Eden is a new thriller from beloved director Ron Howard that tells a story too unbelievable to be true. Except, of course, for the fact that it is; Eden explores the Galapagos Affair, in which a series of settlers on the remote island of Floreana began to disappear, with foul play alleged by the survivors.
Bringing Eden’s true story to life is a strong cast which includes Sydney Sweeney, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl, and Jude Law. Law portrays Dr. Friedrich Ritter, a German doctor who went to Floreana with his lover, Dore Strauch (Kirby). Ritter’s letters relaying his experience on Floreana were responsible for drawing other settlers to his way of life.
ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan interviewed Jude Law and Ron Howard about Eden and their work bringing the twists and turns of the unbelievable story to life. They discussed the darker tone of Howard’s new thriller, the experience of filming the movie, and how they landed on their version of what might’ve happened.
How Ron Howard Found His Version Of Eden’s True Story
The events of Eden took place in the 1930s, making it harder to suss out exactly what happened to all of the inhabitants of Floreana. The two best-known firsthand accounts of the tragedies, Dore Strauch’s memoir Satan Came to Eden: A Survivor’s Account of the “Galapagos Affair” and Margret Wittmer’s “Floreana: A Woman’s Pilgrimage to the Galapagos”, are also contradictory.
All of that means Ron Howard had plenty to choose from, with no singular account of what happened. “There were a lot of theories flying around and some accusations hinted at,” the director said, but “no one ever really pointed a finger.”
In finding his own version, Howard, working with screenwriter Noah Pink, “chose the most plausible, exciting one that was also revealing the characters and would shock the audience.” “I think it’s as plausible as any of them,” Howard said, “and not too hard to imagine what might’ve happened.”
Beyond that, the director said, “we made it our business to pack the rest of the story around what we had surmised with as much fact and supported by as much research as possible.”
“It’s pretty amazing how much of the story is right out of the research.”
Jude Law Reveals Why This Movie Will Make You “Go Away Fascinated”
Eden’s story was just as compelling to stars like Jude Law, who was amazed to discover how much wasn’t invented. “I remember … probably from page two or three, making notes and thinking, ‘I’ve got to check which part of this is true and which isn’t,’” Law said. “By the end of the script, that list was two pages long.”
“I think so many people that watch it [will] go away fascinated,” Law shared, adding, “and, by the way, there’s so much wonderful footage online, and stories and backstories that can fill in the details that make you realize how extraordinary these individuals [were] and how incredible this story is.”
“The extremity that they all went to, the size of the personalities, the ambitions, and the hopes of each of their dreams [were] extraordinary. It’s stuff you dream of.”
“I read it and just saw incredible potential,” Law continued, “and I was so excited that it was Ron at the helm. And he pulled together this wonderful ensemble. Everyone was as excited as bold and willing to sort of dive in.”
Filming Eden Was Immersive… But Not Enough For Jude Law
Ron Howard had a specific vision for Eden. The filmmaker found a story that excited him with its darkness and pushed him to “step outside my comfort zone,” he said. He also stepped outside of the conventional process by which he has made some of his most successful movies.
“I wanted a screenplay that would attract courageous actors who were willing to make [this] kind of commitment and make the film on a lower budget,” he said. “I never felt that this should be a studio film. I think we made it in the appropriate manner with the kind of pᴀssion and commitment that goes along with that.”
Part of that meant finding a location that made it easy to recreate the conditions the settlers of Floreana faced. “[There] were sets,” Jude Law shared, “but they were incredibly lifelike and they were chosen in areas on the Gold Coast in Australia, which meant we could really embrace the natural elements.”
That meant “we were flooded on a couple of days, and most days we were in a hundred-degree heat, and there was the odd animal invasion, whether it be a spider or a snake,” Law said. But that’s what the actor wanted: “It felt like that was the only way–the right way–for this story to be made.”
“These were people who were out against the elements,” he said. And Law found a rub there, in the fact that he and his co-stars were “getting in cars at the end of the day and … going back to our apartments.” So, the actor tried to immerse himself even further.
“There was the odd occasion I asked, ‘Could I stay the night?’ And, of course, that was never going to happen, because the insurance people would never have it.”
Still, Eden did lean into its natural locations, especially in one very-discussed sequence (which, by the way, really happened). “One of the most shocking scenes and sequences,” Law reflected, “is the birth of the baby that Sydney Sweeney delivers. It’s an amazing sequence, pretty much unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
“That was done in a cave up on a hillside with dogs–obviously, safe dogs, but nonetheless, dogs–and a hundred-dregree heat. [There were] remarkable challenges.”
Eden is in theaters now.
