Puss is done living on the edge. With just one of his nine lives left he retired to a domesticated life.

But being introduced to a dog disguised as a cat his adventurous ways are about to take him back in to the action, with the possibility of wishing for his eight lives to be returned.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a carry on from the Shrek franchise shining the spotlight on Puss and his furry friends (and fiends).

We were invited to have a chat with the legendary actor Antonio Banderas, who voices the character Puss in Boots.

STG: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the new movie from the Shrek universe in over a decade, bringing you back to this iconic character that first appeared in Shrek 2.

Antonio: It’s very interesting because it was in February 2003 when I first voiced Puss. I was in Broadway at the time, doing Nine, and ever since then, I have been busy with this character, somehow.

This last gap in time between movies has been the longest, but I was still in touch with the studio, receiving news from producers about a new script until finally, it happened. So, this was the right time to just pick up Puss in Boots and throw him back into the big screen – the place where he belongs. 

STG: The fans are very excited to see him again on the big screen too.

Antonio: I think so, and it’s beautiful to see how the audience has grown with this character. Puss had such a strong impact from the beginning, not only with audiences all around the world but also with critics. I remember how rewarding it was to participate in the Cannes Film Festival in competition with Shrek 2.

I believe the character has grown with the times, and a good example of that is precisely this last movie, which talks about death in a natural way with a positive message about the value of life. That is a lesson that is important for kids and adults all around the world in this particular moment. 

STG: The story addresses the fact that Puss in Boots is down to the last of his nine lives as a cat.

Antonio: Well, very early into our story – after fighting a giant and being acclaimed by the people of a beautiful village – he gets killed. Initially, that was not a problem because he has nine lives, but he has been using them up.  So, the doctor announced to him that he is down to his last life – which, of course, puts him in a state of being defensive.

Then he decides to cut all his heroic actions and all his arrogance and the different features of his heroic personality and goes to Mama Luna’s Cat Rescue to live with a bunch of little kitties, where Puss lets himself go into a state of semi-depression, you could say. He does not take care of himself and is just living life in a different way. We have never seen Puss in Boots like that before, so left behind, until he starts hearing about this magical wishing star that has landed somewhere in the middle of a forest that might give him the opportunity to recover his lives. 

STG: That’s when an exciting new adventure kicks off?

Antonio: Yes, but he also discovers that there are other parties going after the same objective, like Goldie and the Three Bears and Kitty Softpaws is back too.

STG: They are both joined on this quest to find the wishing star by a delightful new character called Perrito.

Antonio: This beautiful character is a dog that is annoying to them at first, but very funny and sweet. Puss, Kitty, and Perrito form that kind of relationship where, even though they fight, they also deeply love each other. Together, they will go through several different adventures, with good and bad experiences that include the possibility of death.

STG: To Puss, death is represented by a wolf.

Antonio: Yes, it’s like a metaphor – something that is coming after you continuously. Puss feels that the presence of death coming very close to him, which gives him a panic attack and leads him to become an almost existential character. So, there are more complexities and depth to this Puss in Boots than we have seen before in previous movies. But, with the help of his friends Kitty Softpaws and Perrito he will understand the real value of life that he took for granted before. 

STG: So, how does coming to terms with the fact that he only has one life left to live affect him?

Antonio: Now that he has one life, like the rest of us, he is going to learn a beautiful lesson about the value of life itself and how you have to take care of it, because its existence is everything. So, he learns this beautiful lesson, and the entire movie is about that reflection which transpires through adults and kids. Even more now due to what we have lived with the Covid-19 pandemic. Learning about the values of life through the character of Puss in Boots is a beautiful thing, and it has been a beautiful experience for me too.

STG: What do you think of the new look of the film and specifically of your character?

Antonio: I was in awe of the subtleness and the little expressions that they were able to capture out of whatever I gave them with my performance. It was like a ping-pong game that was increasingly interesting every time that we were advancing in the process. It’s amazing what these cartoonists can do; it’s a completely different level.

They capture complexities that are beyond the standardization of characters – which is one of the things that surprised me. So, when I saw the movie, I was so rewarded, it was a unique experience.

STG: This movie and the main character of Puss in Boots embrace diversity.

Antonio: Being Spanish, I have felt misrepresented and that there was a lack of respect for the community before, but here it’s the opposite. One of the things that I always loved about the character of Puss in Boots is that he is the hero and he has an accent. So, it’s not the bad guys that have an accent for a change, which is deconstructing in a way.

These films have been supporting the idea of diversity, and the fact that the hero has an accent, but the bad guys don’t is very interesting for our community. Especially because this is enjoyed by kids growing up with the idea that they should not establish a relationship between bad things and an accent. When I arrived in Hollywood at the beginning of the 90s, there were not so many Latino actors. I remember I was doing a movie called The Mambo Kings, which was the first film I shot in America, and the Latinos that were working with me told me that if I wanted to stay here, I would have to be ready to play bad guys.

But, you know, several years later I got a black hat, a black mask, a cape, and a sword, and I was the hero as Zorro; whereas Captain Harrison Love, who was blonde with blue eyes and spoke perfect English, was the bad guy.

That is when I thought that maybe things were changing in my community, and I believe they have continued to change over the last 25 years.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish releases to cinemas on the 26th of December 2022.

The post Interview w. Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots – The Last Wish) appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

16-year-old Filipina singer, dancer, and actress Frankie McNellis is the breakout star of Netflix’s musical feature film 13: THE MUSICAL, just released globally in over 190 countries to 220 MILLION subscribers.

Starring opposite Emmy Award-winning actresses Debra Messing and Rhea Perlman, as well as Josh Peck of “Drake & Josh” fame, the film is the screen adaptation of the groundbreaking Broadway musical 13 which was Ariana Grande and Elizabeth Gillies (“Victorious”) big debut.

13: THE MUSICAL centers on ‘Evan Goldman’ (Eli Golden), who, after his parent’s divorce, moves from NYC to small-town Indiana and must master the complex social circles of his new school and win friends by turning his Bar Mitzvah into the coolest party of the year.

McNellis plays ‘Lucy’, a popular and mischievous cheerleader who has a crush on the boy that her best friend ‘Kendra’ also likes. She plots an elaborate scheme to prevent them from kissing, roping in an unwitting ‘Evan’. The role, which originally starred Elizabeth Gillies on Broadway, also features one of the most elaborate and impressive musical numbers (“Opportunity”) of the whole film, with Frankie leading the song and dance routine.

