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‘Whistle’ Exclusive Interview: Dafne Keen
Dafne Keen as “Chrys Willet” in the horror film, ‘Whistle’, an IFC and Shudder release. Photo courtesy of IFC and Shudder.

Opening in theaters on February 6th is the new horror film ‘Whistle’, which was directed by Corin Hardy (‘The Nun’), and stars Dafne Keen (‘Logan’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’), Sophie Nélisse (‘Yellowjackets’), and Nick Frost (‘How to Train Your Dragon’).
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Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dafne Keen about her work on ‘Whistle’, her first reaction to the screenplay and the movie’s extensive gore, falling in love with the horror genre, her character’s traumatic past, working with actors Sophie Nélisse and Nick Frost, and director Corin Hardy’s vision for the project.

Related Article: Dafne Keen Talks ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and Returning as Laura / X-23

Dafne Keen as “Chrys Willet” in the horror film, ‘Whistle’, an IFC and Shudder release. Photo courtesy of IFC and Shudder.

Moviefone: To begin with, this is a super gory and violent movie. What was your first reaction to the screenplay and did the gore read on the page?

Dafne Keen: Absolutely. The way Owen Egerton wrote it was so descriptive and wonderful. That was something that really sold me on it because I’d never done horror and I was very scared of horror before I did this film. But I really loved how beautiful the deaths were. They were very gory, but they were described in a poetic and stunning way. Then the way that Corin brought it to life was so wonderful, because Corin comes from an art background, so he was very much focused on making it as practical as possible. I really enjoyed the whole gore aspect of it, even though notoriously, according to all my friends and my family, everyone knows that I’ve never been a horror girl, but I was loving it.

Director Corin Hardy on the set of ‘Whistle’. Courtesy of Michael Gibson. An Independent Film Company and Shudder Release.

MF: Since you were not a fan of the genre before you made the movie, are you now, and was it fun making a horror movie?

DK: Yeah, it was so fun. I had the best time. I’m now a huge fan of horror. I would like to credit a lot of my love for horror to this film. A lot of it to one of the actors in it, who’s a good friend of mine in Percy Hynes White, who heard that I didn’t like horror and he was like, “We’re going to give you a horror crash course”. So, we had a little movie night and we watched ‘The Exorcist’ and he gave me a whole list. He was like, “These are the gold standards of horror films, and you need to watch them.” Since then, I’m now a huge horror fan. But the reason why I really loved the project was because it felt so character driven, and I loved Ellie and Chrys’ relationship. I thought it was such a beautiful love story and it really stuck out to me. I think it so important to write queer stories that aren’t focused on the queerness of it. It just felt like it was a love story and they happened to be queer. But they could have been straight, and it would have been the same story. There was something so beautiful about the queer joy in it and Chrys is such a beautiful character. I thought that all the characters were so defined and special that I read the script and it was a no brainer.

Dafne Keen as “Chrys Willet” in the horror film, ‘Whistle’, an IFC and Shudder release. Photo courtesy of IFC and Shudder.

MF: Can you talk about the trauma that Chrys is dealing with at the beginning of the movie and how it literally haunts her throughout the film?

DK: I think that is a great question because that’s a huge part of who Chrys is and how we meet Chrys. I think at the beginning when we find her, she thinks that that history is detrimental to her. She’s kind of a worse person for it, like she’s worse for wear. I think falling in love with Ellie makes her realize that that’s made her grow and that that’s made her into so much more of a wonderful and compassionate person because of it. I think that’s so important. It was so interesting to dive into it and I had so many conversations with Corin about what that would look like and how did we want to portray Chrys’ drug addiction and her grief in a way that wouldn’t feel exploitative or overt. I’m a big fan of not telling the audience things and just showing them. I think it was important to me to not be so like, “She’s ruined because of it.” But instead, be like, “There is hope and you can come out of it.” As someone who lost someone very important to them quite young, I know that it’s very tough and it’s very grueling, but you do come out of it, and I feel so much better. I think death really gives you a perspective on life in a way and those first few years are tough, but eventually you find an expression for all that love that you had for that person. I think what’s so beautiful about this film is that Chrys discovers that love and that pain that she’s feeling inside her hasn’t just gone to waste because she’s lost her father, she can still feel love for someone and still have that love for her father and not have it be detrimental to her as a person, you don’t have to be self-destructive. That was an important thing for me to tell. Owen wrote it in such a beautiful way, and filming all that stuff with Sophie was beautiful and cathartic and wonderful.

