Is there such a thing as creating your own paradise? Well, the star-studded cast of Ron Howard’s “Eden” are about to find out. Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl, and Sydney Sweeney lead the film, which dramatizes the “shocking true story” (per the film’s official logline) of a group of disillusioned outsiders who left civilization to start their own society on a remote, uninhabited island.
Of course, the clan later discovered that the “greatest threat isn’t the brutal climate or deadly wildlife, but each other,” as the synopsis tells us. “As tensions spiral and desperation takes hold, a twisted power struggle unfolds, leading to betrayal, violence, and the deaths of half the colony.”
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Noah Pink wrote the script with Howard directing, as well as producing alongside Brian Grazer, Karen Lunder, Stuart Ford, William M. Connor, and Patrick Newall.
And for those wondering, yes, the “Eden” cast did actually rough it themselves. De Armas previously told Vanity Fair that starring in “Eden” pushed her to get to her “craziest” self onscreen, with the publication also citing that Howard “actually had to push back on both Law and Kirby’s commitment to Method, Floreana-style living.”
De Armas admitted that she was “a little scared” to take on the role, as the film is “really out there.” She later decided that she “wanted the challenge” of starring in the feature. “Having this crazy threesome relationship, and being a woman of opposites — either she’s sweet and tender and fragile and nervous and scared, or she’s absolutely crazy and dangerous, it was kind of finding that limit. What was the craziest I could get? How far could I go?,” de Armas said.
The “Ballerina” star later explained why the singing aspect of the film was part of the stress of shooting. “I just couldn’t convince [Howard] to let me lip sync so I had to learn the song. It was horrible. I was terrified,” de Armas said. “I would rather do 100 stunts than sing that song. It was terrifying because it’s also in front of all the actors. I just felt very exposed and vulnerable and it’s not one of my talents for sure.”
However, it all proved to be worth it: The IndieWire review for “Eden” deemed de Armas a “scream in a cast filled with standout performances.”
Vertical will release “Eden” in theaters on Friday, August 22. Check out the teaser below.
