“It’s a survival thriller that gets gruesome – it’ll have you jumping out of your seat. But really, it’s a human tale about what lurks beneath.” That’s how Jai Courtney sums up his new movie Dangerous Animals. We sat down with the Aussie star to get the behind the scenes secrets on the new ultra-tense shark flick that’ll leave your pulse racing.
Best known for his action-packed roles in Suicide Squad and Terminator Genisys, now, Jai is sinking his teeth into one of his darkest characters yet: Tucker, a charming boat captain with a killer secret.
Here, Jai reveals the moments from filming that had him meet his mental limit, his own terrifying real-life shark encounter, and the one role he’s dying to play next — as we’ve never seen him before. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…
Shortlist: Dangerous Animals is a riot! Was there a particular moment in the script that made you think, “This is the role for me”?
Jai Courtney: There's a lot of Tucker that appealed to me, just in how dynamic he is. We meet him as this kind of affable boat captain. He's got a bit of a conservationist undertone to some of his sentiments - that kind of thing resides in him as well - and then, of course, how that’s manifested into this ruthless killer.
I can’t stop thinking about some of the most brutal scenes. What were they like to film?
JC: I definitely hit a limit. There’s a particular scene where the character Heather is on the hook, strapped up in a harness, being dangled over the water in the middle of the night. The actress, Ella Newton, who played her, was phenomenal. She’s literally screaming for her life, and we're shooting on open water - you hit a limit for yourself where you're like, “This is sick. Can we get this done, like, ASAP?” It was uncomfortable. The crew were visibly squirming. There are a few of those in the film, obviously, but that was definitely one for me where I remember being like, “Alright... enough.” It certainly seeps into your skin.
How did you decompress then, after those tough days of filming?
Going to the pub - pretty simple! I had my family there for a bunch of the shoot, Hassie Harrison [co-star] had her husband down. You just bullshit around! Some people did a koala sanctuary visit while we were shooting Dangerous Animals, petting them and all that, but I didn’t include myself in that particular day trip. But we shot on the Gold Coast, which is a beautiful location - you don’t have to look too far to find ways to unwind.
What’s your real-life relationship with the ocean like? Ever been swimming with sharks?
JC: I love the ocean, but I don’t surf - I gave up on that in my early thirties after pretending I was going to learn. I had one experience when I was younger, where I saw a shark in the ocean while swimming. It was terrifying. A big fin was cutting through the wave pretty close to me and a friend. We got the hell out! I think sharks have always carried this mystery and majestic quality. I don’t know that they’re misunderstood; it’s just hard to get close to an animal like that and understand it in a way where we can kind of attach ourselves to it in any common way. There’ll always be something untouchable about them. I think they’re incredible creatures.
Would you ever get in the cage in the water with them?
JC: I would! I’ve been in a cage in an aquarium with non–man-eating sharks, which was beautiful. I got to see them up close, but I certainly wasn’t in fear for my life. Given the chance, I’d get in the cage 100%. I love thrills. I’m a big believer in reaching for that stuff and giving yourself a once-in-a-lifetime exposure. I hope to do that one day. It’s on my bucket list. We weren’t able to do it for the film - though we actually had a visit one day from a bull shark who got way too close for comfort while we were shooting Dangerous Animals. No one was hurt, fortunately, but it was a reality check. At the time, we still had cast filming in the water, and it changed the shape of that.
Wow! What was the feeling on set when that happened?
JC: Pretty wild. I mean, they’re out there. You’re in an open place, and that’s the risk. But there hadn’t been an incident in that area for many, many, many years. There was no reason to believe anything would go wrong - and it didn’t. But we did have a bull shark come right up into the set and make his presence known, which was pretty wild.
What do you think your real-life survival rate would be in a shark movie scenario?
JC: I’m pretty meaty so I’d probably get eaten first.
You haven’t picked up any tips for scaring them off then?
JC: Oh, you gotta punch them in the eyes and nose, you know? That’s it. I think when you're underwater, you try and make yourself big. But I wouldn’t like my chances.
Would you be up for a sequel to Dangerous Animals?
JC: Of course. I think anyone who’s seen the movie would have some pretty firm ideas around how that would work. But is it a character I’d love to repeat at some point? Absolutely.
We’ve seen you in some of the biggest franchises in the world: action, superhero movies, and now as this unhinged, psychotic villain. What’s one type of role you haven’t done yet that you’d still love to play?
JC: It’d be nice to put some music on screen one day - not in a musical setting, I don’t think I’m really cut out for that - but to play it, sing a little. It’d be cool to introduce that into a role somewhere, and play a real life musician. That’d be cool.
Dangerous Animals is in UK and Ireland cinemas now
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
The new Apple F1 movie trailer makes you feel like you are in an actual racing car — literally!Using haptic feedback, you can feel the rumble of the engines.
-
The best Wes Anderson movies, ranked!"My safety's Harvard."
