Wildlife premiere: On the red carpet with Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan at London Film Festival 2018

Wildlife is the directorial debut of critically acclaimed There Will Be Blood actor Paul Dano, co-written with his partner Zoe Kazan. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Richard Ford, first published in 1990, set in 1960s Montana and stars Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal with Ed Oxenbould and Bill Camp. The story follows a young boy who must watch his parents’ marriage disintegrate after the three of them move to Montana and his mother falls for another man. Beautifully crafted and acted with precision by Mulligan and Gyllenhaal, it’s a fascinating study of the American dream and damaged lives rooted in a smalltown American story, particularly through the lens of Mulligan’s character.

We were at the film’s premiere at the London Film Festival to hear from the film’s creators.

Paul Dano told us why he chose to adapt Richard Ford’s novel for his directorial debut and how he put together and worked with his dream cast of Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Co-writer Zoe Kazan spoke with us about the film’s themes of the American Dream and damaged lives.

Sarah Bradbury
Videos: Marta Starczynowska

Wildlife is released in select cinemas on 9^th November 2018. Read our review here.

Watch the trailer for Wildlife here: