British actress (and new college graduate from Brown University), Emma Watson stars in Paramount Pictures’ new epic adventure, “Noah” as Ila, an orphan Noah (Russell Crowe) adopts after finding her left for dead in a refugee camp. This creates a unique bond between them as she grows into a woman.
Taking the part is a departure for Watson, best known as Hermione Granger in the popular “Harry Potter” film series, who has grown to more mature roles in “My Week with Marilyn” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”
“For Ila, we were looking for someone who has that innocence of a girl, but also could surprise us with the strength of an adult. Emma really brought that,” says screenwriter Ari Handel.
“Ila is a catalyst in the story,” adds producer Mary Parent. “As she grows up, there’s a love story with one of Noah’s sons, Shem, but the impact she has on Noah, and his faith in particular, is very emotional.” (Another British actor, Douglas Booth, plays Shem.)
Watson says the role had her delving into areas of experience that were new for her. “I thought a lot about what it means for a woman to be able to have a family, and I thought a lot about the life that made Ila the person she is – living in poverty and seeing some very dark things. I think that makes Ila feel very close to Noah who saves her and brings her into his family, fueling her desire to have a family of her own. There’s a sense in the movie of generations, of family, of things passed down, which is very interesting.”
For Watson, director Darren Aronofsky’s approach to “Noah” was surprising but also moving. She summarizes: “I think when most people think of Noah’s story they just think of the 
animals walking two-by-two. But the story we tell is as much about what this family experiences — the interpersonal relationships between Noah, his wife and their children. So even though it’s an amazing epic with incredible scale, it is also intimate and subtle.”
Inspired by the epic story of courage, sacrifice and hope, Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”) brings to the screen his personal vision of “Noah.” Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe portrays the man chosen to undertake a momentous mission of rescue before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world. The film offers a mesmerizing visual adventure through everlasting themes of good and evil, destruction and mercy, hope, family and second chances.
The production took the film’s world-class cast and crew on their own unexpected journey as they boarded a vast, rough-hewn Ark hand-built to precise biblical specifications. They then set out to imagine the largely unknown life of Noah and his family, inviting audiences into both the spectacle and the heart of their experience as the earth disappears under a colossal deluge that will undo everything … yet lead to a new day for all Creation.
Opening across the Philippines on June 11, “Noah” will be distributed in the Philippines by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.