Feature Category: Interviews

Mandeville Films’ co-founder Todd Lieberman has produced movies as diverse as THE FIGHTER and BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA. More importantly, he’s also the gentleman we all have to thank for getting both THE MUPPETS and MUPPETS MOST WANTED onto our screens! STARBURST sat down with the acclaimed film producer to talk about working with Kermit and the gang…

Starburst: What does it take to produce a Muppet movie?

Todd Lieberman: No movie is an easy movie to produce, and the Muppet movies are special. These characters have been around for a very long time, crossing many generations. I think you have to have childlike enthusiasm and a love for humour that appeals to kids and adults. You need an enormous amount of patience and a giant amount of energy.

How difficult is it to get the right sort of team together for a project like this?

The interesting thing about the Muppets is that they’re kind of a magnet. It’s less about me as a producer looking for a new thing and more about seeing who wants to be involved. There’s so many fans of the Muppets and for Muppets Most Wanted everybody involved were extraordinary fans of the characters and have a sense of obligation to make sure that we put something together that inspires the same kind of feeling that we all had when we were children.

Muppets Most Wanted is very much a caper film, what made you choose that approach for the sequel?

When we were thinking about the story we really wanted something that would be a great progression from The Muppets. That movie kind of brought the gang back together. Now that the stage was set, we felt their was an opportunity for re-acclimating the characters to a generation of kids who maybe aren’t as familiar with them than prior generations. Like mine. We just wanted to have an enormous amount of fun and keep the heart and soul of it together. It’s a good old fashioned romp. We realised it would be fun to take them to Europe and it was James Bobin and Nicholas Stoller who came up with the idea of stealing the Crown Jewels and this whole comedy of errors with Kermit’s doppleganger. Shooting it in London was a homecoming for the Muppets because that’s where the original show was shot all those years ago when The Muppet Show was on the air. It was a bit of a thank you to the UK and also an excuse to take them out of LA and travel around the world a little bit.

How different is putting together a Muppet movie from any other feature?

The technical aspects are certainly different. You have to build the set in an entirely different way for Muppets. The performers who operate the characters need room so everything is built off the ground so the performers can walk around and be active. When working in the real world you can’t raise the level of the set so you’re always figuring out ways to hide people. The way it is shot stylistically is all up to James and he is a brilliant man. The movie also has original music and we were lucky enough to get Bret McKenzie back who did most of the songs for our first film. He’s a massive Muppets fan and a genius in the world of music. There’s also a lot of cameos because people always want to be a part of a movie like this. We’re lucky enough to have lots and lots of people who want to be involved, some of whom are very surprising, I can’t wait to see how the public responds. We also have a great cast; I don’t think there’s a bigger Muppet fan in the world then Ricky Gervais, though Tina Fey and Ty Burrell are also huge fans.  Those three alone are comic dynamite together!

How hard is it to keep a straight face when on set?

I’ve got to tell you, it’s not easy. The great thing about all the performers who do the Muppets characters is that once the camera stops rolling they’re still performing and the amount of laughs that get generated even after the camera stops is unparalleled. Ricky and Mat Vogel, the performer who does Constantine, Kermit’s doppleganger, they almost established their own relationship as a duo off screen. As did Ricky and Pepe the Prawn, who is operated by Bill Berrata. They would be hanging out after the camera’s had stopped rolling and it would be hysterical.

When on set did you ever catch yourself talking directly to the Muppet rather than the puppeteer?

I always try to look through the eyes of a child. When a child is on set they don’t even notice the people are there, they’re just looking right at the Muppet. It’s kind of what you do. Because in truth these Muppet characters are real. They have their own personalities. You don’t think there is a person because your mind won’t let you. The performers really are so incredibly talented and the Muppets really are that special.

If the 7 year old version of yourself could meet you now, what would you say to him?

I play that game with myself all the time. I go higher. I play myself at 90, I go into a meditative state and I imagine myself at 90-years-old. The one thing I continually say to myself is ‘no regrets’. There’s that maybe cliched phrase of ‘say yes to life’ but I fully subscribe to it. The greatest things in life that have happened to me have come from saying yes. I like to experience things and try things. Taking it all the way back to the Muppets, I’m extremely thankful, grateful and lucky that I’m a part of this brand because it truly was something that was very special to me as child.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Well my main goal in life is to make sure I’m involved in things, storytelling and other wise, that effect people in a certain way and give people a certain sense of emotion and joy. So in terms of specific storytelling I try to find projects and stories that appeal to me on an emotional level and when they’re revealed to an audience will move those people to laughter, move them to tears, and move them to laughter and tears at the same time. I genuinely find joy in giving other people emotional satisfaction and joy. That’s what inspires me.

What is your next great ambition?

I’m always on a quest for knowledge. I don’t have a tangible goal but every day of my life I do my best to grow as human being. Now we’re getting real existential. I like learning about people and the world. It enhances my storytelling capabilities and my enjoyment of the world. I don’t exactly know what is next but I know every experience I go through I try and find something that will allow me to grow.

What do you have planned for the future of the Muppets?

I’m extremely superstitious so my philosophy on films and life in general is that I should only think about what’s going on at the moment. So right now we’ve got this movie coming out and I just hope that lots and lots of people go see it and love it like we all do!

MUPPETS MOST WANTED is in cinemas now.

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Find your local Starburst Magazine stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. For our digital edition (available to read on your iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 8, Samsung and/or Huawei device – all for just £1.99), visit MAGZTER DIGITAL NEWSSTAND.

Miss our MUPPET special? Don’t worry, you can still get it for your tablet device! Click on Constantine to grab yours…

FROM AROUND THE WEB:

Starburst Magazine caught up with novelist and columnist Jacqueline Rayner in what is proving to be a busy year for her with several new releases to look forward to in the coming months. She kindly broke off from finishing her latest book for the BBC to answer a few questions.

Starburst: Jac, thanks for taking the time to talk, I’d like to start, if I may, with your adaption for the audio of Paul Cornell’s novel Oh No It Isn’t! that was also the first audio release for Big Finish. This featured the character of Bernice Summerfield who has gone on to be a firm favourite with listeners. How did this come about?

Jacqueline Rayner: Well, I was ‘in the know’ about Big Finish’s plans because I was living with Paul Cornell at the time. He was asked to do the adaptation but didn’t have the time. Now, Paul was obviously a ‘proper’ writer whereas I was just a person who thought of herself as a writer without having any credits to show for it, but I knew I could do the job – so I asked if I could try out for it, and to my surprise they agreed. I think the fact they knew Paul would be on hand to rescue it if need be was probably a factor! But to my delight, after Oh No It Isn’t! was finished, they asked if I’d go on to adapt the rest (apart from Beyond the Sun which had been done alongside the first one), and I was thrilled.

