Posted in: Movies | Tagged: entertainment, film, Loadout: Going In Hot, Machinima Prime, richard hatch, Wayside Creations

Loadout: Going In Hot And A Few Questions With Star Richard Hatch

Today, Wayside Creations' Loadout: Going In Hot debuts on Machinima Prime and I got to talk with star Richard Hatch – formerly Apollo on the original Battlestar Galactica – about the new short, the sci-fiction genre and more. You can see the short at the bottom of the interview.

BLEEDING COOL: You are starring in Wayside Creations latest live-action adaptation, Loadout: Going In Hot. Were you familiar with the game series prior to accepting the role? Are you a video game player?

RICHARD HATCH: I play games but haven't played LOADOUT. Will be playing it for the first time this Tuesday. Love playing games but have been producing, acting and writing projects this year that have taken up all my time. Can't wait to play the game.

BC: You play Captain Gaz of the HMS Loadout, and head of a group of merchant marines who haul antiquities and curios through space. What is it about the items that make them so valuable and do they play into the dangers that Gaz and his crew face?

RH: One of the things that's interesting about the cargo runs that the Loadout crew goes on is that they usually don't know what the contents are. They might find out at the time of pick up that it's something dangerous, hazardous, or maybe fragile, but never what it is exactly. The work they do is very fringe. It's on the edge of legal, and its very dangerous. Which is why the pay is so good. Caine, the invisible boss who orchestrates all this cargo movement is DEFINITELY up to something, and its probably not good. I think ultimately Gaz, Mick, and all the other haulers he depends on are ultimately just pawns in some larger game. There are plans to have the crew accidentally open a shipment case which will cause some problems, but its more the picking up, moving, and delivery of the cargo that causes troubles.

BC: So who is Captain Gaz and how did he end up on a ship in deep space?

RH: Captain Gaz is literally the son of a son of a sailor. He comes from a very long line of merchant marines, dating all the way back to the original ocean faring servicemen on earth who sailed rickety old boats across the oceans, in search of adventure and profit – although not necessarily in that order. The ship name "HMS LOADOUT" has been passed down from craft to craft, just as the ship itself was passed on to him. Gaz is just a guy trying to make his way in the universe. He doesn't have any delusions of grandeur, nor does he expect to hit it big. He's more like a blue collar worker who is comfortable with his lot in life, and just wants to make it to tomorrow.

BC: It's said that Gaz has an arch-nemesis named Mick. How exactly does one get an arch-nemesis? What makes Mick an arch-nemesis to Gaz?

RH: In the Loadout universe, getting an arch nemesis is easy. You just have to be good at what you do. Gaz and Mick are top dogs in Caine's organization, and its really their mutual sense of competition that has turned their relationship sour. They're not long lost brothers, or childhood friends. Mick's just a jerk who plays dirty, and Gaz seems to have gotten under his skin.

BC: You have played in a lot of Science Fiction stories. What is it about the genre that appeals to you? How does Loadout fit into the genre and how does it differ?

RH: I have always loved the genre of Science Fiction/Fantasy and LOADOUT for me definitely falls into that category. A quirky crew of brilliant/ nerdy misfits headed by the totally dedicated and bad assed, no nonsense Capt Gaz trying to survive in an alternate universe with their very old and falling apart space freighter, They must out smart and out think all the bigger and more powerful competition who will go to any lengths to block the delivery of the rare and unique cargos they carry.  It is the perfect blend of drama, comedy and cutting edge action. I love the story, witty and off the wall characters and dialogue and the very creative ways this crew find a way to accomplish their missions and deliveries.

BC: A little off topic here but I'd be remiss if I didn't ask. A comic publisher, Dynamite, is doing a miniseries right now called Battlestar Galactica: The Death of Apollo. The character was supposed to have died between the original Battlestar Galactica series and the Galactica 1980 series. Being the man who brought the iconic character to life, how does it feel to know that the story of his death is finally being told? Have you ever thought about what happened to the character after your series?

RH: I hate the fact they're killing Apollo, but in my BG novel Apollo will continue to live and evolve. I don't follow the BG 1980 storyline and feel that series should have never been produced. It was made for all the wrong reasons.

BC: Besides Loadout: Going In Hot, what other projects do you have in the works that you can talk about?

RH: I have many future projects in the works. I'm starring with Malcolm McDowell in a steampunk presentation called Cowboys and Engines and playing the role of the Klingon general Karn in the ground breaking Trek indie film AXANAR. Also directing With Honors, a movie about a Vietnam vet who walked away from the war.  In addition I'm in the process of finishing my Sci/fi/Fantasy novel GWOM, which will be released this year with a high end web series set to preceed the launch. I also teach and lecture around the world on Acting, filmmaking and writing at various Colleges, high schools and Universities.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/J8wRRIBMAqc[/youtube]

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