Shazam! Fury of the Gods | Divine Helen Mirren

In Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Helen Mirren plays Hespera, oldest of the three daughters of the god Atlas descended on Earth to take back the power held by Shazam and her siblings from her foster family. It is with passion – and a few words of French – that the British actress shared with us her admiration for all the work of the craftsmen behind the blockbusters.

After playing a queen – on the big screen and on stage – the next logical step was to play a goddess, it seems. How would you describe Hespera?

First, she believes she possesses the absolute truth. She therefore seems very judgmental and disgruntled, which gives the perception that she is the bad guy. However, if we take the time to analyze his point of view, we realize that it is not so simple. Each of the sisters has her own way of facing the mission. Calypso [Lucy Liu] is more confrontational, while Anthea [Rachel Zegler] is in manipulation. Initially, I’m in between […] It’s really fun to play a villain, but in this case, I had to be more mysterious and defend her point of view well, because she doesn’t see herself as a villain. She sees herself as a hero, I think.

What convinced you to accept this role?

I loved the first Shazam!especially the way Zach [Levi] played his character. He was so funny, so free and so unpredictable; his performance was not what you usually see in superhero movies. By working with him, I was able to see his talent for improvisation and his ability to find the 13-year-old child in him. It was very difficult not to smile seeing him, especially since my character had to be extremely serious.

There are several young actors in the film. What was the atmosphere like on set?

They were beautiful to see! Every time we met, they let me into their world… which I didn’t always understand. [rires]. They are a family in the film and being around them on set was like joining that family. […] Lucy and I took Rachel, our little sister, under our wings. She had just finished West Side Story and, since we are actresses with more experience, we wanted to help her prepare for the life that awaited her after this role. We encouraged her to stay strong and not be pushed around.

You’ve done quite a few action movies in your career. Which of these do you prefer?

What I admire most about these films is the extraordinary talent of all the artisans who work in the many departments of these productions. All these people, both stunts, sets, special effects, have breathtaking creativity. It’s a very different experience than a movie where the dialogue is central to the story. In the case of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, there are a lot of people who have a role to play in what the public will see on screen. It’s teamwork and that’s what I love most about these films. »

Some filmmakers and critics don’t consider the superhero genre to be real cinema. What is your opinion on the subject?

The real cinema is the one that the public likes to see on the big screen. If a story is presented in a room and there are people to watch it, it’s cinema. A film can take different forms. There may be only two people talking to each other, with no music or special effects. Or it can contain loads of explosions and be amazing! As I was saying, the work of the craftsmen who work on blockbusters is exceptional. Their contribution adds to the world of cinema.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods hits theaters March 17.