Directed by Neil Jones and Produced by Jonathan Sothcott, Age of Kill tells the story of disgraced special ops sniper Sam Blake (Martin Kemp), who is plunged into a world of darkness when his daughter (Dani Dyer) is taken hostage by a mysterious terrorist. Out of options and with no one to turn to, Blake is forced to carry out their evil bidding and must assassinate six seemingly random targets within six hours on the streets of London.
We sat down with Director Neil Jones for a chat about his career so far;
FTN: When did you first become interested in making films?
NJ: I’ve always loved films, as a boy my Grandfather used to take me to the local video shop and I’d watch all the great films of that era: Rocky, Goonies, Indiana Jones etc. I used to sit and write short stories about the characters after. In terms of actually making a film I met an actor called Stuart Brennan at Uni who was making films and I got interested in having a go from there, really.
FTN: Your first movie “Risen” was a biopic on the Welsh boxer Howard Winstone; a true British hero who overcame great odds to become champion. Were you aware of this sporting hero before you took on this project and were you surprised by the critical success the film garnered?
NJ: I don’t think I could ever make a film which is more important to me than that film. Howard Winstone was from the same town as me, he’s a legend. His career is so inspiring, making a film about him has been the best experience of my life. I’m pleased the film gathered some success because it’s a fantastic story, he’s one of my biggest heroes.
FTN:You have previously directed a number of horror films including The Reverend and Deranged. What was your inspiration to create these and have you always been a fan of the horror genre?
NJ: When I was a boy I watched a nightmare on elm street and it traumatised me! Horror is such a broad genre that it can be hit and miss. I wouldn’t say I was a die hard horror fan, I much more prefer the Alfred Hitchcock horrors like the birds and Psycho than modern horror films.
FTN: Your latest film “Age of Kill” is a thriller written by Simon Cluett. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
NJ: It’s a race against time thriller where an ex MI6 sniper must kill six targets in six hours or his daughter dies. It was a great script with a cast to die for, when you have those ingredients its always going to be a fun film.
FTN: Age of Kill has an impressive cast including Patrick Bergin, Dexter Fletcher, Philip Davis and Nick Moran to name but a few. Did you have any difficulties in pulling this great cast together?
NJ: This is where Producer Jonathan Sothcott really shows why he’s one of the best producers in the country. He opens his phone book and pulls in all these great names. We did this film on such a low budget and the fact Jonathan can get these actors in is amazing.
FTN: Where was the principal shooting (pun intended) locations filmed and did you have to obtain any special permissions to film there, given the subject matter of the movie?
NJ: We shot a few days in Spain, which was arranged by our brilliant DOP Ismael Issa and his Spanish company Rodaje a la Carta, the rest was around London on location and at Wimbledon Studios.
FTN: As one of the main plot elements involves assasinations, did you have any technical advisors on hand to give the actors a sense of realism when handling the high powered and impressive weapons on set?
NJ: We had a company called Cohorts on hand to provide all the weapons, and to show the actors the correct way to fire them.
FTN: When is “Age of Kill” get its UK and international cinema release?
NJ: Previews start on the 9th June in 20 screens around the country then In six more London screens and VOD on the 12th June, and finally DVD and Bluray on the 15th June.
FTN: Finally, are there any other projects that you are working on that you can tell us about?
NJ: I’ve Produced two films which are currently in post for RichWater Films and Evolutions Pictures. Bonded By Blood 2 directed by Greg Hall and We Still Steal The Old Way directed by Sacha Bennett.
‘AGE OF KILL is in cinemas and Digital/Vod on 12th June and on DVD/Blu-ray 15th June’
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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