Emma Donoghue at the Canadian Club’s virtual event, sponsored by the Grand Theatre (Connor Luczka/ XFM News).
Emma Donoghue’s first film after the colossal success of Room is off to a good start. Not only is it funded and set to be released by Netflix, but it’s also starring Midsommar and Black Widow actress Florence Pugh.
“We’ve got the best of both worlds there. Because through Netflix we have the serious funding needed and also the sheer reach. And I can’t tell you yet how it will come out . . . all I can tell you is that it’ll definitely come out on Netflix sometime this year.”
On January 19th, Donoghue was hosted by the Canadian Club in an event sponsored by the Grand Theatre. 2022 is a busy year for her and she has a lot to talk about. Not only does she have a new movie coming out, but also a play making its long-awaited debut at the Grand Theatre here in London, and a new book. She decided to focus on her upcoming movie The Wonder.
The Wonder (2022)
Pugh as nurse Lib Wright in The Wonder (Netflix).
Donoghue realized very quickly that the casting of Pugh was the right choice– even if it wasn’t originally what she had in mind when writing the 2016 novel.
“I probably would have thought of the Nurse as a bit older, and didn’t want her to be too young and pretty. But Florence Pugh– if you’ve seen her in anything– she has an extraordinary kind of sturdiness and earthiness. Despite her glamour, she’s got this quality. Earthiness. On the first day of filming, I realized that she was going to bring all her intelligence to this role, because the first thing she said was, ‘Do you mind if I do her in a Yorkshire accent?’ I had just assumed that this extremely well educated nurse from London would speak what I would call posh-English. But Florence said a lot of the nurses who worked with Florence Nightingale were from Yorkshire.”
“And I realized that the accent is crucial because she manages to take away any sort of hint that this nurse is just a posh, snobby outsider. The accent was a crucial intervention to get this quality of pragmatism and warmth.”
Of course, with any film being made in the last few years, COVID protocols were a huge setback and priority. But aside from N95 masks and social distancing, other less obvious barriers presented themselves.
“Anytime one of the actors might come over to me– like Toby Jones or something– I find myself holding my breath so as not to breathe on the actors. I said this to someone who said to me, ‘oh, no, the really important thing is don’t spray on any of the carpenters. There’s a carpenter shortage.’”
They also had to deal with other, even more niche, problems.
“I had casually written she pushes to a flock of sheep. You write that and then many years later, there you are watching the sheep being wrangled and hearing how difficult sheep are to work with. And it does make you feel a bit like ‘what have I done?’ Especially the moment when the sheep knocked Florence Pugh over.”
“I know we’d have had insurance but I didn’t know that we have insurance specifically for sheep”
Donoghue also says that making a film or play is a unique experience, and one that she adores.
“They’re collaborative. They’re thrilling. I would say some of the most exciting and fun moments in my career have been times in rehearsal rooms, sitting around the ground working with a cast and team assembled in several different countries. I mean, for The Wonder we had a donkey wrangler, we had somebody whose job was to do faxing, somebody whose job was to carve holes and stones to make holy wells. The writer doesn’t get to feel she owns every little bit of it. Whereas with a novel, it’s a different pleasure.”
Haven and Room
And speaking of novels, Donoghue has a new book coming out. This one might hit close to home. Perhaps even closer than The Pull of the Stars, her 2020 novel about a pandemic.
“The novel I’ve had this year was set on an island in the year 600. It’s a novel about isolation—and of course, I was isolated writing it.”
Haven is set on Skellige Michael, an island so alien it became the location of Luke Skywalker’s hideaway in The Last Jedi. It follows 3 monks trying to get away from the corruptions of the world. Haven is also set to come out in 2022.
But coming out before The Wonder and Haven is the much-anticipated play: Room.
Adapted from the 2010 novel and 2015 movie, Room takes over the Grand Theatre from March 8th to 11th. Previously pushed back, Donoghue says that the constant delays, might have been a good thing.
“Two years ago, we were canceled on opening night. And then it was due to premiere this month in January. We thought waiting almost two years would be saved. But of course, nothing is safe. So yes, it’s off again till March 8th.”
“It’s sort of a thrilling feeling that we have this wonderful production absolutely ready to go. And for instance, in Toronto they decided to do it later. But they’re moving into a bigger theater, the big Princess of Wales Theatre, which we hadn’t dreamed of being in such a huge venue. That’s also the venue where the film of Room premiered back at TIFF. So it’s just magic to me.”
The Secret to Success
A movie, novel, and play coming out all in one year is something that a lot of writers could only dream about. Donoghue says that it’s not always easy sailing though. What made all of these experiences so great has a very straightforward answer:
“If something is not going to end up getting made, you call it development hell. But in the middle, it can just be an endless development purgatory. However, in both cases, with Room and with The Wonder, I’ve had a wonderful experience. And I think it’s because I’ve chosen to work with the right people . . . It’s all about choosing collaborators: who you will be happy to go through all the dramas and delays and problems and cancellations and illnesses. You want to be working with good people.”
The Wonder and Haven are unscheduled, though set to be released in 2022. Room is at the Grand from March 8th-11th, and then at the Princess of Wales Theatre from April 5th to 8th.
Comments