Jordana Brewster in ‘Cellar Door’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Opening in theaters and on digital November 1st is the new thriller ‘Cellar Door’, which was directed by Vaughn Stein (‘Terminal’) and stars Jordana Brewster (‘The Fast and the Furious’), Scott Speedman (‘Underworld’) and Laurence Fishburne (‘The Matrix’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jordana Brewster about her work on ‘Cellar Door’, her first reaction to the screenplay, her character’s marriage, the bargain her character makes, if she would make that same deal in her own life, working with Scott Speedman, Laurence Fishburne’s “acting tools”, and collaborating with director Vaughn Stein, as well as an update on the upcoming ‘Fast X: Part 2‘.
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(L to R) Scott Speedman and Jordana Brewster in ‘Cellar Door’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and why you wanted to be a part of this project?
Jordana Brewster: I really wanted to be a part of the project because Sera, my character, goes through so many different phases of life that I’ve also been through, and I understood her coping mechanisms and her desire to just push through and ignore any signs that something was awry. So, I thought playing that would be cathartic and fun.
MF: How would you describe the marriage between Sera and John?
JB: I think it’s really refreshing to see a marriage like this portrayed. It’s frayed, right? It’s worn in. It’s not like the beginning where it’s sexy and exciting. It’s like brushing their teeth next to each other. They’re going through the motions, they’re failing at something, and I think that’s what propels them to then say, “Let’s move and let’s get a house.” I feel like a lot of couples do that where they’re like, “Let’s just keep moving and ignore the problem.” So that’s where they’re at. I had a certain familiarity just because I quickly got along with Scott, so it felt very safe to play with the different levels of that.
(L to R) Jordana Brewster and Scott Speedman in ‘Cellar Door’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: Can you talk about working with Scott Speedman on that relationship?
JB: I think he was on set way before I was, and so I was talking to him before I even got to set. Then we’re both parents, so we just had a nice shorthand. I think it helps a lot to act with someone who’s willing to meet, and rehearse, and talk about the script, and is collaborative. Because you want to play tennis, you don’t want to have to do it all yourself, and you want to be able to react off someone. So that was fun with Scott. He made that very easy.
MF: John becomes obsessed with opening the cellar door after they are told not to, but Sera isn’t bothered by it. Can you talk about why she doesn’t care about what is behind the cellar door?
JB: I think the stakes are high for her. I keep thinking of a Jenga puzzle, and it’s like, the Jenga puzzle is gilded and it’s perfect, and she wants it to just stay in place because if she takes one tile off, the whole thing’s going to come down, and I think that’s what having the house represents for her. If she has the house, then she can get pregnant and then they will live happily ever after. But if something goes awry, they’re not going to survive. I also relate to that because I’m a control freak. I’m Type A, working on it, but I think there is this belief that like, “Oh, no, if everything’s not perfect, I’m not going to be able to handle it.” So, I think that’s why she’s so adamant about him staying away from the cellar door and to shut up about it already. I think initially she says, “Could a house make you happy?” She’s like, “No.” But I do think to some degree she thinks it can because it fits into her vision board. I think a lot of people can relate to that. “Oh, once I go to this college, I’ll be happy. Once I get this job, I’ll be happy. Once I have two kids, I’ll be happy.” Then the finish line keeps getting further and further away because of course, it’s like the old story.
Jordana Brewster in ‘Cellar Door’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: If you were in this situation in your own life, and you were offered this beautiful house, but with the agreement that you can’t look in the cellar, would you take it?
JB: I’m too skeptical. I would think there’s a catch. Like Scott and I joked on set, we’re like, it kind of feels like it’s going to turn and become dirty. There was a point where we’re like, what does Emmett want from us? But no, I would assume there are cameras here, or I’m going to have to pay the piper at some point. So, I absolutely would not because I’m not as trusting as Sera is.
MF: What was it like working with legendary actor Laurence Fishburne?
JB: It was fun, because he has a gravitas but also a warmth, and he’s very generous about telling stories. He also uses acting, not tricks, but different tools to get you into a scene. So, I felt like it was also just an awesome learning experience to work with one of the greats.
MF: Can you give me an example of one of Fishburne’s “acting tools”?
JB: So, we shot all his scenes in one day, and we had the scene where we’re tipsy and he then brings up the awkward question of what would you do? Before rolling, he would just start laughing. Then we would start laughing and it was like this contagious thing so that by the time we began the scene, the ice was broken. So instead of talking about how he would do something, he just put it in our bodies in a way.
Laurence Fishburne in ‘Cellar Door’. Photo: Lionsgate.
MF: Is that something that you might use moving forward on other projects?
JB: Yeah, and it also teaches me that when you’re the elder on a set, it’s nice to be generous, and inclusive. On ‘Heart Eyes’ I worked with kids that were in their 20s, and I took a cue from him where it’s like we’re all here to play. It’s like the rising tide raises all ships. There’s no competition. I think that’s a very generous attitude to have. So, he’s awesome.
MF: What was it like collaborating with director Vaughn Stein on set?
JB: I love Vaughn. I love that he kept it very light. He’s so encouraging and wonderful. It was fun to work on such dark material with someone so loving, open, and fun.
Jordana Brewster in ‘F9’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Finally, are you excited to start working on ‘Fast X: Part 2’ and reunite with that cast and crew?
JB: Yeah. I love working on these movies. It enables me to travel, and meet amazing people, and be on the same IMDB pages as Helen Mirren and Charlize (Theron). Never did I think I’d worked with Charlize or Helen. So, it’s an unbelievable franchise to be a part of. I’m grateful and I’m excited for the next one.
“Discover what lies behind the cellar door.”
What is the plot of ‘Cellar Door’?
Looking for a fresh start after a miscarriage, a couple (Jordana Brewster and Scott Speedman) find themselves being gifted the house of their dreams from a wealthy homeowner (Laurence Fishburne) with one caveat – they can never open the cellar door. Whether they can live without knowing triggers shocking consequences.
Who is in the cast of ‘Cellar Door’?
- Jordana Brewster as Sera
- Scott Speedman as John
- Laurence Fishburne as Emmett
- Katie O’Grady as Kathryn Conrad
- Chris Conner as Paul MacManus
(L to R) Jordana Brewster and Scott Speedman in ‘Cellar Door’. Photo: Lionsgate.
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