'I want to fight some zombies': Viola Davis wants to star in her version of 'Train to Busan'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Viola Davis, the renowned actress, and recipient of the prestigious EGOT award, recently shared her aspirations to star in a zombie thriller. While being honored at the 48th Annual Chaplin Gala alongside Jessica Chastain and Meryl Streep, she expressed her desire to conquer another onscreen genre by featuring in a zombie film akin to 'Train to Busan'. However, she also expressed concerns about distinguishing between reality and fiction while filming a zombie movie. During the event, Davis also discussed the changing state of Hollywood in terms of supporting women.
She acknowledged Hollywood's efforts to honor and protect women, their voices, bodies, and comfort on set. Davis also mentioned Hollywood's movement toward creating a safe environment for child actors and highlighted her own participation in relevant courses. Julius Tennon, Davis' husband, and co-founder of JuVee Productions, echoed her sentiments and emphasized the importance of finding allies who believe in enacting effective change. Davis continued by stressing the significance of allyship in supporting disenfranchised groups such as the disabled, LGBTQ+, and Black and Brown people. She expressed a desire for increased allyship in various forms. Fans were excited to hear the actress' desire.
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'I want my version of ‘Train to Busan'
“A lot of things I haven’t done in my career. Listen, I would love to do a zombie movie,” Davis said. “Now I say that, in shooting it, I don’t know if I can distinguish between the real and the fiction because if someone was running at me as a zombie, I don’t know. You might hear some stories. But I want a ‘Train to Busan’. I want my version of ‘Train to Busan’. I want to fight some zombies. That’s what I want to do.” At the 48th Annual Chaplin Gala, where stars like Meryl Streep and Jessica Chastain were in attendance to celebrate her, Davis spoke to IndieWire about Hollywood's evolving approach to supporting women. "I actually think that Hollywood tries in ways that probably most people don’t. I think they try to honor women and protect them, protecting their voice, protecting their bodies, protecting their comfort on sets,” Davis said. “I think they are really moving in the direction of helping children, child actors, be protected, creating an environment on the set. I know because I have to take the courses." Davis continued by emphasizing the importance of allyship in promoting change - "That’s what we can change, actually, allyship. It’s just supporting a group of people that aren’t like you. And there are a number of people that are disenfranchised just in this world and in this business, disabled, LGBTQ, certainly Black and brown people, that we can have more allyship in whatever form that looks like."
Jessica Chastain showers Viola Davis with praises for 'The Woman King'
Speaking to IndieWire, Jessica Chastain, Davis’ co-star in 'The Help', praised 'The Woman King', which has Viola’s fingerprints all over it, for being a beacon for onscreen representation. Chastain said that a movie like that with a female director and a cast of powerful Black female leads can get made in Hollywood today because of Viola’s lifelong advocacy for women of color. She added that maybe one day, a movie like that can get nominated for an Oscar.
"A movie like that with a female director and a cast of powerful Black female leads can get made in Hollywood today because of Viola’s lifelong advocacy for women of color,” Chastain said onstage. “Maybe one day a movie like that can get nominated for an Oscar.”