(L to R) Sophie Nélisse and Dafne Keen in the horror film, ‘Whistle’, an IFC and Shudder release. Photo courtesy of IFC and Shudder.

MF: What was it like working with Sophie Nélisse as a scene partner to make the relationship between Ellie and Chrys seem authentic on screen?

DK: It was the best. Sophie and I are now good friends, I’d say she’s one of my closest friends. She’s just so wonderful and it was honestly love at first sight. We were in this terrifying hotel that I’m convinced was haunted. We’d gotten each other’s numbers somehow and she’d messaged me being like, “Hey, I’m at the hotel. I’m terrified. Do you mind sleeping over?” I was like, thank God because I’d just acquired a knife to put under my pillow as I too, was terrified. So, we slept over and then basically we lived with each other. Like I low-key moved into her hotel room and she was my best friend throughout the whole process. I remember the next day we had a rehearsal with Corin and we went in there and we were rehearsing, but Sophia and I were just laughing back and forth. Corin was like, “We don’t need to be here. You guys already have all this chemistry. There’s no need to be doing this.” The whole way through we were kind of in love with each other and it was so easy. We had to do a kissing scene and we were like, “Can’t wait.” We had the best time on it. It was so fun.

Nick Frost in ‘Whistle’, an IFC and Shudder release. Photo courtesy of IFC and Shudder.

MF: You have a few scenes with Nick Frost. What was it like working with him and is he cracking jokes in between takes?

DK: Yes, he’s so funny. We were genuinely all dying of laughter. I remember specifically Ali Skovbye, who plays Grace, and I kept looking at each other and breaking because the way he would deliver his lines was so funny and in between takes, he was just cracking jokes. I was literally phoning my dad every five minutes because, obviously I’m British and my dad’s British, and I’m like, “Dad, you don’t understand, I’m working with Nick Frost.” But it was so cool and he’s lovely and he’s kind of normal and humble. He’s just chill and charming, and so good at what he does. He’s one of those people that you get on set and you’re like, “Wow, you’re talented. You’re just good at what you do.” Do you know what I mean? He’s such a solid scene partner and we had a fun time.

Director Corin Hardy and Dafne Keen on the set of ‘Whistle’. Courtesy of Michael Gibson. An Independent Film Company and Shudder Release.

MF: Finally, what was it like collaborating on set with director Corin Hardy and watching him execute his vision for this project?

DK: He’s the best. Corin’s so passionate, which is special and kind of rare. He’s so detail oriented. He’s just so wonderful and he’s got a fascinating brain. I always loved going up to him when we were doing something and be like, “Hey, what do you think about this?” Because he was so passionate about the project that he’d have this whole thing thought through. I’d be like, “Oh, that makes complete sense.” He was so kind. He was so loving to all of us, and he was just a great leader. He tried to make us all feel comfortable and happy and to make this experience, which could have been intense and kind of grueling, as enjoyable for all of us as possible. So, he was just so perfect and he’s so good at what he does. He’s just so talented.

‘Whistle’ opens in theaters on February 6th.

What is the plot of ‘Whistle’?

A group of high school misfits inadvertently come across an ancient Aztec death whistle. Blowing it summons their future deaths to hunt them down. As the body count increases, they investigate the artifact’s history in hopes of halting the sequence of events they have set into motion.

Who is in the cast of ‘Whistle’?
- Dafne Keen as Chrys
- Sophie Nélisse as Ellie
- Sky Yang as Rel
- Jhaleil Swaby as Dean
- Alissa Skovbye as Grace
- Percy Hynes White as Noah Haggerty
- Nick Frost as Mr. Craven
- Michelle Fairley as Ivy Raymore
Dafne Keen as “Chrys Willet” in the horror film, ‘Whistle’, an IFC and Shudder release. Photo courtesy of IFC and Shudder.

List of Dafne Keen Movies and TV Shows:
- ‘The Refugees‘ (2015)
- ‘Logan‘ (2017)
- ‘His Dark Materials‘ (2019-2023)
- ‘The New Mutants‘ (2020)
- ‘Ana‘ (2020)
- ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians‘ (2023-2026)
- ‘Deadpool & Wolverine‘ (2024)
- ‘The Acolyte‘ (2024)
- ‘Whistle‘ (2026)
‘Buy Tickets: ‘Whistle’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Dafne Keen Movies On Amazon
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February 13, 2026
‘Inheritance’ Interview: Neil Burger and Rhys Ifans
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Opening in theaters on January 24th is the new action thriller ‘Inheritance‘, which director Neil Burger (‘Limitless’ and ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’) shot completely on an iPhone, and stars Phoebe Dynevor (‘Fair Play’ and ‘Bridgerton’) and Rhys Ifans (‘Venom: The Last Dance’ and ‘House of the Dragon’).

