Speaking to
Crave Online, actor
Armie Hammer who's fast becoming a Hollywood rising star thanks to
The Social Network, J.Edgar and the upcoming
Mirror, Mirror and
Lone Ranger movie talks briefly about what it was like being in Australia while
Justice League was still a "go" and being in a similar pressure-filled situation five years later with
The Lone Ranger.
QUESTION: You’ve really blown up in the last year but this could’ve happened even earlier. You were working on Justice League with George Miller. Did you get a taste of this back then if that movie had gone?
I hate to say it, but thankfully it didn't because I probably wouldn't have been ready for anything then. I didn't have the head on my shoulders that I feel I do now. Hopefully I'll say the same thing five years from now. Hopefully I'm always learning more and stuff like that, but had it happened then, like looking back and knowing what I knew then I wouldn't have been ready for it. I wouldn't have been able to handle it. It's a lot at twenty five years old to be playing the title character of a movie where the budget is humongous and it has to work. That's a lot of pressure to handle at twenty five, but at the same time you don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm really excited about it, like I get to do things that other twenty five years olds might not get to do. So, I'm having fun and am appreciative as much as possible.
QUESTION: Was the Justice League thing a good education for you as a young actor, having that big budget film not go?
Yeah, yeah. It was amazing as a young actor to even get to experience that kind of a budget. I think that they were talking about, I mean this could be hearsay, who knows, but I think the budget was close to $300 million. I don't know the specifics, but it was huge, huge to the point where I remember being down in Australia and they were just throwing money around. Just like, “Wherever the whole cast wants to go to dinner every night? Sure. Pay with this wad of cash.” It was extravagant and then to have it all fall apart was a really good reality check. It's like, “Hey, nothing in this business is real. Don't forget that.” It's like, “Oh, yeah, right, right.”
QUESTION:What's it like being first on the call-sheet for a $200 million dollar western?
You'd have to ask Johnny.
QUESTION:Even when you are the Lone Ranger?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can tell you that to play the title character, at first it was a ton of pressure, I'll be honest. I remember nights before we started shooting just laying in bed, going, “How much does this cost? What's it called? Oh, man, that's me. Oh geez. What about this? If this goes wrong…” You just kind of work yourself into these ridiculous tizzies, but that's only because you're doing it to yourself. As soon as I got on set for the first day, we got the first day of shooting out of the way and I remember at lunch going back to my trailer after eating and just kind of going, “This feels just like making a movie. This is what I love. This is no different,” and it's really not. It's a bunch of dudes in a room with a camera doing what they love. It's the smallest-feeling big movie that I've ever been a part of. This feels smaller in scale because of the attention everyone is putting into the most minute detail [more] than even Snow White did. It's at least twice the size, but it feels like a small, big movie.
QUESTION:Have you enjoyed learning the daring do, the fencing for Mirror Mirror and the shooting for Lone Ranger?
Yeah. That's one of the perks of this job, like, not only do you get to go to amazing places all over the world, but I was learning to sword fight and now I'm learning to throw lassos and shoot pistols and ride horses. Who knows, on the next one maybe I'll learn something new. It's fun. You get to be a jack of all trades, master of none, but you get to still jack around a bit.
That Justice League film was to star D.J. Cotrona as Superman, Hammer as Batman, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman and Adam Brody as The Flash with rapper/actor Common as the Green Lantern. The production made it to Australia for rehearsals before being shutdown due to the combination of The 2007 Writer's Strike and the loss of a 40% tax break from Australia nixed the project.
Armie Hammer as Batman by deviantArtist ~ShadesAtKnight
Jonny Depp and Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger and Tonto
'Justice League: Mortal' would have been released in 2011 with George Miller as a director, and the cast WOULD have been D.J. Cotrona (Superman), Armie Hammer (Batman), Megan Gale (Wonder Woman), Common (Green Lantern), Adam Brody (The Flash), Hugh Keays-Byrne (The Martian Manhunter), Santiago Cabrera (Aquaman), Jay Baruchel (Maxwell Lord), and Teresa Palmer (Talia al Ghul).