
Advertisement
Kiah Roache-Turner (Sting, Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead) wrote, directed and co-edited his latest feature Beast of War. Set during World War II, the feature centers on a several Australian soldiers who are stuck on a raft and are targeted by a hungry shark. Beast of War is more than just a guilty pleasure creature feature since Roache-Turner had a talented ensemble and layered screenplay at his disposal. Check out our interview for more insight into this first rate, hybrid genre adventure!

and Joel Nankervis as “Will” in the thriller film BEAST OF WAR. Photo courtesy of Well
Go USA Entertainment.
Working with an animatronic shark on a soundstage was not the hardest part of the process for Kiah Roache-Turner. ”Writing is the hardest part,” said Roache-Turner, who will also direct another World War II set film titled Dogs of War. “I love editing. To me, editing is like a painter would – I can just relax and edit. Directing is fun. Directing is more like a high contact sport. I get to be a coach in a dynamic game that I know really well. So I quite like directing on set. Pre-production can be stressful, but that’s just me saying ‘yes, no more, less,’ and other people do most of the work in pre-production. Writing is where I do the work. I’m not a writer in my head.”

Mark Coles Smith, as a determined indigenous soldier named Leo, was an absolute must get for Roache-Turner. ”He is huge in Australia,” said Roache-Turner on Mark Coles Smith. “He is one of the biggest actors down here. I’ve wanted to work with him for years. I wrote the part for him and just prayed that he would say yes. Thank God he did.”
View this post on Instagram