The Book is just about upon us and we have a big and juicy interview with Denzel Washington for you. In it, Mr. Eastwood, er, Mr. Washington gives us some interesting bits from the movie including insights into his training, old people sporting Ak-47′s and this interesting tidbit:
Washington: You know, there was a kid during the research that I ran across online by the name of Ben Underwood. I don’t know if you’ve heard about this kid, and in fact he just passed away, [but] he had no eyes but he developed this sort of sonic, you know, clicking sound and he’s phenomenal. If you go online, YouTube [Ben] and there’s some great specials about him and what he’s able to do. He skateboards, he plays basketball. He does everything, or he did, as he’s passed away now. So I used his birthday as my [way of] figuring out my character, and so I was 17 working in like a Wal-Mart or a Kmart or something like that, and as the story goes, everybody had to stay inside the first year after the war, and he got out and wandered and survived. In fact we just shot the scene. I won’t give you the whole scenario but he basically survived and heard a voice that led him to the book and told him where to go and why and he’ll be protected. And as he says, for 30 winters he’s been walking. So when exactly he got it, you know, in July? (laughs) I don’t know. Probably if it was 30 years, I would say he got it after about the first two or three years.
I don’t think Denzel plays a blind character in Eli, but it seems like after the apocalypse, things were maybe really bright outside for awhile and Denzel had to go sonic. Which is pretty cool. I’m speculating of course. “The Book Of Eli” also stars Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis (sigh) and Michael Gambon. “Book Of Eli” starts Jan 15th. Hit the whole, long, interview at our pals at Collider.