Related Article: Neil Burger Talks ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ Starring Daisy Ridley

(Left) ‘Inheritance’ director Neil Burger. Photo Credit: Chris Chapman. (Right) Rhys Ifans in Neil Burger’s ‘Inheritance’. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films Release.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Neil Burger and Rhys Ifans about their work on ‘Inheritance’, developing the screenplay, Burger’s shooting style, the challenges and benefits of filming on an iPhone, Ifans and Phoebe Dynevor’s characters’ estranged father and daughter relationship, and working with the actors on set.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

Phoebe Dynevor in Neil Burger’s ‘Inheritance’. Photo courtesy of Angelo Dominic Sesto. An IFC Films Release.

Moviefone: To begin with, Neil, can you talk about conceiving the idea for the film over COVID and the process of developing the screenplay?

Neil Burger: Well, I’d read a New York Times article about a reporter early in COVID, like in April of 2020, going from Serbia all the way to France. The borders are supposed to be open. Suddenly there’s checkpoints with guards with guns. There’s nobody on the street. I was like, “I want to see that, and I don’t want to just do a documentary about it. I want to set a story in it.” So, I began crafting a story, and then the world changed, and the world opened again a little bit, but I still had this story, and I still had this desire to see the new world as it was. I felt like the story was still valid in that way. So that’s where it came from. Then the idea of shooting on an iPhone went hand in hand with that because when you go in with a film crew, you are disruptive. You’re big and you’re noisy and you draw attention to yourself. People are looking at you. I wanted the opposite. I wanted to see how the world was at that point in time. I wanted to see what the new normal were. To do that, we had to be completely under the radar. I thought, what better way, it looks like a friend filming another friend with their iPhone. Everybody’s doing that. So that was the idea. It wasn’t as a gimmick. It wasn’t merely as a substitution to a motion picture camera, but it was because it gave us access. It meant that we could walk through a crowded Cairo market, and nobody would look at us.

MF: As a filmmaker, can you talk about the pros and cons of shooting a movie of this scale on an iPhone?

NB: Well, the pros are that you do have access. You can go anywhere. You can also go right up against somebody’s face and then down to their hands. It’s so mobile. We didn’t use any kind of stabilization or lens or anything like that, and it still looks beautiful. We mucked a little bit with the insides of it. We did, however, shoot on one single lens, the middle lens of the (iPhone) 13. It’s a 26-millimeter lens because the other lenses did not have the resolution that we wanted but the middle lens really does. We’ve blown it up to 60-foot screens, and it looks beautiful. But the other lenses didn’t quite do it, and so then it was like, “Okay, well, we’re just going to embrace that. We’re going to shoot it on one lens.” So, when Rhys, who plays Sam, is talking to (Phoebe) on one side of the street, we don’t go to her on the other side of the street. She’s tiny in the background. That was just like, that’s what it is. That’s the way we’re going to do it. We sort of take that risk as filmmakers and do it that way. So, there were a little bit of lighting things that happened in certain kind of low-light situations, like little bright lights would bounce around in the lens, which we had to remove digitally. But in general, I loved it. I thought it was so refreshing and liberating. I’ve done big movies before and I’ve done big stuff since then, and it’s always like, “Could we move the camera into his hands?” It was like, “Well, the camera’s going to cast a shadow, and we’d have to take out the wall or move that desk.” Then with this, you could just put your hand in and do it. It’s so fast and so fun. It was great.

Rhys Ifans in Neil Burger’s ‘Inheritance’. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films Release.

MF: Rhys, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and the idea of shooting this movie on an iPhone?

Rhys Ifans: Well, I mean what excited me mostly was of course, the screenplay. But in this instance, the exciting thing for me was one, working with Neil of course, and working with Neil in this very new way for both me and for him, which was shooting it all on ostensibly an iPhone and just what that would do to the working creative process. Then it turned out we both thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very kinetic, immediate, exciting and quick. It took a bit of getting used to. I mean, I say a bit, it took a day or two to get used to and then it was a real thrill. Then coupled with worldwide travel and adventure. When you’re shooting on an iPhone, you get less respect from the public because they don’t think you’re making a film. They just think you’re one of them, which is fantastic. Constantly, there was a sense of this could all go wrong, which for me was fantastic because it gave the whole thing a danger and an edge. It felt like in some instances, a little bit like street theater with a minimal crew. I say minimal crew, I mean generally a crew can be up to 100 plus people, and we had 10, maybe. 10 very skilled technicians. It was great to work with this technology that of course we’re all using, but it was great to be involved with it, with it being in the hands of a great filmmaker like Neil, who knows his way around the grammar of cinema. Those two things, that was the appeal for me, certainly.

