If you’ve been on the official “THING” site lately, you’ll notice that the cast, crew and production notes have been added. Within the production notes, Mary talked a little bit about her character and the film itself. Be sure to check out the full interviews and notes on the official site.
On how Universal decided to cast Mary as her character, Kate Lloyd:
Of the production’s leading lady, executive producer Dale commends: “I worked with Mary on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, where she played a very different character. She’s got versatility, gravity, pathos and strength. She has everything that Kate needs to be.”
Mary describing her character:
Winstead offers that she is a big fan of Carpenter’s seminal film and is honored to help bring the new story to the screen. “Having a female lead immediately differentiates us,” she says. “Kate has to be a really intelligent girl of strong will and strength of character. It’s rare to get the chance to do something where the woman gets to have that kind of power in a very realistic way.”
How she feels about bringing a female character into the mix:
The situation Kate finds herself in as one of only two women among a group of male scientists allowed Winstead more layers to bring to the character. “Everyone would have a different feeling about a woman coming into the situation,” Winstead says. “And she would have certain feelings about being one of two women with all these men around. So it creates a unique dynamic between all of the characters.”
How filming in Toronto helped getting into character:
“Isolation is a big element in the film, as is being separated from people and not knowing who you can trust and who you can relate to,” she says. “Having it set in such a vast, remote facility where there’s no help, and there’s nothing for miles, adds to the paranoia and the claustrophobia.”