Interviews
Interview: Absolution director Hans Petter Moland on reuniting with Liam Neeson, subverting expectations, and honouring genre authenticity
Following their collaboration on 2019’s Cold Pursuit, director Hans Petter Moland and star Liam Neeson are reuniting for the crime drama, Absolution, which tells of an aging ex-boxer working as muscle for a Boston crime boss who receives an upsetting diagnosis. Despite a faltering memory, he attempts to rectify the sins of his past and…
Interview: Gaia Wise and Laurence Ubong Williams on finding their voice throughout The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
The original anime feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien. Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the…
Interview: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim producer Philippa Boyens on the challenges of animation and staying faithful to Tolkien’s words
The original anime feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien. Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the…
Interview: Director J.C. Chandor on the familial core of Kraven the Hunter and what impressed him the most about his lead star, Aaron Taylor-Johnson; “It’s beautiful in a weird way to see what he’s able to do.”
Kraven the Hunter is the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only…
Interview: Aleks Le on new anime feature Solo Leveling – ReAwakening and the importance of voice acting
Over a decade has passed since a pathway called a “gate” which connects this world and another dimension suddenly appeared, and people with superhuman powers called “hunters” have been awakened. Hunters use their superhuman powers to conquer dungeons inside the gates to make a living, and Sung Jinwoo, a hunter of the lowest rank, is…
Interview: Piece By Piece director Morgan Neville on his unconventional documentary about Pharrell Williams; “It’s exactly reflective of his own imagination.”
Piece by Piece is a unique cinematic experience that invites audiences on a vibrant journey through the life of cultural icon Pharrell Williams. Told through the lens of LEGO animation, documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville turns up the volume on imagination as he displays the evolution of one of music’s most innovative minds. As the feature…
Interview: Melissa Barrera on the unique storytelling of Your Monster; “I always find a way of brainwashing myself into being in the emotional state of the character.”
Battling an illness and dumped by the love of her life, struggling actress Laura Franco returns to her childhood home to recover. To her horror, she discovers a monster living in her bedroom closet. Turns out he’s quite the charmer. Over time, they forge an unlikely connection as Monster helps Laura stand up to her…
Interview: Temuera Morrison, David Fane and Awhimai Fraser on taking ownership of their characters and culture in Moana 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical Moana 2 reunites Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything…
Interview: Viggo Mortensen on respecting the western genre with The Dead Don’t Hurt, creating a female-centric story, and preparing for good luck on set
The Dead Don’t Hurt is a story of star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s. Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who embarks on a relationships with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen). After meeting with Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel with him to his…
Interview: Director Pierre Perifel and producer Damon Ross on The Bad Guys 2 and escaping the pratfalls of a sequel; “You don’t want to take yourself too seriously.”
Who’s badder than The Bad Guys? The Bad Girls. In the new chapter from DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed 2022 action-comedy hit about a crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws, The Bad Guys are struggling to find trust and acceptance in their newly minted lives as Good Guys, when they are pulled out of retirement and forced…
Interview: Lucy Lawless on her directorial debut with documentary Never Look Away; “If I can make you feel something, I want to do it while revealing human nature.”
When first introduced to the story of CNN war cameraperson, Margaret Moth, Lucy Lawless immediately jumped at the chance. In local lore, Moth was a rockstar and an enigma. Having long eschewed directing, finally here was a story that Lawless could not resist. “It felt like destiny that I should be asked to tell the…
Interview: Riley Nottingham and Johnny Carr on navigating the nuances and opposing personalities of their characters in Strange Creatures
Two estranged brothers are forced back into each others lives when they’re tasked with scattering the ashes of their recently deceased mother in the country town where she grew up. Such is the logline for Australian director Henry Boffin’s directorial debut, Strange Creatures, starring Riley Nottingham and Johnny Carr as the aforementioned brothers who reevaluate…
Interview: Daniel Reisinger on finding the humour in grief with his unexpected “rom com” And Mrs; “You want to make something that connects with human beings and can help in some small way.”
Gemma’s life is about to take a dramatic turn. Living in London, she faces the sudden loss of her American fiancé, Nathan, just before their wedding day. Nathan’s passing forces Gemma, who has always been skeptical of modern marriage, to reassess the meaning of a lifelong commitment. With a push from Nathan’s free-spirited and unpredictable…
Interview: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga star Alyla Browne on being one of 2024’s CGA recipients
Established in 2013, Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) come together each year to identify a group of extraordinary actors they believe have the potential to break out on the world stage; The CGA Rising Stars. With such previous recipients as Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road), Alexander England (How To Please a Woman), Katherine Langford…
Interview: Co-directors Jessica Halloran and Ivan O’Mahoney on telling the raw truth in Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story
This is the story of Jelena Dokic’s extraordinary survival. How she survived as a refugee, twice. How she survived on the tennis court to become world No. 4. But most importantly, how she survived her father, Damir Dokic, the tennis dad from hell. A tragic, raw, though ultimately uplifting tale of resilience, Unbreakable: The Jelena…
Interview: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans and the cast and creatives of Red One on their hope of making a new Christmas classic
The mission to save Christmas is on. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Red One is a must-see action-comedy event that delivers a fresh twist on Christmas for the holiday season. Directed by Jake Kasdan, who has previously teamed with Johnson on the blockbuster Jumanji movies, this multigenerational global spectacle features such megawatt stars as Chris Evans teaming…
Interview: Audrey creators, director Natalie Bailey and writer Lou Sanz, on embracing the dark side of humour
After impressing festival audiences with its acerbic humour, Audrey is a twisted, razor sharp film, both gloriously absurd and strangely relatable. Its black comedy at its best, inspired by modern classics like Muriel’s Wedding and Jennifer’s Body. With New Zealand’s funniest export leading the charge, alongside Australian screen veterans and emerging stars, Audrey is far from your average mother-daughter…
Interview: Jeremy Lindsay Taylor on fighting for his character in Audrey, comedic complexities, and the necessary, terrifying reality of social media as an actor
Known primarily for his dramatic work across our screens for over three decades now, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor is embracing a new comedic persona in the audacious Audrey, a twisted, razor sharp film, both gloriously absurd and strangely relatable. Its black comedy at its best, inspired by modern classics like Muriel’s Wedding and Jennifer’s Body. As a husband and…
Interview: Connie Nielsen on returning for Gladiator II, further exploring her character’s complexities and collaborating with Ridley Scott
Following on from our red carpet chats with the cast and creatives of Gladiator II at the Australian premiere, Connie Nielsen sat down with our own Peter Gray to further discuss her return as Lucilla after over 2 decades, if she saw a change in Ridley Scott’s directing after this time, and if she could…
Interview: Paul Mescal and the cast of Gladiator II at the Australian premiere in Sydney
Ushering in a new generation of heroes, legendary director Ridley Scott continues the epic Gladiator saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome with Gladiator II. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his…
Interview: Shari Sebbens on new horror film The Moogai and what it communicates about today’s Indigenous experience; “Pay some respect to where you come from.”
