Interviews
Interview: Bryce McGuire on expanding his short film Night Swim into a feature for James Wan and Jason Blum
Based on his own acclaimed 2014 short film, Night Swim high dives into the deep end of horror as it takes the most banal pleasure of suburban life and transforms it into a wellspring of demonic evil in a movie that combines the style, impishness and wicked world-building that audiences have come to expect from …
Interview: Producer Ryan Turek on Night Swim and why audiences like being scared; “It’s an escape and a catharsis for them.”
A backyard swimming pool. A symbol of youth, status and wish-fulfillment, quintessentially American yet universal in its shimmering appeal. A life-enhancing luxury to those who can afford the cost, an absolute necessity for those poor souls who live in the most hellishly hot of places. A heavenly playground for people of any age, a devilish…
Interview: Anyone But You‘s Joe Davidson on risky auditions, Aussie slang and THAT shower scene
Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell may be generating plenty of heat throughout their new romantic comedy Anyone But You, but there’s some distinct Australian flavour ready to challenge the duo in the form of one Joe Davidson. The Queensland-born actor, who looks as if he’s a long-lost brother to the famed Hemsworth clan, has snared…
Interview: Elizabeth Banks and Kumail Nanjiani on identifying with their animated counterparts in Migration; “Cartoons are better than people.”
This holiday season, Illumination, creators of the blockbuster Minions, Despicable Me, Sing and The Secret Life of Pets comedies, invites you to take flight into the thrill of the unknown with a funny, feathered family vacation like no other in the action-packed new original comedy, Migration. The Mallard family is in a bit of rut….
Interview: Kung Fu Panda 4 director Mike Mitchell and producer Rebecca Huntley on what we can expect in this brand new adventure
This autumn, for the first time in almost a decade, comedy icon Jack Black returns to his role as Po, the world’s most unlikely kung fu master, with a hilarious, butt-kicking new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s beloved action-comedy franchise: Kung Fu Panda 4. After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and…
Interview: Natalia Córdova-Buckley and Ryan Kwanten on exploring grief in their horror film The Portrait
In the wake of her husband’s devastating accident, a devoted wife becomes consumed by a mysterious portrait that resembles him in his happier days. However, as her obsession intensifies, the painting starts to unleash terror upon her life, leading her to question whether it is possessed by a malevolent force or if she is losing…
Interview: Joel Kinnaman on taking a risk in John Woo’s dialogue-free actioner Silent Night; “I realised it was a lot more demanding for me.”
From acclaimed Hong Kong-based action director, John Woo (Face/Off, Broken Arrow, Mission: Impossible II) comes Silent Night – his first American film in 20 years. Starring Joel Kinnaman (The Suicide Squad, Robocop, Hanna), Silent Night tells the story of a man who witnesses the death of his young son on Christmas Eve, when the boy gets caught in…
Interview: Catalina Sandino Moreno on the freedom of working without dialogue for John Woo’s Silent Night
Returning to the American filmic scene for the first time in 20 years, John Woo’s Silent Night is a bold, visceral tale of revenge told in the most unique of ways. Foregoing traditional dialogue, Woo’s violent, emotional action film emphasises the beating heart and the bloody pulp behind the slick choreography, with Joel Kinnaman leading…
Interview: Julian Dennison on connecting to his culture in Uproar, working with his family and the difficulty of executing comedy
After breaking out as a talent to watch from his performance in Taika Waititi’s acclaimed comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, New Zealand-born actor Julian Dennison quickly took the international film scene by storm with roles in such hits as Deadpool 2, The Christmas Chronicles 2 and Godzilla vs. Kong. Returning to his homeland, Dennison’s latest…
Interview: Kitty Green on directing The Royal Hotel, subverting genre tropes and committing to an unhappy ending
