Asa Butterfield Interview: The Space Between Us

Asa Butterfield really caught movie goers attention as the star of Martin Scorsese's film, HUGO in 2011. He's since gone on to showcase his acting talents in, Ender's Game, A Brilliant Young Mind, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children  and now in his latest film, The Space Between Us. 

In this interplanetary adventure, a space shuttle embarks on the first mission to colonize Mars, only to discover after takeoff that one of the astronauts is pregnant. Shortly after landing, she dies from complications while giving birth to the first human born on the red planet – never revealing who the father is. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Gardner Elliot – an inquisitive, highly intelligent boy who reaches the age of 16 having only met 14 people in his very unconventional upbringing. 

While searching for clues about his father, and the home planet he’s never known, Gardner begins an online friendship with a street smart girl in Colorado named Tulsa. When he finally gets a chance to go to Earth, he’s eager to experience all of the wonders he could only read about on Mars – from the most simple to the extraordinary. But once his explorations begin, scientists discover that Gardner’s organs can’t withstand Earth’s atmosphere. 

Eager to find his father, Gardner escapes the team of scientists and joins with Tulsa (played by Britt Robertson) on a race against time to unravel the mysteries of how he came to be, and where he belongs in the universe.

I had the opportunity to chat with Asa Butterfield during a promotional stop in Toronto about his new film, how he prepared to play such an alienated character and what he would take with him to Mars. 

Check out our interview below: 

The Space Between Us opens on Friday February 3rd, 2017