'I think we're bringing the Western to a younger audience in a major way,' star says.
By Sterling Wong, with reporting by Eric Ditzian
Olivia Wilde in "Cowboys and Aliens"
Photo: Universal Pictures
Olivia Wilde is no stranger to big-budget productions — she did, after all, star in last year's "Tron: Legacy." But the actress is adamant about the fact that her latest blockbuster, this Friday's much-anticipated "Cowboys & Aliens," is not like any other that has come before this summer.
"We are not a sequel, and we are not a superhero movie," Wilde explained to MTV News, undoubtedly referring to the string of well-known franchise movies that have come our way thus far this summer, from sequels to "Harry Potter" and "Transformers" to comic book fare like "Thor" and "Captain America." "So we're an original piece of material and that's really rare this summer."
OK, it's no superhero movie, but "Cowboys" is based on a comic book. Still, Wilde emphasized that the plot isn't exactly derivative. "Even though our title is based on a comic book, we're not actually a comic book movie. The story is completely original," Wilde noted. "Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who wrote 'Star Trek,' wrote this story from scratch, just using the idea of the 'Cowboys & Aliens' comic book as inspiration."
Another way that "Cowboys & Aliens" stands out from the pack is the way it pays homage to a classic genre. "I think we're bringing the Western to a younger audience in a major way, which I think is really exciting, because I love Westerns, and I'm happy to introduce this genre to a bunch of people," Wilde said.
Of course, no good Western is complete without its rugged leading men. "We have Daniel Craig, who I think embodied Steve McQueen in this role," the actress gushed. "He's so badass it's unbelievable, and I think he's really, really smart and interesting in this role, and I think Harrison Ford pulls out his best performance in years. He's incredibly moving, and also very funny."
Check out everything we've got on "Cowboys & Aliens."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668110/cowboys-and-aliens-olivia-wilde.jhtml
Brittany Daniel Sanaa Lathan Malia Jones Yvonne Strzechowski Kelly Rowland