1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,200 Speaker 1: We've got a kiwi As starring in the latest version 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: of the Predator franchise. Now you don't know the Predator franchise. 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: First movie goes all the way back to eighty seven 4 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: start somebody called Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since then there have been 5 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: four others, as well as two Alien v. Predator films. Anyway, 6 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: Demetrius Cola Matangi is Predator Deck in Predator bad Lands, 7 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: and Demetrius is with us. Good morning, good morning. Now 8 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: I'm very well indeed, let's have a talk first of 9 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: all about the movie itself, when it was made, where 10 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: it was made, how it was made, and how you 11 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: got the part. Talk us through it. 12 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 2: So pretty much filmed in New Zealand, which was really exciting, 13 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 2: I guess just being from here. Got to shootcase a 14 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 2: lot of New Zealand locations and just show off the 15 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 2: beautiful country. But yeah, getting the part was quite a 16 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 2: funny process, just auditioning as pro and yeah, my character 17 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: is obviously an alien so doesn't really speak English, so 18 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 2: I had to do a taken just like I'm eat 19 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 2: up language, which was funny. 20 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: I did you know that was going to be asked 21 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: of you? 22 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 2: No, So we didn't even know what the production was 23 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 2: during the auditioning stage. They just said that this will 24 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 2: be a creature from another planet, so you just take 25 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 2: it and put your own little spin on it. And 26 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: it was funny because I just like kind of integrated 27 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 2: like salmon and tonguen like into my language when I 28 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 2: did it, and obviously worked got me the job, which 29 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 2: was quite fun, and then had to do like a 30 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 2: little obstacle course show how I move. And then yeah, 31 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 2: we were because. 32 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: Because the interesting thing in the movie. A couple of 33 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: observations in the movie. First of all, you look enormous, yes, 34 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: in the movie, in fact, you're supposed to be in 35 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: excess of seven foot. 36 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 2: All h something like that. So my character is actually 37 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 2: the runt of like the little so he's an undersized predator, 38 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 2: so he's not as large as the other ones, which 39 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 2: is why he's kind of outcast from the culture and 40 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 2: from his clan. Right, So yeah, it's pretty funny. Everyone 41 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 2: will see me and they're like, well, you're playing the predator, bro, 42 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 2: You're not even like you're not even that big brother. 43 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: Did you know about the Predators franchise, the series of 44 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 1: movies before you auditioned. 45 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 2: Or yeah, so my dad's a massive fan of the 46 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 2: first one. We used to watch that one a lot 47 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: growing up, and I, yeah, I know about the universe 48 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 2: and like the I think the characters so iconic, Like 49 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 2: you don't even need to watch the movie. 50 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: I mean, so if you know about something, especially with 51 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 1: your dad and it goes back to the eighties of course, 52 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: the original movie. So if you go back to that 53 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: and you're now part of that, Yeah, it's crazy, man, 54 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: I mean that's amazing. 55 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 2: It's pretty surreal, to be honest, it kind of hasn't 56 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 2: really sunk in. Still they I'm a part of something 57 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 2: so big like the Yeah, the franchise has such a 58 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 2: massive fan beast, like you said, like spans like twenty years. Yeah, 59 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 2: you know, and yeah, it's kind of crazy to think 60 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:48,679 Speaker 2: that I'm now part of it. 61 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: So you got the part the language itself in the movie. 62 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: Was that scripted is the wrong word I suppose, But 63 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: did you add lib the whole thing or was there 64 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: some expectation that there was sort of a structure to it? 65 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, So when I jumped on, I had thought I 66 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 2: could just freestyle and do my own thing, which I 67 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 2: was like, Oh, this is gonna be fantastic, no lines. 