Jeremy Renner: Hollywood lacks 'strong, badass, female' roles

Jeremy Renner and Amy Adams took the stage at Paramount’s opening-night presentation at CinemaCon 2016 to introduce Story of Your Life, the intriguing science fiction film from buzzy rising filmmaker Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario). Renner took the opportunity to praise his costar (with whom he also appeared alongside in American Hustle). “The main reason why I did [the film] was because of this awesome woman standing next to me,” he said, describing the movie as “her story.”

He elaborated: “There’s not enough cinema in Hollywood where we have a strong, badass, female, smart, intelligent lead.”

A cynic might point out that Renner’s effusive statement comes a few months after he caused a mild firestorm over comments about female costars’ salaries. But his praise of Adams earned applause from the crowd, and the extended look at Story of Your Life showcased Adams’ lead role.

The film looks like an intriguing mix between V and Contact, with Adams playing a language expert called into service by the government when a UFO arrives on Earth. The alien craft looks a bit like an egg cut in half – picture a black skyscraper shaped like the Eye of Sauron. The aliens attempt to communicate with the humans, and Adams tries to communicate back; Renner is on hand as a theoretical physicist. Story of Your Life hits theaters later this year.