Film Interviews

Star City, a spinoff of the hit show For All Mankind, brings audiences back to the alternate reality where the Russians won the space race—this time from their perspective. Before the show streams on Apple TV, FILMHOUNDS Editor-in-Chief Gavin Spoors spoke with cast members Alice Englert and Solly McLeod about accents, cosmonaut training and what fans can expect. Star City makes its global debut on Apple TV with two episodes launching on 29 May. SYNOPSIS: A bold new chapter inspired by the critically acclaimed space-race drama, “For All Mankind,” “Star City” is a propulsive paranoid thriller that takes us back to the key moment in the alt-history retelling of the space race — when the Soviet Union became the first nation to put a man on the moon. But this time, we explore the story from behind the Iron Curtain, showing the lives of the cosmonauts, the engineers and the intelligence officers embedded among them in the Soviet space program, and the risks they all took to propel humankind forward.

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With Rivals Season 2 bringing audiences back to Rutshire on 15 May, FILMHOUNDS writer Niamh Brook had a chat with executive producer/writer Laura Wade and director Elliot Hegarty. They discussed 80s music, fictional TV shows, and returning to the wild world of Rivals. Rivals Season 2 launches on Disney+ with a three-episode premiere on 15 May. SYNOPSIS: The battle for the Central South West television franchise reaches a fever pitch as the war between Corinium and Venturer enters a dangerous new phase. More ruthless than ever, Tony Baddingham is determined to dismantle his rivals piece-by-piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power. Amidst the hedonistic glamour of 80s excess, the personal lives of our Rutshire heroes spiral into chaos. Marriages fracture under the weight of ambition, illicit affairs threaten to shatter families, and long-buried secrets ignite with explosive consequences. As rivalries push everyone to the brink, loyalties are tested and hearts are broken in the pursuit of victory. But what is the true cost of war?

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With action thriller Apex now on Netflix, FILMHOUNDS had a chat with Aerial Director of Photography Phil Arntz. With his company, The Aerial Film Company, providing helicopter shots to the likes of Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, F1: The Movie and Apex, we talked about what his job actually entails, how he brings narrative into the beautiful visuals, and the future of aerial photography in Hollywood productions. Apex is available to stream now on Netflix. SYNOPSIS: A grieving woman pushing her limits on a solo adventure in the Australian wild is ensnared in a twisted game with a cunning killer who thinks she's prey. Starring Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana.

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Writer Sam Munster spoke with Broken Bird director Joanne Mitchell after the horror film's premiere at FrightFest. They spoke about dealing with imposter syndrome, working in the indie film industry, and the portrayal of mental health. Broken Bird is available to rent or buy in the UK via Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google TV from 7 May. SYNOPSIS: Sybil Chamberlain works as a professional mortician at a funeral parlour. She has spent her life looking for love. Brought up as a privileged, carefree child, at the age of ten, she lost everything in a tragic accident. A darkness fell over her as the bright lights of her life were snuffed out swiftly and cruelly. Now, an emptiness, an aching loneliness prevails, a gloomy void she seeks to fill. Reality and reason are slipping away from Sybil, and her dark desires are becoming more insatiable and progressively out of control. Will she ever find happiness and contentment, especially as the company she keeps is mainly deceased?

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Before its world premiere at the 40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, the Lunar Sway director and lead cast spoke with FILMHOUNDS on the red carpet. They spoke about their reactions to being selected for the festival, getting tattoos to commemorate the project, and why queer cinema is so important. Lunar Sway releases in UK cinemas later this year. SYNOPSIS: Cliff (Noah Parker) is an eccentric young man living a remote desert town, pining after an ex and looking for love in all the wrong places. When his estranged birth mother, Marg (Liza Weil), shows up unexpectedly, they quickly start to bond and he thinks he’s finally found someone he can relate to. But she comes with her share of secrets and ulterior motives and has been followed into town by vengeful figure from her past (Grace Glowicki). Soon, Cliff is swept up in a wild misadventure across the desert. Set against the scenic backdrop of a dusty desert town, the film is about eccentric misfits struggling to find connection.

