Interview
Interview: Director Pierre Perifel and producer Damon Ross on bringing The Bad Guys to life; “It was very much in the spirit of the kind of movies we make at DreamWorks”
A New York Times #1 best-seller, The Bad Guys series from Australian author Aaron Blabey has solidified itself as one of the most successful collections of graphic novels aimed at younger audiences. With such success comes the inevitable big screen adaptation, and arriving in Australian cinemas on March 31st from award-winning filmmaker Pierre Perifel, the…
Interview: Director Nyla Innuksuk on her SXSW horror film Slash/Back and the importance of incorporating her indigenous culture
Having premiered at SXSW to rave reviews (including our own here) the horror/adventure film Slash/Back has more than announced filmmaker Nyla Innuksuk as a talent to take note of. Talking with Peter Gray during her time at the festival, the two spoke about the origins of the film’s story, the importance of incorporating her indigenous…
Interview: Director Maureen Bharoocha and actress Ramona Young on their SXSW revenge comedy The Prank
After missing out on the SXSW screening experience in 2020 with her feature The Golden Arm, director Maureen Bharoocha is even more grateful to be screening her latest film, The Prank, in person this year. As the dark comedic thriller premiered (you can read our festival review here) our Peter Gray spoke to both Maureen…
Interview: Director Bianca Poletti on her SXSW short film Radical Honesty; “I love stories that have subtle, dark, awkward humour”
Premiering at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, Radical Honesty is a new short feature from director/photographer Bianca Poletti. In the lead-up to the film’s premiere, our own Peter Gray spoke with her about the inspiration behind its unconventional take on relationships, her own personal attachment to the idea of non-monogamy, and which filmmakers she personally…
Interview: Umbrella Entertainment’s Ari Harrison on Australia’s revolutionary Feature30 filmmaking competition
Have you ever had an experience or an idea that would make a great movie? A first of its kind film competition open to everybody is hoping to turn your creativity into reality. Never been done before in Australia, Feature30 is a competition with a difference. Not only will it reward its winner with a…
Interview: Radha Mitchell on new revenge thriller Asking For It, its controversial reception, and how she feels about the ending of Neighbours
One of Australia’s finest, and hardest working, exports, Radha Mitchell is a homegrown success story, having graduated from the local screens of the sitcom All Together Now and the institution that is Neighbours, to such international box office successes as Pitch Black, Phone Booth, and Silent Hill. As her latest film, the darkly comedic revenge…
Interview: The Batman director Matt Reeves on navigating a darker take on the superhero; “I wanted a story that would break him to his core”
Arriving in cinemas this week (you can read our review here), The Batman is arguably one of the year’s most anticipated films. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and fronted by Robert Pattinson, the film is gearing up to deliver a version of the Dark Knight we have…
Interview: Peter Dinklage on the fear and complexity of playing Cyrano; “With great risk comes great reward”
Arriving in cinemas today, Cyrano (you can read our review here) is the beautiful new drama from director Joe Wright, who has reinterpreted Edmond Rostand’s classic 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac as a sorrowful musical starring Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Peter Dinklage (TV’s Game of Thrones) as the titular poet. To coincide with…
Interview: Cyrano director Joe Wright on bringing the classic love story to life through an altered lens
Joe Wright is no stranger to a period piece, having adapted the literary dramas Pride & Prejudice and Anna Karenina, the acclaimed romantic war tale Atonement, and the Oscar-winning political drama Darkest Hour. So, there’s really no one more suited to adapting Edmond Rostand’s classic 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac. Based upon the 2018 stage…
Interview: Baz Luhrmann and Austin Butler on bringing Elvis to the big screen; “The greatest joy is to be an outsider and live it”
As Baz Luhrmann stated prior to the release of the trailer for his anticipated biopic Elvis, that they are “the invitation to the movie”, Peter Gray was fittingly invited to attend a global press conference with Baz and lead actor Austin Butler to discuss their 3-years-in-the-making musical epic. Touching on the decision to make a…
Interview: Director Kiah Roache-Turner and Wyrmwood Apocalypse star Luke McKenzie on the making of their zombie sequel