MF: Rhys, did shooting the movie on an iPhone change your acting approach at all, or was it the same as other movies you’ve worked on with normal film or video cameras?

RI: It’s funny. It doesn’t change your approach necessarily, but it does change your attitude. On a regular movie, you will come in, you’ll rehearse, then you’ll walk away, and they’ll light the scene and set up the cameras. There’s a lot of waiting time, which in some ways is a good thing. But in other ways it depletes any energy you might discover in rehearsal or during a take, and then they turn around for close-ups, and so it’s a longer process. This felt a lot more immediate in the sense that we could shoot the whole scene, cut and immediately shoot the whole scene again. So, you’re not dropping the ball. It felt a little bit in some ways like a rehearsal room in a theater where you run the scene and the director goes, “That was great. Okay, do that again”, and immediately you do that again. So, what it gave Neil, I guess, was a huge kind of palette in the edit that he could choose from in terms of takes that he liked and that he would ultimately think would serve the story he ends up telling in the edit. So yes, I mean very tiring and exhausting in the sense that you’re constantly feeding the beast, the beast being the film. But I found it very exciting, and a very exciting way to work and a method I’d really love to explore again, in terms of what it does to performance. Then I think the other thing that really helped was of course any crowds or extras you might see in your periphery in this film are real people. Real people in that context are the greatest actors in the world because they don’t know they’re acting and that’s what we all strive to arrive at. So that really fed in the fact that we were in these real situations, and somehow made the situation itself feel realer and more urgent.

Phoebe Dynevor in Neil Burger’s ‘Inheritance’. Photo courtesy of Angelo Dominic Sesto. An IFC Films Release.

MF: Neil, in addition to shooting on an iPhone, you also implemented an experimental shooting style with minimal rehearsals and minimal camera setups. What was it like for you as a filmmaker to work in that way?

NB: Well, the story is very scripted. It’s a thriller, so it must have all its puzzle-pieces parts in order. So, there’s no improv, yet we were willing to kind of be in situations that were loose. We did rehearse beforehand, but then when we got there, we literally would get ready at a hotel and then we would walk down the street to where we were going to shoot. The crew would fall away. It was just me and the cameraman and then the sound man even staying further back, and then Phoebe or Phoebe and Rhys. I would walk to a place in the street, and we had discussed it, then I would walk away, and I’d get a block away and I would just go, “Come on,” and they would start walking and they would do their thing and they were so great. We didn’t do conventional film coverage. There was no wide shot and then an over-the-shoulder shot and the closeup. We didn’t have time for that because even on an iPhone, the more you stood in one place, you were going to eventually attract attention, and I didn’t want that attention. So, we came up with ways to do it in a very caught-live sort of feel and a stolen feel. So, it has a new visual language to it, which also changed how the actors acted, which was great. They had to always be in character because they had to be ready for anything that happened.

MF: Rhys, can you talk about the estranged father-daughter relationship between Sam and Maya, and working with Phoebe Dynevor on that relationship?

RI: Well, I mean Phoebe’s just a joy to work with. We didn’t know each other, but we’ve got friends in common and she’s just very available as an actor. Phoebe similarly just embraced the process. It’s not a process you can resist in any way, shape or form. You do have to kind of jump out of the airplane and hope the parachute will open at some point. She absolutely did that. I just got to watch the film a couple of days ago for the first time. Of course, my character isn’t present in India, and I was always very jealous that they all got to go to India. So, I mean, that’s the other thing with the film, it really does feel like a wonderfully exciting kind of travel log. But she was just a joy and a thrill and fun to work with. I think with a process like this, it’s important that it’s fun and comes from a place of fun, you’re relaxed and then you’re to make yourself available, fresh and playful with the other actor or character. We’ve found that I hope.

Phoebe Dynevor in Neil Burger’s ‘Inheritance’. Photo courtesy of Angelo Dominic Sesto. An IFC Films Release.

