Exclusive Interview with David Hewlett on Debug
I first became aware of the talents of David Hewlett when I saw Cube (directed by Hewlett’s longtime friend and collaborator Vincenzo Natali) while channel surfing in the middle of a sleepless night. Soon after that, I was tickled and intrigued by Nothing, the dark existential comedy he starred in and co-wrote. In recent years I’ve interviewed him on the red carpet for a variety of projects ranging from all the “Stargate” TV series to the sci-fi thriller Splice.
One thing I didn’t know, until now, is that he’s also a talented and passionate director. Debug is his third feature, and it’s coming out June 12, 2015.
The film stars Jason Momoa, whom you probably know from his scene-stealing turn in “Game of Thrones” or as the latest star to be cast in director James Wan’s upcoming Aquaman movie. Hewlett and Momoa met while they were both working on “Stargate,” and they forged a friendship that endured.
David Hewlett: Jason is so not what you’d think of for Debug. But then again, if you were a computer choosing a body for yourself, you’d be like, ‘Hm, who do I want to look like?’ Yes. Jason Momoa. He was such a good guy to have said yes to this. It was a real coup. Because we needed a ‘name.’ That’s another thing with low budget filmmaking, you have to have at least one big name to attract viewers. I called him in desperation toward the end of prep because there was much discussion about who should be the main antagonist. It’s a big part of the film because people (investors, mainly) need that, you know? I think it’s misguided personally, but it’s just a part of the very frustrating process. He’s not a big movie star, so his name didn’t come up initially. But… he’s Jason. I think the guy is just amazing. So I called him, and I said please. He said yes, and he did it as a total favor. He was very supportive of my first film; he went to screenings, he claims it inspired him to start making movies, and he’s… he’s my opposite. I have always been vinegar to his oil. I’m this nerdy geek compared to his manly manliness. The reality is he’s an incredibly smart and incredibly passionate, inspired filmmaker and artist. He’s very, very funny too. I really wanted this A.I. villain in Debug to have a personality because at its core, yes, it’s a deadly machine, but there’s just a little more at its center. Something biological. And Jason really ran with that. He’s like a classical movie star – we are going to see a lot more of him in the future. So we were super lucky to get him!
Dread Central: As the writer-director of Debug, what came first – your script and then a pitch or the opportunity to direct something?
DH: I started off with my script, which basically was pitched as 2001: A Space Odyssey from the computer’s perspective. Which ended up being a little too artsy so it became Final Destination in space. It’s the journey of a film, the struggle of making a film… and as it developed, it became sort of a love letter to the films of my youth. Those paranoid, age of technology films which I loved. And I always sided with the technology. It’s also influenced by the era of horror in which I grew up. The Evil Dead, Halloween, My Bloody Valentine… all those kind of horrendously violent films. Then The Fog and all the John Carpenter stuff. So it was a great, key experience for me to be able to make a film that pays homage to all that stuff, both in sci-fi and in horror.
DC: Since you’ve mostly focused on acting and writing, how are you liking directing to this point?
DH: I love directing. I mean, it’s the most painful, frustrating, bash your head against the wall, tear out your fingernails, horrible process. And yet, as soon as it’s over, you can’t wait to get started on the next one. I write in order to direct. I am sure there are much better writers out there, but the advantage is that you (as both) have the flexibility to change stuff as you need to. Films at this budget level, you have to be able to do that. I mean, basically I was doing rewrites on the weekend before we were set to shoot. So being able to write, as a director, gives you yet another set of tools. That, and I am total control freak!
DC: It seems sci-fi is kind of in the zeitgiest now. Especially the A.I. angle, what with Her, Automata, Chappie, Ex Machina… was that part of the reasoning behind your idea for Debug, because audiences are attuned to the subject matter right now?
DH: This is always in the zeitgeist. But then, maybe I’m just such a nerd it seems like these movies are always around. Not just recently. I mean, when I was 10 years old, my dad took me and my friends to see a Stanley Kubrick film. I loved it. The other boys… maybe not so much! I’m just a sci-fi nerd.
Debug is directed by David Hewlett (Cube) and stars Jason Momoa, Jeananne Goossen, Adrian Holmes, and Adam Butcher.
Synopsis:
In this tale of deep space cyberhorror, six young computer hackers are sent to work on a derelict space freighter as a part of a work release program. They quickly fall prey to the ship’s vengeful artificial intelligence, a program that would kill to be human. They are helpless to defend themselves as it silently roots out their deepest desires to use against them in the most imaginative and horrific ways. It takes a very determined and brilliant hacker, Kaida, to battle this malevolent entity and send it back to cyber hell.
Categorized:News
