Las Vegas [US], April 11 (ANI): American actor Halle Berry appeared in Las Vegas for Lionsgate’s studio presentation to promote her film, Alexandre Aja’s ‘Never Let Go’, which returns Berry to a genre she explored more than 20 years ago in prior works such as ‘Gothika’. But this one drove her beyond her boundaries, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
‘Never Let Go’, which will be released on September 27, follows a woman and her twin kids as they fight to defend themselves from the evil that lurks in and around their house. They grasp close to one another and never let go because they must always be connected. However, one of the boys wonders if evil exists, resulting in a desperate battle for survival. Anthony B. Jenkins, Percy Daggs, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Christin Park, and Stephanie Lavigne co-star.
Aja directed the film from a script by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby. He also produced alongside Dan Cohen, Dan Levine and Shawn Levy with Berry, Dan Clarke, Connor DiGregorio, Holly Jeter, Emily Morris and Christopher Woodrow serving as executive producers.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the trailer showed Berry and her two fraternal twins living a gritty off-the-grid life in a remote house in the woods, seemingly after an apocalyptic event. A voiceover explains the plot further as one of the boys says, “Nothing could hurt them as long as they stay connected to their home.” At one point, Berry says to them, “I know this life has been hard on you boys since the world ended. But the evil out there is clever. One touch without a rope is all that it takes. Never let go.” Later, she doubles down by saying, “That rope is your lifeline. Never let go. Say it.”
Berry shared that she accepted the role because she’s a “bona fide adrenaline junkie” who has always loved these kinds of movies. “As a child, ‘The Shining’ was one of my favourites. This allowed me to be a part of a world that I’ve never seen before.” The vibes seem to be comparable to previous post-apocalyptic films such as ‘Bird Box’ and ‘A Quiet Place’.
“These boys have never left the house that they were born in for 10 years,” Berry continued. “Right away, it was a creepy environment. I was challenged to bring reality to what that would be like. What does mothering look like in a house in the woods with no one around?”
It also required that she learn some survival skills. “There was no electricity, no lights, my character skinning squirrels, and they’re eating bugs and frogs — raw frogs — in the woods. It was a challenge,” Berry said, noting that there was “a little bit of Method acting” going on. “I had to skin a squirrel. These things wildly challenged me to create some reality within this world that felt so foreign.”
Berry also claimed she drew on her personal experiences as a mother of two. “It’s everything,” she said of using personal experience to inform her work. “Since I became a mother 16 years ago, playing these kinds of roles has wildly excited me,” said Berry, who also had a sweet moment onstage acknowledging that she won an Oscar for working with Lionsgate on Monster’s Ball. “With this movie, it reminded me how I would protect my children with my life. We often say, ‘I would take a bullet for my kids.’ Would you take a knife for your kids?”
‘Never Let Go’ hits theaters on September 27. (ANI)
