Summary

Jai Courtney chats to Steve Weintraub ahead of Dangerous Animals.

The movie features an unhinged dance number that lets Courtney out of his comfort zone.

Courtney promises the upcoming War Machine will be a mind-blowing film with a heartfelt core.

Jai Courtney is one of Australia’s most exciting actors. Whether it’s in The Suicide Squad, Buffaloed, or alongside Erin Moriarty in Catching Dust, Courtney always impresses, making him a sure-fire draw for any project worth their salt. One such project about to grace our screens following its premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival is Dangerous Animals, a new horror from writer Nick Lepard (Keeper) and director Sean Byrne (The Devil’s Candy). In the film, Courtney portrays Tucker, a psychotic serial killer with a shark obsession, alongside an ensemble cast that includes the likes of Hassie Harrison (Yellowstone), Rob Carlton (The Hollowmen), and Josh Heuston (Dune: Prophecy). In anticipation of the movie, Courtney sat down with Collider’s Steve Weintraub to discuss all things Dangerous Animals, including a particularly eye-popping dance number, the reputation of sharks in Hollywood, and taking the movie to Cannes, as well as his other upcoming projects, including the fast-paced sci-fi flick, War Machine.
“Naturally, and with the help of a bit of whiskey.”

COLLIDER: One of the highlights of the movie is the thing you filmed on the last day of filming, which is your dance number. It is unhinged, and the thing about it that people might not realize is that you’re essentially throwing a party for yourself for the violence you’re about to do. Could you talk a little bit about filming that sequence and what the character is going through? JAI COURTNEY: It’s almost like a wrap party that he’s throwing for himself after one killing and filming the act itself, which is kind of Tucker’s fetish, if you will, even though we don’t oversexualize that. He sees himself as a bit of a filmmaker and a collector of these experiences, so he documents them, and that’s something we see in the movie. It’s also a moment where we understand fully how many times this has actually happened, because we see how many tapes are cataloged in his library. It was a wild moment. When I read that in the script, I thought, “Oh, that’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s also going to push me way out of my comfort zone.” So, I had Sean help me out and schedule it late, so it was the last thing I did, and I just had to go for it. There was no choreography. We did two takes. It was myself and our DOP, Shelley [Farthing-Dawe], just on the dance floor. I had to get myself in a bit of an unhinged headspace and just go for it. If I was filming that sequence, I would loosen myself up with a gallon of vodka. Can you mentally get into that headspace naturally? COURTNEY: Naturally, and with the help of a bit of whiskey. [Laughs]

Image via IFC Films

So, yeah, there’s a little bit of you loosening yourself up. COURTNEY: Yes. Safely, of course. Don’t alarm my producers. I think sometimes, when you have to step into that space, it doesn’t hurt to just close the gap a little bit. You know what I mean? I could never do that sequence stone sober. COURTNEY: For sure. I knew with Tucker as a whole, I wanted to go big with this character. I think that’s how we are able to have as much fun with him as we are terrified. If we got in our heads about what that dance was supposed to be, and it was overthought and prepared for, it would never have had the same impact. So I was glad Seanie [Sean Byrne] just let me do my thing, and I was able to just shake it out.
The Sharks in ‘Dangerous Animals’ Aren’t the Villains ‘Jaws’ Fans Are Used To

“They’re often portrayed as these indiscriminate killers.”