MF: Finally, Neil, can you talk about casting Phoebe and Rhys and what it was like working with them on set?

NB: Well, Phoebe we had seen in ‘Bridgerton’, and she was already cast when ‘Fair Play’ came out, but she’s playing a more proper, kind of put-together, conservative character, and here she’s very badass. She’s troubled and she’s self-destructive, and she can do it. I think it’s a Phoebe that people haven’t seen before and they’re going to be knocked out when they see it. Rhys has a very affable quality to it, and I wanted somebody who you looked at and you’re like, “I like that guy,” even though it turns out he has secrets that she spends the rest of the movie unraveling. But what was great about Rhys also was that he loved this methodology, and he normalized it for everybody else, including her. I mean, she was game, but it was stressful and weird. It was like, “Wait, we’re going to just shoot on the airplane without permission?” It was like, “Yeah,” and he was like, “It’s great. We’re going to do it.” So, they had a great mentor-protege, father-daughter relationship and good chemistry in that way. I just do want to say one more thing, and it is that this movie, we sort of can’t believe what we did on this iPhone. We created this international thriller, that goes around the world, New York, Cairo, Delhi, Seoul, and back to New York. There’ve been other shows that have been shot on iPhones, but this is really the first international thriller that has that kind of scope, that has that kind of excitement of an international thriller but done on an iPhone. It’s unique, and we feel very proud that we’re the first ones to do it.

What is the plot of ‘Inheritance’?

A young woman (Phoebe Dynevor) is drawn into an international conspiracy after discovering her father (Rhys Ifans) is a spy.

Who is in the cast of ‘Inheritance’?
- Phoebe Dynevor as Maya
- Rhys Ifans as Sam
- Ciara Baxendale as Emily
- Kersti Bryan as Jess
- Majd Eid as Khalil Jamal
Director Neil Burger’s ‘Inheritance’ opens in theaters on January 24th. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films Release.

List of Neil Burger Movies:
- ‘Interview with the Assassin‘ (2002)
- ‘The Illusionist‘ (2006)
- ‘The Lucky Ones‘ (2008)
- ‘ Limitless‘ (2011)
- ‘Divergent‘ (2014)
- ‘The Upside‘ (2017)
- ‘Voyagers‘ (2021)
- ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter‘ (2023)
Buy Tickets: ‘Inheritance’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Neil Burger Movies on Amazon
January 22, 2025
‘Paint’ Interview: Owen Wilson Talks New Comedy
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Opening in theaters on April 7th is the new comedy ‘Paint,’ which marks the feature film debut of writer and director Brit McAdams.

What is the plot of ‘Paint?’

‘Paint’ stars Owen Wilson as Carl Nargle, Vermont’s #1 public television painter who is convinced he has it all: a signature perm, custom van, and fans hanging on his every stroke. Everything changes for Carl when the station hires Ambrosia (Ciara Renée), a younger, better artist who begins to steal everything and everyone Carl loves, including his producer and ex-lover, Katherine (Michaela Watkins).
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Who is in the cast of ‘Paint?’

‘Paint’ stars Owen Wilson (‘The Royal Tenenbaums,’ ‘The French Dispatch’) as Carl Nargle, Michaela Watkins (‘Wanderlust’) as Katherine, Ciara Renée (‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’) as Ambrosia, Wendi McLendon-Covey (‘Bridesmaids’) as Wendy, Lusia Strus (’50 First Dates’) as Beverly, Elizabeth Loyacano (‘Demolition’) as Alexandra Moore, Stephen Root (‘Office Space’) as Tony, and Lucy Freyer as Jenna.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Owen Wilson about his work on ‘Paint,’ playing Carl Nargle, taking inspiration from Bob Ross, finding the humor in the awkward moments, how Ambrosia threatens Carl’s position of power, and his relationship with Katherine.

Owen Wilson as Carl Nargle in the comedy film, ‘Paint,’ an IFC Films release. Photo courtesy of IFC Films.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Wilson and writer/director Brit McAdams.

Moviefone: To begin with, Carl Nargle is based on Bob Ross, but he’s not Bob Ross, he’s his own individual character. Could you talk about the challenges of discovering who Carl really was and what was your approach to playing the character?

Owen Wilson: Obviously, kind of his look and everything Carl, it’s a nod to Bob Ross, and I think I was a little bit, sort of anxious in the beginning preparing for it. You know, Bob Ross has such a great quality that comes across when you watch him, and I think that explains how he’s endured and how we could with Carl Nargle, explain that he also has people that passionately tune in and watch his show? The script was very specific about his voice having a soothing quality, and it was just trying to get that right. I think because of his look and the idea of everything going perfect in his life, he hasn’t needed to change. That’s why he’s sort of stuck in 1978. It was just a fun, funny character to play.

