The sequel to one of the most successful melodramas "After" will be released in Russian cinemas on September 17, 2020. Chapter 2 ”(After We Collided): interesting facts from the set, comments by Anna Todd and the leading actors.
Meeting Hardin (Hiro Fiennes-Tiffin) divided her life into before and after. However, suddenly a new acquaintance (Dylan Sprouse) appears in the girl's life (Josephine Langford), who is ready to put the whole world at her feet ...
About the 1st part
About the 2nd part
Can love be stronger than the past?
Hardin Scott (Hiro Fiennes-Tiffin) and Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) have gone through a tough breakup. He is smart, handsome, responsible and has a good sense of humor.
However, Tessa can't get the thoughts of Hardin out of her mind. She hopes that she can just give up this relationship ...
But it’s not that easy. Even if the universe is against them.
"After. Chapter 2 ”is an adaptation of the bestselling book of the same name by Anna Todd, the sequel to the popular novel“ After ”, which became a real sensation after being published on the Wattpad platform. The After series includes five of Todd's books that have been read over 1.5 billion times on Wattpad. Simon & Schuster has published four books in the series, which have been distributed in forty countries around the world.
The first film in the film franchise, After, was released in April 2019 and led the box office in 17 international territories, including Germany and Italy. The film grossed more than $ 70 million at the box office.
About working on the film
Given the overwhelming success of the first film in the After franchise and the many fan reviews of the series, the producers immediately set to work on the sequel, After. This time, Anna Todd debuted as a screenwriter.
“Working on the script for the film“ After. Chapter 2 "when I was a little over 20 years old. And although I took part in the work on the film "After" as a producer, the transformation of the second book into a script was something completely new and surprising for me. "
Todd and other producers offered to take the directorial chair to Roger Kumbl, screenwriter and director of the cult melodrama Cruel Intentions starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillip and Reese Witherspoon in the lead roles. Kumble willingly agreed to take on the creation of a new world for the beloved franchise.
“I was not only able to look at my book from a different angle, but also to work on the script with our director Roger, who has more than twenty years of experience in filmmaking,” says Todd.
Kumble admits that he liked the project from the very beginning. I thought, "Well, it won't be difficult for me to get this job."
Todd and Kumble were keen to accommodate the fans of the series, the so-called "FOLLOWERS", so they tried to stick to the literary original when working on the script.
“I'm sure many readers around the world will love the way the story of Tessa and Hardin will unfold,” Todd said. We decided that they should turn out exactly like in the book. "
“The most important thing for me was to stay true to the original source,” Kamble agrees. - The book has become a worldwide phenomenon. Anna Todd fully supported my endeavor and took an active part in the work. She worked every day on the set both as a screenwriter and as a producer, so she could see with her own eyes that what was happening in the frame exactly corresponded to what was described in the book. When an author appears on set, who can be asked literally any question about the material, it helps the actors and director to better understand the characters. "
Behind the camera on the set of After. Chapter 2 "Camble saved for the cameraman Larry Reibman, with whom he often collaborates.
“It was extremely important for me to choose the operator myself. I offered this job to Larry because I worked with him on the set of Pretty Little Liars for eight seasons, ”Kumble explains his choice. "He knows how to show the actors beautifully and works very quickly."
Return of "Hessa"
The events of the movie "After" significantly changed the fate of the main characters, so it will not be easy to recognize them in the sequel. According to Todd, the heroes "could not recover from a difficult breakup."
“At the beginning of the film, Tessa and Hardin are not together and are trying to somehow improve their lives, - says the writer. "Tessa seems to be doing it better because Hardin is unable to pull himself together."