After the uncomfortable mastery of The Assistant, an increasingly intense drama following the daily activity of an assistant to an insidious, powerful movie mogul, director Kitty Green easily placed herself on the map of filmmakers to follow. For her sophomore feature she’s maintaining that sense of dread – though she would beg to differ –…
Interview: Director Susanna Fogel on casting Cat Person and toying with audience expectation
When Margot, a college sophomore, goes on a date with the older Robert, she finds that IRL Robert doesn’t live up to the Robert she has been flirting with over texts. Directed by Susanna Fogel (TV’s The Flight Attendant, The Spy Who Dumped Me), adapted by Michelle Ashford from the acclaimed New Yorker short story…
Interview: Director Walt Dohrn on Trolls Band Together, the NSYNC reunion, and cast improvisation
This holiday season, get ready for an action-packed, all-star, rainbow-colored family reunion like no other as Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return for the new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster musical franchise: Trolls Band Together. And orchestrating this slew of superstar voices – and perhaps a few boyband members for good measure – is director…
Interview: Scarygirl‘s Remy Hii on his love of animation and finding the right voice for his unique character
From the glamour of Crazy Rich Asians to the Christmas cheer of The Princess Switch 3, by way of being Tom Holland’s romantic rival in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Malaysian-Australian actor Remy Hii certainly forged a formidable path in his career thus far. But I don’t think any of that prepared him for the “Giant,…
Interview: Jillian Nguyen on voicing Scarygirl; “It felt very sacred.”
In another case of someone making the most of their lockdown potential during COVID, Australian actress Jillian Nguyen auditioned for a voice role as she was confined to hotel quarantine. That role ended up being for the lead in a bold, ambitious new locally made animated feature – Scarygirl. As the family film continues to…
Brisbane International Film Festival’s uproarious reception as the sunshine state centres on cinema
The BIFF is back! As the Brisbane International Film Festival continues to go from strength to strength as an industry must-do, newly appointed CEO Luke Wheatley and Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney made sure the festival’s 29th year was worthy of an Uproar-ious reception. A celebration of films for audiences seeking new perspectives and memorable…
Interview: Lily Sullivan on filming the isolated horror of Monolith; “It was just a very bizarre, anxiety-induced form of meditation.”
It’s been a horrific year for Australian actress Lily Sullivan – and she wouldn’t want it any other way! After surviving the bloody carnage of Evil Dead Rise earlier in 2023, the Queensland-born starlet is capping off the year with another horror entrant, Monolith, but to say it’s far removed from the “groovy” gore of…
Interview: Robert Bennett on creating the animatronics for Five Nights at Freddy’s; “It can be a lot to wrangle.”
Can you survive five nights? The terrifying horror game phenomenon becomes a blood-chilling cinematic event, as Blumhouse, the producer of M3GAN, The Black Phone and The Invisible Man, brings Five Nights at Freddy’s to the big screen. The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his…
Interview: AnnaLynne McCord on having no fear and blind faith in accepting her role in Condition of Return; “Why am I afraid to say yes?”
You have to take your hat off for director Tommy Stovall and writer John Spare for navigating Condition of Return in a manner that I don’t think even the savviest of viewers would predict. As a whole it may not always adhere to a certain cohesion as it flits between a dramatic thriller detailing the…
Interview: Cobweb director Kim Jee-woon and star Song Kang-ho on exploring their love of cinema through their film
In 1970s Korea, when both art and dreams are censored, a film director dreams of a masterpiece. After delighting audiences at both this year’s Cannes Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival, Cobweb is spinning its way into Australian cinemas from October 5th (you can read our review here). To coincide with the release, Peter Gray…
Interview: The Exorcist: Believer director David Gordon Green; “I’m always going to be there to push buttons and challenge an audience.”
