Imagine experiencing an unconventional future in which the Earth as we know it is now uninhabitable due to a limited amount of oxygen. In the new sci-fi thriller Breathe, now in theaters, Zora (Quvenzhané Wallis) and her mother Maya (Jennifer Hudson) are living life underground. In a world where oxygen is limited, Zora and her mother must limit their trips to the Earth’s surface by relying solely on specialized state-of-the-art oxygen suits created by Darius, Maya’s husband (rapper Common).
Is there anyone Zora and her mother can trust? Perhaps that question will soon be answered when a mysterious couple claiming to have ties with Zora’s father Darius appears. Do they have good intentions? Viewers will find out soon.
Black Girl Nerds spoke with actor Qvenzhané Wallis, who spilled the tea on the movie’s plot, working with a star-studded cast, and what viewers can expect to see in this new exciting thriller.
What was the experience like to film something futuristic in an alternate reality?
Completely new to me, but thankfully the set and the weather helped put me in that world almost immediately. Also, spending so much time with Stefan [Director Stefon Bristol], with the script, and watching it all develop and grow, and trying on masks. One hundred percent the process helped everything, the atmosphere, the cast, everything.
This film puts you in a hypothetical situation, almost like an alternate universe allowing you to see the world differently. How did you prepare for this role?
Like I said, being on set, also trying to do the research when I was reading the script and trying to see how that information aligns with what is going on now. Like global warming, like trying to see how that would align and how that would work. I know that there are also very smart people in the world who would be like, “That’s not how that works, that’s not how that goes,” when they watch the movie. I was just trying to avoid that at all costs as much as I could and learn as much as I could. I’m still not Zora. I’m still not the smartest one in the bunch, but I did learn enough to be like, “Okay, I get it.”
What do you love about your character Zora?
I love how smart she is. I also love how strong she is. She’s not afraid to speak her mind, she’s not afraid to speak up, and she’s always two steps ahead of what you would normally think about. I just admire her for that.
Were there any challenges you faced with this sci-fi role?
The costumes, the guns, the props, and stuff like that. We had a love-hate relationship with the masks. It was hot and annoying, but by the end, I was kind of attached to the mask and didn’t want to leave it. It just all was new to me.
Without giving too much away for the people who haven’t seen the movie, what was your favorite scene to shoot?
The scene where me and Jennifer Hudson are doing my hair. That was my favorite because there were no real lines for that scene. There was like one or two [lines]. Stefon was like, “Just talk and we’re going to film you. Just wash her hair and oil her scalp.” We started bantering, just joking and roasting people left and right. It was so much fun. Also, my locs got wet that night so when I left the set, I had a towel wrapped around my head.
This isn’t your first time working with noteworthy actors. What was working with a star-studded cast with stars like Jennifer Hudson and Mila Jovovich like?
It was insane. I felt starstruck in the beginning meeting them and not knowing them as people, but once I knew them and got to know them and laughed and joked with them, it felt like humans, people just getting along working together. I definitely bonded with Jennifer a lot because of the mother-daughter relationship. It was kind of hard to do that with Mila and Sam [Worthington], being their position as characters in the film. The times when we weren’t anywhere near set and we were just talking and chatting, we laughed and talked and had as much fun as we could without destroying the tension in the film.
Seeing your talent on-screen, is thriller-dystopia a film genre you’d like to explore again?
I think so; I had so much fun on set. If I did it again, I don’t think I could do a movie that was all green screen. I think that would be extremely challenging for me. That probably wouldn’t be something I’d do over and over again. If I could be on a set that puts you in a little world, I love that. That was fun.
Breathe is in theaters and on Digital.