It has just been announced that you have adapted another Bernice Summerfield novel for audio, this time Gareth Robert’s 1993 novel The Highest Science. This will be released in December of this year and I’m interested to know how your approach has developed since your first adaptation. Given how strongly Lisa Bowerman is identified in people’s imagination as Bernice does this change how you wrote the script or do you still use the original novel as the primary source?

From the first time Lisa was heard as Bernice the role has been written for her, she’s just wonderful. So it’s no change now from almost the very first day. My approach to these two new New Adventures adaptations is almost completely opposite to the approach to the original ones though. Back then, Big Finish was new and was trying to create its own identity. We were creating our own series using the books as a starting point – and some of them had to be heavily changed out of necessity anyway, as we couldn’t use BBC characters like the Doctor. Love and War and The Highest Science are aimed at fans of the original novels, there’s a nostalgia element, and therefore we’ve been as faithful as possible and tried to keep as much of Paul and Gareth’s voices in there as we can. That said, changes have had to be made, especially to The Highest Science. Not only was it due to have a small cast so I had to conflate several characters, but BBC rules meant Benny wasn’t allowed to be drugged so that cut out quite a large plot strand.

Of course you haven’t just adapted other people’s work but also written many pieces yourself. Going back to the first Big Finish Doctor Who releases you wrote The Marian Conspiracy, a Sixth Doctor story that introduced the immensely popular character of Dr Evelyn Smythe (Maggie Stables) who was a companion for Colin Baker’s Doctor for many future stories. How did the story come about and what was the genesis of Dr Smythe?

Gary Russell, the producer, popped his head round the door one day and asked which Doctor would I write for if I got the chance of doing an audio. I said ‘Sixth’ without hesitation, and he said ‘good’. And that’s how it started! I’d been training to be a history teacher before I became sick and Mary Tudor had been a favourite subject of mine – I’d also always loved the Hartnell historicals and wished there’d been more history-based TV stories, so there was my setting. I started off writing it for the Sixth Doctor and Peri, but Gary decided to introduce a new companion and asked me to introduce her. I had a ‘shopping list’ of character traits for her – if you listen to Marian you can hear me shoehorning them in! – and knew she’d be played by Maggie Stables. Maggie had been in the Bernice audio Just War so I knew her voice and was able to write with the actor in mind which is always helpful. I think Evelyn is wonderful and it was an honour to be the one to introduce her.

One of my favourite pieces of yours is the fabulous Doctor Who and the Pirates which has Bill Oddie as a pirate, Colin Baker signing and is one of the most distinctive stories Big Finish has ever released. Underneath all the signing and mucking around is a powerful, poignant story that has a sudden emotional kick when the listener realises what is actually happening. Did you find this easy to write or was it something that needed several re-drafts to get right?

I can’t really remember if it went through many drafts – I don’t think it did – I just remember living it for weeks, eating, sleeping and dreaming Pirates! It’s the thing I’ve written of which I’m most proud – in fact, it’s probably the only work that I am properly proud of. It’s certainly the thing that’s got the most of myself in it, it almost functions as a social test: if people like Pirates then hopefully they will like me in person, if they don’t like Pirates (which is a perfectly acceptable reaction, of course) then they probably won’t like me either (which is also a perfectly acceptable reaction). I was very, very lucky with all aspects of Pirates. Gary Russell showed such an amount of faith in letting me do my own thing, I don’t think I’ve ever had that sort of writing freedom since and it was wonderful. He was a brilliant producer and helped every step of the way, right from the very first time I phoned him and said, ‘Er, do you know if Colin can sing?’  I think most other producers would have told me not to be so silly; he told me to give it a go and see if it worked. Amazing! Barnaby Edwards is a sympathetic and incredibly clever director, and Captain Swann was written with Nicholas Pegg in mind as I adore him as an actor. Colin and Maggie are my dream Doctor Who team. And the actors, and the singing, and Tim Sutton’s music! Oh, I was blessed with that production, I really was.

One last delve into the past; you were part of the original Doctor Who Magazine Time Team, a group that re-watched all the then existing episodes of Doctor Who in order. This was all before the show came back in 2005. Looking back, how did you find the experience of watching all those stories and then having to write about them?

I think it was a very worthwhile experiment. With four people commenting, each coming at it from a different perspective, plus the advantage of seeing things in context through watching everything in order, it was a new way of reviewing. And it was a lot of fun! My husband and I are watching through in order again, one episode a night – we started on January 1st 2013, to celebrate the 50th anniversary and we’ve just reached Talons of Weng-Chiang – and I’ve changed my opinions about certain stories since we Time-Teamed them, but then it’d be more worrying if my opinions had remained set in stone. I regret some of the things I said in Time Team, because it’s always easier to express negatives if you can’t think of much to say (plus occasionally the necessary condensing of what was said meant what appeared in print wasn’t an exact expression of my opinions – my fault for running on incomprehensibly) but it was a great experience and I loved the other guys. The four of us are (hopefully) friends for life.

Your involvement with Doctor Who Magazine continues with your regular column, Relative Dimensions and the series Countdown to 50; I remember reading one of these where you talked about the Bechdel Test which (in simple terms) measures how well female characters have identities that don’t revolve around male characters. In terms of treatment of women in Doctor Who do you feel that the programme is fair to its female characters? Has the 21st century given them better definition as fully rounded people? Should the next Doctor be female?

Eeek! There’s a can of worms, but the C20th- and C21st-century shows are just different beasts. Now you’ll get character-focused stories that wouldn’t – couldn’t – have happened in the majority of C20th Who (although there are some exceptions – Kinda and Ghost Light for example). Back then companions in particular were pretty much just plot functions – which definitely isn’t a criticism, after all it’s an adventure series and the stories are key – and the depth and consistency was given to the characters by the actors rather than the scripts. For non-companions, you can probably think of more good male guest characters than female ones in old Who, but that’s because there are an awful lot more male characters to choose from so statistically speaking there’ll be a higher hit rate. Whole seasons could go by with barely a female face on screen apart from the companion, and those that did pop up could be clichéd and feeble – but then it was just as bad (if not worse) for non-Caucasians, for example. I’d be perfectly happy with a female Doctor. Asking *should* the next Doctor be female is a different question, though. Of course opening out such an iconic character to women is great from a feminist point of view. I’m also trying to look at it as a mother of two boys, though. I think it’s extremely important to have a male role model who isn’t all about guns and machismo. Would the same messages come through if a woman was in the role? I’ve no idea. My children loved Sarah Jane, so I hope it would be the case. But I’d like to have a psychologist’s opinion before I came down on one side or the other!

