While Ioan Gruffudd was on a roll giving out spoilers for "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," on the press junket for "Amazing Grace" no less, he also touted the comic book sequel’s new and improved action scenes. Taking the time to count big set pieces, he reveled in the film’s spectacle.
"There’s three big action sequences," Gruffudd said. "There are so many more effects shots in this movie compared to the first one. I just got the sense that they probably learnt what was important to them so they’re throwing a lot of money on certain aspects of it instead of spreading it out, saying ‘This sequence is important to us.’ The sets were unbelievable this time. The Baxter building is breathtaking."
The Four have some new toys too, as this year’s Toy Fair revealed a prototype of the Fantastic Four’s car. "It’s a stunning-looking car. Honestly, it was like a playground ride. They had it on a gimble and it was able to do all this [leans back and forth] really fast. We had to be strapped in. It was hysterical."
Even filming conditions toughened up to capture this movie’s stunts. "It was harder because of the weather in Vancouver. It was slightly harder this time around. There are a lot of exteriors. But, it was more fun of a shoot because we were all so much more comfortable with one another."
With the whole gang back together for a sequel, it’s inevitable to start thinking trilogy. When asked if "Rise of the Silver Surfer" ends with a setup for part three, Gruffudd got cagy. "Perhaps it does. Everyone’s aware that people have signed a three picture deal and I’d love for that to happen. They probably know now how it’s going to perform with the tracking and they have an idea. Certainly when we were shooting the movie, you get that sense, that they want to try and complete this franchise. I can’t open my mouth."
