by Christine Radish

At this week’s press day for The Rum Diary, adapted from the Hunter S. Thompson novel and starring Johnny Depp, Collider got the opportunity to sit down with actor Aaron Eckhart for an exclusive interview. While we talked about his performance as Sanderson, an American businessman involved in shady property development deals in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the ‘60s, we will post that portion of the closer to the film’s October 28th release date.

In the meantime, we did get a bit of an update on the project that he just signed on for Stuart Beattie’s I, Frankenstein, an action movie in which he plays the famous beast. Check out what he had to say about that, along with what attracts him to the roles he takes on, after the jump.

Question: Do you know which project you’re going to do next?

AARON ECKHART: I have a movie coming out, called The Expatriate, which is a father-daughter CIA thriller. We filmed that in Europe. My character has a 15-year-old daughter, and that was fun, filming with her. And then, for the next movie I signed onto, I’m playing Frankenstein in I, Frankenstein, which is a modern take on Frankenstein.

What was the appeal of a project like that, especially since it’s so different from what you’ve done before?

ECKHART: I don’t know. There’s no rhyme nor reason. Just the fact that I just said, “I’m playing Frankenstein,” is something I never imagined. I don’t know what I’m doing. That’s my problem.

How is it different from the Frankenstein stories that people are familiar with? Is he more intelligent and evolved, as a character?

ECKHART: Frankenstein is an intelligent, evolved man, and that’s how he is portrayed in this movie, for sure. In the book, he’s very evolved. Somewhere in time, Frankenstein got dumbed down. He is a beast, but somewhere he lost his heart. I don’t know how much heart we’ll be able to get into it. It’s not a docu-drama of Frankenstein. It’s not an insightful look into his soul. It’s more of an action movie, really. But, it will be cool.

What draws you to a project? Does it start with the director, for you?

ECKHART: I have no idea. It’s different. With a movie like The Rum Diary, with Johnny [Depp], (director) Bruce [Robinson] and Hunter S. Thompson, you’ve gotta go do it. With Rabbit Hole, with Nicole Kidman, you’ve gotta go do it. Sometimes it’s about good words. Other times, I just want to go hop around and grunt and not say anything. There are those kinds of movies. Sometimes I don’t want to say another word in a movie, but I want to be very physical. And then, there’s other times where you want to go win an Academy Award. As an actor, you’re attracted to good material. You look at your character and you go, “God, I’d love to play that!” All of a sudden, an image will pop into your mind and you can feel yourself playing it. Although, it doesn’t fit into your plan and logistically you’re already busy, but you end up calling your agent and going, “Find out a way for me to do this movie.” For me, there is no plan.

Source: Collider.com

Here are the first reviews for “The Rum Diary” from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter

Aaron Eckhart tells Moviefone he can’t wait to slip into the skin of one of cinema’s most famous misunderstood monsters, in his next film, ‘I, Frankenstein.’ Just don’t expect the iconic nuts-and-bolts version from the Boris Karloff films, a look that was copyrighted by Universal. What will Eckhart’s Frankenstein look like? “I really have no idea,” he says. “I just signed on without even seeing it. I don’t know what the make-up’s going to be.” One thing he’s sure of: “He’s a grotesque beyond belief being.”

Speaking Wednesday at the ‘Rum Diary’ junket (check back later for interviews with Eckhart and co-star Amber Heard) Eckhart said he was initially dismissive of the idea. “I mean, I don’t just jump off and do Frankenstein movies, but I read this and I thought, ‘I actually really like this movie. It’s a new take on Frakenstein.’”

Even though he kept pronouncing it as “Fronk-en-shteen” as Gene Wilder did in ‘Young Frankenstein,’ Eckhart promises that this won’t be a lighthearted romp. The actor says it will draw inspiration from the original novel by Mary Shelley, although it won’t be a straight adaptation like the 1994 film starring Robert De Niro.

“The thing about it is, there’s no mention of [the monster's look] in Mary Shelley. This is all made-up-stuff [by Hollywood.] You go back into Mary Shelley’s book and he’s an incredibly soulful and insightful, tender-souled man and I hope to get more of that in there. Yes, he’s grotesque beyond description, but he’s a man who’s been abandoned by his creator. So I hope to get more of that in it.”

He then added, with a grin, “But really what it is, is I’m going to be kicking ass. It’s gonna be great.”

‘I, Frankenstein’ starts filming in February with director Stuart Beattie (’30 Days of Night’) at the helm for a 2013 release.

Source: Moviefone

Just days after word broke that Aaron Eckhart would be playing the lead in the upcoming I, Frankenstein, ComingSoon.net had a chance to sit and speak with the actor at the junket for his latest, The Rum Diary. We’ll have the full interview available soon, but here’s what he had to say of his casting in the graphic novel adaptation.

“Somebody says, ‘Do you want to play Frankenstein?’ and I was like, ‘Well, I haven’t thought about it,” Eckhart laughed of the role coming his way, “Then I read the script. Whenever you read a script that you want to do, you start feeling yourself in that character. All of a sudden your juices start flowing. That’s how you know you should do a movie. Now I’m gonna be Frankenstein and I’m kind of worried about it, actually. I’ve gotta go and figure out how the hell I’m gonna play Frankenstein.”