68 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 2: But then they were like, oh, we're gonna sit you 69 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 2: up with the zoom call with this guy named Britain 70 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 2: who constructed the whole language. So they pretty much made 71 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 2: a language like it's a literal language now and I 72 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: had to learn those lines. And I was like I 73 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 2: have to learn a whole made up language, Like I 74 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 2: struggle speaking someone's song and now I have to learn this. 75 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 2: It was fun, it was. 76 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: Cool, Like how long did it take you? And can 77 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: you still do it? 78 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 2: Yeah? I can still do It's it was so we 79 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 2: had like a month of proper pre production PRIP, so 80 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 2: they gave me pretty much it just like a month 81 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 2: and a little bit to just get the language down, 82 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: get the sounds right. There's a lot of different like 83 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 2: clicking noises and yeah there's no like lips, like because 84 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 2: you don't have lips, so a lot of the letters 85 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 2: like you can't do like p's or m's. Like it's 86 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: all very like, yeah, it was explained for. 87 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: People who haven't seen it. I mean your character, I 88 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: mean really simple terms. You look like you got to 89 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: sack on your head sort of, don't you. 90 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 2: That's that's pretty much it. 91 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: So what did they hire you, What did they see 92 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: in you to hire you? 93 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 2: I think movement was one, and then because a lot 94 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 2: of it was facial capture, so they pretty much just 95 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 2: took my face and put the predators on top of 96 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 2: it and used my emotions and my facial expressions right 97 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 2: to Yeah, pretty much, had you done that? No, this 98 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:27,919 Speaker 2: is my first time doing any kind of super performing 99 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 2: or was it freaky? It was hot? It was it 100 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 2: was I was sitting a lot. Yeah, it was really 101 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 2: just there's like a lot going on. But I think 102 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 2: it really helped my acting because there's just a lot 103 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: that kind of takes you out of the scene, but 104 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:43,840 Speaker 2: you have to force yourself to just stee in. 105 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: It because because it's clear. But also to and from 106 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: what I've seen the movies, it's it's how much of 107 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: it's I don't know what did the phrases c gi'ed 108 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: or imposed later on? In other words, are you just 109 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 1: standing in front of a green screen trying to make 110 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: this look real? Or was some of it real anyway? 111 00:04:58,720 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: In location? 112 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, most of it were shown on location, So yeah, 113 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 2: I think that's why. Yeah, filming in New Zealm was 114 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 2: a massive bonus because we probably pretty much have the 115 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 2: best locations in the world. And yeah, I was in 116 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 2: a prosthetic suit, so everything around my body was like 117 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 2: everything you see I was wearing except for the feast, 118 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 2: So the feacet was just cut up so that they 119 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 2: could capture the expressions. 120 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: How much did it take you to get ready of 121 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: every day putting that on and off and getting sorted? 122 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 2: And I was lucky because it was only like an hour, Like, yeah, 123 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 2: it just comes down of course makeup, Yeah, no makeup, 124 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: but yeah, once it's on, it's on, and you can't 125 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 2: really move. 126 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: I'm not surprised anyway. Listen, how I want to know 127 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:38,359 Speaker 1: how they do this because there's basically two of you 128 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: in the movie. Your co star are your co star 129 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: turns up with half a body missing? Yep, yep? How 130 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: do they do that? And how do you act in that? 131 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 2: So our pretty much had to just wear like blue 132 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:57,159 Speaker 2: pants and then her top half was yeah, all set 133 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 2: for screen, and then her leg are just blue and 134 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 2: they're like held up by like ropes. And it's a 135 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 2: lot of imagination. 136 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: This is this is the acting thing? 137 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, isn't It's a It was a lot, yeah, just happening, 138 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 2: especially with the rigging because since she can't walk, I 139 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 2: have to carry her on my back. 140 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: Did you literally have to do that? 141 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, So we were like strapped together a lot back 142 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 2: to back, which was quite funny. 