EXCLUSIVE. Gareth Evans hit the big time with ‘The Raid‘ movies. But now the director tells Mike Leeder why he’s about to try something different…
Earlier this month came the announcement that director Gareth Evans had a new project in his sights – and it wasn’t quite what some were expecting: Apostle is a period-drama thriller that, at first description, feels more Wicker Man than wu-shu. It tells of a man (Dan Stevens) looking for his missing sibling on a remote island after she’s kidnapped by a religious cult and the severe consequences for all when the truth comes out…
So has Evans, who made his name on the highly-acclaimed Raid films really turned his back on martial arts? No, he tells our own Mike Leeder in an exclusive interview, he’s just flexing a new set of muscles…
Mike: Gareth, we are very excited that you will be back behind the camera for Apostle What can you tell I about the project?
Gareth Evans: Apostle is a period mystery thriller set in 1905, Edwardian England. It surrounds itself with a man travelling to a remote Island in search of his missing sister. From there, as you might expect, things get complicated fast.
Mike: It’s a departure from the action genre, was this a deliberate move? Did you think it was time to explore a different genre, and can you assure people that you haven’t abandoned the action genre for ever?
Gareth: It was a conscious decision to do something outside of the action genre, sure. For me I’ve always been a fan of all cinema and so, regardless of the fact that action (in particular martial arts cinema) has given me the good grace and fortune to carve out a career for myself, I’ve always said I wanted to explore other genres. Hurling sharp objects at limbs and breaking bones can get stale if it’s the only thing you’ve got to say – so this is an opportunity to challenge myself and try something new and I couldn’t be more excited to get back on a film set. We wrapped The Raid 2 back in November 2013 and with the exception of a short pre-vis test sequence last year, I haven’t shot professionally since.
Mike: I think a lot of people had heard about your proposed Blister, described as a ‘contemporary gangster film with nods to The Wild Bunch‘ – but which you’d kept somewhat under wraps – and were expecting you to do that project. Is that something that might be revisited later?
Gareth: Blister is very much something I want to revisit – sometimes you need certain elements to line up just right – especially for a project as ambitious as that one and unfortunately (despite the best intentions of everyone involved) it didn’t quite come through. We prepped that film pretty thoroughly so I do hope, further down the line, it will become a reality. We had far too much killer material for it to end up sitting on a shelf.
Mike: Now… the question I have to ask is of course, The Raid 3, will there be a further chapter in the franchise? Is it something you might still want to visit further down that line as well?
Gareth: For The Raid 3, to be honest I don’t really know. I have an idea and it’s the same idea I’ve had since we were making part 2. Nothing has changed on that front, I just can’t say for sure when I’ll be in the right headspace to do something with it. Whether it was a conscious decision or not, moving back to UK felt like a closing chapter on that franchise – we ended the story pretty neatly (I feel) in Part 2. I’m aware there’s an interest for it, and genuinely it is incredibly touching to see people still dropping messages my way asking for it. So never say never, but it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Mike: The Raid films made such an impact around the world, looking back at both of them and Merantau, what are your strongest memories of the reaction people have had to your films both locally and internationally?
Gareth: All of the positive memories I get from films are the moments when we screen them to an audience. Whether it be at a festival or on opening night – hearing the audience react to ideas and concepts that we have translated from our twisted minds onto the screen is the best feeling. The power of film and it’s ability to create communal experiences for a room full of strangers is just insane – and for me, regardless of all the behind the scenes anecdotes nothing comes close to topping it.
Mike: We know Scott Adkins is a huge fan of your work, and we’d love to see the two of you working together? Any chance of that?
Gareth: I love Scott, he’s a huge talent and we have spoken a few times about working together. It will definitely happen at some point – but we both want it to be the right project and the right role. You get so much from someone like Scott so I want to make sure when the time comes it’s something that showcases not just his action chops but also his performance as a dramatic actor.
Mike: So what is next for Gareth Evans?
Gareth: Next for me is Apostle, naturally. But following that I have something I’ve been co-writing with Matt Flannery (who DP’d all my films but is also a supremely gifted writer). That project is a little hush hush for now until any official announcements are made. I’m also chasing a few other projects, one of which would cater pretty exclusively to the fanboy in me. It’s a piece that I’ve been keeping tabs on for many years so I’m remaining hopeful I can bring it to the big screen. Again, my mouth stays shut on that one. Outside of all that I have concepts for a wide range of films that I’m throwing around to see what makes it through the outlining process – everything from a musical (been obsessing over Gene Kelly lately), a noir thriller, a lo-fi/sci-fi romance to a kids adventure film.
