Paul Verhoeven

Hollow Man

Interviewed by James Mottram

Your film suggests that Man will become evil given the opportunity. Do you believe that?

People aren't born bad. They're born neutral, but there is no doubt that people are willing to go bad, and in a certain direction. Would every individual do so? No. Do I expect, for example, my wife and children to do this? No I would not. Invisibility is a platonic proposal. Plato said if a man becomes invisible, he would steal left and right, enter the houses, rape the women, kill the men, open the prisons, and behave like God. We used most of his proposals about humanity. He uses invisibility, like the movie, as a metaphor: if the constraints of society fall away, then a human being would deteriorate into evil. We are programmed to be good.

What made you choose Kevin Bacon to play the lead?

Kevin was on a short list of actors who I thought would be excellent. The others were Guy Pearce and Ed Norton. I had always thought that Kevin was a very interesting actor. I had seen him do most things. I had seen him be very evil and demonic, and I had seen him be charismatic and charming. I thought he would be able to make the transition work, and one of the few actors who would be willing to go to ultimate evil.

Will you follow "Hollow Man" with "Basic Instinct 2"?

I have never been a fan of doing sequels. There have to be really good reasons to do a sequel, and I don't know how you could do that with "Basic Instinct 2".