A young Aboriginal couple brings home their second baby. What should be a joyous time takes a sinister turn, as the baby’s mother starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby. Such is the logline for Jon Bell’s The Moogai, a new horror film from the producers of The…
Interview: Emily Bett Rickards on playing America’s first million-dollar female athlete in wrestling biopic Queen of the Ring
An extraordinary, true-life tale, Queen of the Ring is an uplifting drama that follows Mildred Burke, the legendary professional wrestler and single mother who defied incredible odds to become the first million-dollar female athlete and longest reigning champion at a time when the sport was banned across most of America. Through Emily Bett Rickards‘ transformative…
Interview: Gabriel LaBelle on playing Lorne Michaels in Saturday Night, bonding with his co-stars and favourite SNL skits
From Spielberg to Saturday Night. After making his mark as Sammy Fabelman in Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed The Fabelmans, a loosely-based detailing of the famed director’s adolescence, rising star Gabriel LaBelle is taking on another icon of the industry in Lorne Michaels, the long-running creator of the American sketch comedy program, Saturday Night Live, in Jason Reitman’s…
Interview: Kate Winslet and Antony Penrose on reshaping the perception of American war correspondent Lee Miller in their film Lee
Oscar winner Kate Winslet stars in Lee, a fascinating portrait of the great American war correspondent Lee Miller, whose singular talent and ferocious tenacity gave us some of the 20th century’s most indelible images. A former model, Lee is now tired of being viewed through a lens and by men, and focusses on her own…
Interview: Ke Huy Quan on the importance of second chances and leading with kindness for his new action film, Love Hurts
No matter how hard you try, you can’t break up with your past. This Valentine’s Day, Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan rockets into his first major leading man role as an unlikely hero, a seemingly mild-mannered realtor with a dark secret that he is desperate to leave behind. Spoiler alert: He won’t. From 87North producers…
Interview: Jonathan Eusebio on moving from action choreographer to director on Love Hurts; “I want to make the audience feel uplifted or inspired by the action that I’m making.”
No matter how hard you try, you can’t break up with your past. This Valentine’s Day, Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan rockets into his first major leading man role as an unlikely hero, a seemingly mild-mannered realtor with a dark secret that he is desperate to leave behind. Spoiler alert: He won’t. From 87North producers…
Interview: Parker Finn on executing the perfect jump scare in Smile 2; “I’m always trying to subvert and do things that will catch people off guard.”
Following the critical and commercial success of Smile in 2022, writer/director Parker Finn knew that if he was going to make a sequel, it had to be an “insane” idea. Centering on a global pop sensation, Skye Riley (played by Naomi Scott), who begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events ahead of a world tour,…
Interview: Sam Corlett on playing an addict in He Ain’t Heavy; “I feel like characters tend to find me in a time of my life that I need to explore something deeply.”
He Ain’t Heavy follows 30-year-old Jade (Leila George) who has sacrificed the better part of her life to rescue her little brother Max (Sam Corlett) from drug addiction. In desperation, unbeknownst to their ever-forgiving mother Bev (Greta Scacchi) Jade locks Max inside their vacant rural home in an attempt to “get him clean’. But when Bev arrives, a…
Interview: Adam Elliot on the slow, reflective process of making Memoir of a Snail; “Life can only be understood backwards.”
Grace Pudel is a lonely misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails and an intense love for books. At a young age, when Grace is separated from her fire-breathing twin brother Gilbert, she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst. Despite a continued series of hardships, inspiration and hope emerge when she strikes…
Interview: Director Stefan Hunt and choreographer Vanessa Marian on their short film Yeah The Boys and exploring Aussie larrikinism and masculinity
Created by the Sydney’s husband-and-wife director-choreographer duo Stefan Hunt and Vanessa Marian, Yeah The Boys explores Aussie larrikinism and masculinity, while offering an insightful observation of Australian identity and the nation’s relationship with drinking culture, with a unique blend of choreography and screen storytelling, without a word being spoken for the whole film. Winner of Best Australia Short at Flickerfest, and nominated…