From past to present: Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon discuss the filmic adaptation of FAHRENHEIT 451

Shot in Toronto and co-starring Scarborough-born YouTube sensation Lilly Singh, HBO Films’ upcoming FAHRENHEIT 451, premiering Saturday, May 19 at 8 p.m. ET on HBO Canada, is based on Ray Bradbury’s 1953 classic novel of the same name. Directed by Ramin Bahrani, the film depicts an alternate tomorrow in which media is an opiate, facts and history are rewritten, and “firemen” burn books. The stars of FAHRENHEIT 451 – two-time Oscar^® nominee Michael Shannon and Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan – discussed HBO’s adaptation at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival where the film recently had its World Premiere. Here’s a peek at what they had to say. Developing a connection to the characters: Michael Shannon (MS): “…[Captain Beatty]’s a very conflicted person. He’s trying to exist in this system that doesn’t give you a lot of options…and yet because of his advancement in his career he’s been exposed to the very thing that he’s been trained to destroy. He’s as fascinated by it as anybody else but he has to keep that a secret and so I found that very intriguing. There’s this loneliness that he’s dealing with…” Michael B. Jordan (MBJ): “… when I sat down and read the script…I wasn’t really interested in playing an authoritative figure…Particularly with all the police shootings and brutality that was going on, and is still going on…But after talking to Ramin…I wrapped my brain around it…I thought it was a really important role and character and story. I educated myself on it and I wanted be a part of that story.” Working with director Ramin Bahrani: MS: “I think Ramin and I have if not an identical relationship then certainly a similar relationship [to Beatty and Montag]…I knew I wanted to work with Ramin again. I loved making 99 Homes with him and he’s just somebody I would do whatever he asked me to do.” MBJ: “He’s so smart…When he gets done on a shooting day, he goes home and works on the script again. He works seven days a week…He wants to know every single small detail so he can answer any question. And if he doesn’t know, he works with you to find out the answer. I think those are the best directors…I think those are the smartest people.” Working with each other: MS: “I think [Michael B. Jordan]’s success is very well deserved…he’s a very smart, talented, considerate actor and I really admire his drive and his energy. He’s very ambitious…he’s looking to turn his success into success for other people and create opportunities…” MBJ: “Mike Shannon is amazing… We’re like brothers in the movie… so the fact that we got along so well, it really helped out with that relationship… He’s so talented and he’s always prepared and always gives you what you need. He’s somebody that I would love to cross paths with again and again.” Interpreting the modern adaptation of the book: MS: “We knew we were going to have to incorporate technology because if you are just burning books… you are really not destroying culture…there is culture in the cloud, in the air, you have to have a more far reaching strategy than just burning books…I really like the changes he made in terms of accentuating and heightening the relationship between Montag and Beatty…as an actor that’s where you really get to do the work.” MBJ: “It’s adapted to this time. Technology and the Internet play a huge part in our generation’s distraction and how we grow…how we learn, how we think. We wanted to show the slippery slope that we’re on…It’s the ideas of fake news and false truths… what’s reality, what’s fiction…the idea of having one consolidated Internet is super scary, and Ramin wanted to explore that.” Michael B. Jordan on the timeliness of the film: MBJ: “It’s crazy how it could have been written yesterday…Bradbury predicted that we chose this…we elected to give up our choices. He predicted the fact that people don’t really want choice – that they want to be told what they like. It’s very frightening…They don’t even want to see [the news] because it makes them feel uncomfortable…They want to stay in their bubble and protect that bubble at all costs, and sometimes that cost if your freedom of choice…your own identity and your individualism.”