Moving away from Doctor Who, you are also interested in girls’ comics and Golden Age crime fiction. Can you tell Starburst readers a bit about both of those? How does this tie in with your twitter handle @GirlFromBlupo?

Ha! Yes, I adore girls’ comics, with a special interest in those that were my own childhood favourites, IPC titles of the 1970s and ’80s like Jinty and Misty. Oh, the imagination that went into those – but how cruelly ephemeral the medium was. There have been a few reprints lately, but how I wish that works of genius like Worlds Apart and Land of No Tears were available to an audience again. My twitter handle comes from a 1990s Bunty story, The Boyfriend from Blupo. It was an enormously fun strip that saw a girl dating an alien, with some confusion about matters of appearance – the Blupo view of male attractiveness was opposite to that of Earth but you never discovered if their view of female beauty was the same, so the lead character, Lee, never knew if her boyfriend telling her she was pretty was a good or bad thing. I loved that ambiguity. How much of a person’s ideas of their own worth are wrapped up in perceptions of how others see them? OK, so it was a throwaway joke in one episode of a comic strip aimed at 9 year olds, but it fascinated me!

I know you have many projects on the way at present. This month (March 2014) sees the release of a Big Finish story called Starborn and I understand you are in the throes of finishing a quiz book for the BBC. What can you tell us about those?

Starborn is a story of Vicki receiving spirit messages that purport to come from herself, after death. Time travel has some pretty freaky aspects if you think about it, and being dead in the past while alive in the present – which is what would happen to Vicki, left behind in Troy – is a creepy thought. And I just love Vicki, so jumped at the chance to write for her and put her central stage. I have indeed just delivered The Official Doctor Who Quiz Book to the BBC – 3500 questions. Wow. Can’t quite believe it’s finished! There should be questions in there for every level of knowledge. My favourite parts as a compiler were the brainteasers that need more lateral thinking, but there are plenty of plain facts in there too. Hopefully there’s also some interesting trivia to be discovered among the questions.

You also find time to fit in a project that you call Delegate Detecting – how do you find time to fit everything in and what can you tell us about that?

Oh, I have a ridiculous obsession with the Dalek Delegates from Mission to the Unknown/The Daleks’ Masterplan. It’s a twofold thing – I adore Doctor Who monsters from the Hartnell era, a combination of unsophistication and imagination. The Monoids are a big favourite, for example! But I also love the mystery. This is a television programme within living memory, and yet there are so many things about it we just don’t know. We don’t know exactly what all the Delegates looked like. We don’t even know what their names were! I just decided one day that I wanted to collate all the available information and the result was the website. It’s odd you should ask about fitting in everything, because from my point of view I don’t fit in half the things I want to do. I have a chronic illness that restricts available time and energy, two small children that I want to spend as much quality time with as possible and I’m trying to keep a writing career together! So I’m constantly frustrated with all the plans and ideas I can’t pursue. But don’t get the idea I’m not happy with my lot. Not only do I have a wonderful family, but I’ve achieved my childhood dream of being part of Doctor Who, in however small a way. Doctor Who books and Doctor Who Monthly (as it was then) were more part of my childhood than the programme itself. I still can’t quite believe I actually now have a column in DWM! Total wish fulfilment.

And one last question, if the TARDIS were to appear in your sitting room and the door open, which Doctor would you like to walk out of the doors and why?

Until recently, that would have been an impossible question. How to choose? But now, it clearly has to be the Twelfth Doctor. I cannot wait to see what he’s going to be like!

STARBORN was released on March 13th (details on the Big Finish website), and her adaption of THE HIGHEST SCIENCE will be available in December 2014.

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Find your local Starburst Magazine stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. For our digital edition (available to read on your iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 8, Samsung and/or Huawei device – all for just £1.99), visit MAGZTER DIGITAL NEWSSTAND.

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FROM AROUND THE WEB:

Renowned for creating the likes of Chocolat and her Rune series, Joanne Harris is a name well recognised and respected within the worlds of fiction. Following the release of The Gospel of Loki, Starburst was given the opportunity to discuss her latest novel exploring the gods and realms of Norse mythology…

Starburst: Given your success with Runemarks and Runelight, was The Gospel of Loki something you had always planned? Or did the idea develop as you wrote the aforementioned novels?

Joanne Harris: No, the idea came to me as I realized that a lot of my readers weren’t as familiar with Norse myth as I’d imagined. I found myself getting requests for more details of what happened before Ragnarók, and it occurred to me that it might be fun to re-invent those stories and to give them a different angle…

What about Loki’s character and those around him? As noted very early on in Gospel, the reader is encouraged to “take it with a pinch of salt.” Did you consider specifically exaggerating or intentionally embellish certain personality traits to account for this?

I don’t think there was much need for exaggeration. In the original Eddas, Loki comes across as a very plausible character. He’s charismatic; self-serving; a liar; a quick thinker who is equally capable of using his intelligence for good or evil purposes. He’s profoundly selfish and amoral, a narcissist who rationalizes his misbehaviour at every turn. He’s the ultimate unreliable narrator, and as such his voice is very contemporary.

What keeps drawing you back to writing about the Norse deities, and this world in particular?

It’s a wonderful source of material. In spite of the fact that Norse myth is sparse, in comparison with the wealth of material about, let’s say, Greek or Roman, the stories seem to have a fresh and strangely contemporary appeal. Part of this comes from the characters, which are lively and well-drawn, with very believable human flaws and complex interrelationships. I’m particularly drawn to the small community of gods in Asgard, their understandable tensions, their rivalries. And of course, the world picture is so very different from our own; I love the challenge of trying to work within a universe that was basically licked out of a block of ice by a giant cow…

How did you find writing a character of very unusual origins from a first person perspective?

Actually, most of my characters are outsiders, freaks or outcasts in one way or another. Perhaps it’s because of my dual-national background, but I enjoy those perspectives best.

Were there any unique difficulties which came from writing events through the eyes of a single individual?

Not really. As far as Loki’s concerned, he’s always the centre of attention, anyway…

Are there any other Æsir you feel you may wish to revisit in a similar manner to this book or expand upon? Perhaps even simply figures that were not given a great deal of focus?

Quite possibly. The Gospel of Loki, though standing alone as a retelling of Norse myths, also works as a prequel to my Rune books, and I’d like to explore some of the less-developed characters a little more in the next book (although I suspect Loki will always be there at the forefront of the action).

