Synopsis

Hanna (played by Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan of Atonement, also directed by Joe Wright) is 16 years old. She is bright, inquisitive, and a devoted daughter. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a solider; these come from being raised by her widowed father Erik (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of North Finland. Erik has taught Hanna to hunt, put her through extreme self-defense workouts, and home-schooled her with only an encyclopedia and a book of fairy tales. Hanna has been living a life unlike any other teenager; her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. But out in the world there is unfinished business for Hanna’s family, and it is with a combination of pride and apprehension that Erik realizes his daughter can no longer be held back.

This turning point in Hanna’s adolescence is a sharp one; she is separated from Erik and embarks on the mission that she was always destined for. Before she and her father can reunite as planned in Berlin, Hanna is captured by agents dispatched by ruthless intelligence operative Marissa Wiegler (Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett). Marissa, a career agent, has long been harboring secrets that tie her to Hanna and Erik.

Detained for observation and held beneath the Moroccan desert, Hanna soon turns the tables on her captors. Her daring escape to above-ground thrusts her into an unfamiliar landscape and world which she must quickly learn to comprehend and navigate. Marissa secretly sends a team of agents after Hanna, and joins the deadly pursuit herself. As Hanna journeys across Europe and nears her ultimate target, she faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

Hanna

Raised deep in the forests of North Finland, 16-year-old Hanna has been meticulously trained by her ex-CIA father to gain the strength, stamina and survival instincts of the perfect assassin. Ingrained with the mantra “Adapt or Die,” she is proficient in martial arts, boxing, street fighting and weaponry. Home-schooled, Hanna speaks multiple languages including English, German, Italian, Arabic, and Spanish. She has learned all she knows of outside world from her father’s teachings, an outdated encyclopedia, and a book of Grimm’s Fairy Tales which has had since she was an infant. Like any teenage girl, she is eager to gain her independence and feels ready to embark on the cross-continental mission she’s been trained for her whole life. All she need do is flick a switch on a homing device that will tell CIA operative Marissa Wiegler where she and her father are. But once she does, it becomes clear that the outside world may be more than she bargained for….

Production Photos

(More photos in our “Hanna” gallery)

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Trivia & Facts

· According to Joe Wright, Saoirse Ronan specifically requested that the studio bring him on-board to direct the film.
· Cate Blanchett worked with Saoirse‘s father on the 2003 movie, Veronica Guerin.
· The kiss between Hanna(Saoirse Ronan) and Sophie(Jessica Barden) was suggested by Saoirse. She said she thought it was what Hanna would do.

Quotes from the character

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Quotes from Saoirse

[On Hanna] “Her yearning is quite simple, she wants to experience the world and meet different types of people and see the world and I can sympathize with her because i feel the same way myself. But also she’s quit still and really calm, and she kills someone … she’s a bit of a freak. But i like that. I like freaks.”

[On Hanna] “Hanna is a simple minded fresh young girl and because she’s not judgmental or prejudiced at all and that certainly made me think about things in a different light. ”

[On Hanna] “She’s definitely not sexy in any way. She’s not cool. She’s a bit of a misfit.”

[On what attracted her to the role] “The fact that it was different and more challenging. And the fact that I got to do more physical activity. I’ve never gotten to do [a lot of physical activity] before in a movie and I’ve always been pretty athletic and I thought it would be fun.”

[On stunt work] “I pretty much did everything. Unless there was something really really dangerous that my insurance wouldn’t cover, I did everything myself.”

Quotes from Cast & Crew

“Saoirse is an extraordinary actor and an incredible presence, self-possessed and unaffected. She connects with things by drawing on her own experiences. She has a rare spirit.”
- Cate Blanchett

“Who does this young girl think she is?’ but then I did one scene with her, and she just blew me away – she’s a phenomenal actress.”
- Olivia Williams

Critical Reception

“If you think Hailee Steinfeld’s wonderful performance in TRUE GRIT was amazing, check out her teenage actress counterpart Saoirse Ronan in HANNA…emotional, physical, mental!” – Manny The Movie Guy

“Saoirse Ronan completely dominates the movie.” – Mike Avila, MSNBC Pop Culture

“Ronan once again shows promise as a young actress, and assisted by her flawless complexion, draws the audience in to her confusion and determination.” “Ronan, however, continues her progression towards becoming a more mature and affective performer, and will likely develop into a very compelling actress.” – Zane Miller, Pepperdine Graphic

“Saoirse Ronan, in the title role of a teenage assassin, again proves a consummate muse.” “In addition to the martial-arts training she undertook for the role, Ronan, as spirited here as she was in “Atonement,” endows the character with emotional and moral dimensions that the film, even at its most preposterous, takes seriously. ” – Justin Chang, Variety

“Whatever the outcome of that puzzlement may be, there’s little question that Ronan could eventually inherit Blanchett’s mantle, so strikingly similar are their looks and excess of talent.” “This Ronan does with the same absolute focus she brings to every other aspect of this demanding role, as she expresses intelligence, mental and physical resourcefulness, a bright-eyed curiosity about everything she’s seeing in the world for the first time, and an abiding aloneness.” – Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter

“A superbly natural actress, Ronan makes every one of Hanna’s improbable ploys seem like things she just cooked up, even when they involve murder and vengeance.” – Caryn James, indieWire

“Saoirse Ronan takes on a difficult role and aces it with as much confidence as she did in “Atonement,” in which she played a much different character.” – Robert Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“The fact that Ronan is this good at this young age is what’s truly frightening here.” – Christy Lemire, Associated Press

“Saoirse Ronan is stunning in this pulsating chase-thriller.”Harvey S. Karten, Compuserve

“Saoirse Ronan rises above the limitations and delivers another strong performance.” – Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Awards & Nominations

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