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As Sky Original film Fuze releases in UK cinemas, FILMHOUNDS Editor-in-Chief Gavin Spoors sits down with director David Mackenzie and co-star Gugu Mbatha-Raw. They discuss making a quintessentially British film, the challenges of performing in a single space, and reactions to the movie's many twists and turns. Fuze releases in cinemas 3 April. SYNOPSIS: When a World War II bomb is discovered in central London a team of military experts led by Will (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), are sent in to investigate and defuse it. A huge police operation is put into action to evacuate thousands of local residents. Amidst the chaos of the situation a group of men, under the guidance of diamond-expert Karalis (Theo James), are hiding out in a basement within the evacuation zone. With emergency services stretched to the limit and the bomb ready to explode, the group begin an audacious jewel heist under cover of the ultimate distraction.

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Before Hoppers releases in cinemas, FILMHOUNDS Editor-in-Chief Gavin Spoors sat down with director Daniel Chong and producer Nicole Paradis Grindle. They chat about bringing Chong's unique style into the Pixar formula, pushing the absurd humour, and why people shouldn't start adopting beavers. Hoppers releases in cinemas 6 March. SYNOPSIS: In Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers,” animal lover Mabel (voice of Piper Curda) seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. As she uncovers mysteries in the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined, Mabel befriends charismatic beaver King George (voice of Bobby Moynihan) and must rally the entire animal kingdom to face a major, imminent human-threat: smooth-talking local mayor Jerry Generazzo (voice of Jon Hamm). The all-star voice ensemble also features Meryl Streep, Dave Franco and Kathy Najimy. “Hoppers” is directed by Daniel Chong (“We Bare Bears”) and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle (“Incredibles 2”), with an original score by Mark Mothersbaugh.

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With Hoppers soon hitting cinemas, FILMHOUNDS Editor-in-Chief Gavin Spoors sat down with lead actors Piper Curda and Bobby Moynihan. Together, they discuss the challenges of working on such a big animated feature, collaborating with director Daniel Chong, and which animals they'd 'hop' into. Hoppers releases in cinemas 6 March. SYNOPSIS: In Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers,” animal lover Mabel (voice of Piper Curda) seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. As she uncovers mysteries in the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined, Mabel befriends charismatic beaver King George (voice of Bobby Moynihan) and must rally the entire animal kingdom to face a major, imminent human-threat: smooth-talking local mayor Jerry Generazzo (voice of Jon Hamm). The all-star voice ensemble also features Meryl Streep, Dave Franco and Kathy Najimy. “Hoppers” is directed by Daniel Chong (“We Bare Bears”) and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle (“Incredibles 2”), with an original score by Mark Mothersbaugh.

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With its North American premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, FILMHOUNDS Editor-in-Chief Gavin Spoors sat down with Meadowlarks star Michael Greyeyes. They chat about the authentic representation of Indigenous people, typecasting, and more. Meadowlarks screened at the 37th Palm Springs International Film Festival. SYNOPSIS: Inspired by her own acclaimed documentary "Birth of a Family", Tasha Hubbard’s "Meadowlarks" tells the story of four Cree siblings, separated since childhood and now in their fifties, who agree to meet for the first time over a holiday weekend in Banff.

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Opening the 37th Palm Springs International Film Festival was Maryam Touzani's latest project, Calle Málaga. A tender and often funny tale of an older Spanish woman fighting for her home. On the red carpet, FILMHOUNDS Editor-in-Chief Gavin Spoors had a chat with Touzani about opening the festival, returning to Palm Springs after The Blue Caftan played there back in 2023, and the importance of international cinema. Calle Málaga screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. SYNOPSIS: María Ángeles, a 79-year-old Spanish woman, lives alone in Tangier, Morocco, and enjoys her daily routine. However, her life is turned upside down when her daughter arrives from Madrid to sell the apartment in which she has always lived. Determined to stay, she does everything she can to get her home and her belongings back and, unexpectedly, rediscovers love and sensuality.

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