Set to begin filming in Australia in January, the film tells the modern-day tale of Dr. Frankenstein’s creature, Adam, who nearly centuries after his “birth”, has found himself in a gothic city, caught up in a war between two immortal clans. Though based on the comic by Kevin Grevioux, Eckhart explained that Mary Shelley’s original novel is where he’s currently focusing his attention.

“Oh yeah,” Eckhart replied when asked if the role was planned to be make-up heavy, “…[But] I think bolts came later. I’m not finding bolts in Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein.’ I think all that sort of stuff is an invention of Hollywood. I don’t know where it came from. Even the lightning isn’t a big part of [her book]. ‘Frankenstein’ the book deals more with the subjective. The feelings of the creature and less about the making of.”

I, Frankenstein is planned for release on February 22, 2013 while The Rum Diary arrives in theaters this October 28th.

Source: Coming Soon

I’ve added four new promotional stills of Aaron in “The Rum Diary”. These photos just keep getting better and better!

The Rum Diary (2011) > Stills

I’ve added new promotional stills of Aaron in The Rum Diary. Check them out in the gallery!

The Rum Diary (2011) > Stills

Aaron will be attending the Savannah Film Festival as one of this year’s honoured guests. The festival runs from October 29 – November 5. You can find more information about the festival and to buy tickets at their website.

Here is the official press release for Aaron’s next movie, I, Frankenstein. It reveals the film will be shooting in Australia (Webmiss represent!).

Aaron Eckhart to Star in Lakeshore, Hopscotch, Lionsgate Production of I, FRANKENSTEIN

Los Angeles, CA, October 7, 2011 – Aaron Eckhart will play ADAM FRANKENSTEIN in the Lakeshore Entertainment, Hopscotch Features and Lionsgate production of I, FRANKENSTEIN, commencing in Australia in January. The film was written and is to be directed by Stuart Beattie (director of Australia’s breakout hit TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN, and writer of such films as PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, G.I. JOE, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT and COLLATERAL), and is based on a graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux, co-creator of the UNDERWORLD franchise. Lionsgate will distribute the film in the United States, Lakeshore will handle international sales and E1/Hopscotch will distribute in Australia. U.S. release is slated for February 22, 2013.

Aaron Eckhart recently finished shooting the lead role as an ex-CIA agent in THE EXPATRIATE, and stars alongside Johnny Depp in the upcoming THE RUM DIARY. He is repped by CAA.

I, FRANKENSTEIN is a modern-day epic: Frankenstein’s creature, ADAM, has survived to present day due to a genetic quirk in his creation. Making his way to a dark, gothic metropolis, he finds himself caught in an all-out, centuries old war between two immortal clans. As writer/director, Stuart Beattie said, “Mary Shelly’s story is about the creation of the first human being. This is the story about that being becoming human.”

“We are thrilled to again be collaborating with Lakeshore Entertainment, and Aaron Eckhart, one of today’s most versatile and talented actors. This story is all about what it means to be human, and there could be no more achingly human performance than the one Aaron gave in our own RABBIT HOLE. We are so excited to see what he will bring to this role,” said Lionsgate’s co-COO and Motion Picture Group President Joe Drake of the production. “This is a wonderfully imaginative script and we are looking forward to seeing it brought to life by a talented filmmaker, and to bringing this story to our loyal genre fans.”

“We’ve tremendously enjoyed making our UNDERWORLD franchise films and we are looking forward to working with Stuart and our partners at Hopscotch and Lionsgate to create a new world for a legendary character,” said Lakeshore’s Tom Rosenberg, adding “We know that Aaron, with his proven range, depth and intelligence, is going to make an iconic ADAM.”

Troy Lum of Hopscotch said, “We have wanted to work with Stuart on a big film in Australia and when we had the opportunity earlier this year to expand our relationship with Lakeshore on the creation of a potential franchise, it all came together.”

Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Andrew Mason (who produced Beattie’s TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN) and Richard Wright of Lakeshore are producing the film, with Hopscotch’s Troy Lum and Kevin Grevioux as executive producers.

Michael Paseornek, Lionsgate’s President of Motion Picture Development and Production will be shepherding the project at the studio. The deal was negotiated on behalf of Lionsgate by Wendy Jaffe, EVP Business & Legal Affairs for Acquisitions, and by Rob McEntegart, Senior EVP of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group. Beattie is represented by CAA.

Source: Lionsgate

Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Knight‘s Harvey Dent, has been cast as Adam Frankenstein in I, Frankenstein, writer-director Stuart Beattie’s adaptation of Kevin Grevioux’s graphic novel. Frankenstein’s creature, Adam, has survived to present day thanks to a genetic quirk in his creation. He arrives at a gothic metropolis and finds himself caught in an epic war between two immortal clans. “Mary Shelly’s story is about the creation of the first human being. This is the story about that being becoming human,” Beattie said in the announcement. Lionsgate will distribute the film in the U.S., while Lakeshore Entertainment will handle international sales and E1/Hopscotch will distribute in Beattie’s native Australia.

The film begins shooting in Jan. 2012 for a Feb. 22, 2013 release. Beattie helped develop the story for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and his writing credits include Collateral, Derailed, 30 Days of Night, Australia, and G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra. He made his directorial debut with the 2010 Aussie flick Tomorrow, When the War Began.

Source: EW

And the promotion for The Rum Diary begins! Aaron will be making an appearance on The Tonight Show on October 10.