February 7, 2003

From zap2it.com:

"BIG FISH" STORM RUMORS ARE OVERBLOWN

by Vanessa Sibbald

Hurricanes, rainstorms, floods -- oh my! According to rumors, the set of Tim Burton's latest film "Big Fish" has been plagued by bad weather to the point that it's been forced to stop production. But that isn't completely accurate, cast member Helena Bonham Carter tells Zap2it from the set Friday (Feb. 7).

"Yeah, there was a hurricane, but that wasn't during filming," she says in a phone call to Zap2it, adding that when it rains, the filmmakers "just do other stuff; they're planning around it."

Taking a short break from shooting the film in Alabama, the actress explains the weather hasn't completely cursed the film, which started production a few weeks ago.

"We did have some good days earlier this week, which [we] thank god for because it was quite important for a scene. It's erratic though, that's the whole problem; it's totally unpredictable and then because of the rainfall, because a lot of it is done on a river, the river keeps going up and down like a yo-yo," she says.

"Big Fish" details the relationship between a dying father (played by Albert Finney) and his son (Billy Crudup). Described as being in the vein of "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen," the story relies on fantastical tales the father tells his son. Ewan McGregor also stars as the father as a younger man.

"[The son is] bewildered by his father because his father has always told tall tales and feels that he's exaggerated all his life and has fantasized all his life and he doesn't really know him at all and wants to get to know him before he dies," explains Bonham Carter. "And you flashback to the father's stories of his life -- and they are absurd and fantastical."

In the middle of shooting the fantastical tale, Bonham Carter will fly to another set to play Anne Boleyn in a television project opposite Ray Winstone as Henry VIII.

"I do it in the middle of this and come back and finish this and then go back and finish that -- so it's a bit of a sandwich. It's a little bit crazy, I don't quite know why I said yes to it," she says about her hectic schedule.

"The only [common] thing is I'm playing a witch in this and Anne Boleyn was accused of being a witch, so it's a common theme," she laughs.

The actress says she can do the two films since she only plays a small role in the film.

"What I like about it is it's very fantastical and beautifully written at the same time -- but I've only got a little part in it, it's all the boys with the big parts in this film."