“Tessa is no longer the innocent, inexperienced applicant that she appeared in front of the audience at the beginning of After,” notes Josephine Langford, who played the female lead. The producers wanted Tessa's appearance to be reflected as well - my heroine's hair, makeup and wardrobe were updated. "
Hiro Fiennes-Tiffin returned to the role of "bad guy" Hardin Scott, but his relationship with Tessa greatly influenced his character. “My character has changed dramatically when comparing the first and second films, but significant changes will occur in the sequel itself,” says the actor. - We have the opportunity to look into the past of my hero, to understand the course of his thoughts. I think by the end of the sequel, viewers will finally be able to see how much of Hardin has truly changed. In any case, this hero will be revealed in a way that was not revealed in the first film. "
“We do learn more about Hardin's former life in After. At the same time, we show how Tessa has changed, how the experience of her first love influenced her. "
Roger Kumble sought to whitewash Hessa's relationship in After. Chapter 2 ".
“The viewers of this film will find a real emotional attraction,” the director is convinced. - Passionate skirmishes between Tessa and Hardin only underline the futility of trying not to think about each other, wherever they are. Viewers of the sequel will involuntarily ask themselves: how many more tests have we prepared for this couple?
The bottom line is that there are always a lot of unanswered questions in relationships, and movies answer most of them. I am sure they will be familiar to many viewers. "
Gibgot agrees, adding that it is Tessa and Hardin's constant separations and reunions that fuel the Followers' interest. “I think this story is about how dreams come true, and the story is very ambiguous,” says the producer. - Girls want to be like Tessa, who changes the life of the “bad guy” for the better. Guys can be impressed by the idea that even such an innocent beauty can fall in love with yourself, no matter how spoiled you are. "
Finding Trevor
With Josephine Langford and Hiro Fiennes-Tiffin in the lead roles in the sequel, the producers began looking for an actor who could portray Trevor Matthews, whose charm and wit turned out to be attractive to Tessa. Moreover, this character had to become simply irresistible! Trevor works as an assistant to the head of the company where Tessa is doing her internship. Trevor is intelligent, reserved and prudent. In short, he is in many ways different from Hardin and can offer Tessa a different relationship.
The producers considered that only Dylan Sprouse could play this role.
“We agreed that Dylan would be ideal as Trevor, but we weren't sure if he would be interested in the role,” Gibgot recalls. "When Dylan agreed, we were so happy that we decided not to look for anyone else."
Sprouse himself was pleased with the opportunity. “The role of Trevor was quite interesting. He is incredibly sexy, and just for the sake of this it was worth agreeing to the role, - the actor notes with a smile. - It's always fun to try yourself in the role of someone who you are not or do not consider yourself to be in real life. I'm happy to be part of this project. "
Although the relationship between Hardin and Trevor is quite strained, Sprouse claims that their friendship with Fiennes-Tiffin has benefited both of them. “Hiro and I were inseparable on and off the camera,” says Sprouse. “It was all the more interesting to play in emotional scenes, because just a second ago we were joking and laughing as if nothing had happened.”
Langford notes that Sprouse's appearance on set has made the development of Tessa and Hardin's relationship more dynamic. Hardin finally got a chance to show his jealousy. "
New faces
"After. Chapter 2 tells not only how Tessa has changed emotionally, but also about the beginning of her career. In the new world of Tessa there is a place not only for Hardin and her past - an important role is played by the head of the company Christian Vance, as well as her colleague Kimberly. Todd was convinced that Charlie Weber and Candice King would do the best in these roles.
“Kimberly is helping Tessa get into Vance Publishing,” King says. "Kimberly and Tessa spend a lot of time together and become real friends as the storyline unfolds."
King believes that her casting was predetermined from above, because her real life is inextricably linked with the fictional character of Tessa from the book Todd. “Those who have read Anna's books may remember that Tessa's favorite band is The Fray, and this is my husband Joe King's,” King explains. - It's funny that my husband met with Anna many years ago and even invited her backstage during one of the concerts. The Fray performed the song they played in the scene with Tessa and Hardin, so technically my husband was in the first film and I was invited to the second. "
About the 3rd part
About the 4th part
About his character, Charlie Weber says: “Christian Vance owns Vance Publishing and seems like an incredibly successful and powerful guy, but he remains cool and carefree. He has a rather uneasy relationship with Hardin and Kimberly. "