The idea of making a movie about a viral outbreak during a pandemic is a form of irony that was not lost on director Kiah Roache-Turner or star Luke McKenzie when filming Wyrmwood Apocalypse, but as on the nose it may have been, it was perfectly in tune with the embracement they felt when leaning…
Interview: Sarah Silverman, Michelle Buteau and Marry Me director Kat Coiro on crafting the romantic comedy and working with “the real” Jennifer Lopez
In addition to hearing the principle cast of Marry Me discuss the making of the film, Peter Gray chatted one on one with stars Sarah Silverman, Michelle Buteau, and director Kat Coiro. In between being serenaded by the two comediennes, he discussed working with Jennifer Lopez, the Anaconda reunion we didn’t know we needed with…
Interview: Mark Williams on directing Blacklight with Liam Neeson and filming in Australia
Ever since 2008’s Taken reorganised Liam Neeson‘s career, the actor has embraced his action persona and, almost annually, kept his fans satiated with each subsequent outing. His latest release is Blacklight, a slightly more grounded action film where he stars as FBI operative Travis Block who uncovers a conspiracy within his own agency. To coincide…
Interview: Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson and Maluma on Marry Me; “There are going to be so many people from Latin America that will feel attached to this movie”
Releasing in Australian cinemas today – just in time for the Valentine’s season – Marry Me is the latest romantic comedy from Jennifer Lopez, with the global icon starring as a pop singer who suffers a public humiliation and, on a leap of faith, marries a stranger on an impulsive whim. After saying “I Do”…
Interview: Ciarán Hinds on working with Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench on the “protected” set of Belfast
Predicted to be a major player at this year’s Academy Awards, Kenneth Branagh‘s acclaimed Belfast (you can read our review here) is the celebrated director’s most personal film to date, a semi-autobiographical drama about a young boy growing up in 1960’s Northern Ireland. Assembling one of the year’s finest casts, Ciarán Hinds, a decorated character…
Interview: Director Edoardo Vitaletti on the religious inspiration behind Shudder’s The Last Thing Mary Saw
Following its acquisition by Shudder, Edoardo Vitaletti‘s horror film The Last Thing Mary Saw will commence its streaming season on the genre-centric service from January 20th, 2022. To coincide with the film’s release (you can read our review here), Peter Gray discussed with the writer/director the religious origins of the film, if he felt any…
Interview: The cast of Scream on carrying on the iconic horror franchise; “You don’t want to feel as if you’re copying because that can be virtually disrespectful”
As Scream, the hotly anticipated fifth instalment in the acclaimed horror series, arrives in Australian cinemas today (read our review here), Peter Gray sat down (virtually, of course) with the cast of fresh blood. Melissa Barrera, Jack Quaid, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Sonia Ammar, and Mikey Madison were all on hand to chat with…
Interview: Will Smith and the cast and crew of King Richard; “It’s about family and making it joyful, even though it’s intense”
As King Richard arrives in Australian cinemas today (you can read our review here), Peter Gray was invited to attend a global press conference with select cast members, including recent Golden Globe winner Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Demi Singleton, Saniyya Sidney, and Tony Goldwyn, as well as Venus and Serena Williams, to discuss the making…
Interview: The Addams Family 2 director Conrad Vernon on crafting a sequel and his relationship with animated films
Writer/director Conrad Vernon and the animated genre go hand-in-hand. As both a voice actor and a director, the former storyboard artist has left his stamp on such films as Shrek 2, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Sausage Party. After the success of 2019’s animated update of The Addams Family, Vernon found himself back to the drawing…
Interview: Simon Rex on filming Red Rocket and being “rediscovered” in the process; “I’ve never really been respected as an actor”
For someone who’s receiving unanimous praise and deserved award chatter about his latest performance, Simon Rex is an actor that’s keeping things remarkably cool. Humbled by the reception he’s earning for his role in Sean Baker’s acclaimed comedy Red Rocket as a washed-up former porn star looking to get back on his feet, Rex is…
Interview: Nick Kroll on enjoying the free rein of voicing Uncle Fester in The Addams Family 2
