Interviews

On the eve of the release of Robert Downey, Jr.’s passion project Dolittle (originally titled The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle) arriving in Australian cinemas, The AU Review’s Peter Gray chatted with one of the film’s multitude of voice talents, Craig Robinson, to discuss the isolating process of vocal recording and whether or not he’s actually…

Renowned Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest The Truth had it’s Australian premiere this weekend, at a special event at Sydney’s Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, with the director himself in attendance. We were lucky enough to be in the audience for a post-screening Q&A with the director, headed up by film critic David Stratton, and we’ve got all…

As Last Christmas merrily makes its way to cinemas (read our review here), the film’s director, Paul Feig, brought his own cheer to Australia as he enthusiastically discussed making a new (hopeful) seasonal classic. The AU Review’s Peter Gray sat down with the filmmaker to learn about how Emma Thompson’s George Michael-inspired script came to…

Netflix’s THE KING took over Sydney’s The Ritz Cinema for its Australian premiere and brought along its director and co-writer extraordinaire David Michôd as well as actor and co-writer Joel Edgerton. The film follows Hal [Timothée Chalamet], the heir to the English throne, who is “crowned King Henry V after his tyrannical father dies. Now the young king must…

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (the MCU) doesn’t just regularly bring together a connected group of actors on screen – but also the creatives behind the scenes, regularly working on Marvel projects that help connect the universe in more ways than just the themes that tie it all together. One of these hard working artists is VFX…

Canadian actress, Tricia Helfer is best known for her roles as Number Six in Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series and Charlotte Richards/Mom in the newly-renewed series, Lucifer. She can also currently be seen playing Dracula in Syfy’s Van Helsing. I spoke to the former model-turned-actress while she was in Melbourne for Australia’s Ultimate Pop…

While she was on the Upper West Side in NYC, filming the second season of Pose for FX, I caught up with Charlayne Woodard to talk about her role as Mrs. Price in the film Glass, which is about to enjoy a home release. It’s a role she first came to perform some 19 years…

Earlier this month at SXSW, I had the chance to sit down with Rebecca Stern, the director of the new film Well Groomed – a surprising documentary about the niche world of competitive dog grooming. Scored by the great Dan Deacon, the film is as engaging as it is entertaining (and garnered four stars from…

We hit the red carpet earlier this month to meet the cast and crew behind the brand new Netflix original film The Highwaymen. Some 15 years in the making, the film’s writer John Fusco, actress Kim Dickens (Fear The Walking Dead), Producer Casey Silver and Director John Lee Hancock, reflect on the journey to bring the film to our…

While at SXSW, I sat down with Director Peter Michael Dowd to talk about his new documentary Mr. Jimmy, about Japanese musician Akio Sakurai (aka Mr. Jimmy) who has modeled himself after the legendary Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. We were joined at the interview by the subject himself, as we found out how the pair…

Last week at SXSW, Director Jordan Peele was joined by actress Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke to talk about Peele’s anticipated follow-up to Get Out – Us – for a special session with Buzzfeed News. Ahead of the film’s Australian release next week, we attended the panel and here’s some of what we learned from the talk….

While at SXSW, I had the chance to catch up with Aussie director Abe Forsythe (Down Under) and Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong’o talk talk about their new film Little Monsters – due out later this year. You filmed this in and around Sydney – what was that experience like and Abe, how important was…

We caught up with legendary actor Kevin Costner at SXSW last week to chat about his role in the new Netflix film The Highwaymen, in which he plays Texas Ranger Frank Haymer as he chases down Bonnie & Clyde alongside Woody Harrelson. The Highwaymen streams worldwide on Netflix from 29th March 2019.