What of the language used by the characters. Loki himself uses more than a few rather modern terms such as “chillax” and “oh crap!” Was this an intentional addition to try and distance the characters from certain previous interpretations, or were there other reasons?

Firstly, for fun, and as an indicator that this re-telling isn’t meant to be taken as an entirely serious commentary on Old Icelandic literature. Second, because I wanted to re-create the irreverence of Loki’s voice in the original texts. In Lokasenna, Loki swears, uses insults, makes fart jokes, uses slang. The only way I could recreate that was to have him speak in a contemporary, self-mocking idiom. True, it’s not very authentic. But short of writing the whole thing in Old Icelandic, like Voluspá, or Latin, like the Prose Edda, it wouldn’t have been authentic anyway. What I was trying for was a style that went beyond linguistic authenticity and directly into the spirit of the story.

How extensively did you research Norse mythology and its myths before starting on this novel?

In some ways I’ve been researching Norse myths since I was seven years old. I started writing stories about Norse gods when I was nine; my first (unpublished) novel, Witchlight, was an early version of Runemarks. Since then, I’ve been trying to learn Old Icelandic (very slowly, online), and reading some texts in the original. A lot of the information I’ve collected has found its way into my books, but I’ve never thought of it as research, simply exploration.

And finally, going from The Gospel of Loki’s Goodreads page your book seems to have drawn in a lot of Tom Hiddleston’s fans. Do you have any thoughts on readers being attracted to your book thanks to the Marvel films?

I don’t mind how readers come to my books – that’s the beauty of reading, you never know quite where it will lead. And so many writers, artists and filmmakers have used aspects of Norse myth to create art. I don’t claim ownership of Norse myth any more than Marvel could, or Wagner, or Tennyson, or Tolkien. I think it’s a testimony to the versatility of the myths that so many people have found so many different ways to approach them and make them their own.

THE GOSPEL OF LOKI is available now from Orion Books.

Paul McGann has an extremely impressive body of work that includes cult classic Withnail and I, Empire of The Sun and Alien 3. He’s also the Eighth Doctor and recently excited fans with an appearance in the mini-sode The Night of The Doctor. Starburst Magazine caught up with him whilst he was signing autographs at Birmingham MCM Comic Con to find out what he’s currently up to… 

Starburst: What draws you to conventions like MCM Comic Con?

Paul McGann: This one today is a bit of mad-house. There seems to have been a real spike in interest. I know that sounds very business man, but the interest has really shot up. It hasn’t stopped all day. The lines are long and the interest is high in the Eighth Doctor, no doubt since November.

There is a photo floating about of you as the Eighth Doctor in the current TARDIS console room. What’s the story behind that?

Oh, the photograph? They were pulling it down and we were shooting on the set next door to it. They told me that they were going to take it down in a couple of days so I asked one of the PA’s to take a picture of me in it. There’s no other thing there, be nice if there was something more substantial to it.

Are you planning on doing any more Big Finish?

Oh yeah, I‘ll be doing that until I drop. We’re doing some more in May, maybe even a continuation of Dark Eyes.

What’s happening with Minister of Chance?

We’re going to do more and more but it’s one of those; the model is that we can only do more when people pay for it, much like Big Finish. You buy it, we’ll make it.

You’re doing Chekov’s Three Sisters currently, how is it going?

Doing being the operative word, I’m certainly doing Chekov. It’s an adaptation by Anya Reiss, she’s a young playwright; 22 years old. I saw The Seagull that the same team did last year and I was knocked out by it. I feel they had really brought it up to date.We’re trying a similar trick with Three Sisters. We’re half-way through rehearsal so we’re all a little bit tense about it, but I think it’s going to work.

When you were shooting for The Five-ish Doctors did you know about any of the other plans for the Anniversary special?

When we were doing The Five-ish Doctors I knew about Night of The Doctor but I couldn’t tell the others. It’s kind of weird because the Five Doctors thing pre-dated it and the whole premise was that none of us were going to be asked to be in the fiftieth. So I was shooting this thing and thinking “I should really mention something” but I didn’t. Also; Tom Baker; around that time they found out that he was going to be in the special.

What’s the next big thing you’re doing?

I don’t know. In all the years I’ve worked I’ve never known even six weeks ahead what I’m going to be doing. Never, ever known. I know actors who are all “Next year I’m doing this and I’ve got this lined up”. I’ve never worked like that, I’m just used to it. When Steven Moffat rang for Night of The Doctor it was for two weeks from then. That’s how it usually is.

What advice do you have for anyone trying to break into acting right now?

Train. Train to do it. When it gets really tough and competitive and up and down if you train you’ll be confident. Part of the training is to learn never to take any of it personally and I mean the good stuff as well. I mean that. It’s an industry that’s not so much cruel as indifferent. That’s how you stay sane.

If you were stranded on a desert island and only had one book for company, what would it be?

That’s a very hard question. They are so many books, too many to mention. In Dublin I saw this small book, it’s a fragment of Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake; Anna Livia Plurabelle, that’s what I’d take.

Simpsons or Futurama?

Simpsons

Midwives or Doctors?
Midwives because it’s my sister-in-law who writes it. I’ll get battered if I say otherwise.

Truth or Beauty?
Always truth.

More information on MCM EXPO events, which features guests such as Paul McGann, can be found at www.mcmcomiccon.com. Paul McGann’s official twitter feed is @RealPaulMcGann

Words: Ed Fortune / Photos: Anne Davies

Share your comments below or on Twitter @STARBURST_MAG

Find your local Starburst Magazine stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. For our digital edition (available to read on your iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 8, Samsung and/or Huawei device – all for just £1.99), visit MAGZTER DIGITAL NEWSSTAND.

CLICK COVER TO GET YOUR DIGITAL COPY

FROM AROUND THE WEB:

Den Patrick has made waves in the fantasy book world with his stunning new novel The Boy With the Porcelain Blade, the first part of The Erebus Sequence. His previous work includes The War Fighting Manuals. We caught up with the exciting new author to find out more.

Starburst: Tell us a bit about The Boy with The Porcelain Blade
Den Patrick: The Boy with The Porcelain Blade is my debut novel. It’s set in a Renaissance Italy style world of intrigue and subterfuge and lots of mysteries. There are four quietly feuding houses based around a reclusive king and into this mix are the Orfano, a caste of misshapen children who are all foundlings. Our protagonist Lucien is one of these Orfano. He has a couple of deformities but the main thing is that he is missing his ears and he’s quite self-conscious about that. He is exiled from the castle fairly early on in the novel and that kicks off a whole chain of events.

