Matthias Schweighöfer Interview Army of the Dead

Matthias Schweighöfer Interview: Army of the Dead

We interview Army of the Dead star Matthias Schweighöfer about what drew him to the film, working with director Zack Snyder, and more.

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Matthias Schweighöfer Interview Army of the Dead

Coming as it does from the mind of Zack Snyder, you can be sure that Army of the Dead is unlike any zombie film before it. The epic adventure, which is set to be released on May 21, introduces audiences to all manner of memorable characters as well as unusual undead characters.

One man that is sure to be a fan favorite is Ludwig Dieter, played by Matthias Schweighöfer. The actor spoke to Screen Rant about what it’s like to work with Snyder and break free from the stereotype that Germans can’t be funny.

When you first read the script, what were some of the things that immediately jumped out at you and made you like, “Yep, I got to do this one?”

Matthias Schweighöfer: Written by Zack Snyder, directed by Zack Snyder, story by Zack Snyder. That was the first thing where I realized, “Oh, my God. That’s for sure.” It’s a Zack Snyder movie.

And that my character is not a historical piece of acting. It’s a cool, funny and nerdy guy from Germany. And I was like, “Yes, I can be funny in a movie. What’s going on?” So, I was super excited.

And I loved the script. I read the first page, and the second and third, and I thought, “Oh, I want to see that film.”

The film is perfectly cast. It’s this hodgepodge group of people that are thrown together, and it’s just so much fun to watch all these character interactions. In the opening of the film, we get to dive into some character backstories. Did you create a backstory yourself on what Dieter was doing up until that point? Or did you have a roadmap that Zack may have given you?

Matthias Schweighöfer: Oh, yeah. I just finished a prequel for my character, so everything is in in that film. But the biography was that Dieter was – I can’t say that, because it’s a spoiler alert. You will love the prequel. His way to America is awesome. It’s crazy.

Let’s talk about the odd couple in the movie a little bit. Can you talk to me about the relationship between Dieter and Vanderohe and how it evolves in the film?

Matthias Schweighöfer: I think it’s the typical relationship when someone who doesn’t want to be with a crazy nerdy guy has to be the adult or the nanny of this crazy dude. The relationship’s really funny because we have Vanderohe, who wants to focus on survival and not nannying around. And Dieter is like, “Oh my God, this guy is cool. I want to be his son.”

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It’s a really heartfelt, funny, weird couple. We always thought it’s a bit like Lethal Weapon, Gibson and Glover. It’s a compliment, as an actor, when you can play a couple like this. The one guy has to take care of the other one, and the other one is just doing everything wrong and worse. This is always so funny.

They’re also philosophers, because they have this existential belief system of what could happen. Is that something that was on the page in the script, or was that something you and Omar toyed with?

Matthias Schweighöfer: Actually, that was in the script that was written. We thought it was very poetic at the time, especially created by Zack, that it flips around and you have like a two or three different realities – especially at this point, because that was a whole different universe. Even that small little part, and it was so poetic that you start thinking about how he’s right. It’s a great idea. I love all this stuff in that movie.

Everybody I’ve spoken to has a genuine love for Zack and his work ethic and what he brings to a film set. Can you talk to me a little bit about the collaboration process with Zack and what kind of insight he was able to provide for your character?

Matthias Schweighöfer: His interest in Northern mythology is so huge… Zack so into that world that he’s like, “You’re gonna have these epic operas created by Wagner, and then he has to crack the safe.”

There was a champion, the fastest guy who ever cracked safes, and it was about senses. Touching and hearing the safe, feeling the safe and a feeling the rhythm of a tumbler and lock. Zack created all these little pieces and tiny bits, that I felt every day that this guy is a visionary. It’s crazy. His mind is amazing.

Something that Nora told me is that the camera follows the actors, not the actors following the camera. Can you talk to me a little bit about what surprised you the most about Zack’s directing style?

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Matthias Schweighöfer: First, he’s so open minded in every way. You always have a chance to talk to him and suggest something, and he can say no or yes, if he likes it or not. And I love that; you’re always invited to share your ideas and to share your thoughts.

But when he’s with his camera, that’s something else. Because he’s so into rhythm and choreography, the scene and the framing and the feeling of of an actor, that it’s like a fantastic combination. It’s melting, and I never saw it before because he’s so close. Usually, directors are behind the monitor, and they say, “That was okay, let’s do it again,” or “Great, but we have to do it again.” And with Zack it was always like, “Okay, go to the right, go to left, just try that. Try this.” It felt always in the moment. That was really interesting, and I loved it.

What did you want to bring to Dieter that wasn’t necessarily on the page?

Matthias Schweighöfer: To see that a German has a sense of humor, you know? And that I can break all the rules about what you think about typical Germans. Hey, this guy is German, and he has an accent – but he’s really funny. He’s so likable that you really want him as a friend. “Hey, come over. Let’s have a barbecue.”

I always worked to make people feel close to him.

I didn’t know that you guys shot this in essentially an abandoned casino, and you actually slept there. Can you talk to me about that experience, and any fun stories you may have about being in this hotel, which most people might find creepy?

Matthias Schweighöfer: That was a crazy hotel. It was carpets on the floor and on the walls, and even on the roof. There was a day where I drove with my car to New York City, and then I came back two days later. I opened my room, and there were beer cans everywhere. Like, empty beer cans. I thought, “Okay, I left my room two days ago. Who’s been in my room? They had a party. What’s going on?”

No one could tell me who was it, when was that, was there a real party. But there were these empty beer cans. So I thought, “Let’s be fast by wrapping this film up in that crazy hotel.” That was creepy.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/army-dead-matthias-schweighofer-interview/

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