The post Frankie McNellis – Netflix’s Next Star appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The mega video gaming franchise Halo has finally been adapted to motion picture, thanks to Paramount+.

Keeping true to its legend and lore, Master Chief, Cortana, Spartan and more all feature in a SciFi battle against The Covenant.

Bringing fierce action, drama and political twisty-ness the series could easily be a standalone as much as it does honour the games.

Thanks to our mates at Paramount+ and TVNZ STG was exclusively invited to a Q&A session with the actors of Halo – the Series.

In the second part of our four part interview series we have a virtual chat with actor Natascha McElhone who plays the character Dr. Halsey.

Natascha McElhone

Q: Your character is quite mysterious and I’m still trying to figure out is she good or bad. Did you have fun playing this character and what was your approach to this character?

Natascha: Yes, I did and I’m glad when that you can come down on one side or another. I’m hoping that it’s possible to hold both of these forces within one person in a way that I suppose, you know, I’m trying to think of our metric for, say, intelligence or something.

It’s not uni-dimensional, and neither is morality. So maybe there’s space for her to be a character who is interested in creating a world where she saves humanity from self destruction or annihilation by the Covenant. But in order to do that has to sacrifice some, you know, lives in the short term in order to save many more in the long term, I suppose. But it was great fun to play and complicated.

Q: How did you create the chemistry and dynamic with Jen Taylor as Cortana as she’s portraying an intelligent, artificial intelligence?

Natascha: Well, I guess you see the whole process of the creation and invention of her. So I, to be honest, most of my research and most of the reading I did in preparation for the show was around how to create or how would we create sort of Cortana like, artificial intelligence.

I found all of that really fascinating.

And this idea that I’ve sort of been banging on about, that morality always lags behind the technology. She doesn’t really think like people, because in her mind she belongs to only one way of thinking, which won’t help us progress out of the extinction of our species, which when we start the show, it looks like the Covenant is going to annihilate us and the Spartans need help.

Q: You were introduced to the game because of your husband and son’s which primarily had an effect on you. Is that correct? And if yes, how did that help you build on your character?

Natascha: Well, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t say that my first introduction to Halo was a joyous creative experience.

It was more of an obstacle to the running of the household. My husband spent quite a long time playing with my little boy on his lap, which I wasn’t sure really counted as childcare but he insisted it did.

To be fair, it doesn’t seem to have done my son any harm. It was a lovely kind of symmetry, if you like, coming into it then as a sort of newbie, I was ignorant in the mechanics of how to play it.

So I did boot camp and I also hung out with a friend who had played three years worth of Halo and who had lived in this portal for many of his student years. He explained the obsession to me, which was really cool.

I had to pivot all of my preconceived ideas about gamers.

Also, my brother is a gamer and a journalist.

He also schooled me a little. But we know, in terms of the actors playing these roles that were well established in the games, we had to find our own way into the characters and a viability that you wouldn’t necessarily get from an animated figure, like we’re not made from silicon.

Q: Has the idea of playing a scientist changed a bit considering all the fights that have erupted around science within the real world recently, has any of those kinds of issues had any impact on the way that you approach the role, the way that you see the role or whether it’s just a question of sticking to the character that you’re given and working within the world that’s been created for?

Natascha: I think there was a lot of discussion and collaboration on the themes that we would press in person and the ones that you know, they would hold back on because they weren’t relevant or pertinent to the Halo universe.

So we do drill into this stuff a little more, I think throughout the series, and certainly in Season Two as well.

Dr. Halsey is first and foremost a scientist, but she’s also a dreamer. An inventor and innovator. And she’s experimental in her approach to life. She’s risk averse. She’s all of these things that we maybe don’t see. An awful lot of today people are quite compliant, we have group-think, she is very much outside of this.

Human beings have used their resources to destroy one another thus far or to destroy, you know, another living species and that’s not going to continue we need to collaborate we need to find a way of not being at war all the time, reducing that risk and so she’s interested in creating forms of consciousness and intelligence that can be more predictive. You know, be more helpful in warfare I suppose. But ultimately, I think she’s really interested in getting out of war and ending that kind of existence.

Q: Halo is a quite big production. How tricky was it to shoot this during the whole COVID restriction?

Natascha: Yes, that was an out of body experience for sure. We did shut down for a year.

Then we came back and there were so many protocols for wearing masks while you’re acting and then taking them off. I mean, yeah, it was crazy as it was for everyone in every walk of life. So I feel really, really blessed that I had a job to go back to in the middle of the pandemic and that we’d already established ourselves and were already were up and running. Also in a sense that it has given us a chance to regroup and think about the parts of the story that were and weren’t working, I suppose.

Q: You spoke a bit about playing the game. And doing the research of the world, etc. But obviously then you go into the set and you see the kind of version of the world that’s been created, and in which you’re going to work. What was your reaction to going from the one to the other and how do you feel about the way that the production team had visualized the universe of Halo?

Natascha: I guess the biggest differences is when you’re playing the game, you know, you’re Masterchief so there are just so many differences because obviously, you’re an audience now, in terms of the TV show, you’re not in the head of any of the characters.

So even though it is the Halo universe and we have to tap into that, we saw the timeline is the one that we’re in and there’s a ton of stuff that’s borrowed and inspired by the game but there’s also a pivoting, new iteration of translation onto the screen.

So I wasn’t surprised that it felt different and also, you’re acting on a project that’s set in the future. There was so much in this particular world where there are so many different Universes and you’re dealing with all kinds of different planets and species and aliens and you know, Covenants,

You’re creating all of those things. Also a lot of it is CGI, so it’s not really there. So you’re having to act with a little red dot on a green screen or you’re sort of suspended outside of any reality, to be honest, and it is incumbent upon you to create the wonder that you’re meant to be seeing around you.

There are so many points of disconnect, I suppose, that’s the nature of acting and the these kind of productions.

Halo the Series is streaming now on Paramount+ internationally and on Duke on TVNZ.

The post Halo the Series – Interview w. Natascha McElhone appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The mega video gaming franchise Halo has finally been adapted to motion picture, thanks to Paramount+.

Keeping true to to it’s legend and lore, Master Chief, Cortana, Spartan and more all feature in a SciFi battle against The Covenant.

Bringing fierce action, drama and political twisty-ness the series could easily be a standalone as much as it does honour the games.

Thanks to our mates at Paramount+ and TVNZ STG was exclusively invited to a Q&A session with the actors of Halo – the Series.

In our four part interview series we kick off a chat with actor Bokeem Woodbine.