Owen Wilson as Carl Nargle in the comedy film, ‘Paint,’ an IFC Films release. Photo courtesy of IFC Films.

Related Article: Owen Wilson and Walker Scobell Talk ‘Secret Headquarters’

MF: Some of the funniest moments in the movie come from the characters’ reactions and the way the camera stays on them during the silent awkward moments. Is that where you found the humor of the movie?

OW: I think some of the awkwardness or the pain of having something like being rejected or not being popular, I think unless you’ve had a pretty incredible life, we’ve all felt that, and that’s a big part of growing up. I don’t think in some ways we ever lose that feeling or can certainly sympathize. Carl, he’s dealing with some of that. It’s funny to me kind of reading it, but of course it’s very painful for him. That I think is what made the character, what I liked about playing it. It’s not winking at the audience. It means everything to Carl.

(L to R) Ciara Renée as Ambrosia Long, Owen Wilson as Carl Nargle, and Lucy Freyer as Jenna in the comedy film, ‘Paint,’ an IFC Films release. Photo courtesy of IFC Films.

MF: Can you talk about how Carl’s inflated ego and position of power is threatened by the arrival of Ambrosia, and how he reacts to that?

OW: I think that the reason why Carl looks the way he does and drives the van is because he’s stuck in this time where he began the show and everything has gone so well. So there’s been no reason to change. Then all of a sudden Ambrosia, this new painter, comes along and begins to take everything and everyone that Carl loves. That’s a scary feeling because we all, to some degree can’t help but identify who we are with what we do. So if that’s put in jeopardy, it’s funny to see how people deal with that, struggle with it and react to it.

Michaela Watkins as Katherine in the comedy film, ‘Paint,’ an IFC Films release. Photo courtesy of IFC Films.

MF: Finally, can you talk about Carl’s relationship with Katherine and working on those scenes with Michaela Watkins?

OW: I know that we had some of the flashback scenes where we’re first becoming romantic, falling in love and even embracing. There’s a scene where I believe I’m kind of stroking her arm and she goes, “Oh, I think that’s the armrest of the van.” Then I’m like, “Oh, okay.” Then I go back to her arm. She’s like, “That’s me, that’s all me.” It was funny, and I think it made us both laugh.

Owen Wilson stars in ‘Paint,’ an IFC Films release.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Paint:’
- ‘The Royal Tenenbaums‘ (2002)
- ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou‘ (2004)
- ‘Midnight in Paris‘ (2011)
- ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood‘ (2019)
- ‘The French Dispatch‘ (2021)
- ‘Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed‘ (2021)
Buy Tickets: ‘Paint’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Owen Wilson Movies on Amazon

‘Paint’ is produced by Silver Lining Entertainment, White Birch Films, Blue Creek Pictures, and Balcony 9 Productions. It is set to release in theaters on April 7, 2023.
April 4, 2023
Tim Roth Talks ‘Resurrection’ and ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’

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Opening in theaters on July 29th and on-demand beginning August 5th is the new psychological thriller ‘Resurrection’ from writer and director Andrew Semans.

The movie stars Rebecca Hall (‘The Town,’ ‘Iron Man 3’) as Margaret, a single mother raising her teenage daughter, Abbie (Grace Kaufman). Trouble begins for Margaret when her abusive ex-boyfriend David (Tim Roth) mysteriously returns and begins stalking her after twenty-years, causing extreme stress in her life and threatening her relationship with Abbey.

Tim Roth is an acclaimed English actor and Academy Award nominee who has successfully been working in film and television for over forty-years.

Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in ‘Rob Roy,’ Roth is probably best known for starring in the Quentin Tarantino movies ‘Reservoir Dogs,’ Pulp Fiction,’ and ‘The Hateful Eight,’ Tim Burton’s ‘Planet of the Apes,’ and the TV series ‘Lie to Me’ and ‘Tin Star,’ as well as playing Emil Blonsky/Abomination in the MCU movies ‘The Incredible Hulk’ and ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.’

He will soon be reprising his role again in the Disney+ Marvel series ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,’ which premieres on August 17th.

Moviefone recently spoke to actor Tim Roth about his work on ‘Resurrection,’ his unique role, the unusual plot, and acting opposite Rebecca Hall, as well his return to the MCU and his appearance in the upcoming series, ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.’

