Hanna on Prime: ‘It’s a lot more real’ Writer reveals the BIG difference from film

Hanna arrived on Amazon Prime Video this week to retell the story of Joe Wright’s 2011 film Hanna.

The TV show follows a similar plot – a young girl, Hanna (played by Esme Creed-Miles), is brought up alone in the woods by her enigmatic father, Erik Heller (Joel Kinnaman) – but things aren’t all as they seem.

While the film’s version of Erik was very stern and steadfast, this brand new rendition of Erik showcases a new light to the character, according to the show’s writer David Farr.

David originally wrote the film, and has now expanded on it exponentially into eight hours of TV, which he recently told Express.co.uk in an exclusive chat.

One of the largest selling points for the Hanna reboot is the inclusion of Joel – best known for Altered Carbon, and Suicide Squad – as Erik.

But Joel isn’t simply rehashing the character Eric Bana played in the film, David explained – he has brought an entire new spin to the persona.

He explained: “The journey for Erik is much more complex [than the film] I think. The journey for Erik is him earning the right to be a father.

“It’s also a lot more real in tone – the film has this wacky fairytale quality, the TV show is driven by this psychological reality.

“Erik, for example, is an east German brought up in that dark time. He’s a soldier. And – a simple thing – he speaks German when speaking to German people.”

Although this is a simply change for the character – and indeed the actor – to portray, it seems it added to the show enormously.

David went on to praise Joel entirely, continuing: “[Joel] has a wonderful European quality – he has Swedish parentage – and he brings that middle-European melancholy to it.

“Everyone knows Joel is an incredible action guy, but what I think he shows here is a fragility and a vulnerability which I think will surprise people.”

The first few episodes dive into how Hanna gradually moves out of the woods with her father and into running for her life from an unknown force who want both her and her father dead.

Despite this, fans of the film may not know exactly what will happen in the show, David later added.

He went on: “The character in the TV series is fundamentally a little different – she has a secret backstory.

“A secret that she has to herself find out. It is a journey of self discovery. Who am I?”

Although the original film focussed heavily on the action that surrounded the story, the TV show follows Hanna’s journey closely.

This includes seeing her find a family to travel with, who also have a young girl of a similar age to Hanna.

But as Hanna’s worlds collide, will she be able to keep everyone safe?

Hanna season 1 is available on Amazon Prime Video now.

source: express.co.uk