Favouring a launch party instead of a premiere, the dark and exciting world of The Spirit was brought to London last night, in a disused and cavernous sorting office in the West End.
Samuel L Jackson was first to arrive, wearing his famed backwards Kangol and fitting with the evening's prevailing black, red and white theme. Speaking about the action in the film, he said: “It is more like cartoon action, or cartoon violence. We hit each other with big things and get up; we shoot each other with big guns and still get up. It’s ouch, but they’re alive, so it’s fun. We had gigantic props- six and seven feet wrenches. Were the polystyrene? No they were actually steel and we worked out for years so that we could pick them up and hit each other with them!”
When asked about his rumoured role as narrator in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, he told us: “You can ask me about it, but I don’t know anything - they’re in Berlin! I haven’t signed a contract yet, but maybe I’ll find out Monday when we go over to Berlin [with The Spirit].”
He also admitted that he isn’t just the coolest guy on the planet- he is also a bit of a nerd: “I’m not a secret geek- I’m pretty open about it!”
Then along came director Frank Miller who told us he will always favour the pencil over the pixel: “It all starts with the pencil- no matter how it ends up. I did hundreds of drawings for The Spirit. I drew the whole movie.”
Looking towards his rumoured Raymond Chandler adaptation, Trouble Is My Business, he could only commit: “We’re talking it over.” However, when asked about Clive Owen, who is rumoured star in the film as detective Philip Marlowe, Miller said he would be his leading man “in almost anything I can imagine. He has a manliness which is largely lacking in Hollywood, and a sense of humour that’s unstoppable.”
He also admitted that if there were to be any classic noir book he could adapt, it would be One Lonely Night by Mickey Spillane- so watch out for that one.
Scarlett Johansson didn’t stop to chat, but defied the dress code in wearing bright green. But Eva Mendes, resplendent in a neon yellow Bill Blass dress talked to us about her preparation for the role as Sand Seref in the movie: “I worked with my acting coach and I’m pretty athletic, so the stunts they had me do I was fine with. Just the usual rehearsals and also Frank had me watch a few noir films.”
She also told us a bit about her next project Last Night: “Just finished a film last week with Keira Kinghtley - she’s a dream co-star, one of the most beautiful women on the planet and talented too.”
Also attending was Brit actor/ writer Noel Clarke who was out to prove a point to Frank Miller, that he still had his original comic book: “When I told Frank Miller I was a huge fan of his work since I was a kid, he defied me to find my old copy of The Dark Knight Returns. So I tore up my mum’s house to find it and brought it with me! It’s loved, it’s old and it’s battered!
Then the stars worked their way to the VIP area, where champagne and mojitos were on tap, to get into The Spirit of the party. The Spirit is in cinemas January 1 2009.