Despite his prolific status within comedy, chances are you’re likely to recognise Nick Kroll‘s voice before seeing him in person. Biding his time between family fare – just this last month he was heard as Gunter in the animated Sing 2 – and more adult aimed comedy – if you’ve laughed at either Coach Steve,…
Interview: Clayton Watson on playing Kid in The Matrix franchise and keeping himself grounded throughout his career; “Be centred and be still, especially in front of the lens”
Clayton Watson may be most familiar to audiences as he appears above, but the actor, best known as Kid from the Matrix sequels Reloaded and Revolutions, is so much more. Returning to Sydney to attend the preview screening of The Matrix Resurrections (you can read our review here), Watson engaged with our own Peter Gray…
Interview: Director Joachim Trier on the messy process of creating The Worst Person in the World
A shortlisted title for Best International Feature at next year’s Academy Awards and currently sitting 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, The Worst Person in the World is undoubtedly one of this year’s most celebrated films. After a successful run at film festivals across the globe, it arrives in Australian cinemas on Boxing Day. To coincide…
Interview: Rodarte designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy on creating costumes for Sing 2
As world-famous designers and founders of acclaimed brand Rodarte, sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy have been at the forefront of fashion since the label’s inception. Not just content dominating their own avenue, the sisters have branched out into the world of film, both as designers creating pieces for the Oscar-winning Black Swan and as directors…
Interview: Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Jessica Henwick on The Matrix Resurrections
Nearly 20 years after it was released, The Matrix still remains a culturally relevant blueprint for which other genre films are based on. Breaking boundaries and expectations in the decades since, with such bold efforts as Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending, director Lana Wachowski has returned to the very IP that launched a phenomenon with…
Interview: Sing 2 director Garth Jennings on classic comedy, dream casting and working with a “melting pot of creativity”
Having a background in live-action comedy films has evidently paid off for director Garth Jennings with his animated aspirations. The acclaimed helmer of such features as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Son of Rambow, Jennings moved into animated fare with 2016’s jukebox-musical success Sing. Now back to reunite his scrappy crew of musical…
Interview: Isabelle Fuhrman on training for The Novice and revisiting her role in Orphan; “You don’t realise what you’re biting off until it’s really hard to chew”
Winner of Best Narrative Feature and Best Actress at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, as well as recently earning nominations for Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Actress at the Independent Spirit Awards, The Novice, director Lauren Hadaway, and actress Isabelle Fuhrman are more than receiving their fair share of accolades for one of this…
Interview: Australian filmmakers the Spierig Brothers on the 20th anniversary of their cult horror hit Undead; “There’s something to be said about leaving directors alone to go and make their movie”
Before making waves in the horror genre with such box office successes and critical winners as Daybreakers, Predestination, and Jigsaw, German-born, Australian-raised brothers Michael and Peter Spierig pooled their talent, connections and coins together for Undead. Originally released in 2003, the low-budget Australian zombie thriller was an homage to the B-grade horror entries of the…
Interview: Dear Evan Hansen director Stephen Chbosky on adapting the stage musical and the isolating feeling of making a film during the pandemic
A coming-of-age stage musical that won immediate critical acclaim from its opening in 2015, Dear Evan Hansen‘s inevitable stage-to-screen adaptation was always going to be a mammoth task to whichever filmmaker dared to take it on. For Stephen Chbosky, it was a challenge he tackled with open arms. As the film arrives in Australian cinemas…
Interview: Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn writer/director Radu Jude on filming through the pandemic and embracing bad behaviour in his storytelling
There are few films that take your breath away in such a graphic fashion as Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn. The Romanian black comedy (you can read our review here) is now screening in select Australian cinemas, and to coincide with its release our own Peter Gray got to chat with the film’s writer…