143 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: Well see, that's the funny thing about the movie. There 144 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: was humor in the movie. And I mean it's a 145 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 1: humorous but it's a sci fi and all that stuff, 146 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: but it's got good humor to it. Yeah. 147 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: I think just the situation itself was humorous, Like we 148 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:37,919 Speaker 2: weren't trying to play too much comedy. I think the 149 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 2: comedy just came through and like what was happening is 150 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 2: like so ridiculous. Yeah, it just makes it funny, which 151 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,039 Speaker 2: is really cool. Like to know, a lot of the 152 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 2: reactions like to the film say like, yeah, the comedic 153 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 2: beats are quite funny. 154 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: Because I just I didn't realize she was strapped you back. 155 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: I mean I saw her strapped you back, but I 156 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 1: assume that that was I don't. 157 00:06:57,920 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. 158 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 1: Also, so she's physically st Yeah, this seems like a 159 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 1: low tech movie because something it's like a high tech movies. Actually, 160 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: you're strapping your actors to your back for God's sake. Yeah, 161 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: I know. 162 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 2: My shoulders were quite sore after but it's good training. 163 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: I guess do they have rules and regulations around that? 164 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: And you know injury prevention and insurance cover and you 165 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: know I would what if you dropped it? 166 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 2: Oh man, probably have to get recast or something. But 167 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 2: you know I was quite safe in the stunt team 168 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 2: in short like that. Yeah, those things wouldn't really happen 169 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 2: with the risk. 170 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: Was is this your sort of movie? I mean as 171 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: an actor, of course it is. You do what you know, 172 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: But is it you you would watch this sort of movie? Yeah? 173 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 2: To be honest, I think just like the whole premise 174 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 2: of it. You know, it's an underdog story. It's like 175 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 2: the first of its kind in the franchise, you know, 176 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 2: where it's the first film that follows the Predators the protagonist. 177 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: Yes. 178 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, like all of these elements are quite interesting to 179 00:07:58,320 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 2: me just in general. 180 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: And l you mentioned el El Fanning and she's a 181 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: name so she did you know of her? Yeah? 182 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 2: Of course I think everyone news her. 183 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: Well yeah, but I mean were you kind of like 184 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: freaked out by it all? 185 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 2: I think I was as nervous after us. I was like, yeah, 186 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 2: she has such a massive presence, Like I was kind 187 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 2: of not intimidated but I was just like, oh, man, 188 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 2: if she's going to be a diva, this is going 189 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 2: to be a long shoot. 190 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: And she wasn't. She doesn't. I don't know it, but 191 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,239 Speaker 1: she doesn't. I've seen a lot of her videos and stuff, 192 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: and she hasn't. She seems like a perfectly normal person. Yeah. 193 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 2: No, she's so kindy, like yeah, and like really good 194 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 2: at her job, knew how to like kind of run 195 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 2: the set and you know, makes people feel really good. 196 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,320 Speaker 1: Is she helpful as an actor? 197 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely she. I put up a lot of game 198 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 2: from her, just like watching her process and how she 199 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 2: interacts with others, and yeah, just the way she is 200 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 2: on set. 201 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 1: It's like fantastic. So you you seem to me to 202 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: be a young man living their dream. Oh, I mean 203 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: you're on your way. I mean, this is your part 204 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: of a franchise. Now I assume there's a potential for 205 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: more Man. 206 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 2: Hopefully, god willing, we'll see it's. Yeah, it's it's. 207 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: And really good. 208 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 2: So far, we'll just trace the editor. 209 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: Good on, well, good luck with the movie because it 210 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: was made a while ago, so you know, these things 211 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,319 Speaker 1: take time, and by the time it gets to the 212 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: theaters and the streaming and all that sort of stuff. 213 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 2: It's you know, yeah, man, is that saying good things 214 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 2: take time? Hopefully this is a good thing and. 215 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:19,839 Speaker 1: Well all the very best with it. Nice to talk 216 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 1: with you. 217 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, YouTube brother, thanks for. 218 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,079 Speaker 1: Having Mutrius Kloa Matangi. 219 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 220 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 2: news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 221 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.