Iron Fist and Mortal Kombat star Lewis Tan's latest project is JI, a new sci-fi short film which recently premiered on WatchDust.com (you can also check it out at the bottom of this post).
Directed by Ben Griifin, it follows a modified human from a man-made planet who risks his life to travel to where humanity originated. But will he choose love or his civilization? The short also stars Cosmic Sin's Eva De Dominici, and there's definitely feature potential with a project like this one.
Over the weekend, we shared Lewis' comments about potentially reprising his Shatterstar role from Deadpool 2, and you can take a look at that by clicking here. In this full interview, though, the actor talks in detail about JI, including how he ended up becoming part of the ambitious project.
Needless to say, we want to extend a huge thank you to Lewis for taking the time to talk to us!
JI has a really cool premise, but what was it about the project they appealed to you as an actor?
I am a big fan of sci-fi fan, first and foremost. I haven't gotten to explore those worlds since I first started acting, but I don't really see many opportunities for Asian heroes in that genre. [That] mixed with working with an upcoming Black director (Ben Griffin) and a future Latino star (Eva Dominici) made me interested. What sold me was getting to sit in an alien spaceship!
We've seen short films like this really resonate with people and then be developed into full-length movies or TV shows - is that your hope for JI, and would you want to reprise the role in that case?
The concept has so much to unpack: what makes us human? The derailment of our human vulnerability by an advancement in technology, a future where we have more power but less soul and less connection. In a lot of ways, we can see it starting already even with social media; we have information by the second from around the globe, but we feel less connected than ever to our fellow man. Even Elon Musk is creating an AI chip that will go into the skull of a human, essentially creating a cyborg 1.0. We are on the brink of a very unique time, I think these topics and more could be explored in a full series or film.
The film tackles a lot of very relevant and timely issues; looking at it now, what do you hope people are able to take from JI?
Again, Where do we draw the line with advancing our technology and still remaining true to who we are? We are connected synchronically with the universe, the sand, the oceans, the moon, the stars, the sun. It is part of our makeup, no matter how incredible a computer may be, nothing makes me feel more connected than sitting by a real fire under the stars, I am inspired and renewed. Technology is man made and can be very helpful, beyond belief, but where do we draw the line and how does that affect us? Where does it do harm, remove our identity, privacy, and connection. This is a topic we are facing and will continue to face in the coming years.
It sounds like this was a real passion project for director Ben Griffin, so can you talk us through what it was like working with him?
I first met Ben doing a panel for Deadpool 2 at a convention in Vegas. He pitched me the idea of the project, I liked it, but I was going to film Wu Assassins. When I was in Vancouver filming, he said he had worked out all the details, and If I had a weekend off we could make it happen. I was concerned about the action design...as you know, I do my own fights in all my films and a big part of my work is pushing the boundaries of action; I never want to take a step back from that. I have grown up with and worked with the best in the business, so for me, continuing that legacy is crucial. Ben told me he had hired a friend of mine, Travis Wong, to design the action. Travis is around my age, similar minded as myself, and I could see him being a huge action designer in the future, so I was excited to work with both Ben and Travis. Ben ran the set like clockwork, he was professional, open-minded, passionate and prepared. We changed around some dialogue on the day, the swords that were created were too heavy and those were changed on the day too. Making those adjustments and remaining composed is such a skill. I would work with him anytime.
Are you a sci-fi fan yourself, and if so, were there any characters or movies that inspired your work here?
I am a huge fan of all cinema. In regards to sci-fi, I love 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Alien, Children of Men, Mad Max, The Matrix, Ghost in the Shell (the Anime, not the film), Alphaville, Blade Runner. As for the character, I was trying to play a character that didn't understand deep emotional values without being boring or playing a robot-type thing. My inspiration was studying people that are disconnected to society, alone, misunderstood characters, then I just tried to play a child-like intrigue with the world up until the point where he has to fight and his instincts kick in and it becomes very violent.
What does it mean to you as an actor to be able to share new content like this at a time when people are really desperate for an escape from reality?
That is always my goal and people will always want that escape. Imagine what people thought of Leonardo DiVinci when he was creating the designs for an airplane or helicopter, that would be sci-fi to them at that time. As we grow as a race, we expand in our art form, we influence the future and manifest the ideas floating around the dimensions of the universe that we have just not unlocked yet. It is a powerful and important part of our existence, at the very least it's just cool as shit.
Going back to JI, what would you tell our readers about why they should check the film out?
Support POC filmmakers, behind and in front of the camera. Check out a beautiful complex story with incredible action in under the time it will take your girlfriend to do her makeup.
Finally, where can your fans find you on social media if they don't already follow you?
@lewistanoffical on IG [and] @TheLewisTan on Twitter. When I get my Elon Musk chip installed, I will drop my QR code for that!