'Protector' Interview: Milla Jovovich and Isabel Myers

Moviefone speaks with Milla Jovovich and Isabel Myers about 'Protector'. "A mother fighting for her child really resonated with me," Jovovich said.

(L to R) Isabel Myers and Milla Jovovich star in 'Protector'.

Opening in theaters on March 6th is the new action-thriller 'Protector', which was directed by Adrian Grünberg (‘Rambo: Last Blood’), and stars Milla Jovovich (‘Resident Evil’), Matthew Modine (‘Full Metal Jacket’), D.B. Sweeney (‘The Cutting Edge’), and Isabel Myers (‘Mixed-ish’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Milla Jovovich and Isabel Myers about their work on 'Protector', their first reactions to the screenplay, and what they hope audiences learn about human trafficking.

Milla Jovovich stars in 'Protector'. Photo: Magenta Light Studios.

Moviefone: To begin with, Milla, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and why did you want to be part of this project?

Milla Jovovich: For me, it was the story, obviously. The fact that the story is about human trafficking, which is a lot of times swept under the carpet. The fact that it is a mother fighting for her child really resonated with me. I wanted to really come on as a producer to make sure that the film was done in a way that was respectful, but also had amazing and believable action too. Yes, in the end, it's like an edge-of-your-seat thriller action story. But playing someone from Special Forces, being able to have these talents, to be able to wreak havoc the way she does but make it raw and gritty and not like CGI, crazy martial-arts, or unbelievable things. Like the way the movie goes, there is an element that you kind of go, "If I was from the Special Forces and my kid got kidnapped, I would do the same thing."

Isabel Myers stars in 'Protector'. Photo: Magenta Light Studios.

MF: Isabel, what was your first reaction to the script and your initial approach to this character?

Isabel Myers: For me, it was the whole subject matter, wanting to raise awareness to human trafficking. It's a very big issue all around the world, and it's especially big here in the US. So, I think that it's very important that people become more aware of what's happening right under their nose.

(L to R) Isabel Myers and Milla Jovovich star in 'Protector'. Photo: Magenta Light Studios.

MF: Finally, as Isabel just mentioned, the movie is literally ripped from today’s headlines and deals with a very serious subject matter. Milla, what do you hope this movie will contribute to the conversation and what do you hope audiences will learn from the film?

MJ: I guess the first thing would be for young people to be aware of their surroundings, to be aware of who their friends are, to be aware of what you're doing when you're going out, and to pay attention. It starts with you understanding where you are in your situation, and not allowing yourself to be in the moment. I mean, you want people to be in the moment, but at the same time, just be vigilant. People don't tend to pick a victim who is vigilant. They tend to pick people who are scared, who are nervous, and who are easy targets. So just be aware and have an attitude about you where you're going to remember this person. You're hyper-aware of where you are and what's going on around you.

Editorial Note: Don Kaye conducted this interview and contributed to this article.

'Protector' opens in theaters on March 6th.

What is the plot of 'Protector'?

Nikki (Milla Jovovich) is an ex-soldier who left her violent life behind to raise her daughter Chloe (Isabel Myers). Eventually, Nikki wakes up in an abandoned factory and learns that Chloe has been kidnapped and sets her off in a race against time to comb through the criminal underworld in search of Chloe as she eludes both the cops and the military.