– Ben Barnes Says He Was Initially Advised Not To Make ‘The Words’ (The Playlist)
– Ben Barnes Talks The Words, Overdrive, The Seventh Son and more at Sundance (Collider.com)
– The Words: Sundance Red Carpet Gallery and Brief Interview with Ben Barnes (Salt Lake Tribune)
– Ben Barnes Interview at Sundance (Coming Soon)

In his interview with Collider.com, Ben also mentions that his other upcoming project, Overdrive (with Karl Urban), ‘fell apart’ and (for the moment) ‘is no longer happening’.

– Exclusive Interview with Ben Barnes (About.com)
– Ben Barnes Opens Up About His Musician Mindset & Working with Legendary Actors (Examiner.com)
– Ben Barnes Talks ‘Killing Bono’ (Movieweb.com)
– Ben Talks ‘Killing Bono’ & ‘Seventh Son’ (Collider.com)
– Ben Barnes Is ‘Killing Bono’ (ComingSoon.net)
– Video: Ben & Nick Talk ‘Killing Bono’ (IAmRogue.com)

Killing Bono opens in select U.S. cities on November 4th, 2011.

“The plans for this are to shoot in Vancouver and China and some of the artwork just looks incredible,” he told us. “I think it’s certainly going to look pretty special, and I’ve read a couple of the books on which this series is based and they’re pretty engaging. The main draws were Sergei directing it, and Legendary Pictures making it. They make Batman and ‘Inception,’ amazing movies, and to top that off, most of my scenes are with Jeff Bridges, who is one of my favorite actors.”

When asked how they would be adapting and incorporating elements from Delaney’s novels into the movie and whether the movie would be just made up of the first book or multiple books, he admitted that the movie will definitely take things in a different direction:

“It’s nothing like the first book really, but they changed it a lot. I don’t think it’s particularly like ‘The Hunger Games’ or ‘Twilight’ where you can go ‘based on the books,’ because I don’t think this series is as popular yet, so I think there’s a chance to rewrite and make the best movie for the movie’s sake. I think sometimes when you stick exactly to the book, there’s a danger of it becoming a bit literary, so I think visually they want to make the most exciting film so they’ve changed a lot. My character in the book is 13 or something, but then the romance element in the book doesn’t really make any sense – it makes more sense to have those characters a little older. Some of the story in the first book is very static so this is going to be a lot more visual and action-oriented.”

“Hopefully it will hold me in good stead,” he quipped when we mentioned his previous experience with literary action epics from the last two movies based on C.S. Lewis’s “The Chronicles of Narnia.”

As far as that franchise, he feels two movies might be it for him as his character only appears in one more book, “The Silver Chair,” and in that one, he’s in his 70s.

“No more opportunity for me to go back and swashbuckle at 30 I don’t think but we’ll see,” he said. “It’s possible, but I think they might go and do ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ next anyway, which is like a prequel.”

Source: ComingSoon.net

UPDATE: Scans have been added to the gallery. View them here. Thanks Carlie!

004 x Disorder Magazine (UK) | Edition 35

004 x Set 026

You can buy your own copy of the latest issue of Disorder Magazine right here.

The rest of the interviews can be found at the following:

- The European Premiere of ‘Killing Bono’ (Kildare.tv) (video)
- Ben Barnes: U2 Weren’t That Cool When I Was Younger (Metro) (article)
- Barnes’s Career Blossoms In U2′s Shadow (Independent) (article)
- Sheehan, Barnes, Hamm & McCormick are ‘Killing Bono’ (IFTN) (article)

Source: The Fix

UPDATE: Scans have been added to the gallery. View them here. Thank you Aga!

What differences have you felt between the first and second film?

Filming Prince Caspian was a shattering experience, and it was almost too heavy for my shoulders. I had never acted in a big production before and I didn’t even know how to ride! In short, I was terrified by the idea of disappointing everyone. This time I’m more relaxed. I have filmed a lot in recent years and I feel more at ease as an actor. The Dawn Treader is also a much more fun film and less grim than the previous one.

.. I just saw the finished movie in a preview and it’s a success. Normally, I have to hide behind my fingers to watch a movie where I act so much – I hate to see myself on the screen. But, I could ignore my part and enjoy this great adventure film. I hope the public enjoys it as much as me.

Is Caspian different in this film?

Already, his accent has gone. The new director of the film preferred me to use my English accent and it’s obviously easier for me. Above all, Caspian is more mature today. Three years have gone by and he now runs the country, and he is king and so he should be seen to have authority. Unfortunately, he still lacks confidence and still has not accepted the fact of being an orphan. In short, he’s not yet fully convinced if he is the right person to lead a country…

It is said that The Dawn Treader is a real swashbuckler film, is that true?

Yes. I fight more often with my sword in this movie. And I lead maybe a little too much, but I think I do pretty well. I had more action scenes to act in this shoot, and that meant sometimes having to fight against five men at the same time while being shackled. It truly gives you the impression of being a medieval superhero, and there’s nothing like it to flatter your ego than beating up a hulk when you know that any of them could crush your skull! There are some sequences that are really fantastic. The battles were more fun than in the previous movie where things were more serious and where it was a bigger challenge.

Was it filmed on a real ship?