The thing about the book is that all the odd numbered chapters take place when he is about 18-years old and there is an on-going, continuous narrative on those chapters and the even numbered chapters are flashbacks so at various points he can be anything between eight and seventeen. It’s a little bit coming of age.

It’s quite a dense world; are we going see more of the world of Landfall?
In the first novel I did keep things very contained so there’s this huge sprawling castle which is referred to as Domain. As the novels progress we’ll get to see more of the island. I’m part way through editing book two and that’s still very centered around the castle. I’ve got two stand-alones planned which take place on the road and we get around a little bit more. It’ll be a long time before we see those because I need to write them.

Lucien has a very sharp wit. How much of Lucien is you?
I guess all characters are facets of the authors who create them. Lucien is a much more spoiled version of me; obviously he grew up in a castle and has had all these fantastic opportunities. That’s really why I wrote Raphaella in, to ground him. Some of my friends would say I’m pretty witty; the advantage with a novel is that you can rehearse the jokes and refine them over several edits. So Lucien’s probably funnier on the page than I am in real life.

Can you tell us a bit about the War Fighting Manuals series?
The War Fighting Manuals were an experiment. We were trying to write something that wasn’t a direct story, but almost like a found object as if you’d stumbled into that world. As if you could stumble around a market and pick up a manual on how to fight. The idea was that a human “anthropologist” character would go and live amongst the elves, the orcs and the dwarves for a period of time absorb their ways of fighting and their culture. All the manuals have these snarky footnotes which is the translator giving his little take on the cultures. It’s a nice way of poking fun at those three races. They’re all huge in pop culture now; The Lord of The Rings films are massive and there’s the Warhammer stuff as well which was a big inspiration for me because I used to work at The Games Workshop.

Are you going to write novels based on those worlds as well?
I’ve played with some chapters and some characters in that world. It would be really fun. I guess, ultimately it depends on how well the War Manuals do. If the fans really request it then I’ll write something, definitely.

You’ve worked for Games Workshop and you’re familiar with the worlds of Warhammer. Will you be writing anything for the Black Library at any point?
No, I’ve never even considered it. They have a huge stable of very talented writers. I left Games Workshop some years ago so I’m not as well versed in all that background lore and fantastic background that makes it such a captivating setting. I was always more into Warhammer 40,000. No plans at the moment but anything could happen.

Is there a particular tie-in franchise that you’d like to write for?
There’s really not, I really like doing my own thing. If ever there was a roleplaying game supplement I’d always rewrite the adventure slightly or supplement it with additional material of my own and I do like that act of creation. I like coming up with my own ideas, plot threads, characters and all that stuff. I’m quite happy to keep concentrating on Landfall at the moment.

Any chance of a Landfall sourcebook or gaming related supplement?
Wow, that would be so much fun wouldn’t it? It’s really strange, about a month ago I really go into Magic The Gathering. I played some years ago and I saw the Return to Ravnica cards and thought it looked really great so I’ve been collecting a few of those. It occurred to me that you could do a CCG based on the novel. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day.

Why are so many genre authors also gamers?
I guess because we like to be transported to other worlds. All games cut to the chase so you don’t necessarily have the story. We like to immerse ourselves in those worlds like any other fan does. I’m not sure why there is such a strong correlation between gaming and fantasy literature. It is a strong one though.

If you only had one book for company on a desert island, what would you pick?
The Scar by China Mieville; it’s huge.

The Simpsons or Futurama?
Futurama.

Truth or Beauty?

Beauty.

We’ve got over 40 guests booked – cast and crew from every single Anderson production from Twizzle to Stingray, and Thunderbirds to New Captain Scarlet.

Let me take you on a little walkthrough:

From the moment you walk in you’ll be immersed in the worlds of Gerry Anderson. As you come through the doors, you’ll see Scott Tracy sat in Thunderbird 1’s cockpit, and you’ll hear Barry Gray’s wonderful music filling the air.

Once through the ticket barriers, having passed a replica SPV interior set from Captain Scarlet, you can enter the main space (sponsored by Starburst magazine) which is divided into two fairly distinct areas – Puppetry and live action. In the Supermarionation (and Supermacromation area) we have a huge range of original and replica puppets and props on display alongside some incredible set recreations (the rolling road, underwater setup etc.) showing how the magic happened.

Head back towards the live action area, past a full size Supermarionation puppeteers gantry recreation, and you’ll be looking at the biggest ever display of original and replica UFO, Space:1999 and Space Precinct props and models ever assembled.

The main are also leads through to the main auditorium, where we’ll be staging some incredible talks, panels, and Q&A sessions on everything from Twizzle to Terrahawks, and Supercar to Space Precinct.

As you head back out of the main area – take some time to look at the production design and illustrators area – showing off everything from Derek Meddings’ original design artwork to original panels from TV21.

In the three remaining areas of Andercon, you’ll be able to see rare screenings including some previous unseen material in the screening room sponsored by Network. We also have some great displays by the Brickish association who have built iconic Anderson scenes and vehicles from Lego, and the National Space Centre and International Rescue will be showing us how Anderson-related science fiction has become science fact. Finally you’ll be able to get your fill of meets and greets (and autographs) in our star signers room.

We’ve been working hard on the event to make it one of the biggest and most interactive Gerry Anderson events ever held. This should be a really exciting tribute to Dad, so I hope we’ll see lots of you there – tickets are selling out fast!

We know it’s not polite to pick favourites, but are there any guests you’re particularly looking forward to meeting up with?
No, that’s not polite or fair. But… I’m looking forward to the Terrahawks reunion as that was always a favourite of mine. I think the Four Feather Falls panel with Nicholas Parsons, Denise Bryer, and David Graham will be fun too.

I’ve met all of the guests (bar one or two) before, and they’re all such lovely people. I’m hoping that the AP Films/Century 21 family feel that was present in every Anderson production will be recreated!

Your father was arguably one of the most important figures in genre television, world-wide, how much pressure is there, on you, as custodian of his legacy?
Thanks for adding to the pressure! Last year the BKSTS created the Gerry Anderson award for VFX. Dad would have been honoured as he was so proud of his BKSTS fellowship. I went to the awards do, did the presentation and we went out for drinks afterwards. I was approached by a smartly dressed man who walked up to me, looked me up and down and said “You have big shoes to fill”, smiled, and walked away. I think that was the first time the enormity of the task I’ve given myself really hit me.

