Interview: Storms and stunts – Ric Roman Waugh and Bodhi Rae Breathnach on Shelter

After a career in stunts which included Total Recall and Days of Thunder, Ric Roman Waugh has made a name for himself directing action movies. Shot Caller, Angel Has Fallen and Greenland have all established his reputation and it’s further underlined by the arrival of his latest, Shelter, pairing cinema’s one man army, Jason Statham, with teenage actress Bodhi Rae Breathnach. Released at the end of the week, it marks a change in tone from the usual Statham formula.

On a remote island in the North Sea, a man in self-imposed exile rescues a young girl from a deadly storm. His simple action sets off a chain of events that bring him out of seclusion but put both of them in danger and, as their lives increasingly intertwine, he has to continue protecting the orphaned girl while fighting powerful enemies from his past. And they face a perilous journey aiming not only for survival but personal redemption.

SUPPORT US!!! WE ARE A SMALL, INDEPENDENT FILM WEBSITE WITH NO BIG BACKERS, SO IF YOU LOVE OUR SITE AND OUR WRITERS, PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING US TO KEEP FILM JOURNALISM ALIVE!

The director and his rapidly rising star – Breathnach is currently on screens in Hamnet and recently joined the cast of Robert Eggers‘s forthcoming Werwulf – sat down with The People’s Movies for an exclusive chat about Shelter. Waugh discusses his experience of working with Statham as a producer as well an actor, describing him as “my right hand partner all the way,” and paying tribute to his understanding of the art of movie making, as well as his abilities in front of the camera. And Breathnach recalls being scared by the amount of stunt training she needed to do – “weapon training, boxing training” – as well as tackling the elements in the storm sequence. But she admits it helped her confidence and that she’s currently “having a moment.”

You can watch the full interview here:

Shelter is in UK cinemas from January 30th.

About the Author

Freda Cooper

Editor

A lifelong movie fan and a film critic for over ten years, Freda’s natural habitat is the darkened rooms frequented by fellow cineastes. She can also be found asking questions of some of the biggest names in the business – from Cate Blanchett to Daniel Craig or Mike Leigh to Pete Docter – or crafting reviews for a number of sites and publications, including The People’s Movies. And listeners to BBC Local Radio can catch her views on the latest releases. She always – and probably always will – cite The Third Man as her favourite film of all time. Her top ten? That’s a moveable feast …..

Visit Website View All Posts