(L to R) Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth in IFC Films’ ‘Resurrection.’

You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with both Tim Roth and Rebecca Hall for ‘Resurrection.’

Moviefone: To begin with, what were your initial thoughts when you first read the screenplay and discovered the wild journey your character goes on in this movie?

Tim Roth: Well, I didn’t know anything about it when it was sent to me. I knew nothing. I’m always on the hunt for new directors, always. I find that to be fascinating. I love to do that as an actor. For me, it’s very important. My agent called me up and said, “Look, there’s this new director. Take a look at this.” They didn’t tell me anything about it, which is a good thing. I prefer it that way. I read it and I was jaw dropped. It’s like, “What is this?”

But I was with my son, Cormac and we were going to Cannes. We’d stopped in Paris just to have a quick bit of food. I thought, “All right, let’s sit down and read this thing.” I read it and I was like, “Okay, I don’t know.” My son said, “What is it?” I said, “Well, I don’t know. I can’t explain it.” He said, “Give it to me.” So, I gave it to him and he read it and went, “Yeah, you’re doing it.” I was like, “Okay.” I picked up the phone, called him back and said, “That’s a yes.” Then went on to Cannes.

The thing is, I don’t know if you’d call it a horror movie or a psychological thriller or whatever term you hang on it, but I’d never really done anything like that. I’d never been in that world, but another one of my boys back in California read it and went, “Oh yeah. You’re doing it.” They love that world. They’re really interested in that world, how and what the camera does, and what the directors and the actors do. It was new on many fronts for me.

If they hadn’t had said, “You’re doing it,” I don’t know if I would’ve. I guess I’ll never know. Because I might have gone, “Okay. It won’t work.” It’s always good to jump into the water that you don’t know, I think as far as being an actor’s concerned, and they pushed me in.

MF: Can you talk about David’s relationship to Margaret, why he returns, and why it causes her so much trauma?

TR: I know Andrew and I got our motivations and facts correct before we started. Rebecca knows her side of the story too. We were very careful. So, we knew, because it’s a minefield and you want to be clear. But from my character’s perspective, he’s there to help. He’s there to help her. Obviously, this woman is having a difficult time and he is only there to help and try to calm her down, and she doesn’t understand. Then it shifts a gear and then he’s just there to bring her some fantastic news, so the idea is that I suppose he’s a gentle soul who is very charitable and garrulous and gentle.

Even on the page, it was clear that you could play him, and you could do the dark horror movie thing. But I wanted to scrap that, take that away and play him as a nice guy until you reach the end of that particular sentence and he turns, and then he turns again. Just when you think you’ve got him figured out, he turns again, and again, all the way through, that kind of thing. But then it’s over to the audience. What do they get from it? And hopefully everyone gets something a little different, which I always like.

MF: Through the course of the film, your character truly believes something that is absolutely impossible for the audience to believe. As an actor, how do you convey that conviction of your character through your performance?

TR: Well, the thing is that with that, and Rebecca had the same from her side of it, you have to go with that as real. That is a possibility, and it is real. If you play the reality, then the magic and the weirdness and the nightmare of it is for the audience to look at and observe and to unpick. From our perspective, it’s real, a hundred percent real and with all of the baggage that that brings. Once you make that decision as a group of actors and filmmakers, once that’s the fact, then you cater to that constantly.

(L to R) Tim Roth and Rebecca Hall in IFC Films’ ‘Resurrection.’

MF: You have some really intense scenes with Rebecca Hall, what was it like working with her on this project?

TR: The thing about her, first of all, she’s a top-class actor, proper actor. You got to be ready for that. There’s a couple of sides to it. One, what I really liked and what I got from my perspective, I was closer to her character than you will have been because there’s a screen between you guys. I was sitting inches from her, watching this go down. I never knew what she was going to bring.

We would rehearse, we would work the scenes, but up to a point, and then they knew where they were going to put the cameras and then let’s go. I never knew what she was going to bring. It was always fascinating, but I had to be ready for that. Sometimes it’s very difficult for actors to deal with.

But we changed around, just slightly, just subtly. Andrew would say, “Try one like this, try one like that.” It was homing in on what he wanted. It was fascinating. They were very difficult scenes at times, bizarre and difficult scenes and very twisted at times. But as is quite often the case, it was hard sometimes not to laugh. Sometimes it’s nervous laughter.

