Interview
Interview: Catherine Martin on her love of design and the inclusive story behind Elvis
When you walk into a room to interview Catherine Martin, a production and costume designer with no less than four Academy Awards to her name (fun fact, she’s the most awarded Australian in Oscar history), you know you’ve chosen the correct shirt when it kicks off an enthusiastic conversation about its origins; to set the…
Interview: Actress Olivia DeJonge on playing Priscilla Presley in Elvis; “The crux of this (film) is love”
To say the excitement in the air was palpable when walking the hotel halls during the Australian press junket of Elvis would be describing it mildly. As director Baz Luhrmann enthusiastically boasted about the late nights had in the lead-up to the film’s premiere, and Tom Hanks so endearingly noting the hotel as “groovy” as…
Interview: Schuyler Weiss on producing Elvis and his collaborative relationship with Baz Luhrmann
Arriving in Australian cinemas this week (you can read our review here) hot off its history-making reception at the Cannes Film Festival, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis brings the life of the king of rock ‘n’ roll to the big screen in predictably lavish fashion. Talking with our own Peter Gray at the Australian premiere, the film’s…
Interview: Zahn McClarnon on the importance of Native representation in his new series Dark Winds
Executive produced by George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford, Dark Winds is set in 1971 on a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley, and follows Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) of the Tribal Police as he is besieged by a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. The closer Leaphorn digs to the truth, the more he…
Interview: The cast of The Boys on the “messed up” third season at Prime Video’s exclusive fan screening
The Boys hasn’t had to do much to announce itself as the dirty, profane, narcissistic, misogynistic, black sheep of the comic book world…but it doesn’t mean it won’t keep on trying. Following its three-episode premiere on Prime Video on June 3rd, cast members Jack Quaid (Hughie), Jessie T. Usher (A-Train), Chace Crawford (The Deep), Karen…
Interview: Alex Liu on his documentary A Sexplanation; “Rather than living in that angst, I decided to talk about it”
As his topical documentary A Sexplanation arrives for digital download in Australia (you can read our review here), creator Alex Liu spoke with our own Peter Gray about exploring the hardships of addressing such a controversial subject as sex education, how his own coming out was the catalyst for the film, and the surprising reaction…
Interview: Director Colin Trevorrow, Chris Pratt and the cast of Jurassic World: Dominion on ending the franchise
The end of two eras comes to a close this week as Jurassic World: Dominion roars into theatres, finalising both the original Jurassic Park and World trilogies that have seen dinosaurs roam the Earth for close to three decades. Ahead of the film’s release, Peter Gray was invited to the global press conference to speak…
Interview: Sean Patrick Flanery and producer Allen Gilmer on directorial debuts and the unconventional writing of road thriller Frank & Penelope
As an actor, Sean Patrick Flanery has amassed more than 100 credits over a three decade-long career. Best known for his work in such acclaimed titles as Powder, The Boondock Saints, and the upcoming season of Amazon’s The Boys, Flanery is now turning his attention behind the camera for Frank & Penelope, a road movie-cum-cult…
Interview: 61st Street star Tosin Cole on finding the truth in his character and the show’s topical relevance
Streaming on AMC+, 61st Street is a propulsive thriller coursing through the dark heart of the infamous Chicago criminal justice system as police and prosecutors investigate a deadly drug bust that threatens to unravel the police department’s code of silence. To coincide with the show streaming, Peter Gray spoke with star Tosin Cole, discussing the…
Interview: Wallis Bird chats about the making of her latest album HANDS
With her seventh studio album HANDS (or NINE AND A HALF SONGS FOR NINE AND A HALF FINGERS) releasing today, we thought it was high time we caught up with singer-songwriter Wallis Bird. We chatted to her as basked in the glow of a beautiful spring morning, the birds singing as she sipped on a…
Interview: Director Baltasar Kormákur on placing Idris Elba in danger for new action film, Beast
From the endangerment of Mark Wahlberg’s family in Contraband to the singular distress of Shailene Woodley’s nautical nightmare in Adrift, Baltasar Kormákur is a director no stranger to the utilisation of squeezing the most out of his genre films and placing his players in grave danger. For his latest effort, the Icelandic filmmaker is heading…
Interview: Australian comedian Dani Cabs on injecting serious topicality into his larger than life creation, Poncho Orange
The self-proclaimed love child of Salvador Dali and the Mighty Boosh, Australian comedian Dani Cabs has created a larger-than-life alter ego in Poncho Orange, a Latino-lovin’ buffoon, liquifying the English language so that you can slurp its runny honey, gooey goodness down into your internals and be transported into his world of play, love, and……
Interview: Erik Thomson on enjoying the tone set by the female cast and crew of How to Please a Woman
A staple of the Australian cinema and televisual landscape for 30 years, Erik Thomson is an AFI and Silver Logie award winning actor known for his work in All Saints, Packed to the Rafters, and 800 Words. On May 19th, he will be seen romancing Sally Phillips in the comedy How to Please a Woman,…
Interview: Firestarter director Keith Thomas on casting Zac Efron as a dad and the pressure of adapting Stephen King
Set to ignite Australian cinemas from May 12th (and, appropriately, Friday the 13th in the United States in both theatres and on Peacock), Firestarter, Stephen King‘s classic novel about a pyrokinetic young girl on the run from a government agency hoping to control her for their own benefit, will earn new life through director Keith…
Interview: Director Renée Webster on How to Please a Woman and finding the comedy in truth and pain
Having played to sold out festival sessions across Australia, the female-focused dramedy How to Please a Woman is looking to continue its crowd-pleasing success when it opens nationally in Australian cinemas on May 19th. Ahead of its release, Peter Gray spoke with the film’s writer and director, Renée Webster, about its rapturous reception so far,…
Interview: Australian comedian Damien Warren-Smith on creating one-man comedy show Garry Starr: Greece Lightning
