The Peripheral made for such an interesting story that self-confessed science-fiction fan Chloë Grace Moretz couldn't "pass up" the chance to star in it, she told Newsweek.
Based on William Gibson's novel of the same name, The Peripheral follows Moretz's Flynne Fisher, a young woman from the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2032 who is thrust into a mysterious conspiracy when she travels to 2099 London through an AI sim she originally thought was a game.
During her time in London, she encounters a man named Wilf Netherton (Gary Carr), who could be the key to helping her solve the mystery.
'The Peripheral's' Chloë Grace Moretz on Why She Couldn't 'Pass Up' Show
Moretz felt particularly drawn to the story for the relationship her character has with her sibling, Burton (Jack Reynor), and the way the series adapted Gibson's novel and approached its futuristic themes with warmth.
"I love genre, and I really love sci fi in particular, and being able to bring one of William Gibson's incredible stories to life and then jump into the mind of Flynne Fisher was an opportunity that I really didn't want to pass up," Moretz said. "So, for me, what I always found really important was the relationship between Flynne and Burton and being able to show that connection, and the depth of their bond.
"That way, when she does go into the future and we start to get into the intricacies of that and what could feel really heavy, we trust where she's going, and we trust where they're going, and that no matter what we're always going to come back home and know who we're rooting for.
"So, really finding those intricacies and the humanity within it because I think sometimes sci-fi can become clinical, and, for us, we really wanted to keep it warm and real, and full of life."
Reynor spoke alongside Moretz and concurred with his co-star, saying that he felt fascinated by the show on a conceptual level.
"I just think it's a really fascinating story and idea, that there would be time travel achievable through the transfer of information rather than a person jumping from one universe into another," Reynor reflected. "Reading the book, I just sort of felt like it's obviously science fiction but it's something that feels like it might just be around the corner, you know?
"Like, none of the technology in that timeline that Flynne and Burton comes from feels out of reach in any way, it feels like a lot of that stuff is already here, and so that was a really cool thing to get to sort of play with."
Carr, who plays Wilf, said a similar thing when speaking to Newsweek, explaining that it was Gibson's work that he enjoyed most because of how the author approached its themes.
"It's actually the first time I've ever come across William Gibson's work but I thought it was amazing, I started reading it and I thought it was very dense and I think he's very unapologetic about how he explains things," Carr said.
"And you get halfway through it was like, 'oh, this is genius.' Also, I found it to be extremely relatable and I think if you can make me believe something then that's done the best job."
Referring to executive producer Jonathan Nolan, who created Westworld alongside fellow The Peripheral producer Lisa Joy, the actor added: "I think Jonah and the team have done the same thing, I actually think they're really great at doing that, like look at their body of work they bring you into these really crazy situations and worlds, where everything is completely honest.
"So that was one of the main reasons I wanted to be on the project because the script was great, I knew that these guys are the best guys to ever do that. So I suppose I'm humbled and grateful to be part of a team, and even if it wasn't Peripheral I wasn't going to say no to working with Jonah, I'm genuinely a fan of these guys."
Chloë Grace Moretz and Jack Reynor on Creating Their Sibling Bond
Moretz and Reynor enjoyed working together so much on set that the crew would often refer to them as "a package deal," Moretz explained, adding that it felt like they were "pretty inseparable" on set.
"If [the crew] told me something they just automatically knew that I was immediately telling Jack, and vice versa. So we were definitely a little trooper, we were in each other's trailer, we were never alone, we were always with each other playing video games like Mario Kart.
"We'd have our little [Nintendo] Switch setup and we would just play Mario Kart in the van all day in the trailer. So yeah, we're pretty inseparable, that's for sure."
Reynor added: "You know, when you're on a project, that's as long as this was, that's fulfilling but also as challenging as this is, it's great to have somebody who's really on your side when you're kind of in the trenches.
"And we definitely had that support with one another, I think that organically kind of came through in the relationship between Burton and Flynne as well. So we're really happy with that."
Teasing what is to come in the show, Moretz went on to say that she enjoyed seeing how different people "gravitate" to different aspects of the show.
"I think what I found really interesting is when you're filming you get so deeply integrated into what your character is doing and their journey, and who they interact with, [but] this show really has a vast ensemble. And I think it's really important especially when you get to Episode 4, 5,[and] 6, you really get into the world of both future London and Clanton in North Carolina, and there are little corners of the show for everybody.
"I think it just is a really immense show that your brain is constantly working, but you never feel fatigued by it, and it's thrilling, to be honest, to be cliché. It is really thrilling."
Reynor added: "There's going to be a lot of action as the season goes on, you will see the relationship between Burton and Flynne get put under pressure and tested. I think it's gonna be really compelling for audiences."
The Peripheral premieres on Prime Video on Friday, October 21 and it will air on a weekly basis on the streaming platform.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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