Empire magazine in Australia spoke to War of the Worlds producer Kathleen Kennedy about the highly-anticipated adaptation of H.G. Wells’s classic.

Asked whether the Steven Spielberg-directed film is coming too soon after Independence Day, Kennedy answered that “this is completely different. This is a deeply scary movie.”

The magazine says Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp have put the emphasis on terror, as dockyard mechanic Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) and estranged kids Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin) roam across the US like refugees trying to stay ahead of the evil aliens. “This is very much from the point of view of this family,” adds Kennedy. “At the same time, there is this gigantic backdrop of what is going on and what they’re running from.”

Tim Robbins stars as astronomer Ogilvy, a holdover from Wells’s novel. “He has one of the most tense sequences in the movie, where he poses a real threat to Tom’s character,” says Kennedy. “He is only in it for 20 to 25 minutes but he is absolutely riveting.”

She also commented on why War of the Worlds has about 400-500 special effects shots, compared to a film such as Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith which boasts around 2200. “I think Steven tries to integrate things into a real, believable situation. You are not just witnessing a beautiful matte painting, you are actually involved in a real, visceral event,” Kennedy explained.

War of the Worlds opens in theaters on June 29th. For more info, check out the official website and stay tuned to alienglyph.com where something may still happen.
(comingsoon.net)