Bokeem Woodbine

Q: Are you a fan of SciFi as a genre in terms of being a fan of the books and movies, is it a genre that you like to work in?

Bokeem: I’ve been a fan of science fiction, and a deep admirer of science fiction. Probably from the age two or three years old. It’s always fascinated me. It’s always been incredibly entertaining just as a fan. And I’ve always wanted to be in a science fiction project, and I never thought it would happen.

I just thought it was beyond my reach.

So it’s incredibly gratifying to be involved with the science fiction project. Because even as I participate in a, you know, a show, that is technically a science fiction show. I’m still watching it almost from, you know, outer body perspective and enjoying the spectacle as well. I like science fiction that much.

Q: How challenging was it to carry out your scenes and your movements? Can you tell me a little bit about that?

Bokeem: The costume was cumbersome, to say the least, but I had to achieve in that level of discomfort.

Cumbersome was something I had to work towards. Initially, it was almost impossible for me personally, to move efficiently with the armor of the costume, so I wore a weight vest for several weeks, probably just shy of a month.

I wore a weight vest every day for three to five hours. Just going about my normal routine.

We had really nice accommodations. We had a we had a kind of like a short stay facility or building if you will, we called it the ‘Halo house’.

And I would just walk around my apartment, which is fantastic. And, you know, I’d hang out with some of the other Spartans and actors portraying Spartans and what have you and I would have my weight vest on.

I’d wear it to set when I had to do rehearsals and stuff like that. So it never got easy, but it got possible.

Q: Can you talk about creating the character chemistry and working with Pablo?

Bokeem: Pablo is a great guy. I haven’t known him long but he’s already like, you know, a close friend of mine. And he’s easy to get along with. We have a few things in common as far as our work ethic.

I think we’re both definitely invested in our performances.

And so having that in common, can help create a good bond. And he’s also a lot of fun to hang out with. And I’ve been told I’m fun to hang out with as well.

So we had a really good time. Just, you know, enjoying the city of Budapest and blowing off steam and relaxing and, you know, talking about how we plan to put our best foot forward and give the show our best efforts.

He’s a good dude. I’m a decent cat. And we got along swell, I guess maybe that translated on screen.

Q: How did you approach the personality and the psychology of your character?

Bokeem: You know, in the spirit of transparency, I played Soren as if it were me when I was 17, and I had a certain worldview, and a certain way of approaching life, a certain kind of perspective.

And so the whole time that I was working on that episode and subsequent episodes, whenever I would try to figure out a direction or how to access the truth of the moment, I would just try to imagine how would I feel in this moment, if I were the way I was at that time in my life?

Q: Had you played Halo (the video game) before you were approached to be in the Series?

Bokeem: My experience with Halo, as far as the game is concerned, revolved around watching other people play it.

When I was younger, I, you know, used to hang out with a lot of Halo heads. And I never really got into it. I would just kind of like hang out and watch them play and I guess I was the comic relief because they took it quite seriously.

I will just comment on the game. So I have that kind of proximity to familiarity. But beyond that, I never really played it. And how do I feel it about it? Was I nervous?

I didn’t really have any nerves about it, which is which is odd. I normally get nervous about stuff but you know, as far as approaching a role, but for this one for some reason, I didn’t I didn’t have any nerves.

Q: Doing acting with a green screen background, what was it like?

Bokeem: You know, I’ve done it before a few times. So I had a little experience., but it’s never easy.

Because the natural inclination is to kind of go big. When you’re imagining something like if they say, you know, there’s a dinosaur right there. You know, a lot of times you would imagine that you’re supposed to accept that like that because there’s nothing really practical to reference.

But, the challenge is to really try to imagine what it is you’re seeing. And if you can maybe substitute it for something else, you know, in other words, if they say, okay, you know, there’s a scary monster there, but there is no scary monster maybe you can imagine your mother in law.

But, you know, substitutions can be helpful.

Halo the Series is streaming now on Paramount+ internationally and on Duke on TVNZ.

The post Halo the Series – Interview w. Bokeem Woodbine appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

From Star Trek to CSI, Fringe through to the reboot of Hawaii Five-O, Michelle Krusiec has had an impressive acting career from the 90’s to present.

Just released is the exclusive Shudder horror film, They Live in the Grey.

Michelle plays a clairvoyant called Claire Yang in a creepy scarefest of a film made by the Vang Brothers that hearkens to the likes of Insidious and Sixth Sense.

Thanks to our mates at Shudder, we were able to have a virtual chat with Michelle.

Shane: Hi Michelle, thanks so much for chatting with us here at STG. You’ve had a stellar career in both film and television, even Star Trek if we go back to the early days, CSI, the reboot of Hawaii Five-O and now They Live in the grey. What has been the highlight of it all so far?

Michelle: I think the fact that people are really responding to the emotional journey of the film and not, you know, it’s a horror film but I think it delivers on a psychological experience and sometimes where films give you all of the the spooks and scares but this one gives you something else in addition to that, and I think the fact that people are responding to that is delightful for me. Given that I looked at it as more of an acting film as opposed to a you know, just typical like horror film.

I did another movie called The Invitation (2015) which I had a smaller part in it. And that was, for me, more of a psychological drama and I feel like They Live in the Grey is definitely, I would classify that as classified horror, with a psychological component.

Shane: This is the first horror film that you’ve done, right?

Michelle: Yeah. Yeah, I don’t think I realized how much of a horror it was like, oh, it’s that much blood? You know, in my mind, it was always a little more realistic. Some of the stunts they were doing I thought you know… but no, they’re really going for it. So when I saw it for the first time, I thought, oh, yeah, okay. In my mind, it was just a psychological drama.

Shane: They Live in the Grey is a supernatural horror where you play the main character of Claire Yang. What was it like to go from the likes of TV Series and drama / action films to horror?

Michelle: It wasn’t that different in terms of the way I would play a part, you know, in any in any project but having to stop and and for them to say we’re gonna Green Screen this or you have to imagine, you know, this is happening because that’s what we’re gonna lay in later.

Like for me that was interesting.

I haven’t worked with a ton of those kinds of special effects. So, you know, that’s a part of filmmaking anyways, because it’s so technical. But in terms of, you know, what they were doing on set, they would set up the tone and and you know, granted sometimes effects took the whole process, then you would do the acting and then there was the stunt and then you would maybe get back to the acting if there was time.

I wasn’t surprised so much by that but I did realize like, oh, this is this is them doing their magic behind the scenes and how they get to scare an audience. So that was that was really an enjoyable part of it.

