On the latest episode of The Discourse, Aaron Paul and Eiza González join host Mike DeAngelo to talk about their new mind-bending sci-fi thriller, “Ash,” directed by musician-turned-filmmaker Flying Lotus and written by Jonni Remmler. The film follows Riya (González), who wakes up on a desolate planet only to find her entire crew slaughtered. Things get even stranger when Brion (Paul) arrives to “rescue” her—except neither of them knows if they can truly trust the other. Tension, terror, and a whole lot of eerie sci-fi visuals follow. The film also stars Iko Uwais, Kate Elliott, Flying Lotus, and more.
Paul and González had nothing but love for Flying Lotus, whose artistic vision shaped every aspect of “Ash.” “Music is like the heartbeat of so many films, right? It really sets the tone,” Paul said. “He had a lot of music already created even before we started shooting, and he shared it with us early on.” González agreed, adding, “The music was a character. The lighting was a character. The wardrobe was a character. Everything was so carefully thought through. And you just knew he was meant to be directing movies.”
Beyond the “Ash” filmmaking experience, the two actors reflected on their nearly decade-long friendship and how it influenced their performances. “It was so nice to be able to communicate through the whole process,” Paul said. “I love this girl so much, and we’ve always talked about how it would be fun to tackle something together.” González echoed the sentiment, saying, “Nothing puts you in a weirder, harsher state of mind than not feeling supported by the person you’re working with. But once I knew Aaron was attached, I was like, ‘Let’s go.’ I knew I was safe.”
Of course, no chat with Paul is complete without a little “Breaking Bad” talk. When asked if he’d ever return to the world of Jesse Pinkman, he had a hilarious idea: “I would love to have a glimpse of Jesse back in high school when Mr. White was his teacher. Maybe we shoot it four-camera in front of a studio audience—a full-on sitcom vibe.” González, clearly entertained, jumped in: “Without de-aging!”
González also teased some of her next big projects, including “Fountain of Youth” with Guy Ritchie. “I just watched it, and man, I had a blast,” Gonzalez shared before making a bold claim. “This is my favorite Guy Ritchie movie. It’s like ‘Aladdin’ for the family but with that signature [Ritchie] wit. John Krasinski is hilarious in it. It’s such a fun ride.”
She also confirmed that Netflix is currently shooting multiple seasons of “Three-Body Problem,”, saying, “We’re going to do the second and third season back to back. And so that’s going to be incredible. I’ve been speaking to Dan and Dave (Benioff & Weiss), the broad strokes of what these next few seasons are going to be like, and I am over the moon. I mean, I can vocally say that I signed on to the show for the second and third seasons. If that says anything, I was like, love the first season, but like second and third, my god, if we make it to that, holy cow, this is going to be spectacular!”
The Playlist presents Aaron Paul & Eiza González Film/TV Recommendation Playlist:
- Aaron Paul: “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)
- Eiza González: “Blade Runner” (1982)
“Ash” premieres in theaters on March 21 before heading to Shudder later this year.
The Discourse is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes The Playlist Podcast, Deep Focus, Bingeworthy, and more. We can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and most places where podcasts are found. Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating—we greatly appreciate your support!
