Author: Emma Loggins
Date: 2008-08-01

Interview:


When Will Farmer (Lanter) hacks into a restricted network of online gaming known only as R.I.P.L.E.Y., he stumbles onto a national defense system designed to ferret out fledgling terrorist cells... and becomes Ripley's next target! His identity compromised, his family and friends jeopardized and his hometown in the crosshairs of an automated military response, Will's only hope to clear his name lies in beating Ripley at her own game. But when the game escalates to the next level, it becomes a race against time to stop Ripley from unleashing Armageddon!

We had the honor of sitting down with the film's star, Matt Lanter, to talk about the new WarGames as well as the original, his personal taste in computer games and what's next for the charming actor. Here's what he had to say:


So you're a UGA boy?

M. Lanter: I am. I am.

So you know we're enemies right? I'm in the Georgia Tech circle.

M. Lanter: Oh no! Stop the interview now [laughs]! No, it's alright, I have respect for Tech. They are in the NCAA Division.

Yeah, I'll fight my urge to harass you about it [laughs]. Ok, let's talk a little bit about WarGames. Were you a fan of the original?

M. Lanter: Well, before I booked the role... I don't want to say I wasn't a fan, but I was born in 83. I didn't grow up with the movie, but I knew it was a classic. After I booked the role and really watched it with a purpose, I became a fan. It's really a fun movie. And I can definitely see why people love it, and it's such a classic.

Now how does Dead Code differ from the original?

M. Lanter: I think the main difference is that the Dead Code is in present times. A lot of the main differences are because we are living in 2008 and not in 1983. We can't just put a phone on a dial tone speaker and let it run. So this time, as opposed to finding the defense system, this defense system kind of finds us. RIPLEY is built to specifically track terrorists and infiltrate their network. So, this computer, RIPLEY, is chasing people. And that is how we get into that. That is the main difference between the films.

What is your character's place in all of this?

M. Lanter: Well, just like Matthew Broderick in the original, I play Will Farmer, and he kind of has the same character. He's a computer guy. He's... I don't know if you want to say a geek or not, but he's a computer wiz. That is his passion, his love. And there is a girl at school that he is kind of interested in. And it follows the same guidelines. Once again it's Will Farmer that has to save the world from total annihilation. That is the plot line in a nutshell.

Now obviously our technology has come a long way since the technology in the 1983 release. Do you think any part of this could at all be realistic or is it just purely in the name of entertainment?

M. Lanter: You know, I don't know. I don't think it's purely in the name of entertainment, because I think computers are incredible machines that can probably do more than I am aware of, probably more than all of us are aware of. I think if anyone has these super computers to track people, it would be a couple of the large governments. I can't say that it wouldn't happen, because it's quite a possible chance that there are computers out there that are able to do some of these things. Controlling traffic lights and stuff like that... and you think it could be a stretch, but I really don't know. I guess it could. Kind of scary to think about.