Shane: Claire Yang has the gift of seeing spirits – can you tell us if you’ve ever had any supernatural experiences yourself?

Michelle: I have not had any experiences. So I’m glad to say and I’m very happy to tell you that. I’m not going to open the door on that one as much as you might. Shane I want to stay in the secular world.

But I definitely am somebody who comes from a superstitious culture because you know, Chinese culture is very superstitious. I’m wearing my red band because it’s the Year of the Tiger and I’m a Tiger. So they say, you know, Tigers have to protect themselves. So I am superstitious.

But, you know, I do believe that there probably is the supernatural and the paranormal, but not in my life, only for other people.

Shane: The aim of horror films is to give audiences a good scare. They Live in the Grey is both scary and creepy. Is being on set of a horror film anywhere near as frightening as what audiences can expect when they watch this film?

Michelle: You know what… this house we shot in was haunted and I’m just like, I must have blocked it out.

There was definitely things going on in the house that we shot in. It was not a comfortable house to be in.

The set that you see is very realistic. There was no production designer who came in or we changed anything or renovated the house so that it looked you know, a certain way.

I mean, when you walk into that house, it’s already preset for you.

I felt very presence. Yeah. To the point where I remember not wanting to be in some of the rooms by myself. And normally onset I always want to be by myself so I can prep but this one felt uncomfortable. There was some energy in the space and it wasn’t nice. It was good for the movie, but I was very happy to leave that location.

Michelle: Oh, yeah. You know what, there was also something where I took a picture because I was trying to show my husband this old cabinet in the house, because my husband is into vintage furniture and I remember taking a picture and then when I showed it to him, there was something else in the photo that wasn’t there before.

I showed it to the Vang Brothers and that’s when they told me that the house was haunted. Oh, it’s coming back to me. I blocked it. I blocked it Shane!

Shane: They Live in the Grey debuts exclusively to Shudder on the 17th of February 2022. In your own words, what can horror hungry viewers expect?

Michelle: I think they can expect a film that is filled with spooks and creepy scares and frights.

But also an unexpected journey about a family who’s going through a crisis and the possibility of how do you take perhaps the worst thing you could go through as a parent and turn it into something that might be the new chapter in one’s life, which is what Claire has and how she ends in the movie.

She’s opening a new chapter into her next arena of clairvoyance. Hopefully that didn’t give away the ending though guys.

Shane: Lastly, the Vang Brothers mentioned in a statement recently there are not many Asian leads in western produced horror films. This makes They Live in the Grey a truly special and unique movie. What would you say makes They Live in the Grey a must see for any horror fan?

Michelle: I think it delivers everything you want in a horror film, but in an artistic and an artful way that allows you to not be embarrassed because, you know, some horror films you’re like, oh my gosh, there’s just so much blood and gore.

And it might be fun, but you’re never gonna go see it again. You know, you’re probably gonna see it once and that’s it.

And this is the kind of movie you you’ll return to and it will provoke thought, it doesn’t make you wait for it. You know, it’s not a slow burn. It’s not something that you’ve got to sit through two hours and then it’s all only in the ending.

I think it’s a really fun ride but it delivers a really emotional experience that’s unexpected.

Shane: Thanks you so much Michelle for chatting to us about your amazing career and the film They Live in the Grey.

They Live in the Grey is streaming on Shudder from the 17th of February 2022.

The post Interview w. Michelle Krusiec (They Live in the Grey – Shudder) appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Thanks to our pals at AMC Network and Shudder (AMC’s subscription horror streaming network) Shane from STG was privileged to have a virtual chat to Matthew Ninaber on his new film, Death Valley (and Psycho Goreman!).

Shane: Hey Matthew, thanks for chatting with me today! So, how did you get yourself into filmmaking? Specifically horror.

Matthew: Oh, that’s been that’s been a journey. I’ve always wanted to be Movie Maker. And I’ve loved acting. I think horror is something that was more so attractive to me recently because of the role I got to be PG in Psycho Gorman. And being on set and seeing how people were doing practical effects I just fell in love with that.

I always had a deep love for horror movies, but I just had no idea how it was done and sitting in that monster suit, as Psycho Goreman and watching Steve (Steven Kostanski), the director and his team, do all these practical effects. I’m like, oh my goodness, this is this is what’s possible. And it got me so excited. Coz like you know what, I’m going to take my love action movies and my love of horror and I’m going to just make a little baby and and that’s kind of how that started.

Shane: That flows very nicely into my next question, which is Death Valley (which is exclusive to Shudder), is a film that you’ve both written and directed, and also produced it too. So what can you tell horror fans of what they can expect before they watch it?

Matthew: So what you can expect is it’s not a one location movie. I wanted to make something that was big, something that was fun, something that had a practical monster in it. And it’s like a buddy cop meets a horror movie, like The Thing, Resident Evil, DOOM kind of vibe.

So I tried to take Bad Boys and merge it with a little Resident Evil and make this concoction. So that’s kind of what I was aiming to do.

It’s still during the pandemic. In fact, I started this movie when there was nothing happening in the film industry. I was let go of my job because of COVID. And I decided, like, you know what? Why not? Let’s just go make a movie.

I messaged Steve, I’m like, can you make me a monster suit? And he’s just like, Matt, I have all your molds from PG (Psycho Goreman). I’m going to make you something and we talked about the design a couple times. And then it was basically Monday to Friday building sets building the world and on the weekend, I got my friends over and we made a movie and I am really, really proud of it. Happy I think a lot of people are going to be into it if you’re into creature practical effect movies, I think you’re gonna be pleasantly surprised.

Shane: My next question, which we’ve already alluded to, Death Valley is a mix of horror, sci fi and action. What was the creative fuel behind this mix of genres?

Matthew: I think, like, Psycho Goreman, is very funny nonsensical. It’s an ‘out there’ movie.

Steven was just fantastic. And I wanted to make Death Valley taking a lot of my favorite moments from video games, from movies and kind of make a thank you to so many movies that grew up with. And that was kind of the idea.

I’ve never been locked into like one genre. And even as a writer, director, we just played around and seeing like, what looked ‘Alien’ to us.

There is, kind of, some take of the ideas from ‘Alie’n I really love DOOM, I loved Halo Gears of War, Resident Evil, those video games while growing up were so cool.

So I was like, oh, can I just, you know, use those inspiration of things that I just love. There’s a video game called Fear. And I love that and so I just sat down and wrote something around the things I had but then also the things that I love growing up and trying to create the cop movie like that in Bad Boys and like Terminator 2.