But also, you have to be careful not to step out of it because if you looked at it, you go, “Okay, what hell is that?” At the end of the take laughter was the first thing that happened because it’s just wild. Our job was to make it, in whatever sense we could, real. Just make it real, make those emotions real and see what the audience makes of that. She is utterly extraordinary. She was amazing.

MF: You mentioned that you are “always on the hunt for new directors,” what was your experience like working with Andrew Semans and what are you looking for from a director on set?

TR: Well, that changes. You’re looking to see how the actors are handled by the director, the director’s sensor of the overall image that he or she wants to put forward and get across to the audience. They’re all different. Actually, the best ones aren’t forced into a cookie cutter, they make their own cookie cutter and they play.

With Andrew, the first thing that we got to do was sit and talk about how we want him to be, and we came to a pretty rapid agreement that what was on the page wasn’t necessarily what we were going to turn the character into. It would be easy to play him one dimensional, very easy. It might have been fascinating to do that, but the choices that we made were, “Okay, what about if he’s just this lovely, gentle soul, who’s just trying or really caring, and how creepy is that?”

What was he like? Incredibly engaging, very gentle, very funny. At the end of the day, we would meet to get ready for the next day. We would sit in this little cafe at the hotel and we would go, “Okay, what are the scenes for tomorrow?” Because that’s the only time that you have. It didn’t feel like working with a new filmmaker at all. Obviously, you’re limited by the budget and all of that stuff. This is what you got. He’s on his way, that guy. He’s one of those. He really feels it.

MF: Finally, as an actor, what has it been like for you to return to the MCU and reprise your role from ‘The Incredible Hulk’ in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ and the upcoming Disney+ series ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law?’

TR: Originally, I did it for my kids. I just thought it’d be hilarious to be a monster for the kids when they were at school, and they would roll their eyes, but they kind of dug it. When it came back, I was like, “Okay. Yeah,” the idea is intriguing to see if you can revisit that kind of thing.

But that being said, it’s changed since ‘Iron Man.’ ‘Iron Man’ was the game changer. We were before that, but they really figured something out. It was (Robert) Downey, it was his relationship with his director (Jon Favreau) and their sense of humor that came through. That was the absolutely key.

So, the whole thing changed. I was coming back to a world that had really changed. So, in a way, it was very Marvel. I was a little concerned about it. When we were first shooting, I was a little bit worried. “What do I do? Do I make it real to me somehow?” I didn’t know. A couple of days in, Mark Ruffalo rolled up to do some shooting with my character, and with the brilliant Tatiana (Maslany). Gosh, she’s amazing. He rolled up, I was watching the two of them do their thing and I went, “Oh, that’s where we’re at.” It just opened it up. Then I had such fun making it.

But it’s an odd thing. She had been filming for a while, and he had obviously done it for years. There’s a way about them that you have to find the language, find your way in and not be afraid of it, and play with it and have fun with it. It’s a hard thing to do initially but when you’ve got good teachers like Mark Ruffalo, you’re all right.

Tim Roth as Abomination/Emil Blonsky in Marvel Studios’ ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 Marvel.
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July 26, 2022
IFC Films Is Launching Its Own Streaming Service

IFC FIlms

Can you handle yet another new streaming service? (Probably not.)

Regardless, IFC Films just launched its own service called IFC Films Unlimited. It’s already accessible as an add-on through Amazon Prime Video Channels for $5.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial.

The service will include hundreds of movies, including “The Babadook, “The Trip,” “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” and “45 Years.”

Variety reports that the films will come from several divisions of the company, including IFC Films, Sundance Selects, and their genre label, IFC Midnight, which has released darker movies like “Kill List” and “Antichrist.”

IFC currently has deals in place with Hulu and Showtime, which means some films will go there first, instead of to the new service.

According to IFC Films co-president Lisa Schwartz, the plan is to release movies onto IFC FIlms Unlimited in the second pay TV window.

“We watched the landscape shifting and realized that we’ve got such a terrific large library that we might be better served by taking some rights back and releasing those films under our own roof,” said Schwartz.

IFC’s subscription service is launching on Amazon, but the company hopes to add other platforms. “We’re going to continually evaluate as we grow our subscriber base,” said Schwartz. “But our goal is to make this a destination where you can find great films.”

Will consumers rush to sign up in addition to their subscriptions to Amazon Prime, Netflix, Criterion Channel and upcoming Apple TV, Disney+ and WarnerMedia?

[Via Slashfilm, Variety]

May 17, 2019