NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macy and Kerry Condon spoke to PEOPLE about their film Train Dreams at the Toronto International Film Festival<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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The period drama is on Netflix Nov. 21<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Edgerton says the movie, set in the early 1900s, paints an “epic canvas” to tell an “extraordinary” story about an ordinary man<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Train Dreams assembles an impressive cast for a quiet, personal tale. Its A-list actors, though, didn’t all meet each other until they began promoting the film.<\/p>\n
“We’ve only just met today,” Felicity Jones<\/a> points out in a grouped interview inside the PEOPLE\/EW and Shutterstock studio at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival<\/a> on Sunday, Sept. 7.<\/p>\nShe’s signaling to costars William H. Macy<\/a> and Kerry Condon<\/a>, adding, “We all had separate scenes with Joel.” After Condon says, “We’re getting on great, everyone’s nice,” Joel Edgerton<\/a> jokes, “I feel like I’m running a dating agency: ‘And they’re getting along well!’ “<\/p>\n![\"Ben](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/IVjrVk5DYu3.nchk8czDng--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTg4MTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/c4f09f5eccb20c7e0987ee9cb73cc22a\"\/)
<\/div>\n\nBen Trivett\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Felicity Jones on Sept. 7, 2025<\/p><\/div>\n
From director Clint Bentley, Train Dreams is based on a novella by Denis Johnson and follows a logger and railroad worker Robert Grainier who “leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century,” per a synopsis.<\/p>\n
Edgerton, 51, found that the indie’s small-scale production allowed for an “epic canvas” to tell an “extraordinary” story about an ordinary man. Set throughout Idaho and Washington, the Australian actor-producer says they took as “minimal amount of equipment as needed” and kept the crew small while filming in the wilderness.<\/p>\n
![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/4JhxDB4HUZ8knVNhIG1ceA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/336c8645ab7589caa1a42802f33a3371\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n\nCourtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n
William H. Macy in “Train Dreams”<\/p><\/div>\n
“They were great roles for us actors,” says Macy, 75. “I mean, when you blow up a car or shoot someone [in a movie] it’s mostly technical. And in this it was all about us. Just looking at each other and telling the truth, talking to each other. And that’s pretty swell.”<\/p>\n
Irish star Condon, 42, who recently starred opposite Brad Pitt in F1, says she found “strength” through embodying her character. “She is a very independent woman at a time when there wasn’t independent women. What I learned about myself, I suppose, was that: strength in solitude. That’s what I really liked about her.”<\/p>\n
![\"Ben](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/ItjS0cfaH96aZg71HNeH5g--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/64bd87d653086c6a85d50def1a5cc8b7\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n\nBen Trivett\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Kerry Condon on Sept. 7, 2025<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Ben](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/l1KgLnWyIapwARGY9Xco4A--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTg4MTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/46296b9578d9403c03468cce0bf86d3f\"\/)
<\/div>\n\nBen Trivett\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
William H. Macy on Sept. 7, 2025<\/p><\/div>\n
Spending time in nature was a highlight for Jones, 41. Her “resourceful” character spends lots of time “alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.”<\/p>\n
Jones “really liked the idea of doing this film because I live in London, quite a busy, urban area, and it was really nice to go out and shoot in the Pacific Northwest and just go out and be in this beautiful scenery,” she says. “So much of the film is about a love of nature.”<\/p>\n
The Oscar nominee learned some new skills through the project too.<\/p>\n
“I love that I got to skin a goat. I spent quite a lot of time practicing skinning a goat \u2014 and then it never made the film! So it was all worth it,” she adds with a laugh. Macy says, “The goat is still dead, though.” Jones jokes, “Yes, I’m sorry. There was a goat sacrificed for the film.”<\/p>\n
![\"Ben](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/fUbOz_6iG.C1kuyyYbkTJw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYzOTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/72ede1b8cb8df0095ce39969ba973cc9\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n\nBen Trivett\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Joel Edgerton on Sept. 7, 2025<\/p><\/div>\n
Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macy and Kerry Condon spoke to PEOPLE about their film Train Dreams at the Toronto International Film Festival<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The period drama is on Netflix Nov. 21<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Edgerton says the movie, set in the early 1900s, paints an “epic canvas” to tell an “extraordinary” story about an ordinary man<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Train Dreams assembles an impressive cast for a quiet, personal tale. Its A-list actors, though, didn’t all meet each other until they began promoting the film.<\/p>\n
“We’ve only just met today,” Felicity Jones<\/a> points out in a grouped interview inside the PEOPLE\/EW and Shutterstock studio at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival<\/a> on Sunday, Sept. 7.<\/p>\n She’s signaling to costars William H. Macy<\/a> and Kerry Condon<\/a>, adding, “We all had separate scenes with Joel.” After Condon says, “We’re getting on great, everyone’s nice,” Joel Edgerton<\/a> jokes, “I feel like I’m running a dating agency: ‘And they’re getting along well!’ “<\/p>\n Ben Trivett\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Felicity Jones on Sept. 7, 2025<\/p><\/div>\n From director Clint Bentley, Train Dreams is based on a novella by Denis Johnson and follows a logger and railroad worker Robert Grainier who “leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century,” per a synopsis.<\/p>\n Edgerton, 51, found that the indie’s small-scale production allowed for an “epic canvas” to tell an “extraordinary” story about an ordinary man. Set throughout Idaho and Washington, the Australian actor-producer says they took as “minimal amount of equipment as needed” and kept the crew small while filming in the wilderness.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n William H. Macy in “Train Dreams”<\/p><\/div>\n “They were great roles for us actors,” says Macy, 75. “I mean, when you blow up a car or shoot someone [in a movie] it’s mostly technical. And in this it was all about us. Just looking at each other and telling the truth, talking to each other. And that’s pretty swell.”<\/p>\n Irish star Condon, 42, who recently starred opposite Brad Pitt in F1, says she found “strength” through embodying her character. “She is a very independent woman at a time when there wasn’t independent women. What I learned about myself, I suppose, was that: strength in solitude. That’s what I really liked about her.”<\/p>\n Ben Trivett\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Kerry Condon on Sept. 7, 2025<\/p><\/div>\n Ben Trivett\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n William H. Macy on Sept. 7, 2025<\/p><\/div>\n Spending time in nature was a highlight for Jones, 41. Her “resourceful” character spends lots of time “alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.”<\/p>\n Jones “really liked the idea of doing this film because I live in London, quite a busy, urban area, and it was really nice to go out and shoot in the Pacific Northwest and just go out and be in this beautiful scenery,” she says. “So much of the film is about a love of nature.”<\/p>\n The Oscar nominee learned some new skills through the project too.<\/p>\n “I love that I got to skin a goat. I spent quite a lot of time practicing skinning a goat \u2014 and then it never made the film! So it was all worth it,” she adds with a laugh. Macy says, “The goat is still dead, though.” Jones jokes, “Yes, I’m sorry. There was a goat sacrificed for the film.”<\/p>\n Ben Trivett\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Joel Edgerton on Sept. 7, 2025<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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