I wanted to bring some of those things that have shaped me as a person, and kind of bring that into my film. So that was that was the intent of where we’re going, obviously, like on a budget and in a cool little contained world. But that’s, yeah, that’s kind of the birthing of it.

Shane: I’ve got to ask this question just because I’m a fan.of the Psycho Goreman film. What was the inspiration behind them Psycho Goreman because it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Matthew: The way Steve wrote it. It definitely makes fun of itself and and playing PG was a very interesting time. Like that was the first time being a Monster and the first time seeing how all these effects go. And for me, again, I actually borrowed from a lot of classics, older men stuck with kids like Sean Connery and Harrison Ford and tried to borrow some of those characters and make it deadpan because PG is quite miserable.

He’s stuck with those two kids and and I really tried to play that out so that if you haven’t seen it, there’s a point where he is free like genie and has an opportunity to just be him so then there’s that explosion of happiness when he actually gets to fight and tear out people’s guts. So I I really, really, really enjoyed PG. He could be quite a quite a crazy character and the way Steve just allowed us to be free and the other characters was just fantastic. I don’t think I’ve answered your question.

Being in a monster suit is really miserable, so I try to channel that misery into his being captive to this little girl and I really hope there’s a sequel coming so that I can pick that character back up.

Shane: So how’s your ‘Crazy Ball’ skills?

Matthew: To be honest, I still don’t understand the game. ‘Crazy Ball’ being explained to you with foam between your ears… I got the dodge ball, I get the thing hitting the air. That scene was absolutely hilarious to film, and so much fun. That was the most time I moved around in a monster suit. It needed repairs (afterwards). And this is the first time we just wanted to go wild. So I took out a lot of aggression with those dodgeball-like scenes and I picked off both Owen and Anita a couple times and that felt glorious. A good time. I hope we revisit ‘Crazy Ball’.

Shane: What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Matthew: I think the highlight… every movie we do is a highlight . PG was such an eye opener and being able to work with such talented people and learn from them that was like, like, you don’t know what you don’t know and be able to see what they did and how they did it and being on set for like 35 days and just watching over and over again how Steve was doing things and how Chris said his team were handling things was just so good.

But I think a highlight is each time being on set, you get to learn and then you get to come back and bring that to your own movies. And as a filmmaker for myself, my goal is I want to make really good movies and to be able to grow each time to get a little bit better, a little bit better, a little bit better. And and that means that that’s exciting for me.

So I love when people come on the journey and and I’m hoping that like someday we can make things that are just going to be you know, things that make memories and the way I’ve been shaped by movies. I hope I get to help shape people and be part of stories that really, you know, make people laugh, inspire them like the fact that I got to be PG .PG really made an impact and stuck with people. As an actor, that’s exciting.

It’s so cool to see how PG results with people. Yeah.

Shane: Psycho Goreman is one of those films that it’s a modern day cult classic. That’s how I would sum it up. Okay, so now Death Valley is wrapped up and about to release. What is next for you that you can talk about?

Matthew: So next up, like right now we’re working with a team of writers and we’re just trying to get the next slate of films going. So we have some fun ideas. We have a couple of monster movies a couple of non monster movies and then Steve, the director of PG he’s writing like a madman, the next PG, so I’m hoping that gets picked up and and that we can keep going on this journey. So that’s, that’s kind of what the future is. It’s a little unknown. I’m hoping that people enjoy Death Valley and that we can keep making stuff. Whether that’s filming or being in a monster suit. I don’t really care as long as I get to keep being in this universe. A lot of fun.

Shane: And just on a side note, I did pick up a Resident Evil inspiration from Death Valley.

Matthew: That video game was so much fun and, and again, there’s just a lot of inspirations from from titles that just saved me as a kid growing up. It’s kind of like when you hear someone tell a joke and then you want to tell your own version of it. I love so much about Resident Evil, DOOM, Halo, Gears of War, all those video games and then the movies that go along with it.

Shane: If you had to describe Death Valley in only a few words to someone, what would they be?

Matthew: Buddy up mercenary movie with monsters.

Death Valley releases on December the 9th, 2021 exclusively on Shudder. Filled with action, mayhem and monsters. Don’t miss it!

The post Interview w. Matthew Ninaber – Writer, Director & Producer of ‘Death Valley’ appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Acting, writing and Directing, Cybil Lake is as professional, natural and at home in front of the camera as she is behind it.

With a slew of films and series to her credit Cybil has recently released a psychological horror / thriller film; Central Park Dark where she plays one of the main characters, Anna, alongside co-star Tom Sizemore (playing Thomas Winters).

The film sees a one-night stand that turns into a never-ending nightmare within the seemingly endless Central Park in New York.

As screenwriter, Director and one of the main protagonists Cybil manages to find the time to have a virtual sit down and chat with us from L.A.

Shane: Hi Cybil, thanks so much for taking the time to chat to us here at STG about your upcoming thriller / horror film ‘Central Park Dark’. For those that have yet to see the film, what can they expect?

Cybil: Central Park Dark is a thriller / horror about a one night stand that turns into a never ending nightmare. Thomas, an alcoholic, married doctor reconnects with Anna, an unstable woman, with whom he has a past. After a heated argument, she jumps out of his window, then begins to torment him, though it’s unclear if she’s alive or not. Appearing in his dreams, Anna lets him in on a secret about the long history of dark forces in Central Park. Working with these dark forces, Anna takes revenge on Thomas through a series of ancient rituals. As Thomas struggles to return to his normal life, and keep his secret from his wife, a descent into darkness ensues.

Initially, I wrote this film as a metaphor for alcohol but it transformed into a metaphor for motherhood.

Shane: Yourself being one of the main stars of the film and also the Director how did you find the transitioning during production going from being in character to Director?

Cybil: I love acting and directing. When I give myself the time that I would to any other actor, then the transition is smooth. But if I am in a rush, and I don’t sink into the character, well, I can notice those parts in the finished product. But, I doubt others can. I love when others direct me. I hope to have more of that in the future.

Shane: About yourself, how did you get in to acting?

Cybil: I wanted to be an actor even as a child. Performing is my passion. I love telling stories truthfully moment to moment. When you’re ‘on’ — there’s nothing like it in the world. I think that’s why so many folks want to be actors, when doing it – it’s intoxicating.

Shane: And finally, now that Central Park Dark is currently streaming on Amazon Prime what is next up for you?

