THE MEG Interview Jason Statham

Jason I think the met gives the audience all they wanted more you know I'm glad you said that okay sometimes you make these movies Anita you wonder does it want more did it want to be scared more is it - is it - is it - this is it - there and I think you never know what how how things are gonna learn and I think John just wanted to say look I'm gonna make a fun short movie that's like the ultimate popcorn movie a bit of fun that doesn't take itself too seriously lots of laughs lots of scares and all the rest comes with it but also some well fleshed out characters like yours for instance he he's an interesting man is complex and at least who is he in your eyes who's Jonah's man who's misunderstood in some respects yeah not very good at keeping relationships together it's quite an angry individual that really that is so it gets it's almost like a story of redemption in some ways the worries you know people don't believe what he what he believes quite strongly in and he gets to prove a point but at the same time never to lose never to lose sight of the fact that he puts himself above and beyond he puts himself in harm's way to save others and I think there's a heroic nature to him and that is the the one thing I'd like to attach the most meaning to he is a hero and he wants to say and he wants to he wants to help and save the people that need to help you were mentioning that he's not great with relationships but he has yes he has good chemistry with soohyun play played by Li Bingbing those have good scenes - yeah yeah you know what it's a it's a frosty start and it gets better and you know I think it's she's quite she's she's such a sweetheart she's is very difficult not to fall in love with her you know she makes it easy for me and then of course we have the meg being a scuba diver yourself how is it to be a part of this project and bees you know in it like you are you know I like recreationally are strapped on the fins and I go any any possible opportunity if I'm close to anywhere that would you know provide a decent diver I get him I certainly make a massive effort to do that and to make a movie about it to be around the stunt guys that I know I'll pop attorneys team all of the New Zealand lads you know and be in and around all this high-tech equipment and rebreathers and do all the training and be out in the ocean and you know dragged behind a boat I'd finally I love all that kind of stuff I love doing things that require you know a little bit of focus and a little bit of adrenaline it gives me my sense of achievement and what do you think you work with in many action movies perform with some great directors what did John bring to this one he brought the humor that I didn't know was coming he really loves I mean he a lot of the the ad-libbed jokes never made the cuts but you know what it was a laugh putting him on film put it that way they might never make it but we did some silly we he does like he loves a good time when he goes to work he's he's a man who doesn't take himself too seriously and I hope that somehow falls into the movie we mentioned Li Bingbing before but the truth is that you're surrounded by a great supporting cast yeah we go actors and actresses you know it helps you along you know you're only as good as the people you're opposite and that's a that's a tested tried and tested statement you know you get given good actors you can do good work and it did it helped also - sure on location and New Zealand and China that must've been an experience yeah because if you get any downtime newsela is one of the most incredible places in the world if you go to the South Island you'll see things that will take your breath I mean just nature it's it's true it's true bliss you see how the mountains media I mean it blows your mind the people there are amazing the food's incredible you got to go you give very a text to that place you know it's a very undeads in terms of a population country to be in you know coming from a city that has you know ten times the amount of people in it you know one small area it's a brilliant place so we are yeah my point is there's so many places and things to see on your downtime and a lot of the time you know you don't get to do that we all got very attached to this island you were mentioning before that the movies entertaining but it also has humor and it's you know but it's scary it's terrifying I mean just the idea of sharks is scary I'm sure people are wondering if you've ever seen or encountered a shark in your mouth yeah I mean I've encountered many in my heads and became a very fast swimmer to get back on the surfboard and you know that is the worst the worst shot you'll ever face is the one in your mind but you know to be come face to face with one I did in Fiji before we started filming I took a shark dive it was a specialist sort of day that you can put together there's all these local guys that you know put on the chainmail gloves and they feed by hand these bull sharks and they lure them in with a bit of chum and there's 2530 of these things and we go down at 20 meters we set up on a rock and we just sit there they come in and they swoop in and they eat these tuna heads out from the hand my blind absolutely my blind all of the fear goes away your what the fear is on the surface and it's all in the mind when you're down there with them there's no fear I've been on both sides so I know so we were mentioning now in a movie like this with all the bells and whistles and special effects must be cool to finally see it finished yeah it's been a couple years almost you know you think what are they you know what what's taking the time I guess creating a shark out of nothing takes time yeah how do you how do you should opposite something I know you had some animatronics and stuff but that's not really their anger in the water yeah I mean once was they they you know once you have to connect with the fish you know they have to we built and almost like a mesh structure of the head that I was able to hang on to and you know grab a knife and they pull it this way and they put it on a pulley that way and it's underwater so there's so much resistance you know it can't just be it's very hard to explain if you've ever tried to be pulled at great speed underwater everything wants to go one way but the body just resists against the you know the the mass of the water it's really tough to do to be threatened to create being thrashed around on the water is an impossible thing so you know we we got to know that I've got to learn that very quickly it's a technical mountain that they have to climb to be able to make all of this look real and put me on the shark and especially when the shark is 75 feet yeah I mean we've never seen anything like that before but these creatures actually existed that's right I don't have you've seen a fossil of the tooth you can can fill up your hand you know it's it's incredible to know these things existed or maybe do exist we don't know but yeah we kind of do we just haven't seen one but they say there's more pictures of the surface of the Moon than there is of the bottom of the ocean so it's it's a none choice and let's admit it I like how the movie I like the tone of the movie it's kind of a more than a shock one of it would be kind of a monster movie so has that I don't even give me that humor of the action all that kind of is put in there yeah I agree it is a monster movie it's a King Kong movie it's a it's a monster movie I remember Godzilla I remember the movies that fascinated me as a kid so you know I think a lot of the young kids if I can put myself back in the mind of that person I would love to say this Thurber film right now so now that you look back at the experience and someone a friend of yours asked you Jason what's the Meg well how would you explain it and what do you the public can expect from it it's the original popcorn moment that's what it is it's going to have fun switch your brain off a little bit don't think too hard don't take it too seriously and enjoy life go and have some fun at the movies that's what the movies were created for in the first place and you're playing a hero I'm wondering is he after Redemption or justice because they didn't believe him years ago and he was right that's right they didn't believe him he became right it's a redemption story yeah I think so that's justice there too yeah it's a good journey for a for an actor to play a character like that we've seen you in other movies being normally the one that liquidates people we could say in this case you're saving them yes it's the it's the new direction that I'm choosing only save people never kill them and speaking of the humor them the the movie doesn't make fun of itself but it also doesn't take itself too seriously and there are moments of humor how do you think that helps the story and how how much fun was it for you you know I think people always remember that I think people get attached to the the humorous way that people communicate and know and if they can take a situation and have some fun with it I think it's people like to laugh you know in general if you haven't lived if you haven't laughed and I think that is one of the favorite things that people do that's what social connection is one of the things that we do we go get together we have a drink we share laughs we share stories and I think humor is an essential ingredient in life and I think if you could put that into the experience of going to the cinema you've won and even in frightening moments that will be laughter of course because it is it you know it's it can be funny it can be fun if you can put that into into the right Avenue of laughter it's it's it's that's that's the trick of that's the difficult task the director has yeah I think you did very well here thank you very much

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Length: 10min 49sec (649 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 02 2018