Yes. The Dawn Treader was built from scratch by the set-decorators and the result is impressive. I am always amazed by the sets and props built for the films, they are incredible and the know-how of the craftsmen is simply sensational. The first time I saw the ship complete, I was gobsmacked and my heart jumped in my chest. When you have the chance to film in such a setting, it’s obvious that this helps you in your work. It was a real pleasure to be there every day.

Did you film at sea with the ship?

No, but we could see it on the horizon of and we had water all around us. As a result, it really gave the impression of being on the open sea. It’s well known that filming at sea is dangerous and it causes constant delays. The vessel was then placed in a tank and it was fastened to a mechanical system that allowed it to pitch at will in every way. It was truly up and down and swung from port to starboard. The technicians could also rotate it almost 360 degrees so that the sun was always in the right place and the water was behind us, although we were shooting a scene from the other direction. We stayed on the bridge for about 3 weeks. We climbed up a ladder in the morning and went down for lunch, and it really seemed very real.

Did you suffer from sea sickness?

I think I was a bit less affected than others. [Laughs] Actually, I rather enjoyed filming in this tank. When it’s sweltering hot in the middle of Australia, the sun beats down and you’re wearing heavy leather boots and heavy clothing, it’s rather nice to jump into a tank of cold water and to splash about a bit. There are worse ways to earn a living! The Pevensie children had to have a fair complexion to look English, so they had to put sunscreen on and take shelter under umbrellas all the time, but to me, they said, ‘Well, you can go and sunbathe if you want ‘. So, I relaxed in the sun between takes. It’s good to be king! [Laughs]

The rest of the interviews can be found at the following:

- Prince Ben claims Narnia’s throne (Edmonton Journal) (article)
- 98FM Radio (Ben’s interview begins at about 39 minutes in) (audio)
- ‘Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ Interview with Ben Barnes (The Clem) (audio)
- Narnia’s Neeson on the Queen’s 3D specs (Associated Press) (video)

Ben Barnes was chuffed to be asked to wear classic British menswear for this Observer fashion shoot. “If this is my perceived style, that’s brilliant. I’m Burberry in a park!” After roles in Dorian Gray and Easy Virtue, and his current appearance as Stephen Wraysford in the stage adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’s novel Birdsong, it’s a visual shorthand that makes sense. And was dressing as an English gent enjoyable?

“It was,” he concedes. “I don’t do many shoots. You can’t, otherwise you get too self-conscious. It’s like when you go the gym. You enjoy the first few times, but then start thinking: ‘All I do is lift something heavy and put it down where I found it. I’ve achieved nothing.’ Or when you think about theatre acting as simply shouting in the evening… Oh.” He stops. “How did I get there?”

He may look like Burberry in a park, but Barnes is interestingly introspective. This might partly be due to the fact he was raised – in Wimbledon, south London – by a psychotherapist mother and a psychiatrist father, but, at 29, Barnes’s articulate thoughtfulness seems to be all his own.

When we meet in a Soho bar, he is six weeks into the run of Birdsong and, unsurprisingly, given that he has to endure lost love and the First World War every night of the week, he’s quite tired. “This is probably the hardest job I’ve done because it’s a three-hour play and I’m barely off the stage,” he says. “I’ve got that feeling of being drained that you get after you cry.”

He’s delighted to be back on stage, though. It was theatre that made him first want to be an actor. “I was heavily into sport from 10 to 15, I was in all the teams, and it was everything to me. But I was very young for my school year and when puberty kicked in for my classmates I got left behind. That’s when I did more acting and singing.”

His first brush with fame was with music, as a member of boy band Hyrise, which competed to be the British entry for Eurovision 2004. A mention of this makes him groan. “I was in the band for about a fortnight. Of course I regret it. I know everyone makes mistakes, but I wish mine had been drug-fuelled rebellion rather than being in a boy band.”

He became famous in 2008 with his role as Prince Caspian in the Chronicles of Narnia films, the latest of which, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is out next month. “Shooting Prince Caspian, the first film, was overwhelming. I’d never been on a major film set before, never been to New Zealand where it was filmed, never been horse riding – I was so anxious. This time I enjoyed it. This film is younger, more fun and it’s easily the best story of the seven books. I saw it last week. Traditionally I watch my films through my fingers – I hate watching myself – but I loved this and I want millions of people to see it.”

Next year brings a very different role when Barnes plays music journalist Neil McCormick in the big-screen adaptation of comic memoir Killing Bono. McCormick was at school with Bono and in a rival band to U2 during the 1980s. “It was amazing pratting about in Belfast wearing leather trousers,” says Barnes, beaming. “I made a complete fool of myself, which comes quite naturally. Playing the clown of the group is my role with my friends.”

After that Barnes would like to try Hollywood, but is happy to take any script or part that interests him. “I want to take advantage of any popularity I have. That how you get more work, and that’s how you get exciting work. Those opportunities diminish if you don’t keep your momentum up.”

For now, though, it’s back to this evening’s performance of Birdsong. Barnes pulls out some gloves that he was allowed to keep from the Observer shoot. He puts them on and waves his hands oddly and precisely in the air. I ask what on earth he’s doing.

“Robert Downey Jr using his computer in Iron Man 2.”

He does a quick impression of Tom Cruise using a screen in Minority Report to show me how the hand movements are different, then gathers his belongings so he can head off to the theatre. Outside, I suddenly remember that he paid for our drinks and I didn’t thank him, but Barnes has already disappeared, heading back to the trenches.

Source: Guardian.co.uk

UPDATE: Thanks to Lorna for the scans!