A bomb to check in the heart of London is preparing the way for “Fuze”, a new British criminal thriller tense by director David Mackenzie. The film, which was presented at first at the Toronto International Film Festival, combines the urgency of a robbery film with the fear of an unploded bomb of the Second World War discovered on an animated construction site.
Written by Ben Hopkins, the feature film features Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sam Worthington. While the military and the police rush to evacuate the city against chaos, chaos takes place in the streets of London.
For Mackenzie, whose credits include the best “hell or high” and “outlaw king”, the concept was born years ago.
“I wanted to crush the tensions of the turning film with an unploded bomb film,” explains Mackenzie Variety In the Tiff studio. “In the United Kingdom, there is always a discovery of an unploded bomb in the Second World War.
At just over 90 minutes, Mackenzie calls it its leanser characteristic to date: “I really want the public to feel a feeling of relief that it is finished and to have had a good entertaining experience of a modern and high tension turning film.”
Mbatha-raw, who plays the cheerful Superintendent Zuzana, says that she was attracted to the realism and immediacy of the project.
“When I read the script, it was so propulsive, almost as if it took place in real time,” she shares. “I had not played a police officer before, and I was delighted to attack something from this terrible and gravelly. I was able to meet London -based police officers and observe command centers like the one that my character supervises. It was a fascinating overview. ”
Mbatha-raw praises Mackenzie’s style: “His long sockets and his constantly in motion feel so authentic and exhilarating. Looking at it with an audience for the first time, I was on the verge of my seat – even if I knew what was going to happen. ”
Worthington, who finds Mackenzie after several collaborations, said that his character X did not exist in the first projects.
“I just called David and said,” What can I do in this one? ” He told me that all the roles had disappeared, ”recalls Worthington. “But when I read it, I thought I could do something with this figure in Theo’s gang. I asked him to let me create something, and David gave me this confidence. This freedom allowed me to help serve the story and be a flower for Theo.”
Worthington, better known for his role as Jake Sully in the “avatar” franchise by James Cameron, added that Mackenzie’s confidence in his actors makes it come back: “He trusts me, which is fantastic. Then you can just go create. “
Alongside Taylor -Johnson and James, the cast built tensions through two opposing forces – the bomb team and the flight gang.
“They are both really strong actors, deeply engaged in what they are doing,” explains Mackenzie about Taylor-Johnson and James. “Aaron brings a very real representation of the EOD army team, while Theo offers this visceral energy as part of the flight crew. It was great to work with them both.”
While Mackenzie called “Fuze” his effort to “pure cinematographic entertainment”, he has teased a long -term passion project in progress: an adaptation of a generational spaceship travel novel extending over 100 years.
“It’s incredibly complex, a 190-page script right now,” he admits. “If this is done correctly, it could be a hell of a trip. This is something that I would always love to find a house. ”
For Mbatha-raw, the role has marked another chance to explore the range. “I would love to make a two-mayor on the film-something really intimate and moving. I am always looking for characters with depth,” she shares.
And for Worthington, with Off “Avatar: Fire and Ash” on the horizon, “Fuze” has proven another chance to collaborate with a trusted director. “This is to know if a film connects with an audience,” he said. “If this is the case, you hope you will have the chance to continue telling these stories.”
Worthington also offered an update on the “Avatar” after -effects from James Cameron. He confirmed that Avatar 2 and 3 had been shot together, with parts of 4 filmed also to welcome the aging of the younger casting. “There was a scene or two where the children must have been the same age, so we killed it in 2018 or 2019,” he explains. He added that Cameron wrote Avatar 4 and 5 in its entirety, teasing that the saga would jump in time if the public continues to kiss the films. “We are not arrogant enough to assume that they will continue to connect, but if they do, we can continue to tell the story.”
Worthington also addressed the uncertain future of the “horizon” saga of Kevin Costner, in which he played an important role. He confirms that Costner had cartographed and wrote four films, Worthington having read them all, but the continuation of the project is now based in limbo. “It was Costner’s passion project – he had been working there for 10 years,” said Worthington. “Everything comes down to knowing if the public connects. Passion is still there, but sometimes it is if it is the right time for people to kiss him.”
