‘Bumblebee’ director Travis Knight always knew he wanted Hailee Steinfeld to play Charlie Watson because "she’s so damn good".
The 45-year-old filmmaker told the studio that he "had" to cast the 22-year-old actress as in the prequel to Michael Bay’s sci-fi action series ‘Transformers’ as he felt the film would be a "challenge for any actor" so he needed "a great one".
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said: "I said to Paramount that Hailee Steinfeld has to be Charlie just because she’s so damn good. I knew it was going to be a challenge for any actor, so you had to get a great one."
Travis went on to explain that the film – which follows Charlie as she befriends Autobot Bumblebee who is hiding on Earth – saw the ‘Pitch Perfect’ star acting alone because her robot partner is added via CGI and feels her "nuanced" performance was "extraordinary".
He said: "Most of those scenes, she’s acting against vapour. Either there’s nothing there or there’s a stuffy, a tennis ball or some kind of a foam, plastic bust thingy. So, for her to give that kind of a performance with that kind of depth and nuance, it really is extraordinary."
The director added that the pair has to "trust each other" while making the action blockbuster, and praised the star’s "exceptional" acting ability.
He said: "Hailee and I essentially had to hold hands, jump off a cliff together and learn how to trust each other in this process.
"We had an extraordinary working relationship, and I think you see that on the screen. It wouldn’t have mattered if she couldn’t pull it off, and she’s just absolutely exceptional.
"To be able to give that kind of performance when there’s nothing there, it’s amazing. It takes my breath away."
Bumblebee director ‘had’ to have Hailee Steinfeld play Charlie
