Interviews

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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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Interview: Christopher Scott on choreographing Wicked for the big screen and honouring the stage show through the film

After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu, Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive…

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Interview: Nathan Crowley on producing the design of Wicked; “You’re touching on something that everyone loves.”

After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu, Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive…

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Interview: Wicked Hair and Make-up Designer Frances Hannon on finding her own vision within the land of Oz

After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu, Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive…

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Interview: Damien Leone on pushing the boundaries in Terrifier 3, being cautious of “icon” status and paying homage to classic horror

The little horror movie series that could, Terrifier has taken both the terrifying Art the Clown and its creator, writer/director/special effects artist Damien Leone, to gory heights as each film pushes the boundaries on what it is to truly unnerve genre audiences. As Terrifier 3 massacres its way into Australian theatres this weekend (you can…

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Interview: Jack Kesy on inhabiting comic book royalty in Hellboy: The Crooked Man; “There’s always an element of wanting the validation of the people that really want to see it.”

Actor Jack Kesy is no stranger to dabbling in the realms of the action (The Killer), comic book (Deadpool 2) and horror genres (TV’s The Strain) across his career thus far.  But what about an amalgamation of all three? Following in the footsteps of Ron Perlman and David Harbour before him, Kesy is stepping into…

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Interview: Focus on Ability Short Film Festival ambassador Paula Duncan on the importance of inclusivity

For the 16th consecutive year, NOVA Employment proudly presents the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival, a vibrant festival which invites filmmakers to celebrate the abilities of people with disabilities, sharing powerful stories that can captivate audiences around the globe. This year has been nothing short of spectacular, with generous sponsors contributing over $100,000 in…

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Interview: Megan Park and Maisy Stella on the cathartic experience of making My Old Ass and working with “good human” Margot Robbie

Following its winning over audiences at both this year’s Sundance and Sydney Film Festivals, My Old Ass is arriving in Australian theatres this week for all to witness Megan Park‘s “deliriously sweet, always charming, oft-hilarious venture.” (You can read the rest of our review here). Featuring a stand-out performance from Maisy Stella, My Old Ass…

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Interview: Director Peter Hastings on the unique animated style of Dog Man; “It’s all driven by the feeling we wanted.”

Part dog, part man, all hero. From DreamWorks Animation, creators of the beloved blockbuster franchises Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and The Boss Baby, comes the canine-crime-fighting film adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s New York Times bestselling literary phenomenon: Dog Man. When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are…

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Interview: Kate Hudson, Kaia Gerber and director Max Minghella on their campy black comedy Shell

If you could restore youthful beauty and guarantee longevity by committing to a few days of mysterious treatments, would you? Would you trust your life and health to science and technology that might be more hype than healthy?  Enter Shell. Samantha (Elisabeth Moss) is thinking it over. She’s a slightly unkempt, earnest, talented actress who…

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