Actor Aldis Hodge recently spoke to The Illuminerdi in an exclusive interview about the differences and similarities between filming Marmalade and a larger-budget flick like Black Adam.
RELATED: Black Adam: Aldis Hodge On His Version Of Hawkman & His Superheroic Perspective Of Justice
Marmalade follows a man in jail who narrates the colorful tale of a romantic bank heist to his cunning cellmate to escape and reunite with the alluring love of his life. Keir O’Donnell gives us his directorial debut and is credited for writing the film as well. He is best known for starring in Wedding Crashers, American Sniper, Gifted, and Hulu’s Fargo series.
Marmalade: Aldis Hodge Compares Indies vs. Blockbusters
We recently sat down with Aldis Hodge who stars as Otis, a character we see experience a certain important twist. You may recognize him from the DC comic flick, Black Adam, as Hawkman, but he’s also starred in hits like Hidden Figures, City on a Hill, and Straight Out of Compton. Marmalade is rather different for the actor, as it is more of an indie-type film that you’d typically catch at a film festival like Tribeca or SXSW. Hodge explains some of the differences between filming an independent title versus a blockbuster hit.
“Honestly, the only difference is the money… means maybe bigger sets, maybe you have a little budget to bring in more background actors to stage a scene, maybe a little bit of money for CGI… but you gotta be much more calculated on your artistic choices when it comes to the financial restraints on a smaller budget… either way, they both present a lot of difficulties because… in some ways having a smaller budget to focus on offers you a lot more comfort than, you know, juggling $150 million.”
– Aldis Hodge
RELATED: Black Adam: Aldis Hodge On His Version Of Hawkman & His Superheroic Perspective Of Justice
The actor goes on to speak about how refreshing it was to film in Minnesota as opposed to a fully designed set, stating it was “baecation” for him and his wife. Hodge has gone on to make quite the name for himself, with audiences calling for the actor to take on several superhero roles. This comes after news broke that there would not be a Black Adam sequel, thus closing the door on Hawkman making a comeback to the big screen.
While the exact budget for Marmalade isn’t known, we can safely assume it was nowhere near the $190-turned-$260 million check it cost Warner Bros to make Black Adam. As far as talent, O’Donnell taps Stranger Things star Joe Keery and newcomer Camila Monroe to join Hodge in this romantic crime thriller. It’s got a compelling plot with some comedic moments that are timed perfectly.
You can watch Marmalade on Amazon Prime Video starting Feb. 8, 2024.
About Marmalade
Release Date: February 8, 2023
Director: Keir O’Donnell
Writer: Keir O’Donnell
Executive Producers: David Sullivan
Producers: Sarah Gabriel, Marc Goldberg, James Harris, Brianna Lee Johnson, Mark Lane, Jason Shapiro
Cinematography: Polly Morgan
Production: Katie Fleming, Tea Shop Production
Distribution: Signature Films, Prime Video
Cast: Joe Keery, Camila Morrone, Aldis Hodge, Wayne Duvall, Susan Brava, Justen Jones, Andrew E. Wheeler, Hans Christopher, Toussaint Morrison, Stephen Hage, Gwen Ruhoff, Beva Steinberg, Joshua Hansen
Synopsis
Baron (Joe Keery) reminisces to his prison cell-mate Otis (Aldis Hodge) about his relationship with Marmalade (Camila Morrone) and their ill-fated bank robbery. Otis has a long history of prison breaks and the two hatch a plan to get out and reunite Baron with Marmalade.
Will you be checking out Marmalade? Do you prefer indies or blockbusters? As far as Aldis, what superhero or villain do you think he should play? Let us know what you think on social media!
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