Joachim Rnning has long been fascinated by the sea.
Im relaxed on the water, the director tells Deadline.
Theres something so rewarding about being out there the beauty and danger of it, the emotions of it.
Joachim RønningGetty Images
It has everything Im looking for in a story.
Rnning admits that its one of the best scripts he has ever read.
Its a story of the accomplished swimmer who was born to immigrant parents in New York City in 1905.
Joachim Rønning on set of ‘Young Woman and the Sea’
It felt like we had a great responsibility to get her story out to the daughters of the world.
But the project, of course, was not without its challenges.
At the time of the shoot, the war in Ukraine broke out just 200 miles north of them.
It was definitely the most intense movie Ive ever done, he says.
But it was very important for me to tell the story as real as I could.
I wanted to be on an ocean.
I didnt want to be in the tank or on blue screens.
Ridley endured months of training to prepare her for open water swimming.
I tried to keep her in the water as little as possible, he says.
Its a miracle that a movie like this was made in the studio system, says Rnning.
I have to thank [Disney Co-Chairman] Alan Bergman for saying yes and also Jerry [Bruckheimer].
I remember being fascinated with the concept of in front of and behind the curtain, he says.
I was basically getting an insight into the illusion of storytelling.
Inspired by American classics such asE.T.
After a few years, the two started working together in the commercials world.
During a commercial shoot in Redwood National Park, Rnning got a call from Besson.
He said to me, Hey, Ive got good news and bad news.
But they would have to convince the leading ladies first.
Luckily, it worked.
When you make a genre film like that, you really get to know your audience.
Johnny would always nail it in the first take, he says.
Hes impossible to be mad at.
Hes a true genius.
AfterPirates, Sandberg and Rnning ultimately decided to part ways.
It was an amicable split, says Rnning.
We are great friends, but I dont think well work together again.
I think we have both moved away from that.
It was an amazing collaboration and friendship, and we traveled the world together and built our careers together.
I dont care how they get there whatever works for him or her.
Its been fantastic for my next endeavor to be a science fiction movie that takes place inside a computer.
Its my dream as a filmmaker to be able to move between such vastly different stories.
WithTron: Ares,he promises audiences a more emotional experience than previous instalments.
I think that thats something that I managed to do with this film.