Returning to Australia fresh off the back of his lead role in the Atomic Saloon Show at The Venetian in Las Vegas, Damien Warren-Smith’s latest show sees him transform into an overzealous idiot attempting to perform all of Greek Mythology in less than 60 minutes in order to save his Hellenic homeland from economic ruin. The show –…
Interview: Steven Cree on the insular process of filming twisted horror film The Twin
Primarily known for his television work on such series as Outlander and A Discovery of Witches, Scottish actor Steven Cree is trading in the fantastical for the fearful, headlining the twisted horror film The Twin alongside Discovery… co-star Teresa Palmer. Cree stars as a husband who relocates with his wife to the other side of…
Luke Hemsworth and Lincoln Lewis close the festivities of the 2022 Gold Coast Film Festival
Bringing to a close 12 days of cinema celebration, the 20th annual Gold Coast Film Festival went out in suitable style with festival ambassador Lincoln Lewis, and actors Luke Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, Rasmus King and director Tyler Atkins, there to celebrate the premiere of Bosch & Rockit, a soaring true story based on Atkins’ own…
Interview: The cast and crew of Downton Abbey: A New Era on their exciting return home
The Lords and Ladies of Downton have returned. Ushering in a new year and a new era on screen, Julian Fellowes‘ acclaimed drama series has graduated from six television series, to now two acclaimed filmic continuations. To coincide with the anticipated release of Downton Abbey: A New Era (you can read our review here), which…
Interview: Director Fernando León de Aranoa on creating The Good Boss and trusting Javier Bardem enough to take risks.
With The Good Boss currently screening in Australian theatres (you can read our review here), Peter Gray spoke with the film’s writer and director, Fernando León de Aranoa, about creating such an interesting character, balancing the tone between humour and drama, and working with Javier Bardem, an actor he trusts enough to take risks with…
Interview: Elisha Cuthbert on filming The Cellar, approaching the horror genre, and her love of Australia
Now streaming on Shudder, The Cellar (you can read our review here) is a haunted house-themed horror film starring Elisha Cuthbert as a mother whose daughter mysteriously vanishes in the cellar of her family’s new house in the country. She soon discovers there is an ancient and powerful entity controlling the home that she will have…
Interview: Dominic Cooper on playing a villain in That Dirty Black Bag and injecting his own essence into a vile character
Streaming on AMC+, That Dirty Black Bag is a raw, epic and romantic eight-part series about the dark side of the Far West. Starring Douglas Booth as bounty hunter Red Bill and Dominic Cooper as the savage Sheriff McCoy, the series follows their eight-day clash as blood, bullets and bodies fly in the wake of…
Interview: Director Jay Cheel on Cursed Films II; “There’s weird energy around this production”
When people look at films that are super beloved and then hear stories about the difficulties or tragedies that happen on set, they then go onto describe that production as “cursed”. After exploring such controversial productions as Twilight Zone: The Movie and Poltergeist during its first season, Cursed Films II explores a further quintet of…
Interview: Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen and the cast of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
The magic of the Wizarding World is once again conjured with the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (you can read our review here). As the film prepares for its global launch, Peter Gray was fortunate to speak with key cast members Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Williams, Mads Mikkelsen, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner and…
Interview: David Yates on directing Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore; “These stories mean something to a lot of people”
To say director David Yates is synonymous with the Wizarding World would be putting it mildly. Having directed half of the Harry Potter film series – Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 – and both Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes…
Interview: Director Michael Bay on injecting a level of humanism into the action of Ambulance
Since breaking out with 1995’s Bad Boys, director Michael Bay has been synonymous with the action genre. Defying the critics year after year, Bay’s films have collectively grossed over $7.8 billion, making him one of the most successful directors in cinematic history. After taking a break from the big screen – he helmed 2019’s Netflix…
Interview: Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on forming a brotherly bond on Ambulance, the safety of filming, and “directing” action sequences
Speeding into cinemas this week (you can read our review here), Ambulance is the latest action extravaganza from Michael Bay. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as two brothers who hijack an ambulance following a bank heist gone wrong, Universal Studios put our own Peter Gray in touch with the acting duo to discuss…
Interview: Night’s End director Jennifer Reeder on loving horror, making an isolated film, and casting Michael Shannon
The streaming service Shudder has cornered the market on the horror genre since its 2015 inception. Known for housing horror classics, as well as distributing its own original films, Shudder has allowed genre enthusiasts and filmmakers to explore their macabre mentality. One such director doing so is Jennifer Reeder, whose latest effort, the supernatural scarer…
Interview: The Bad Guys author Aaron Blabey on making a kids film inspired by Tarantino; “That balance is something I’ve dedicated my life to finding”
With The Bad Guys officially out in Australian cinemas now (read our review here), Peter Gray spoke with Australia author Aaron Blabey (again), whose series of books the film is adapted from. Talking at the Australian junket, Peter and Aaron, after the pleasantries of finally meeting in person, discussed where the idea originated from, the…
Interview: Zazie Beetz and Lilly Singh on voicing The Bad Guys; “Animation makes everything you do 100 times better”
As The Bad Guys releases in Australian cinemas (you can read our review here), Peter Gray spoke with actresses Zazie Beetz and Lilly Singh about their voice work in the animated heist caper, how they reacted to first reading the “Tarantino for kids” script, and the “thrilling” experience of recording their roles in the same…