50 years ago this December, the most terrifying horror film in history landed on screens, shocking audiences around the world. Now, a new chapter begins. From Blumhouse and director David Gordon Green, who shattered the status quo with their resurrection of the Halloween franchise, comes The Exorcist: Believer. Ahead of the film’s much discussed release…
Interview: Suka director Heidi Lee Douglas on what inspired her action-romance hybrid debut feature
The story of two generations of warring families in Sydney’s West, Suka is a violent love story…with a twist. Brought together by fate, but pulled apart by family, this genre-bending romantic action film marks the feature debut of Australian filmmaker Heidi Lee Douglas. Ahead of the film’s release this week on DVD and Digital, Peter…
Interview: Saw X director Kevin Greutert and production designer Anthony Stabley; “We know we need to outdo the previous films”
You just can’t keep a good serial killer down, can you?!? The puppet master better known as Jigsaw has terrorised audiences – and on-screen body parts – for almost two decades now as part of the lucrative Saw film series, the little Aussie horror movie that could that birthed a billion dollar franchise. Despite the…
Interview: Retribution director Nimród Antal on contained action, working with Liam Neeson, and the films that inspired him
As a filmmaker Nimród Antal has effortlessly aligned himself within the action-thriller genre space. Whether he’s terrorising Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale in the snuff-film horror Vacancy, or exercising the limits of predator and prey in the science-fiction sequel Predators, the Hungarian director knows his way around a thrilling set-piece; something that came in handy…
Interview: Annie Murphy on her villainous voice role in Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken; “I now have a thirst for evil.”
*This interview took place prior to the current SAG-AFTRA strike* Every hero needs a villain. And when you’re Ruby Gillman, a sweet, awkward 16-year-old whose just found out she’s a direct descendant of the warrior Kraken queen of the seas, there’s nothing scarier than Chelsea: Beautiful. Popular. Mermaid! From DreamWorks Animation, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken…
Interview: Lana Condor on being the first female title character in DreamWorks’ Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
*This interview took place prior to the current SAG-AFTRA strike* She may have loved all the boys with her hit Netflix trilogy of films, but the only thing we love right now is Lana Condor. Making history as the first female title character in a DreamWorks Animation film, Condor is breaking ground as Ruby Gillman,…
Interview: Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto on seeing his vision come to life on the big screen; “It’s very nice just to see a different flavour of superhero.”
An origin story 5 years in the making, Puerto Rican filmmaker Ángel Manuel Soto is finally seeing his vision of the Mexican-American superhero Blue Beetle brought to life in DC Studios’ Blue Beetle. Starring Xolo Maridueña in the lead role, the film tells of recent college graduate Jaime Reyes and his return home full of…
Interview: Joe Lo Truglio on writing and directing Outpost; “I think a lot of people are not going to like this movie. And that’s okay.”
Joe Lo Truglio has long made a name for himself within the comedy scene. Whether it’s as Andy Samberg’s over-sharing right-hand in the acclaimed sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, his various roles in the absurdist Reno 911!, or as one of the many sex-starved “teens” in the cult hit Wet Hot American Summer, Lo Truglio has proven…
Interview: Director Michael Chaves on conjuring The Nun II; “Watching a movie you want to feel like you’re in the hands of a madman”
Having directed both The Curse of La Llorona and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Michael Chaves is no stranger to helming horror in the supernatural space. For The Nun II, the anticipated sequel to 2018’s hit The Nun, Chaves is navigating his boldest narrative yet, with the director noting he’s proud if…
Interview: Writer/director Mel Eslyn on her unique debut feature Biosphere; “I didn’t want it to become a headline before people saw it and understood the nuances.”
“It’s Mark Duplass, Sterling K. Brown, it’s the end of the world and they’re in a biosphere.” That’s how writer/director Mel Eslyn presented her unique dramedy Biosphere ahead of its premiere last year at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it’s ultimately all you need to know going into it from this week in Australian…
Interview: Celine Song on writing and directing Past Lives; “There’s going to be other people that feel connected to what you are connected to”
A delicate drama born from her own personal experience, Celine Song is laying emotions bare with the release of Past Lives (you can read our review here). Following its stellar reception at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the South Korean-Canadian director, playwright, and screenwriter is telling her story globally as the film releases in Australian…