DOWNTOWN BOISE, Idaho — The smell of popcorn filled the air Wednesday as downtown Boise rolled out the welcome mat for Emmy Award-winning actor and Idaho native Aaron Paul.
Paul returned to the Egyptian Theatre for a special, one-night-only screening of his newest film, Ash—a psychological sci-fi thriller set on a distant planet, filled with suspense and mind games.
“This is Ash. It's a sci-fi fever dream of a horror flick,” Paul said. “It takes place on another planet nicknamed Ash. It all surrounds a young woman, Aza González. She wakes up and finds her entire crew murdered on the space station. She has no idea where she is or how that happened or who she is. And then a stranger shows up.”
The film is directed by musician and filmmaker Flying Lotus and co-stars Eiza González.
“I had an incredible vision and I really believed in that vision,” Paul explained. “I've been dear friends with Eiza González for many years, and we've been wanting to tackle something together.”
For Paul, each time he brings a project home to Idaho, it’s personal.
“I’m so proud to be from Idaho. I think everyone from Idaho feels the same way, and I'm very vocal about it,” he said. “I used to sneak into screenings here and just witness people kind of doing their thing. And the fact that I'm doing that now, it’s just a dream come true. And having a bunch of locals show up and support means everything to me.”
Organizers hope the tradition continues.
“We're lucky that Aaron Paul loves Boise so much,” said Mateo, Program Director for 103.5 Kiss FM. “Every time for the last several years, he's been here for a premiere. It's really about Aaron. And Aaron loves Idaho so much.”
