David Michod Talks Rey, 'Pretty Girl Rock', and Casting Rob

Starts at 15:10.

Screencrush interview here

I know you hadn’t seen the ‘Twilight’ movies before casting Robert Pattinson, but what does his fame bring to this movie? Does that help? Can it possibly hurt?I don’t know, it’s all a great unknown to me. You know, I love the idea of being able to take a person who I can only imagine his talents have been grossly underestimated.

This is a good movie for him, along with the Cronenberg films.
He’s a really smart guy with great taste. And he knows the filmmakers that he wants to work with. But, who knows what it will mean for the movie in the public consciousness, you know? I have no idea whether or not it will work for us or against us. But, I don’t really care — because I love the surprise and the revelation of it. And I would hope that people embrace it, because I think he’s really good in it. It was never going to be enough for me that he gave just a good, solid performance. It was always important for me that he give an extraordinary one — and I think he does it. He and Guy both.

Whose idea was it for Robert Pattinson’s character to have tics?
That was his. They felt organic. I don’t know how conscious and deliberate they were for him, but when I was watching them, they felt like this nice little organic manifestations of the character.

And you dirtied him up.
[Laughs] It had to happen. For me, Rob’s character is like a lost puppy dog. He’s lost his owner and he just kind of latches on to the first person he finds. It happens to be a particularly bad choice.


Skip to 3:05 to hear about David talk about "Pretty Girl Rock".

http://robpattinson.blogspot.com/2014/06/david-michod-talks-about-rey-casting.html