George Clooney and The Boys in the Boat stars discuss training for the sports drama: "it was almost spiritual"

EntertainmentMoviesDrama MoviesThe Boys in the BoatGeorge Clooney and The Boys in the Boat stars discuss training for the sports drama: “it was almost spiritual"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. EntertainmentMoviesDrama MoviesThe Boys in the BoatGeorge Clooney and The Boys in the Boat stars discuss training for the sports drama: “it was almost spiritual"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures) For new sports dramaThe Boys in the Boat, actor Callum Turner had to suit up in athletic gear to portray Joe Rantz, a member of the University of Washington’s Olympic medal-winning rowing team. Set in a 1930s America that was still reeling from the effects of the Great Depression, the film adapts author Daniel James Brown’s non-fiction novel of the same name, following the crew as they go from competing in university tournaments to winning gold at Hitler’s 1936 Olympic Games. “It’s interesting though as when I read the book a couple times before I did the movie, I felt like I fully understood it, but I didn’t, as I realize rereading it now. It’s a wonderful sport and it was a wonderful experience, it was almost spiritual. They said that to me at the start and I didn’t believe them, but they were right. There’s just something about being together, all pulling in the right direction, being in sync - and doing that for five months, it became something different, we formed a real bond.” (Image credit: Warner Bros.) Turner had to be fully prepared as all the rowing in the movie was done for real, with directorGeorge Clooney, here helming his ninth feature film, making the call, wanting to rise to the challenge. As the filmmaker revealed: “We shot in order and timed our races, so the very last one we filmed is right at the end, where the boys are really good. All those scenes were done for real and it was hard to shoot. For pro athletes, when they row it’s for a couple hours a day. That’s it - all you can do. But we were shooting for ten hours a day on the water killing these guys. However, that’s fun for me! I’d be watching on with my pina colada!” AsClooneycheered on from the sidelines, maybe or maybe not with a cocktail in hand, Turner and the rest of the cast would be rowing to the best of their ability, as he told us: “I’d row as fast as I possibly could a kilometer one way, then we would have to reset the cameras and go again. George would be watching, going like ‘heyyyyyy’.” Despite not playing a member of the team, starJoel Edgertondidn’t have an easy time when it came to the rowing. TheStar Warsactor here portrays Coach Al Ulbrickson, a retired rower who now oversees this young crew. Edgerton therefore had to film some rowing scenes himself, only for these then to be cut in the editing room: “I did some single scull rowing. We shot a couple of things where my character goes into the rivers to check the lanes and conditions. So, I didn’t have to row out a stroke, but it had to look like I knew what I was doing. But those scenes aren’t in the film because they ended up being unnecessary, not because I did a bad job. Well, I like to think so anyways - but ask George!”. Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox The Boys in the Boat is out in US theaters now and will release in UK cinemas on Friday 12th January. For more you can read our fullconversation with Edgerton, as well as see what Clooney had to say about the strange process ofcasting Hitler. For the full chat with Turner and Clooney, listen to the latest episode of theInside Total Film podcast. 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