Another thing I appreciated in this movie was how sharks are depicted as gentle, not like they’re depicted in Jaws. They’ve had a bad rap for a long time, and I like that sharks are portrayed for what they are in this. The real killers are men, and specifically, your character. COURTNEY: Totally. It’s an interesting play on these themes because they’re often portrayed as these indiscriminate killers. Characters are either stuck in the water, or I’ve seen shark films, an Aussie one comes to mind, Bait, where one got into a mall in a flood. There’s always the shark that we’re supposed to fear. It’s just an interesting play on that. It shakes up the cliché a bit. Tucker sees himself akin to them in some way. It might be a little bit of a misguided philosophy, but he does believe he’s also an apex predator, and these opportunities that come into his world and his web and his hunting ground are a chance for him to restore balance in his own ecosystem. It’s like Tucker says in the film, “It’s not the shark’s fault.” Slight side question. I’ve been asking this a lot recently: Do you have a favorite movie theater? COURTNEY: I would say my favorite movie theater is no longer there. I always liked going to the ArcLight in Hollywood, but it didn’t survive COVID, which is such a shame. I know that’s not maybe the most classic, “film buff, cool guy,” cinema, but that was my favorite place to go and check stuff out when I was living over that way. It’s a bummer it’s gone. But yes, I would implore folks to get out to the cinema to see Dangerous Animals. Don’t wait ’til it comes to a streamer. It’s really an immersive experience. Our sound design is huge. It’s such a triumph, in that sense. It’ll really add so much to the experience of this film if you see it on the big screen.

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When you were making this movie, at what point did you realize you were taking it to Cannes? COURTNEY: We had no idea ’til a few weeks ago. It was such an honor and pretty unexpected for all of us. But I think it’s testament to the triumph that this film became. Some films you make are set up to become a success, or it feels like they have all the ingredients. This felt like a really good, visceral, cool indie horror film that we knew was going to be great, but the journey of how it gets to audiences is another thing altogether. I think it’s a testament to what we were able to achieve that not only has it got a great distribution that’s going wide on June 6th, but also that it’s getting recognized in your more niche fields and appreciated just the same.
Jai Courtney Predicts ‘War Machine’ Will “Blow People Away”

“Alan [Ritchson]’s an absolute savage.”

Image via Prime

I believe you’ve been acting in a number of other projects recently, and I want to touch on one, which is War Machine. It’s something that I’m looking forward to a lot. What do you want to tease people about it? COURTNEY: Oh, man. I think that film is going to blow people away. It’s big. It’s a high concept. Alan [Ritchson]’s an absolute savage. Pat [Hughes] I’ve been a fan of for a long time, and he’s become a good friend, as well, and it was cool to go down there. What I really love about what he’s doing is he’s pulling these big, visionary action films into Australia and into the industry down there. I think it’s really healthy for the business down there, and it’s cool to see. We have such world-class crews and locations. I’m excited. I’m excited to see what they did. It’s a real heartfelt character drama at the center of something that’s pretty glitzy and insane, but I think it’s going to blow people’s minds. I also have to touch on something called The Fox. I read the one-liner and was like, “Wait, what?” What can you tell people about this one? Because it’s definitely not like a movie you’ve ever seen before. COURTNEY: It’s not like a movie I’ve ever filmed before. It’s truly unique and one of the most ambitious scripts I’ve ever read. I play a character who does a deal with a talking fox to essentially rid his life of all complications. Of course, that’s a recipe for everything going from bad to worse. I’m pumped to see it. I haven’t seen a single frame of that thing, but Daria Russo wrote and directed it. He’s a real diamond in rising cinema coming out of Australia. So, I’m pumped, and I hope audiences will be too. Do you know what you’re filming this year, or are you still trying to figure it out? COURTNEY: I’m actually in pre-production on something right now. I’m about to start work on a film called The Very Best People in Staten Island, New York, which is an equally ambitious but very contained crime-caper, comedy thriller, with a phenomenal cast. It’s adapted from a play originally, and feels that way, as well. It all takes place in one night in a bar in Staten Island. I’m blessed to be working with some cool people. So pumped for that, and pumped for all the stuff that’s coming out this year. Dangerous Animals debuts in US theaters on June 6.

Dangerous Animals

Release Date

June 6, 2025

Runtime

98 minutes

Director

Sean Byrne

Writers

Nick Lepard

Producers

Andrew Mason, Mickey Liddell, Chris Ferguson, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Troy Lum, Pete Shilaimon