Cybil: I’m working on a TV dramedy called Bicoastal and a film thriller called White Lies and Darker Ones. Mostly, I really hope to get involved in more and larger projects. I’m open and ready!

Shane: Thanks so much for finding the time to chat to us in your super busy schedule.

Central Park Dark is streaming now on Amazon Prime and a definite thrill ride of a watch. Don’t miss it.

The post Interview w. Actor | Director Cybil Lake appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

From Vampire Diaries to Creepshow and more, we were honored to be able to have a distance chat with the amazingly multi-talented Sydney Wease.

The young Sydney has already made her mark in both film and TV starring in mega hit TV Series’ aswell as taking the initiative of adapting to all sectors of the big and small screen industry.

Photo credit: penguinuhh.photo

Shane: Hey Sydney, thank you so much for chatting to us at STG. From being raised in Arizona, living in Japan at one time to going on to the small screen (TV) and big screen (Film), how did it all happen?

Sydney: I am a military brat so I am very fortunate to have lived in so many beautiful places. As for my acting career, it goes way back. I think I was 10 when I told my parents that I wanted to be an actor. My parents kind of brushed it off because they didn’t think I was very serious about it, so I got into theatre. I performed a lot of shows for this kid’s theatre company and then went on to taking drama classes at my middle school. After one particular performance, my mom realized how much I wanted to be an actor, and we both did research into it. I got my first agent at 13. I was living in Utah at the time, and I did so many indie short films I couldn’t even name all of them. In my freshman year of highschool, my dad retired from the military and was given the option to move anywhere and the military would move us for free. My mom and I wanted to go to Los Angeles and my dad said “Hell No”. So we did research and realized Atlanta had a great film industry; so that’s where we moved. There couldn’t have been a better place for me to build my acting career. A little less than a year after arriving in Atlanta, I signed with an agent and booked my first co-star on The Vampire Diaries. That show was the start of my career and now I can call myself a working actor. I am so beyond grateful for everything in my life, and all of the people who have guided me through this journey.

Photo credit: KW photography

Shane: You have starred in a few major TV series; Vampire Diaries and AMC’s Creepshow. Throughout your career which has been your most favourite experience so far?

Sydney: Ahhh! This is a great question but it’s so hard to answer. I think all of the things that I have done have been so amazing in their own unique way. Overall, I think Creepshow has been my favorite project that I have worked on so far. It is a horror anthology series on Shudder, but it is airing on AMC starting May 4th. I have always wanted to work on something in the horror genre because scary movies are my absolute favorite and this was the perfect project for that. I remember when I booked it and went to the table read for it, Tom Savini showed all of us the studio. We got to walk around our set and see the making of Champy, but we also got to look at the other sets that had been used or were still being built. It was so amazing to see how many different sets could be made in one studio. For this episode, I also got a taste of what a series regular is like and that was the absolute best feeling in the world. Not to mention, everyone on that set was so humble and so wickedly talented. Getting to work with Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero was a dream come true. They are both such sweet souls and I loved talking to them about how they got to where they were. It was just so inspiring being around them. The story of my episode was based off of Joe Hill’s story “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain” and the teleplay was written by Jason Ciaramella. Joe Hill and Jason Ciaramella are both so amazing at what they do and I find them very inspirational as well. I just knew after this episode wrapped, that I wanted to be a series regular for the rest of my life. I always tell my parents and friends that I want to work like I did on Creepshow for another few months!

Sydney Wease – Creepshow Episode 6: By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain

Shane: You have also written, directed and filmed your own work aswell. How did you find the transition going from acting to doing almost the entire production?

Sydney: I’ve always wanted to do more with my career than just be an actor. Before I left for Atlanta I wanted to bring all of the people that I cared about into a film that we would all remember forever. So I actually cast all of the actors that were attending the same acting class as me in SLC, and we made a film together. It was very interesting since I wrote it, directed it, and produced at age 14, but it was a wonderful experience that I will never forget to this day. Being able to direct, produce, and write things have always been an interest of mine and I know that I want to do more of it in the future as well.

Shane: Currently with the pandemic and lockdowns everywhere, how are you fulfilling your time while keeping up with upcoming acting / production roles?

Sydney: This pandemic is something that I never would have thought would happen in my lifetime. It is such a strange time to be alive. However, I am grateful to be happy and healthy. I am surrounded by such lovely people who I love very much and that’s all I could ask for. As for the film industry, it is also unfortunately shut down. I have been keeping my creative energy through doing a lot of open calls. So many casting directors are giving actors a chance to get in front of them and I think that is so nice and helpful. I also have been attending Zoom classes and meetings with casting directors who are doing Q&A’s and that is also inspiring in it’s own way. It is wonderful seeing all of the industry folks being mindful of this quarantine, yet giving all of us creative individuals a chance to show our talent. I know after this quarantine, there is going to be a lot of amazing stories being told and I am so ready for it.

Photo credit: Anthony Paderewski

Shane: And finally, what advice would you give to others wanting to forge their own path in Film and TV?

Sydney: The advice that I would give to other creatives out there is to just go for it. You have this one life and you are the only person who can achieve your goals. You need to get out there into the world and you need to do what you feel is right for yourself. It is such a beautiful thing when someone can say that what they are doing is what they want to do for the rest of their lives. That their work, is something that they adore so much. You have to go for it, but don’t beat yourself up over it. Stay true to yourself and be happy please.

A huge thank you to the outstandingly talented Sydney Wease for taking the time to chat to us. You can check out all of Sydney’s past work at her official IMDB profile and follow her on Instagram.

The post Interview w. Actress Sydney Wease appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

British born but L.A. based Darren Jacobs has an outstanding portfolio when it comes to both his live acting and voice over work.

From Guardians of the Galaxy 2 through to Ford vs. Ferrari and being a NPC in the PlayStation 4 exclusive Death Stranding game, Shane from STG was honoured to be able to have a chat with Darren inbetween his projects in L.A.

Darren Jacobs photo credit to Bobby Quillard

Shane: Hi Darren, thanks for chatting to us here at STG. Please tell us a bit about your yourself and how you got in to both vice acting and live acting?