Maintaining the legacy, and developing his unfinished projects has become my life’s work, and it’s no small task! I’m acutely aware of the difficulties and pitfalls involved, and that there’s a lot of pressure to get it right. I’ll do my utmost to see that his legacy endures, and flourishes.

You successfully raised funds via kickstarter last year to complete and publish Gemini Force One. How did you find the process and would you revisit it for future projects?
It was a rollercoaster. The build-up was fun, but the fun quickly turned to anxiety as the “launch” day approached. I found myself staring at the Kickstarter page and checking the app so frequently that it almost became an addiction. Engaging with the fans was great, and there’s something really special about knowing how much people want to see a new project. Having them care about it from so early on makes the whole thing really exciting.

But would I do it again? Perhaps. I think maybe literary projects don’t seem as sexy as a TV or film one. That meant this project was a slightly harder sell. I’d certainly consider it if we had a concept that the execs wanted to change beyond all recognition – but then, I’m hopeful that Gemini Force One will show the World that real Gerry Anderson ideas work!

We imagine there wasa lot of interest from authors wanting to work with you on completing Gemini Force One, what was it about MG Harris that convinced you she was the woman for the job?
There was a fair amount, but there were two things that clinched it for me. Firstly – I read the first book in MG’s Joshua Files series. I really enjoyed it. The pace was excellent, and although it was a book for a younger audience – I still found it very entertaining, and serious. At no point did I feel that a young reader was being spoken down to. That felt very Andersonesque. Secondly – later on, I met up with MG and we talked about Dad’s life and his motivations. It became clear to me that she was a fan, that she understood the material, and that she quickly gained a deep understanding of Dad’s life and the way he was. That convinced me that she was the right author for the job.

Speaking of future projects, are there any clues as to what we can expect next from Anderson Entertainment?
Well, the collectors edition of Gemini Force One will be out in August – so keep an eye out for that! We’re working on funding for a couple of major projects… but I have to keep those under wraps for the time being. You’ll certainly be seeing some more great GA merchandise coming up – and we have a couple of new licensees who are set to produce some lovely stuff. In the meantime – you might want to listen out for some big news. But I can’t say more than that for now!

ANDERCON is taking place on 19th and 20th April 2014 at the Park Inn Hotel, Heathrow, London UB7 0DU. Tickets are available here.

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CLICK TO BUY OUR LATEST ISSUE. CONSTANTINE COMMANDS YOU!

Cult Eighties TV show Knightmare is currently enjoying a revival of sorts; thanks to repeats of the show appearing on cable TV channels in the UK and abroad and a theatrical production of the show appearing at last years Edinburgh Fringe, it seems like it’s high time for a nostalgia fuelled convention for the show. Starburst caught up with super fan Alan Boyd to talk about his plans for the world’s first Knightmare Convention 2014, currently looking for funding via crowd funding website, Indie GoGo.

Starburst: Why does the world need a Knightmare Convention? 

Alan Boyd: In the 80s and 90s, Knightmare was the show that kids wanted to be on and wanted to be a part of. However, as you’ll be aware, only a few teams were lucky enough to ever get to play the dungeon. Jumping to 2014, and the show remains incredibly popular. In fact, you’ll recall that Google chose to make it the focal point of Geek Week last year. We therefore want to try and give people to chance to get involved in Knightmare in ways that they couldn’t as a kid.  In particular, we’re hoping to give people what may be their only chance to actually play a room of the Knightmare dungeon. We also want people to have the chance to meet the cast and crew and to ask questions about the show.

What inspired you to organise this? 

I was lucky enough to be invited to the filming of the Geek Week episode and while I was there, it became clear that the cast and crew of Knightmare still have a great affection for the show and are very proud of what they accomplished, and rightfully so. Given the additional immense popularity of Knightmare, even today, it seems like everyone was crying out for some kind of celebration of the show and to have a chance to be a part of it once more and a convention seemed like the natural way to proceed. 

Is Knightmare still relevant in the modern day? 

Well, it’s been 20 years since the last episode of Knightmare on our TV screens, and Knightmare continues to have a massive following. If you take a quick look through the YouTube comments for the Geek Week episode you’ll see comments from people saying things like “I have no idea what this is, but it’s awesome, can we have more?”. The fact that the format and the idea still work, are still popular, and are still in demand, so many years after the first episode of Knightmare was shown, clearly shows that Knightmare is relevant to the modern day. There’s nothing else out there quite like it and it’s clear that it’s something that people want.

How is Knightmare different from LARP and stuff like Punchdrunk’s interactive theatre?

I think the big difference with Punchdrunk’s interactive theatre is simply the gameplay. Knightmare is first and foremost a game (and a tough one at that). It pits a group of players against a dungeon full of puzzles, traps, riddles, and challenges in which logic, wordplay and knowledge are required to succeed. I think Knightmare is much closer to LARP and I suppose the big difference there is the concept of the dungeoneer. In LARP, you yourself play a single character and are able to wander around as you wish. In Knightmare, your single “avatar” in the dungeon is the dungeoneer who can’t see and must be directed by three advisors. The challenge becomes far more about precision movement and communication than about complex plots or strategies, which tend to characterise LARPing.

What are your plans for the convention?

The headline feature is the ability for people to play a room of the dungeon. Personally, I’m hoping that the room will be the corridor of blades, but we’ll see. We also have Q&A sessions with the cast and crew, as well as an opportunity for photographs and autographs, etc. We’re due to have a showing of “Lords of the Game“, which was the US pilot episode for Knightmare, as well as the extended edition of the “Geek Week” episode (including additional rooms and material that were filmed but not included in the episode). David Rowe, the artist of the original Knightmare dungeon, will be giving a presentation showing how the Knightmare dungeon was made on the Saturday. There’ll also be music from GamerDisco as well as “Late Night with Lord Fear” – Lord Fear’s very own late night chat show. There will also be other smaller presentations, merchandise and stalls, and other things that you’d generally expect at a convention.

Who do you expect to go to this?

Anyone calling themselves a fan of Knightmare or whoever expressed an interest in being on Knightmare should want to go to this. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Don’t miss out!

Why not just cast C-O-N-V-E-N-T-I-O-N?

Alas, we chose to take the gem and the fishing hook instead of the scroll containing the CONVENTION spell.

The crowd-funding campaign for Knightmare Convention 2014 ends March 25th, 2014

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Find your local Starburst Magazine stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. For our digital edition (available to read on your iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 8, Samsung and/or Huawei device – all for just £1.99), visit MAGZTER DIGITAL NEWSSTAND.

