Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Movies | Tagged: exclusive, interview, Jackson Rathbone, Mauro Borreli, mickey rourke, robert knepper, Saban Films, Warhunt

Warhunt Star Jackson Rathbone Talks Adapting to Pandemic & Gun Safety

If there's one thing actor Jackson Rathbone enjoys, it's participating in projects that blend multiple genres. In this case, it's the supernatural historical horror-action drama Warhunt, a story set in 1945, the final year of World War II. Two soldiers lead a platoon searching for mysterious cargo located deep in the German black forest within Nazi territory. They get far more than they bargained for as they battle elements beyond their comprehension. I spoke with the star about what drove him to the Mauro Borreli film, how he never physically appears with one of his costars, and the importance of gun safety in production.

"I say the first thing that interested me was they already attached Mickey Rourke and Robert Knepper," Rathbone said. "I'm a fan of both those actors. Once I read the script, the idea of World War II soldiers fighting Nazis and the supernatural was such an exciting aspect for me. I am a low-key horror fan, and I have been for many, many years. One of the things I love is historical fiction and supernatural set in wartime. To get to portray a character like Walsh, it was fun for me. I'm glad I got to do it." Rourke plays Major Johnson, who sends Walsh and Brewer (Knepper) on their mission. "Robert is a force to behold. Not only is he just an incredible human being, an incredible actor, sweet man, but he is a dedicated performer who, the moment he opens his mouth, he commands your attention. Everything from his physicality to his face is just perfect. Getting to watch him was such a wonderful learning experience."

Sadly Hollywood magic would have to step in due to the COVID-19 pandemic complicating filming two of the main stars together. "I was so excited to work with Mickey, but the world had other plans," Rathbone said. "The pandemic erupted, so we had to pause filming. When they were able to bring him in, they weren't able to bring me in due to [Latvian] laws and regulations at that time. So I had to film with his stand-in, and he had to film with mine, and we never technically got to work together, which was a great disappointment. The editor and the producers did an incredible job, and they were able to seamlessly transition between both of our shots." The Mixtape star drew parallels of trying to finish a grueling shoot in a global crisis and the grim nature of the film.

"There were so many difficulties when we were making this film," Rathbone said. "We're at the onset of the pandemic and filming in Latvia, a beautiful country on the Baltic Sea. I'd love to go back because it's such a stunningly beautiful place to film and to go for vacation. The virus was ramping up all over the world at that point, and we started having actors leave, just quit filming, and go home to their families, who needed them during this uncertain time. The producers were very understanding, and it was very similar to the film where we have a group of tight-knit soldiers, and they're dropping like flies because of the supernatural elements. So there's a real sense of dread with a lot of the scenes, a lot of the characters, and a lot of the humor that's in there is the gallows humor that we all had to keep each other upbeat. Sometimes you got to laugh to keep from crying."

One thing Rathbone takes pride in is safety on set. Growing up a gun owner himself, he wanted to be sure everyone on the set of Warhunt respected their prop firearms like they're real ones. In light of what happened on the set of Rust, the tragedy hit close to home given his own personal close calls. "I think there's been a trend within certain indie filmmaking because we operate usually at a shoestring budget the whole time," he said. "There has been a downward trend towards on-set safety, and I think it took a tragedy to wake the industry up to being conscious of that safety. That being said, we did have a stage set. There was that day one moment of a bunch of actors getting weapons in their hands and treating them like toys that need to be squashed from the get-go. I was lucky to have an incredibly seasoned weapons handler on the film, and I think that's something that the industry needs to pay attention to. It needs to make sure that we keep each other safe because we're a tight-knit unit. To be honest, man, I have been nearly killed, and I can name three films from people using a real knife when they should have used a prop knife to having an ax, a real physical ax thrown at me and careening down a mountain and having a set piece break that nearly murdered me and my costar. It's happened too many times to where I can't stay quiet now. I think that's what we need as artists is that we need to be able to speak up when there's a safety concern and to not fear retaliation or fear being labeled as troublesome because we're all in it together. The second someone gets hurt, everyone suffers because its negligence is never, never excusable."

Saban Films' Warhunt, which also stars Aglaya Tarasova, is currently in theaters, on-demand and digital.

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