“There are two reasons,” Reilly told EW in a recent Zoom conversation.
“One, I think the movie delivers what it promises.
It is just a pure, gleeful, enthusiastic piece of fast-paced entertainment.
Elsa Pataky in ‘Interceptor’.Brook Rushton/Netflix
It’s authentic, and audiences I think can spot that.”
The second reason belongs to Reilly’s leading lady.
“It’s just got an outstandingly good and charismatic lead inElsa Pataky,” he said.
‘Interceptor’.Brook Rushton/Netflix
“We both just threw ourselves into this movie.”
WhenInterceptordebuted on Friday, it zoomed to number one in 83 of the 89 countries tracked by FlixPatrol.
And that’s on purpose.
‘Interceptor’.Brook Rushton/Netflix
“I do believe as a writer you surround yourself with your inspiration.
“Clearly, I’m having fun,” Reilly said.
“I had a blast making this movie.”
And the large middle want to be entertained,” he said.
“They want to tune in with their family and watch something that shows them a good time.”
(Hint: that Hemsworth kid’s going places!)
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Congratulations on the success ofInterceptor!
What did you do to celebrate?
MATTHEW REILLY: I got a cheesecake.
I got a S’Mores Galore cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory.
This was your first film as a director.
What was it like to shoot in the middle of a pandemic?
We got very lucky.
We filmed in Sydney during a period in the pandemic where Sydney was sort of running normally.
So it was just blind luck.
So in terms of the pandemic, we just got lucky.
You have experience as a novelist, where the worlds you build are vast and sprawling.
But this movie was basically the equivalent of a bottle episode in a lot of ways.
What was that challenge like?
It was a challenge.
The key to the one location is, you’ve got to make it a really interesting location.
That’s a movie I’d like to watch."
The stakes are high, there’s going to be some serious countdowns.
It’s going to be thrilling.
The room itself has to be interesting.
And Interceptor is a film version of one of the books.
One of the scenes that people are talking about is Pataky’s one-armed swing.
That’s some realNinja Warriorstuff.
Was that something you two talked about, the physicality of the character?
We talked about the physicality a lot.
She trained for that swing for a long time.
The thing about Elsa, Elsa is very beautiful, but she actually bulked up for the movie.
She put on muscle.
She said, “I want to be a strong, capable military woman.”
She became the character, and Elsa can act the socks off anybody.
She’s quite amazing.
You see her in that sexual assault scene; hereyesact.
I don’t think anybody could’ve been prepared for how physical and capable she was.
I don’t know if they worked out together, you’d have to ask them.
But yeah, I think there will be comparisons made.
Maybe Elsa and Natalie can compare guns.
I say a team-up movie.
Fight crime, commit crime, I don’t care.
That would be great.
You know, I’m a big Natalie Portman fan.
We could put her inInterceptor 2.
I could do that.
That set-piece with Pataky fighting the other woman was fantastic also.
Was that something you also wanted to showcase, two women fighting?
Ingrid is outstanding; one of the best stuntwomen in the world.
Yes, and it was in all of my storyboards too.
I did 770 storyboards, and in every one she has this flinging ponytail.
The ponytail should almost get a credit by itself.
You know, that TV salesman really had a certain something.
Would you work with him again in the future?
Yeah, I think he’s an up-and-comer, that actor who played Jed the stoner TV salesman.
I think he’s got a future.
Keep an eye out for him.
His name is… Hemswith?
Oh, Hemsworth, I think.
That was all him.
The amount of stuff we left on the cutting room floor with Chris… Could you find him a role inInterceptor 2if it comes to that?
Absolutely, oh yeah.
So maybe the president will be involved inInterceptor 2.
It’s a lot bigger.
WithInterceptor, it’s my first movie.
I’d love to be able to have the resources to do something bigger.
Beyond that, what projects do you have coming up?
I’ve got three scripts I’d like to direct.
And they’re wild.
So it’s hopefully an escalating series of bonkers, crazy, fast, fun movies.
That’s the plan.
I’m 47 years old.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interceptoris streaming now on Netflix.
Watch the trailer below, including a look at Pataki’s one-arm swing:
Want more movie news?
