The Empire Magazine article also said that Cronenberg’s inspiration for cloning was rooted in magical realism, rather than hi-tech futurism. “It was all from the perspective of dreaminess and surreal impressionism rather than an attempt to reproduce actual cloning,” Cronenberg said. He hired a puppet and special effects designer named Dan Martin to assist with the creation, which meant practicality was king. Skarsgård was also impressed by the old-school approach to the cloning. “It’s not a high-tech facility,” he said. “They attach a hose to something and then a weird generator starts pumping, and that’s the cloning process.”
The traditional approach also meant that Skarsgård was stripped and dunked into the red slime for the shoot, like the world’s weirdest episode of “Floor is Lava.” But as the Empire interview presented, the leading man enjoyed his time in the titular infinity pool. “He has this profile as this Hollywood leading man, but he’s up for contorting himself and being the baby,” joked Cronenberg. It sounds like the shoot of “Infinity Pool” was an experience Skarsgård will never forget. And if he does, he’s at least got a severed head to help jog his memory.