Darren: I’m originally from the North of England. I started acting when I was about 13. I did the wrong audition and booked a job, but then booked a TV role in a Scottish accent soon after. Because of that, it made me think about pursuing a career in performing arts…so I started a grueling regimen to learn to sing, dance, and act…and at 18 I won a scholarship in London. After graduating, I began to work on London’s West End, but I was always interested in voice acting too (especially after working with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where they nurtured your vocal skills). I won a scholarship to study voice acting, commercial work, and screen acting in NYC…and it was there that I began to seriously think about coming to the USA…and also doing more voice acting. After moving to LA I took more voice classes and soon acquired an agent. I started booking TV commercials…but animation and gaming was a harder market to crack.

Shane: Death Stranding is easily one of 2019’s biggest video games for PS4. How do you find the transition between V/O’s through to live acting?

Darren: To tell you the truth it’s not easy at first, but with practice and coaching you learn to utilize your voiceover skills. You can’t fake being a voiceover actor. You are literally in a booth with a glass window with up to fifteen people in the next room, listening and directing you. You have to be able to produce the goods when they require it…which is similar to stage work.

What I love is that my theatre and camera training are such GREAT tools for my voiceover work. You have to use your imagination loads in the booth, but then physicalize it in your voice. Believe me, it is not easy to do…and voiceover work is not an easy niche to get into.

Darren Jacobs photo credit to Bobby Quillard

Shane: With some very impressive film on your portfolio such as Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Captain Marvel, Men in Black: International to name a few what has been the highlight or highlights of your career so far?

Darren: To tell you the truth, for me it’s not about how famous the project becomes, or the awards it garners. It’s about what I learn from it, who I work with, what reaction people have to the work, and whether I was happy with what I did in it. I know that Hollywood is about the business, but I truly still love the art. I loved working on Guardians not because it was a sequel to a huge blockbuster, but because it was Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy…something I loved for many years. I have been so lucky with my career so far and I can say that I have truly worked on some remarkable projects. I was in the Original World Cast of London’s ‘Chitty Chitty Bang! Bang!’ and from that show my fondest memory was me standing at the piano with the famous Sherman Brothers (who wrote the music to Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins, and Chitty) and singing along to their famous songs with just the two of them during one lunch break. Imagine that! I also love seeing people’s reactions to projects. I was working in Los Angeles, and I was sat in the hotel’s hot tub and some of the other guests also in the hot tub were talking about the project I was in and how it really touched their hearts. They had no idea that I was a part of the show, and I sat there as they talked about it for ages, just listening to their opinions…and I never told them I was in it. I felt so proud that it had truly affected them in such a deep way.

Darren Jacobs photo credit to Bobby Quillard

Shane: Are there any actors that inspire you?

Darren: So many. In so many ways…

Jake Gyllenhaal. Mary McDonnell, Javier Bardem, Toni Collette, Maggie Gyllenhaal. Oprah Winfrey, Alan Rickman. Naomi Watts. James Mcavoy, Angela Bassett, Mads Mikkelson, Michael Fassbender, Viola Davies, Imelda Staunton. Honestly, the list will go on and on. But what I love about all of the actors I mentioned above is that I always feel a sense of wild rawness from their performances. There is no safety, no acting by numbers; they act with impulses that come from the heart and truly captivate me. I don’t ever feel like they are just making faces, they are there, LIVING it. A lot of people can say lines on cue, some can do it convincingly… but only a few can snap you up and take you on a journey with them…

THAT is truly acting.

Shane: Going forward, what’s next in line (that you can talk about) for you in 2020 and beyond?

Darren: I am in a short called ‘When The Train Stops’ produced by Glamford Road Productions and directed by James Kerwin. It’s similar to The Twilight Zone…with a cool twist at the end. Another film that is starting to make the festival circuit is called ‘Washed Away’ directed by Heidi Hornbacher. This is a lovely little short about life, loss, and self-discovery written by the English artist Paul Whitehead. I am also in a British feature called ‘Elevator Gods’. This is a movie about 80’s tribute bands…and I play Simon Le Bon…with blonde hair. Finally, I am a part of an ongoing Peabody nominated radioplay series called ‘Suspense’. This is a series that was popular in the 40’s and 50’s consisting of 30-minute radioplays. You can hear these on SoundCloud, YouTube, and on however you listen to your podcasts. I really do recommend giving them a try. Other than that, I’m not really allowed to talk about my other projects…

Our thanks go out to Darren for taking the time to talk with us. Keep an eye and ear out for more of his work in both video gaming and live action films.

The post Interview with Actor & Voice Over Artist Darren Jacobs appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Shazam! is about to ignite movie theatre screens globally.

The DC Comic’s character sees a teenage boy get to grips with new found powers that turns him in to the adult sized, cape wearing, lightning blasting super hero, who at heart just wants a family.

Thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures, STG has a sit down and chat with Zachary Levi, the actor who plays and stars in the DC Films’ Shazam.

Zachary Levi

QUESTION: You’re a self-professed nerd, so what’s this journey, playing Shazam, been like for you?

ZACHARY LEVY: The wish fulfillment that the movie is about is the same wish fulfillment that’s been in my own life. It’s so incredible. It’s so incredible to have loved superheroes and comics and videogames and all that stuff for so long, always dreaming like, “Oh, you know, maybe I’ll get a shot at playing a bona fide superhero one day.” And then being 37 and being like, “I don’t know. Maybe I missed my shot.” And now getting to do that. There were a couple of roles over the years that I wished I auditioned for, or that I came close to and I didn’t get. Then having gotten this role and having played this 14-year-old inside? I wouldn’t change it for anything. I feel like it was destined to be, because I’m just kind of a big man-child [Laughs] in a lot of ways. So, it worked out perfectly for me, and yeah, it’s just been very dreamy.

QUESTION: What are the attributes of Shazam that inspire you?

ZACHARY LEVY: His heart. Ultimately the Wizard chooses Billy Batson to be Earth’s mightiest mortal, Shazam, because of his heart, because of the strength and purity and depth of his heart, traits that even Billy doesn’t know he has. I love characters like that. I think we need more of them. I think that we need to be inspiring people to be more selfless and more thoughtful of their fellow man. And I just really love being able to bring those types of characters to life. I try to walk as upright as I can in life and try to do as much good in life as I can, and so I love that about him. But also, that he’s 14 and just gets to be kind of silly and young at heart. And then of course all of the actual superhero stuff, like super strength, and super speed, and flying and shooting electricity out of my hands!

QUESTION: He has a lot of cool powers.

ZACHARY LEVY: Yeah, he’s stacked! There are so many really fun things that—when you’re making the movie—require a lot of visual effects, which are done later. But just to imagine it, just in the moment when I was doing it, it was a lot of fun.

