Rooney and Kate Mara Say Speaking in Sync Came Naturally in Werner Herzog’s ‘Bucking Fastard’

Rooney and Kate Mara said speaking in unison for Werner Herzog’s new drama Bucking Fastard was easier than they expected.

The sisters play siblings who are so closely connected that they “speak in unison, love the same man, and have the same dreams.” The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday.

Rooney Mara said the idea of portraying what felt like “the same person” initially seemed daunting. However, their lifelong relationship made the process surprisingly natural.

“Having a lifetime together and all this history and a childhood of playing together,” Rooney said at a Venice press conference. “There was just an unspoken world between us that we didn’t have to work very hard to create at all.”

Kate Mara said speaking together felt “almost like a song,” describing their shared timing as musical and natural.

Herzog said he had wanted to make the film for years, but became confident it could be done after meeting the Mara sisters. Although they had two weeks of preparation scheduled, he began filming after just five days of rehearsals.

“I had complete confidence with them,” Herzog said.

The film is loosely inspired by British identical twins Freda and Greta Chaplin, who attracted tabloid attention after becoming obsessed with their neighbor, who eventually obtained a restraining order against them. The film’s unusual title comes from a spoonerism the twins reportedly made together while appearing in court.

Orlando Bloom and Domhnall Gleeson also star. The film marks the first time the Mara sisters have appeared together on screen.

Herzog, known for films including Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Nosferatu the Vampyre, has a long history with the Venice Film Festival.

During the press conference, Herzog also reflected on the film’s dedication to his late friend and fellow filmmaker David Lynch.

“I wish he could be in my first audience,” Herzog said. “Now, since he’s not with us anymore, I wish I could turn the wheel of time back and invite him tonight.”