The Covenant – set visit interviews [Part 4 of 4]

Plot: Four young men who belong to a supernatural legacy are charged with stopping the evil force they released into the world years earlier. Another great force they must contend with is the jealousy and suspicion that threatens to tear them apart.

Release Date: September 8, 2006

Special interviews from the set in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Steven Strait

Sebastian Stan

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your characters in the movie?

Steven Strait: Yea…umm… I play a character named Caleb Danvers. I guess we can classify him as the leader of out small pack. Umm…he is a guy with a lot of responsibilities outside of school…taking care of his parents….alcoholic mother…father has over used his powers and has become very frail and making decisions for the group. I guess you can say he is a bit more mature for his age. 

Sebastian Stan: I am sort of the new character that comes in at the school. I am actually one year older…I’m 18…I just sort of transferred in…Trying to fit in w/this group specifically because they are the guys that everyone talks about but I guess I have other things in mind at the same time.

Q: So you are 18 and have your full powers?

Sebastian Stan: I do. I have all the powers! (smiles)

Q: What are they?

Sebastian Stan: Well besides flying, we also have the ability to transfer into different things…images and so on. We can transform into each other if we really wanted to but mainly its manipulating energy and use them against each other … or picking things up..throwing them.

Q: So it is like telekinesis?

Sebastian Stan: Yea exactly.

Q: So are you evil then?

Sebastian Stan: We all can be good and evil because we have these powers. And I think that is what the movie is about… Just how you use your powers and how you use them.

Q: Because you are the eldest, are you more inclined or less inclined to use your powers or less?

Sebastian Stan: More inclined.

Steven Strait: Once you turn 18, the powers start to age you and chip away at your life. So every time you use it, it’s a major choice but at the same time, it is very addictive.

Sebastian Stan: But at the same time, I am a bit more knowledgeable.

Q: How are you taught that? This is just a regular school right; It is not like Harry Potter?

Steven Strait: Its genetic….its part of your bloodline. The story takes place in Massachusetts, right near Salem. So we experience them, shit starts to happen and so on. It is not necessarily good or evil but how you decide to control this insane gift you have been given…that you really have no choice over and how you must keep this secret from everybody else that you are basically a freak.

Q: What is your dynamic like?

Steven Strait: Yea I think Caleb and Reid…I don’t want to say conflicting relationship but definitely have the most friction.

Q: You can imagine comparisons to the Skulls or the Lost Boys. How would you sum up the movie for those who really do not know what this is about?

Steven Strait: I think it has a Lost Boys feel or a guy's version of the Craft. I would even throw in Matrix.

Sebastian Stan: I always want to describe it as Harry Potter meets the Matrix…I mean there is an element that it can be compared to Harry Potter in terms of the school educational system but it is much more darker than that.

Steven Strait: And there is another Korean movie called Volcano High that is the inspiration of this film.

Q: Renny was telling us of a fight scene that takes place on this very set.

Sebastian Stan: Yea it will be fun….looking forward to that. With the CGI element, we see how much we actually see each other.

Q: How much practicing have you done?

Steven Strait: We have been on the rig for almost two months and also swimming. We are all swimmers in the film so we had a good month and a half of swimming every morning at 6 am then training in the evening as well.

Sebastian Stan: We have been pretty busy. Even when we are not busy we are doing something related to the film.

Q: Steven, what is the difference between having magical powers and powers from what you did in Sky High?

Steven Strait: Umm it is a different feel. Sky High was very comedic and satirical. It is much darker in the Covenant because this magic or power comes from a much darker place. Obviously there are some similarities to projecting things but it is much more broad than that. Its about manipulating energy and so it is a lot different than throwing a flame (laughing) both really don’t exist so it is something you have to get use to while you are flailing your arms around. It tends to be a bit awkward as 50 crew members watch.

Q: Did your experience on Sky High help at all?

Steven Strait: Yea it did help in terms of wire work and trapezes stuff. When I first started, it took some time getting use to being upside down 80 feet in the air.

Q: What can you tell us about this evil force you will eventually face?

Steven Strait: Well we confront this force because it confront us first. There are things that happen to us that really have nothing to do with us. We are under the assumption that it is gone but it isn’t and has to be dealt with. One by one, this evil tries to knock us off.

Q: So does that mean there will be a lot of flashback sequences explaining this evil?

Sebastian Stan: Yea I think they are referencing it so it will not be missed out. I think the connections can be made throughout the movie but I think everything takes place now and it is pretty clear how it ties back to the time.

Q: Have you seen the comic?

Sebastian Stan: Yea, I mean it is different. It deals with the past and when we were kids. Sort of a prequel or primer to the movie. Although, I think we are being a bit more specific with what happens in the movie. I would check it out for reference but I would not compare it completely.

Q: Do you have any favorite scenes?

Steven Strait: Hmm favorite scenes….that’s a tough question. This barn scene will be incredible. It was an experience that was absolutely unique. However, there have been very good dramatic scenes that have been done that were a blast. But this rig here, its so big and incredibly huge and fast.

Q: Will you guys be doing all of your own stunts?

Sebastian Stan: We are pretty much doing all of the stunts. Its interesting. We are basically learning martial arts and we have to get use to these things coming at us as opposed to punches so it is kinda interesting and weird to try and imagine something like that. To throw it back like a punch essentially. It is going to be good. I cant wait to see it on the big screen.

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Staci Layne Wilson reporting