Impact: Scott, were you a fan of the Universal Soldier franchise before you were approached for the film? How did you feel when they asked you to be involved?
Scott Adkins: Of course I was a fan, especially of the first one, it was actually the first 18 cert I ever saw at the cinema's here in England. I was really impressed with what Hyam's did with Regeneration, he definitely breathed new life into the franchise so when they approached me about Day Of Reckoning I was very happy.
Impact: How would you describe your character and the journey he goes on?
SA: It is quite a journey. John has no memory of who he is or where he came from. He has some memories of his family life, his wife, his daughter but the most prominent memory is that of Van Damme's character executing his family and putting him into a coma. He wakes up 9 months later with an incredible rage inside him but also confusion and sadness. There is a void inside him that he desperately needs to fill and he feels that finding Luc Deveraux and executing him will fill the void.
Impact: The film has you reunited with Jean-Claude for the 4th time now, and Dolph for the 3rd time yes? How do you find working with two action legends like this and do you ever still find yourself amazed that you've gone from being a fan to working and starring alongside the guys who inspired you?
SA: It is amazing when I think back to the first time I saw Bloodsport and the first time I saw The Punisher, I was just a kid wishing that I could be like these guys some day and now here I am on a level playing field with them - it's great! I truly believe that if you want something bad enough and are willing to sacrifice and work hard then you can get it. I wasn't plucked from obscurity by accident, I worked my way up from stunt man to leading man and it has been a slow yet steady climb. It's a pleasure to work with the same people that inspired me and very gratifying to have their respect also.
Impact: You're also re-teamed with action choreographer Larnell Stovall for the film, how would you describe his style of choreography and how much input are you given into the way your character fights?
SA: Lots of input but Larnell is the guy that creates it from the bottom up, I may add some little beats here and there but Larnell's choreography really suits me as well. It's brutal and flashy so I'm happy to just have him around and perform his choreography. He's without doubt one of the best there is and he did a phenomenal job on DOR.
Impact: The fight action in the film really delivers a nice blend between spectacular flashy moves and solid down and dirty and powerful looking action, you let loose with some spectacular moves but they look like they do some damage..what would you say is your favourite move or fight sequence in the film, and which type of choreography do you prefer?
SA: The fight with Andrei in the sporting goods store is my favourite. What's great about Hyams is that he really enjoys destruction, it's his idea to completely destroy the set and make it as bloody as possible and I really love that style, it's very cinematic. Andrei was great to work with also because he puts 100% into each technique. We ended up using real baseball bats because the fake ones kept snapping and rather than wait hours to get replacements we just said screw it and did it with the real ones - that's why I love working with stunt guys or people like Andrei because they just get on with it. Unfortunately for me I was carrying a really bad injury, I tore my ACL 6 weeks from shooting so I was struggling through the whole shoot and that was certainly a reason why we made all the fights very gritty and grounded because my jumping kicks were pretty much non existent at that point.
Impact: How did you find working with John Hyams as director? Is it sometimes hard to find a director who will give equal attention to the acting and the action side of things when making a movie like this?
SA: It is, and I would say that out of all the directors I've worked with he is the only one that understands script as well as how to shoot action, or vice versa. This is his story, along with Doug Magnuson and John Greenhall, they crafted the script from their own minds so I was very happy to go in whatever direction John wanted the character to go, there was no argument there because it was from his mind and I trusted his opinion. I'm very proud of the movie because on one level it is very satisfying as an action film but then there is so much more there. It's the type of film that needs to be seen more than once because there is so much more to pick up on with a second viewing. I think the people that are trying to connect it as a straight sequel to the others will be disappointed so it's best to view it as a stand alone movie, certainly quite a few years have past since Regeneration left off anyway.
Impact: What do you think the future holds for the Universal Soldier franchise, I’ve heard talk of a possible TV series...would you like to return to the series?
SA: I have no idea where it will go from here but I would definitely be open to exploring what happens to John next.
Impact: What's your quick pitch description of the film to a potential viewer?
SA: Universal Soldier on acid.
Impact: And what's next for Scott Adkins?
SA: I'm doing a football hooligan movie with a British director James Nunn in a couple of weeks and then Isaac Florentine and I reunited with Kane Kosugi for Ninja 2 next year, filming in Thailand so action fans have a lot to look forward to.
