his crystal ball might be extrapolationsthe new star-studded Apple TV+ anthology series, which takes a highly plausible (and, according to Burns et al.
The projects share some of the same DNA, Burns tells us during a recent virtual press day.
“I think the process that we explored as writers and creators is very similar,” says Burns, who also produced the Oscar-winning 2006 documentary An uncomfortable truth with former Vice President Al Gore. “We started with science. We spoke to experts. We asked her what could happen. Apparently there had been such in the past with the pandemic. And so everyone we spoke to said it wasn’t a question of “if” but “when”.
“I think in tackling the future and climate change it’s not a question of ‘if’ because you see climate change every day right now, in fires, in storms, in extreme heat. So it’s not a question of “if”. But for us it was a question of “what”. What will we tolerate, and what will we stand up and fight against? And for us, those are both the similarities and the differences in the process.”
Beginning in 2037 and ending in 8 episodes through 2070, extrapolations imagines a world where wildfires are consuming much of the earth, rising sea levels are sinking buildings in Miami, and elephants and whales are all but extinct.
The subject caught Hollywood’s attention. The cast list reads like an awards show: Meryl Streep, Edwards Norton, Sienna Miller, Kit Harington, Diane Lane, Tobey Maguire, Forest Whitaker, Matthew Rhys, Heather Graham, Gemma Chan, David Schwimmer, Keri Russell, Daveed Diggs and more.
“The jumps that Scott makes aren’t actually jumps, that’s the trajectory we’re going,” says Diggs (Hamilton, Blindspotting), who plays a Florida rabbi whose temple is threatened by flooding. “Not that we have to, but we are. Neither could we. But that has to be active. We won’t be able to sit here and not let it happen.
“What I think is so great about Scott’s mission here is to give us as much information as possible over the course of the show, but also hopefully inspire us to be a little more active, how we think about climate change, and then go out and.” find the resources yourself to fight it more effectively.
Diggs castmates agree: We’re well past the point of cautionary tales. extrapolations is a call to action.
“It’s a crucial time to do something like this,” says Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark). “Scott has a real ability to teach in a way that isn’t preachy but is informative and kind and also based on humanity… You’re going to want to say, ‘What can I do?’ I can take part in protests or marches, I can have my reusable water bottle, I can educate myself.”
“These are no longer predictions,” says Rhys. “It’s all happening now. We’re seeing it in real time… We’re seeing the beginnings of everything that’s being portrayed on this show right now.”
Lane already did the protest part. The unfaithful actress was arrested in 2019 during a climate change protest in Washington, DC
“I was ready to be arrested and protested,” she says. “You want to know what zip code you’re doing this in. And I wouldn’t do it outside of the United States… But being active helps with depression [about climate change]. And I think this show shows that we’re going to be proactive and we’re not going to go down without a fight. Whether that means fighting against our own self or against our own nature.”
The cast also emphasizes the show’s clear entertainment value, not just educational or social value.
“I think when you personalize things and make things visceral, it can make a difference,” says Graham. “As an actor, you also want to entertain people.”
“It’s scary, but it’s real,” says Indira Varma (Luther, Game of Thrones). “One often hears about climate change and what is happening, what it causes. And it can feel meaningless unless you live it. But hopefully if we tell stories we can reach more people because it’s about how we feel.”
“Pictures stay, stories stay,” agrees Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian). “Movies and TV series have a special power.”
Burns, 60, says: “I grew up in a time when there were all these movies that really contextualized the Vietnam War and that was sort of the big story of America at that moment. Whether it was apocalypse now or deer hunter or Killing Fieldsor Born on July 4th. All these movies helped me understand what just happened as a kid.
“Well, that’s what’s happening now. This is the greatest existential story of our time. And I think that as a writer, and I think our colleagues on this project felt the same way, that this was an opportunity to help give context to that. And I think by giving people context, you allow them to go and find their own way to act.”
extrapolations is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Source : www.yahoo.com