Officially released tomorrow, In Fear is the latest project from director Jeremy Lovering, best known for his work in TV world. Starring Iain De Caestecker, Alice Englert and Allen Leech, the tension-filled thriller is a well-rounded picture that bodes well for the director. Here, Starburst got the chance to chat with star De Caestecker about his time on the movie, not to mention a certain little TV show by the name of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in which he plays Agent Leo Fitz.

Starburst: For those readers unfamiliar, how would you summarise your new film, In Fear?

Iain De Caestecker: It’s a story kind of set around Tom , who are this young couple who’ve gone away to Ireland for a trip and they’re in the very early stage of their relationship. They don’t actually know each other that well and they’re kind of just good friends at this point, then Tom decides to surprise her and book a hotel for a night, which is kind of presumptuous. As they’re travelling through these country roads and it’s getting darker and darker, it’s like a maze of country roads, and things start to happen to them. As things start to happen, they start to begin questioning each other and what’s going on. Things become more and more terrifying and they become more and more lost. It’s a psychological thriller.

Is it set in actual real-time?

Actually, yeah. It’s all kind of set over one day and one night, so it’s pretty much set in real-time.

How did you end up involved in the project?

I met Jeremy for a couple of meetings. Alice was in Australia, so I Skyped with her, and we did an audition over Skype. After that, we just went into rehearsals and started shooting. With two weeks of rehearsals, we did a five or six week shoot.

Audition over Skype? How was that then?

I wouldn’t advise it – there was a bit of a time-lapse. The good thing was, I could tell that this was going to be a really cool experience, doing a movie with her… but it’s definitely not the best way to conduct an audition.

In Fear has been described as a home invasion-type movie, but set in a car. What movies would you compare it to in terms of the tone and feel?

It’s kind of got elements of something like Funny Games, and it’s definitely got a British, European feel to it. It’s also very natural, so I suppose it’s got an element of a Ken Loach film, where we tried to make it feel as real as possible. We wanted it to be like that. We didn’t want it to be like one of those movies where you’re saying, “Why didn’t you do that? Why didn’t you just run out of the house?” We wanted to make sure that these people were actually stuck in the situation, that there was nothing that they could do. That was an important feature of it.

Along with The Fades, in terms of darker, more sinister projects, this is one of your first. Is the horror and thriller route something you’re looking to get involved in a bit more?

I don’t like to think too much of genre or medium. It’s just about if it’s a character that I really get or an important story. Also, I’m not at the stage where I can just pick and choose. It’s also about working with directors and other actors. It wasn’t really a foresight to work in horror, but it is something that I’ve always been really interested in.

And how was the shoot for In Fear?

It was quite emotionally tasking, especially at the latter stage. We filmed it chronologically, so we were coming in every day and starting off where we left off, and often that was in a pretty dark place or an intense place. Aside from that, because of the nature of the way we did it – we didn’t really have a script – I didn’t give myself as much of a hard time about going over scripts at night. I could kind of just relax at night, which was the best thing; just clear my head at night, leave it behind, then come in the next day with energy. Also, the people, Jeremy, Alice, Allen, Ireland… we had the most fun. Everyone got on really well, which is one of the great things to come from that as well.

You’ve been making quite a name for yourself with Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. How great an experience is it to be involved in that Marvel world?

It’s really cool! It’s a really cool thing. It’s kind of strange at the same time, and there’s a part of it that is daunting as it is such an amazing world that’s created around them. It’s always an incredibly exciting thing – we still get excited about things on set all the time, when we find out new things or some new gadget for us to use. It’s really nice, and everyone’s been so welcoming as well, giving it a family atmosphere.

One of the keys to the show is your relationship with Elizabeth Henstridge’s Agent Simmons. How natural was that?

We’re all a really close group and we’re all coming into this at the same point, level-headed. And Clark is kind of the leader of the show, so he sets the tone for the atmosphere on set. It’s professional but we also have a lot of fun. I suppose with Fitz and Simmons, they did come in together so they’re very close; kind of like brother and sister. We get on really well, but the writers and producers have also done a really great job.

Is there anything particularly insightful you can give us on what may be happening with Fitz in the future or is that all a bit hush-hush?

I couldn’t really say. We find out from week-to-week, so we’re not that much further ahead. The cool thing about it is, with this season, is Fitz and his courage, coming out there a bit more, putting himself in situations where he doesn’t feel comfortable. So that’s been really interesting. I’m not exactly sure what’s coming up next but there’s a lot of cool stuff to come.

Were you much of a comic book fan as a kid?

Definitely. My brother was a bit more than I was, but I was definitely into them. I now read a lot of comics and I really get into them; they’re so amazing. There’s some amazing stories out there, really engrossing. And now it’s part of your job.

Do you ever see the characters from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. progressing to the big screen at all?

I have no idea. We would probably find that out the same time as you. Right now, we’re so busy with the show that it really does take over. It’s a very long shoot. It kind of becomes your whole life. But yeah, we’re definitely within the Marvel Universe, which means anything is possible with that kind of thing. It all connects together.

Other than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., what else is lined up for you right now?

I try not to think too far ahead. We still have a few more episodes to shoot of S.H.I.E.L.D., and then I’ll see what happens after that. We still don’t know whether we’re doing Season 2 or not, and we should find that out this month or something, so I’m looking forward to that.

A lot of your work has been on TV. Do you see yourself actively looking for more movie roles in the future or, given how big TV shows have become in recent years, do you prefer the TV format?

It’s not really about the medium, for me. It’s just about what it is and whether it’s something new to try out and explore. They both have their plusses and minuses. The great thing about TV is that you get to expand your character over a much longer period of time and really let it breathe out. Something like this is very different to something that you’d do on TV and it’s very free, we got to do anything. So there’s definitely differences between the two, but it’s more just about what the project is more specifically than what the medium is.

In terms of projects and genres, is there anything out there that you’ve not touched upon but would like to give a go?

I dunno, actually. I like being surprised by things. I also don’t have the luxury to be too choosey – I still have to audition for things that I really want to do. I suppose, I’ve always had a list in my head of people that I’d want to work with, and some of those I’ve got to work with. I just want to hopefully be a part of things that I would like to see personally and work with people who are passionate about it, talented and inspiring to be around.

IN FEAR is released on DVD and Blu-ray March 10th.

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Ted Levine is best known for his role as the serial killer Buffalo Bill in The Silence of The Lambs. He can usually be found playing a key role in many a cult feature and his portfolio includes the role of scary badass in The Hills Have Eyes and has been the voice of Sinestro for DC animated features. We caught up with him to find out what he was up to.

Starburst: How would you describe yourself?

Ted Levine: I’m an actor and I’ve been acting for about 35 years now. I live out in the country and I ride horses.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Banshee Chapter?

