Kate Hudson and Ana Lily Amirpour Talk 'Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon'
Moviefone speaks with Kate Hudson and director Ana Lily Amirpour about 'Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.' "I am intrigued by Mona Lisa," Hudson said of her role.
Opening in theaters, on digital, and on demand September 30th is the new fantasy thriller ‘Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon’ from director Ana Lily Amirpour (‘The Bad Batch’).
The new movie stars Oscar-nominee Kate Hudson (‘Almost Famous’) as Bonnie Belle, a struggling single-mother who befriends a mysterious mental institute escapee with supernatural powers named Mona Lisa Lee (Jun Jong Seo).
Bonnie sees an opportunity to make some fast cash using Mona Lisa’s powers, but when they draw the attention of a police detective (Craig Robinson), their luck begins to run out as the cops close in on their crime-spree.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kate Hudson and director Ana Lily Amirpour about their work on 'Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon,' it’s themes, Hudson’s character, why she wanted to play the role, and what they would do if they had Mona Lisa’s powers.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Kate Hudson and Ana Lily Amirpour about 'Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.’
Moviefone: To begin with, Ana Lily, the character of Mona Lisa seems like a metaphor for something else, is that correct? What does she really represent, and what were the themes you wanted to explore with this movie?
Ana Lily Amirpour: Honestly, it’s me. My films are really personal even if they are genre films and they're fantastical. All the characters come from some personal things. With Mona Lisa, it's like the feeling of being outcast and disconnected, but not in a sad way. You know what I mean?
She's not like, play the violins for me. She's just different. She’s from another place, speaks another language, is strange and powerful and so has been misunderstood. I definitely relate to that. But she's just a little hungry monster that wants to go out and have some fun. I also relate to that.
MF: Kate, who is Bonnie? How would you describe her in your own words?
Kate Hudson: Bonnie Bell is a survivor. She really is quite comfortable in the life that she's created for herself. She's unapologetically who she is. She loves her kid, but doesn't have much time to, as probably Bonnie would look at it, baby him or to comfort him when things are tough. Life is happening, and you got to survive.
She's a tough mom. She probably doesn't have a lot of the tools that some other parents would have. She wasn't born with those tools. She's out to make her money. She wants to make money. So, when she sees an opportunity, she's going to take it. That's who Bonnie is.
MF: Finally, does she see anything else in Mona Lisa, or is she just a cash cow to Bonnie?
KH: Oh, that's a good question. What do you think Ana Lily?
ALA: She's in the grind. As Kate’s talking about her, I'm thinking about this type of woman, and she’s like a shark. Sharks don't ever stop. They're always moving. They're hunters. She's grinding. You know what I mean?
KH: Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. It's great to hear you, your instincts, because that is what intrigued me about Mona Lisa. I find her ability like magic. The idea that I think Bonnie just immediately thinks, “What you could do with this? Let's go!” That's just who Bonnie is. Then every step of the way, no one's more present than Bonnie Bell.
ALA: What would you do if you met a girl like that? Wouldn't you maybe be tempted to go to Neman Marcus and take a necklace? No, I'm just kidding. I'm not promoting a theft. But you know what I mean? It's a pretty tasty power to have.