On Aug. 15, "The Giver", based on the famous Lois Lowry novel, will be released in theaters nationwide, and Brenton Thwaites' portrayal of the role Jonas and is receiving a lot of praise for his performance.

The Australian actor has had a busy summer as he starred in "Malificent" and the Sundance film "The Signal."

Odeya Rush plays the role of Fiona in the film and her star is also quickly rising. The actress, who is new to Hollywood has been seen in "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" and the critically-acclaimed horror film "We are Who We Are."

Latin Post had a chance to speak to both the actors about their involvement in the new film and the challenges in making the movie.

Latin Post: How did you first get involved?

Benton Thwaites: It was one morning when I read the script, and I just loved it. That made me want to pick up the book and read it. And I was just enthralled by the universal themes. It really resonated with me.

Odeya Rush: I read the script and then I had to go through the audition process. After a few auditions, I got to read with Jeff [Bridges] and then I did a few more auditions and now I'm here.

Latin Post: Were either of you familiar with the book?

Thwaites: No, after I read the script, I read the book, and I really loved it. I really loved the themes of the book and it really resonated with me.

Rush: I had read some of Lowry's work, but I had never read the novel.

Latin Post: Did you go back to the book while studying your roles?

Thwaites: Yes, we were always going back to the books. The script was always changing, so we would always go back to see how the characters developed. 

Latin Post: Did you get to speak to author Lois Lowry during the filming of the movie?

Rush: Lois was actually on set while we were shooting, and we were always consulting her about the novel. She worked very closely with Phil, and it was so gratifying to see him so energetic on set. We would ask Lois about the sets and the clothes we were wearing to see if that was what she had in mind for the characters.

Latin Post: What was it like to work with such veterans like Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, Katie Holmes and Alexander Skarsgard?

Rush: It was wonderful to see them work and their process. Jeff [Bridges] told me to never take life too seriously and to always have a good time in what I was doing.

Thwaites: It was amazing, and it was a dream come true. It was wonderful to work so closely with Jeff, and those were my favorite scenes to shoot because I felt so liberated as an actor. In the other scenes, my character and I had to hide all our emotions and secrets that the character Jonas knew.

Latin Post: What was it like to work with Phillip Noyce?

Thwaites: Phil was energetic on set. He was always so prepared on set, and he would really push a lot.

Rush: Phil was amazing to work with. I remember the way he used to call "action" and "cut". It would always change based on what of type scene it was.

Latin Post: What were the biggest challenges in the film?

Thwaites: The most difficult scene was with the baby when I have to climb the mountain. I had to feed him at one point, and he wouldn't eat. There were also moments when he had to cry and get emotional and he just wouldn't.

Latin Post: What do you hope audiences take way from this film?

Rush: I think I want audiences to see how beautiful life really is and appreciate what we have.

Thwaites: I don't think I can add anything to that.