It’s a budget horror movie we shot in the deserts of Mexico. I play an eccentric writer, an anti-social dude that lives like a sort of hermit. He self-medicates a bit with hallucinogenic drugs.

Did you have to prepare at all for that role?
Over the years I’ve done a lot of drugs. My life has prepared me for that role. I read a little bit of Hunter S Thompson, not specifically for this role but in the past I’ve read him.  I sourced myself and my brothers; growing up in the sixties and seventies we all did a lot of drugs and we all dabbled in various aspects of the arts. I had a wealth of information to draw on.

What do you look for in a role?
All sorts of roles appeal to me. Mostly it’s the story and I was kind of intrigued by this adventure that my character takes with this young journalist. I thought that there was something special there. The character is not unlike Hunter S Thompson; he’s sort of reaching the end of his life, he’s a bit jaded and not very inspired by his or anybody else’s writing. I think that in an odd sense he’s looking to meet his maker which is the drug experiments in the movie.

You shot to fame as Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs, is that where it really started for you?
No. I’d been acting a long time before doing Silence of the Lambs, and I’ve done a bunch of stuff I’m really proud of. I think it’s the thing that got me noticed; you get naked on screen you’ll get noticed y’know. Before then I’d done quite a lot of work on the stage in Chicago.

If you had to pick one role before Silence of The Lambs that you’d want to be remembered for, what would that be?
I played a character called Vershinin in a Chekhov play in college that I liked very much. It was a good production and a pleasure. There are a lot of roles that are good. The role that I play now is the one that’s most intriguing to me.

What’s your next big role?
I’m going back to work on the television show The Bridge. There’s a little film called The Girl in the Lake that we shot in New England that I think you’ll find is pretty cool. I play a small town Sherriff and his grand-daughter was abducted when she was just seven years old. She comes back – it’s a pretty interesting story.

A lot of movies are all about the franchise these days, does any of that appeal?

I don’t know what’s going on because I don’t have a television; I don’t watch it. As far as franchises go if something is going I’m happy to be on The Bridge. I’m pretty excited by that, I think it’s a territory that hasn’t been explored as much. It’s a border town story.

Tell us more about The Bridge.

It’s pretty cool. It focuses on a little town in Mexico; there are two police departments and the interaction between the two. I play the leading lady’s boss in the El Paso Police department and she’s played by Dianne Kruger. The Mexican contingent is played by Demián Bichir. The character that Dianne plays has some social issues and my character steers her towards Demián as a mentor for her. It’s a really interesting dynamic.

You’re also known for roles like The Hills Have Eyes and the Fast and The Furious. Would you do these roles again?

I haven’t played a monster in a long time and it has to be a good story rather than just sensational crap. Not that I haven’t done some sensational crap but we’re tapping into a very primitive part of ourselves and I prefer to do more interesting roles. The part of the job that appeals to me is playing characters who make hard ethical decisions. Those stories interest me. Horror movies can often just be one step above pornography because they feed into a very primal part of the human brain. But if there is a good story behind it then it’s okay. When it’s all said and done, what I do is tell stories to other people.

What advice would you give the 16-year-old version of yourself?
Forget about that girl.

And at 25?
Forget about that other girl. *laughs* No, I’d say keep on the track that you’re on. I was doing the theatre, being a carpenter and hanging out with cool people.

BANSHEE CHAPTER is out now. 

With Riddick out now on DVD/Blu-ray, we caught up with one its stars, the irrepressible Katee Sackhoff, to talk about the movie and more…

Starburst: Can you tell us a bit about Riddick and your character?

Katee Sackhoff: I play a bounty hunter. She’s kind of tough as nail and kickass. A stronger than the boys type of character.

You’re best known for kickass characters…

I find them more fun. I think they’re the closest you can get to playing make believe like when we were kids. You run around, you play cops and robbers. To me it’s the most imaginative and I just have the most fun doing it.

Battlestar and Riddick can both be easily described as space opera. What’s the appeal of that genre?

I grew up watching them. It’s where my imagination was first inspired to dream and I identify with these characters so much.

Where do you draw inspiration for these roles from? What drives you?

I don’t really, maybe I did when I was 21 or so and I didn’t really understand the roles as well as I do now. I think at this point the things that happen in life and as a woman and living in this world, the older you get the stronger you get. I can draw on my own life experiences at this point. What drives me when I’m going in to try to get a role is my desire to play the character and use my imagination, that’s always been a big draw for me. If it’s a role that I’ve already got, it’s music. I listen to a lot of music. I listen to the Tim Burton A Nightmare Before Christmas a lot. I like a lot of orchestral music.

Riddick’s star, Vin Diesel is known for being a bit of a gamer, especially on set. Did you get a chance to join in on that sort of fun?

I actually don’t play video games. I grew up playing video games with my brother and I just sort of grew out of it. I do still have an Atari because I like the old games. I play that every once in a while. I wouldn’t know how to play something like Dungeons and Dragons. I did Halo because my nephews and my brother are huge fans. Up to that point I really hadn’t done anything that they could watch, so I kind of jumped at the opportunity because I wanted to do something that they would think was cool.

Rumours are always floating around that you’ll be involved in the next big geek movie. What sort of role do you want to do next?

Oh god; to be in the Marvel world or to be in the Star Wars movies, I could only be so lucky. At the end of the day I love these characters and I’ve always wanted to do Star Wars because I love the movies so much and I want to do Marvel because I love comic books. I’m a fan of both of those franchises and I would be happy to be involved in either of those.

And if you could play any comic book character…?

I’ve wanted to play Harley Quinn since I was a kid. I love Typhoid Mary, there are just so many characters to draw on that I want to be a part of.

You’ve voice-acted the roles of She-Hulk and Black Cat before, would you do those again?

I would do those again for a cartoon, but not in real life. I don’t really identify with the characters, it would be a hard thing for me to sell.

Is there one sci-fi movie that you wish you could have been involved with?

Alien. Sigourney Weaver is fantastic in that role and no one could have done it better than she did, but I would have loved to have been in that movie somehow. It opened a lot of doors for women in science fiction.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only one book for company, what would it be?

Only one book? God help me. It would probably be The Hobbit. I loved it as a kid, and it’s long enough to take up the time.

What sort of movies and TV are you enjoying right now?

I’ve just finished watching House of Cards, I’m watching Homeland. People are telling me to watch Rush. I need to watch Doctor Who, every time I talk to someone who’s British they seem surprised that I haven’t seen it!

RIDDICK is out now on DVD/Blu-ray.