Theo James Talks Twist-Filled Fuze, Reveals His Favorite Heist Movie | Interview
ComingSoon editor-in-chief Tyler Treese spoke with Fuze star Theo James about the unique new heist movie. James discussed working on a twist-filled movie, working with director David Mackenzie, and revealed his favorite heist movie. Also starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Sam Worthington, Fuze is out in theaters starting April 24.
“Set in contemporary London, Fuze unfolds after an unexploded World War II bomb is unearthed at a busy construction site, forcing a massive citywide evacuation. Amid the escalating tension and chaos, a daring criminal operation is set in motion—one that uses the evacuation as cover for a meticulously planned heist. As authorities race against time to contain the crisis, alliances blur, and moral boundaries are crossed, the film deftly propels audiences through a series of calculated twists delivering a wildly entertaining ride,” says the official synopsis.
Tyler Treese: Theo, congrats on Fuze. This is such a unique heist movie. It’s such a fun blend of genres. What about this script, when you first got it, really appealed to you and made you wanna be a part of it?
Theo James: I liked it conceptually, you know, it’s kind of like Hurt Locker meets longer Good Friday meets Oceans 11. And I kind of like blending two things into one. I’m a fan of that as an exercise in film. Secondly, David’s work speaks for himself itself, really Start Up or Hell or High Water. And then I kinda like the idea of a story which is completely always subverting your expectations and you never ever know who to trust at any one time.
Yeah, I was curious about that. Like almost every heist film has some good twists to it. When you’re acting in a twist-filled movie, are you just playing it straight? Are you thinking about the twist? How do you kind of approach that? Because I could see someone overthinking it, but there’s that nuance that can also make it special. So how do you approach it?
Yeah, I guess you don’t, you know, some of that is in the edit in a way, but you need to be aware. I think Anthony Hopkins said this or someone else, so I’m gonna misquote him. But essentially, an actor always needs to know where he is coming from and where he is going to in a scene. So you want to know those two elements fundamentally, if you know what I mean. But there’s fun in the subtlety of that, shall we say.
This film has some wild twists, especially later on. What was your experience reading that script for the first time? Because this film just takes everybody on a ride?
I liked it, but we did a lot of work post. We did a little work, basically forming the characters along the way with David, all the actors, and particularly for me, I needed to figure out, you know, we came up together with where he’s from. I wanted to do South Africa ’cause I thought it made sense for the character. You know, someone who’s working in essentially conflict diamonds, conflict stones, maybe he’s ex-military, so, you know, he’s been on the African continent. That all made sense for me. So we’re kind of filling in the gaps and making it as juicy as possible. And then David, in the edit, is just kind of stripping it all back. He likes lean and mean and to cut all the fat from the skeleton.
Tyler Treese: I really liked your scenes with Sam Worthington. He’s part of your heist crew, and there’s a great tension between you two. What impressed you about Sam as a scene partner?
Theo James: He likes authenticity. And, you know, he kinda gets quite into it. So, you know, you felt that he was off with me and that in turn made me off with him. So I think there’s a reality to it, which is kind of fun.
You mentioned working with David Mackenzie being a big thrill for you. What stood out about working with him? Because he’s always blending genres, and I’ve never seen a film of his that wasn’t interesting.
Yeah, I think he’s a really interesting voice, and he’ll continue to be, so I think he likes doing different things, doesn’t he? But he is drawn to a kind of rough-around-the-edges brokenness in some ways. And he’s interested in the kind of dirtier underbelly of society, and in very various different ways. I think that’s why his films are so interesting.
This joins a great cinematic history of heist movies. Do you have a favorite heist film that you like to rewatch?
Yeah, I mean, is it a heist film? I dunno, but it’s about bank jobs. Yeah, it is a heist film. My favorite heist film of all time is Out of Sight. it’s a brilliant, one of my favorite movies actually. Great Clooney performance, Lopez is great in it. Great script, obviously based on a book, great soundtrack, Soderbergh at the height of his powers. That would be my choice.
Thanks to Theo James for taking the time to talk about Fuze.
Source: Comingsoon.net