Laurence Fishburne doesn't try to outdo himself when it comes to signing on for sci-fi projects like his new film Sling.
The Oscar-nominated actor continues to be among Hollywood's most sought-after performers and has starred in a wide array of feature films that span genre and scope. Coming to theaters this weekend from Bleecker Street is Slingwith Fishburne as Captain Franks, who leads a multi-year mission to Saturn’s moon Titan to obtain much-needed natural resources. Meanwhile, the journey becomes tense when fellow astronaut John (Casey Affleck) begins to lose his grip on reality. (The plot involves a major twist that won’t be revealed here.)
Among the previous science fiction projects in which Fishburne has made his mark is, of course, the Matrix trilogy, as well as other assorted titles such as Event Horizon (1997), Predators (2010) and Passengers (2016). Fishburne's upcoming releases include other feature films that fall into that genre, including Megalopolis, The astronaut and the animated film Transformers OneHowever, the actor clarifies that, rather than following a schedule, he simply takes on projects that he can't get out of his head.
“I don't think about the other things I've done in the genre,” Fishburne says of what influences his role selection. “With SlingI was really intrigued by the story and very surprised by the twist and how everything resolves itself, or doesn't resolve itself, depending on your point of view. It was written in such a way that I couldn't figure out where it was going, and that's very exciting for me.”
Fishburne praises Sling director Mikael Håfström and the rest of the film's crew for shooting and designing the film in such a way that the crew's ship, where much of the action takes place, feels both spacious and claustrophobic at the same time, which helps to increase the ongoing tension.
Laurence Fishburne and Casey Affleck in Sling.
Courtesy of the Everett Collection
“The ship is deceptively small and big,” Fishburne jokes. “It’s basically a circle, so there are moments where it feels really huge, and then there are these other places where it’s really narrow and cramped, and you can’t turn around without stepping on someone. Part of that is the design, part of that is the lenses that they used, and there were elements that came in and out, so it was really well done. It was really well thought out, and then we had the support to just play what was written.”
The film marks his first project with Affleck, but Fishburne has admired his co-star's performances for years. “I'm a big fan of Casey's work and I've always wanted to work with him,” Fishburne says. The jazz aficionado goes on to compare Affleck to a certain late trumpet player: “I kind of describe him [Affleck] like the Chet Baker of acting. He's really cool. He's got this great sense of lyricism, sense of humor. He's got a great sense of romance. He's got this beautiful melancholy, this genuine intelligence and a great vulnerability and sensitivity that I really, really admire.”
Fishburne, who is also known lately for the John Wick trilogy, is no stranger to the superhero genre, as he played Bill Foster in the Marvel series Ant-Man and the Wasp AND Daily Planet Editor-in-Chief Perry White in Zack Snyder's DC Films Man of Steel AND Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeFishburne's take on the editor proved indelible, as multiple on-screen portrayals of the character since have portrayed Perry as a black man, which is not how he was originally envisioned in the Superman comics. (James Gunn's next release Superman is part of this trend, with Wendell Pierce taking up the baton.)
“It’s been wonderful,” Fishburne says of this evolution. “Man of Steel It's a wonderful film. If I had any influence in terms of the whole nontraditional casting thing, I love it. It's great.”
When told that fans could hope to see his version of the Silver Surfer, the character Fishburne brought to life in the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer —they pop up this summer Deadpool and WolverineSince other heroes from 20th Century Fox's Marvel films also appear, Fishburne lets out a hearty laugh. He replies, “Well, we'll see.”
As for the fact that the star has so many films coming out soon, including Francis Ford Coppola's expensive, debate-provoking epic MegalopolisFishburne himself isn't sure what to make of the timing. (Click here for Fishburne's previously published remarks from this interview on Megalopolisincluding the recent problem in the movie trailer.)
“It's weird,” he says of his flurry of current projects. Also on the horizon is a thriller with Rami Malek The loverwhich will hit theaters next year, not to mention that Fishburne recently played former Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers in the FX/Hulu series Cut out. “I guess it's an accumulation of the pandemic and then the strike. I was doing little things when I was allowed to, and it all just piled up. So it's Sling, Transformers, Megalopolis, The lover, The astronaut. Cut out It came out in June. It's just a lot of stuff.”
Not that he's complaining, of course. He reflects: “It's been a beautiful, beautiful career, and I'm extremely grateful for all of it.”