Fans of the Taken series (or anything with the action genre badass Liam Neeson) will be excited to hear that a new action-packed thriller featuring the acclaimed Irish actor will be soon released in Australian cinemas. Cold Pursuit, a film based on 2014 Norwegian film In Order of Disappearance, follows Neeson’s character Nels Coxman, a snowplow driver whose son…

As Aquaman swims his way into cinemas today (read our review here), the King of Atlantis himself, Jason Momoa, has been travelling across the globe in the film’s lead-up to promote the latest offering from the DC roster. Returning to Queensland’s sunny Gold Coast, where the film was mostly shot, Momoa chatted with The AU…

There’s a lot of hullaballoo surrounding the new film Mortal Engines, most of which can be attributed to those behind the camera rather than in front of it. The film directed by Christian Rivers is his debut, however the production team behind it also consists of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillippa Boyens – the…

The latest film from the creative genius talent of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and directed by Christian Rivers sees the team adapt the Phillip Reeve book series Mortal Engines. Set in the future, and moving slowly out of dystopia, roving cities on wheels must avoid being devoured by much larger “predator cities”. In…

It’s pretty obvious that war is nasty business, and can be pretty horrifying. So what happens when you make a World War II movie, that goes that extra step and adds in some Nazi zombies super soldiers in a bid to turn the war? Shit gets pretty crazy is what, and the new film Overlord does just that….

Actress and singer Sophie Lowe has returned to the music game with new single “Taught You How To Feel”. An emotive and powerful track, the single follows her 2017 song “Trust” and her acclaimed 2016 EP 2. Produced by Neal Sutherland, “Taught You How To Feel” is incredibly personal, exploring past relationships and the idea of escape….

Natalie Salvo recently caught up with Sydney producer Stephan Wellink to talk about his latest film Sam Spiegel: Conquering Hollywood, which is currently screening at the Jewish International Film Festival. We learn more about Sam Spigel, the iconic producer of films like Lawrence of Arabia, and the production of the documentary. Can you begin by briefly introducing…

The Electronic Music Conference kicks off in Sydney next month, and as part of its evening program – EMCPlay – will be a screening of the documentary on Mo’Wax and UNKLE founder James Lavelle, The Man From Mo’Wax. Paris Pompor from Groovescooter is curating the film program of the festival, which will screen at the Surry Hills…

As Australia prepares to feel the sharp blade of Michael Myers puncture once again with the release of Halloween, the film’s heroine – and original genre scream queen – Jamie Lee Curtis took to our shores to spread the love of all things Laurie Strode and this four-decade long series.  Gracefully walking the black carpet…

The AU’s Harris Dang sat down with Blumhouse’s Jason Blum to talk about his latest production, Halloween, which hits cinemas today. They talk about the great response the film has had so far, the weight of working with heavyweights like Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter – not to mention the franchise itself. Blum also…

Earlier this year the latest Lucasfilm epic, Solo: A Star Wars Story hit the theatres around the world, and is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. Academy Award-winning director, Ron Howard put a story into place about the beloved heroes Han Solo and Chewbacca. Packed with star-studded cast, and plenty of mind-blowing visual effects, the…

Earlier this year, we sat down with Hyun Lee, the director of a short film called Asian Girls which screened at SXSW in Austin, Texas and then at the Sydney Film Festival. We talked about the making of the film, working with Rainbow Chan, and the benefits and importance of diversity in film funding. It’s…

Earlier this year while he was here for Sydney Film Festival – and not long after I had the chance to see the film at SXSW – I sat down with director Bart Layton to talk about his new film American Animals, which is in cinemas next Thursday. Based on a true story that happened at…

Bruce Beresford’s new film, Ladies in Black is a charming look at some department store shop girls working in Sydney in 1959. The story is adapted from a novel by the late, Madeleine St John who attended university with Clive James and the famous director. The film was a labour of love that was some…

Jane Fonda is a legend of the small and big screen with a career spanning 60+ years. From Barbarella and Klute and The Dollmaker to her one woman fitness empire to championing the #MeToo movement, Fonda has earned her iconic status. Jetting in to Australia to promote the release of her new film Book Club…

In cinemas next week, the new film KIN will hit cinemas in Australia and the USA; continuing the trend of underdog sci-fi that has returned to popularity thanks to Stranger Things (the producers of which also produced this project). The film is the debut feature from NYC-based Aussie directors Jonathan and Josh Baker, whose short film…

This month, Stan and Screen Queensland celebrate the release of a milestone production – The Second. As the first feature film project developed for the streaming service, The Second is a shining example of not only an Australian film in its best, unfiltered form, but it’s also a cracking ride. A sexy psychological thriller featuring a selection of…