'Fantastic Four' Release Date, Cast News: Jamie Bell Reveals How He Prepared for 'The Thing'
When Jamie Bell was cast to play the character of Ben Grimm or "The Thing" in the reboot of "Fantastic Four," many observers could not believe how the likes of Bell, who first made his film debut as a young ballet dancer in "Billy Elliot," would do the role. The casting news also came with details about how the film's director, Josh Trank decided to make use of motion capture technology for "The Thing" instead of the usual prosthetic suit that was used in the previous movie.
Bell, in a recent interview reported in The Huffington Post, shared some details about he prepared to play one of the Fantastic Four. The 29-year old actor mentioned that he worked closely with renowned performance capture actor Andy Serkis for the film. Serkis is known for his work in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy for the character Gollum, "King Kong" and "Planet of the Apes."
In order to do justice to the character of "The Thing," he listened to Serkis, whom he also considers his mentor, having worked with him before.
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"It's about capturing the essence of a human being inside of that character when he is transformed and you do that through motion capture. It's a technique that my friend Andy Serkis has very much spearheaded – he is the guru of performance capture," he said.
Instead of donning a prosthetic suit, Bell said he wore the standard motion capture dotted leotard. He also said he was on a strict diet and exercise routine while they were filming.
The film's director, Josh Trank, shared something about Bell as Ben Grimm.
"Jamie in real life is a tough guy. He exudes this strength. Ben is Reed's best friend in the archetypal, spiritual way, and you want that character to have that warmth and that strength," he explained.
Bell on his part expressed his excitement to see the film, which he said is "very much an origin story of the characters."
The film will be released in theaters in August 2015.
