Back in 1977, German-born Roland Emmerich enrolled in the Munich University of Film and Television to be a production designer. Later that year, he saw “Star Wars” and decided to switch to the director program. More than three decades later, that decision proved to be a prudent one. Known for his disaster films, Emmerich has directed one of the highest grossing films of all time, “Independence Day,” and several others that have topped the $100 million mark, such as “The Patriot,” “The Day After Tomorrow” and “Godzilla.”
His upcoming “2012” -- previewed at Comic-Con and due out Nov. 13 -- is yet another disaster flick. Inspired by the Mayan prophecy of a doomsday event in the winter of 2012 -- and starring John Cusack, Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover -- it's about a global catastrophe that leads to the end of the world.
How is it that you’ve made so many disaster movies? What do you think of all day?
In essence, I'm a very positive person. But deep down I'm very afraid. I'm afraid of everything. So it's just one of these things where it's interesting sometimes when you, as an artist, just dream up things and then all of a sudden everybody around you says, “How did you know that.” I said, “Don't ask me. I just felt it, you know?”
Does it get challenging trying to destroy the world in unique ways?
I don't know. That's my speciality. I think it started with "Independence Day." And I tell you it’s like I created the genre myself and I'm a prisoner to it.
I have to say this -- I've announced this so I can never ever go back -- "2012" will be my last disaster movie. At one point during the process of coming up with the story, I all of a sudden wavered. Right ... I wavered! And I said, “Harald [Kloser, his composer and co-writer on "2012," among other projects], I cannot do another destruction movie. This is like way too much destruction.” And he said, “But, Roland, you can now have the technology which is out there and make the model for a disaster movie. Do you want to have somebody else make that?” I said, “Okay, I’ll do it.”
And then I really redid the model of all disaster movies, trust me. When people see it they will say, “Oh my gosh.” I wanted to say the "F" word, but I didn't.
What role does technology play for you as a filmmaker?
Well a big one [laughs]. I'm sitting every day for two or three hours in the visual effects review [laughs again]. I actually love the possibilities you have these days to get the images which are in your head on film. We are at a stage where you can pretty much do everything if you have the money and the time.
How fast has the technology evolved since "Independence Day"?
Volker Engel -- who was the visual effects supervisor on "Independence Day" and is also doing "2012" -- and I always talk about how much has changed and how great it would have been if we had this technology at that time.
