RICHMOND, ENGLAND – I rushed in to interview with “Jack the Giant Slayer” director fresh off of shooting my musical stand-up (Check It Out Below) in front of Hampton Court Palace.
I apologized for my cold hands, but Singer knows a thing or two about shooting in the frigid temperatures in Henry VIII’s former residence. Much of “Jack the Giant Slayer” is shot on elaborate soundstages and using digital trickery, but several key outdoor and crowd scenes were shot in the open spaces and courtyards around the palace, which justified the location of the film’s recent junket and has added some historically confusing footnotes to the guided tours.
We chatted in a room decorated with a painting that Singer told me was one of the Queen’s favorites, but it was unclear which Elizabeth was playing favorites with the Hampton art.
You may have already seen Singer’s interview-closing discussion of his approach to “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” but we also talked about “Jack the Giant Slayer,” including his approach to the classic fairy tale/legend, the target age range for the new film and his learning curve with 3D technology.
Check out the full interview above and my interview with “Jack the Giant Slayer” stars Nicholas Hoult and Eleanor Tomlinson.
“Jack the Giant Slayer” opens on Friday, March 1.