QUESTION: One of the things that’s unusual about this film is that there are two actors playing one character. How did you work that out with Asher Angel, who plays Billy, and your director David F. Sandberg?

ZACHARY LEVY: It was mostly with David because Asher was still shooting his television show when we were starting production on the movie. So, Ash and I got a couple of days of some meetings, having a meal, getting to know each other, and some rehearsals with David. And then he had to go and was shooting the show and I was making the movie, and then we were never really on set together. So then you’re trusting your director to be the connective tissue, to make sure it’s all there. But that’s what you’re doing with the director any time, because they’re the ones seeing all the pieces. We’re just there to provide what our services are at any given point. And Asher is such a great kid. So was Jack. I was so grateful to go and work with genuinely good, talented kids who’ve got good families, too. That was really a treat.

QUESTION: Jack Dylan Grazer plays Freddy who is really the perfect sidekick and the only way your character is going to learn about being Shazam.

ZACHARY LEVY: Oh, yeah, he’s like, you know, my little Yoda almost. He’s the real superhero aficionado, so he’s the one who knows about all of them and their powers. He has studied them. He’s enthralled with it all, whereas Billy’s sole purpose and drive in life is find my parents, find my parents, find my parents, and just surviving on the streets. He’s not tracking the superhero world as much as Freddy is, so to have that coach, that guy in my corner, teaching me the ropes and telling me about all the various things that these superheroes can do, or testing out different powers… I mean, there’s so much comedy in all of it and so much fun in all of that stuff. It was one of my favorite parts of doing the movie.

QUESTION: And Freddy is his first real friend, isn’t he?

ZACHARY LEVY: Yeah, basically, because Billy’s been kicking around in and out of foster care in different homes, running away and on the street. And this is the first family that he’s really kind of sticking around in a little bit and finding somebody who’s of the same age and a peer, and that they can bond over this thing, for sure.

QUESTION: Every superhero has to look like that they can kick anyone’s butt, so what was your training regimen like to look the part and to do all the stunts, too?

ZACHARY LEVY: I’m really grateful that nobody at Warner Bros., DC, New Line said you’ve got to be in a certain shape to do this, as far as physical appearance. But they did say they wanted to make sure that I could physically do all the things that they were going to need me to do, to which I was like, “Yeah, yeah, me too.” But beyond that, I also wanted to look as much the part as I could for just my own confidence and my own kind of journey as a man, and as an actor filling the shoes of this character. I wanted to go and have a transformation. So, I’ve been in the gym basically six days a week for certainly the last year, maybe even a little bit longer, 14 months or so, eating thousands and thousands of calories a day. That’s actually the hardest part of it. The gym I’m addicted to and I love, and I can’t wait to get to the gym every day. I just feel, even from a mental health perspective, it’s so healthy for you. I’m stronger and healthier than I’ve ever been in my life, lifting more and more, and getting more and more definition in my body. Going to the gym literally releases so many healthy endorphins and makes your head and your heart feel so much better. The entire transformation has been really, really awesome, and I keep going. I probably weigh about 220 pounds now, and I was 200 pounds when I started, so I put on about 20 pounds. Somehow, in the back of my mind, I always believed that I was going to get a job one day and they were going to pay me to get into the best shape of my life!

QUESTION: Shazam is not only the name of the character and the title of the film, but it’s the magic word that makes that transformation happen. If you could say a magic word in your real life, what would you want to happen?

ZACHARY LEVY: Oh gosh. I always take these questions way too seriously. But literally, if I could say a magic word and anything could happen, I would say a magic word and we would legitimately be at peace as human beings and we would feel love and empathy for one another all the way around the world. We would be free of our fears and our insecurities and not be dealing with the anger and the hate that comes from the fears that we deal with. I think that’s why we have all the problems that we have in the world right now, there’s just a lot of fear. And that fear is used by certain people to wield power, and even that is coming out of their own insecurities and fears. So, if I could snap my fingers or say a word, I would erase all of that.

QUESTION: That actually plays into the film’s storyline, with the Seven Deadly Sins and the villainous Dr. Sivana and what he wants.

ZACHARY LEVY: Oh, yeah. The depth of the themes in this movie were one of the things that I loved the most about it. As a spiritual person, getting to play a hero with a pure heart who is tasked with defeating sin is like, “Let’s do it! Let’s go take down Sloth and Greed and Envy and Pride and all of these things that are screwing with our heads and our hearts.” And what if we did that? What if we could do that? In a movie context, it’s great to be able to tell stories like that, but I want to be able to use this and the platform that comes with this movie to genuinely talk about that and to keep building empathy with people. If nothing else, I hope my life’s work is building bridges and building empathy and having people love more, because it’s pertinent and applicable all through time. It’s the human condition.

QUESTION: You have a unique connection to the people who love movies like this, because you are one of them. So, when you’re sitting in the audience with the fanboys, what do you want them to experience as they watch this movie? As the person who’s playing Shazam, but also as the guy who knows what fans want when they come to these movies?

ZACHARY LEVY: It’s pretty simple. I want them, and everyone, to walk away from this movie feeling joy. I want them to walk away from this movie going, “That was so fun and well-executed, and just a good—nay, not good, great—movie.” But from a very specific fanboy perspective, I want all those fanboys and fangirls to have felt considered and thought of and respected in how we tackle the source material and how we honour that source material. It’s a difficult thing to do, and I’ve had some social media conversations with some folks about some of this stuff. The character has been around for a really long time and it’s gone through many different iterations. You’ve got old-school fans of a somewhat different character than what Shazam is now. The original Billy would say “Shazam!” and literally turn into a man—he wasn’t a kid inside anymore. The wisdom of Solomon overtook all of that and he spoke like a man and he walked like a man and he was a man.

Now, to me it’s a much more interesting and dynamic character when he’s still a kid inside, and certainly a lot of fun to play. So, trying to get all of those different fans from many different generations all to be able to see what we’ve given them and say, “You know what? For all intents and purposes, they hit as many notes as they could for us, because they cared about us and they cared about the canon.” As a fan of a lot of different IPs or universes, when I go to a movie and I feel like they have just not cared at all about what the source was, I feel disrespected. So, I really hope that all the fanboys and fangirls will walk away from this going, “They busted their butts to try and make this as true to the heart of the character that we all liked and fell in love with.” Because we did.

****

Thanks Zachary for chatting to us, we have seen and loved the film. Shazam! releases worldwide at Cinemas on the 4th of April, 2019.

The post Shazam! Interview w. Zachary Levi appeared first on Shane the Gamer.