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Hugh Jackman in Seoul to promote ‘Eddie the Eagle’

March 7, 2016
Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman

By Yun Suh-young

“The nature of pursuing a dream accompanies 90 percent of rejection and 10 percent of acceptance,” said Dexter Fletcher, director of the upcoming film “Eddie the Eagle,” during a press conference Monday in downtown Seoul.

“Any creative endeavor is always going to be a struggle,” he said reflecting his own experience while talking about the struggle of Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards, a real-life character who the biographical comedy drama was based on.

The British director and Australian actor Hugh Jackman was in Seoul to promote the upcoming film ahead of its release on April 7.

“Eddie the Eagle” is a British comedy drama about an underdog ski jumper who becomes Britain’s first representative ski jumper at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The film is very similar to the 2009 South Korean film “Take Off” in both dealing with the same subject matter and underdog athletes. The difference is that “Take Off” highlights teamwork while “Eddie the Eagle” focuses on an individual’s struggle and endeavor. Apart from the upcoming release, “Take Off” had been the only other film that dealt with ski jumping.

Having seen the Korean film ahead of producing his film, Fletcher said it set the bar high for them.

“‘Take off’ was very interesting for us because it is the only film dealing with ski jumping and it set the bar very high,” said Fletcher.

“It’s great that there are two films about ski jumping. We’re proud to be associated with ‘Take Off’ but I’m keen for people to go see Eddie because it’s the new film. The Eddie version is more English so there are two cultures that are connected by one great event ― ski jumping. People who enjoyed ‘Take Off’ will love Eddie even more because it’s about one man from a different background and it might prove interesting to see how Eddie’s story can relate and communicate with the Korean audience.”

Hugh Jackman, coming from a country where ski jumping is not a sport people are familiar with, said he knew nothing about the sport before he joined the production.

“Coming from Australia, I knew nothing about ski jumping. I don’t think there’s ever been an Australian ski jumper. Yet, I was still mesmerized by the sport. I think there’s something so beautiful and graceful but on the other hand so death defying and dangerous (about it). It’s captivating to watch,” said Jackman.

“I’m so excited for Korea to have the Olympics (in PyeongChang) and I urge everyone to go see the ski jumping. It’s spectacular to watch. Visually, it’s a beautiful sport for film. If you see it in the cinema, you’ll really get a sense of what it’s like _ the grandeur and the danger of the sport. I really hope audiences respond not only to the sport but also to the heart depicted in this movie.”

The film, produced by Matthew Vaughn, features Taron Egerton, from Vaughn’s previous box office hit “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” as Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards and Hugh Jackman, who worked on the producer’s former “X-men” series, as Bronson Peary, Eddie’s coach. Peary was a former American ski jumping champion who left the sport due to a conflict with his ski jumping mentor. Peary trains the under qualified, long-sighted Eddie to compete at the Olympics after Eddie’s tenacious spirit convinces him to train him.

“In Eddie’s day, there wasn’t social media and the Internet, but he was one of the most famous people in the world. This guy wasn’t the best ski jumper in the world but he became one of the most famous athletes in the world,” said Jackman. “I think there’s a lot for the modern audience and for the Korean audience to enjoy, particularly with the Olympics two years away.”