Hatchet III features a number of genre veterans, including Kane Hodder, Zach Galligan, Danielle Harris, Derek Mears, and Caroline Williams. Derek Mears plays a SWAT commander who’s on the hunt for Victor Crowley and I recently had the opportunity to talk to him about his role in the movie. Continue reading to learn about his time on-set, his favorite Hatchet III actor to work with, and his interest in returning as Jason Voorhees for the next Friday the 13th movie:
I know that you’ve worked with Adam Green a number of times in the past. Did he ask you to join the cast of Hatchet III?
Derek Mears: Adam asked me to do Hatchet II years back, but I was involved with Predators and couldn’t do it. When Hatchet III came around, they asked me if I wanted to come do it. I’m a huge fan of the series and said: “What do I owe you? How do we do this?” They’re making a movie for horror fans and I was completely on board.
I play a SWAT team commander that’s a no nonsense and possibly douche bag-esque guy. He leads a team of officers to the swamp in search of Victor Crowley.
A huge cast was assembled for this movie, including genre veterans and new actors. Can you tell me about your time on set?
Derek Mears: It was a huge bonding experience. We shot in the swaps of Louisiana and it was a tough shoot. There was a giant fog of mosquitoes and people were being torn apart by them. It didn’t matter what spray you put on, they would figure it out and destroy you. It was tough in that sense, but the cast wanted to do such a good job for the fans. No one complained because everyone knew they making something really cool.
A lot of the people I knew already as friends, but getting to know Zach Galligan was fantastic. He’s incredibly smart. His nickname was Zachlopedia because he knew so many different random facts. It was incredible.
My favorite scenes in the movie are with Cody Snider. It’s his first film and he’s such a humble, positive guy. He has so much energy racing around and it was fun to be more of the straight man setting him up for the humor. He’s a director by trade, but it was his first acting gig and he hit the bull’s-eye.
Without going into spoilers, you share some screen time with Kane in the movie. I think fans were excited at the thought of two Jasons going at it.
Derek Mears: When the idea was brought up, I thought it was going to be so cool. People keep saying that Kane and I should fight in a movie, but we’ve been waiting for the right one. It was a different twist, but if the fans dig it and it’s a surprise to them, I’m all for it.
I know our readers would kill us if I didn’t ask… are you itching to put back on the hockey mask and have you heard anything about coming back for the new Friday the 13th movie?
Derek Mears: It’s been quiet on that front. I don’t know if I’ll return for the sequel. I would like to, but we’ll see how it all turns out. Before the new announcement about it moving forward again, I had dinner with Platinum Dunes and they said: “If we do any more, we want you back”
I don’t know if that’s going to come around now, but we’ll see. Even if I’m not part of it, I just want to see more Friday the 13th films because I love the character.
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Hatchet III is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD. To keep up with Derek Mears, follow him on Twitter at @DerekMears You can also keep up-to-date on one of his latest movies, Compound Fracture, at: http://www.compoundfracturethemovie.com/
"Victor Crowley is back in HATCHET III, the new installment in the horror series about the swamp dweller who slices and guts his luckless victims apart. Kane Hodder returns as the hideously deformed Victor Crowley and Danielle Harris again plays the intrepid heroine Marybeth in the new movie, which arrives on Blu-ray and DVD from Dark Sky Films on August 13, 2013. The film will be available in both R-rated and unrated director's cut editions. The Blu-ray has an SRP of $34.98 and the DVD will be priced at $27.98.
Concluding the saga begun in Adam Green's hit 2006 thriller, HATCHET III follows the vengeful Marybeth (Halloween's Danielle Harris) as she continues seeking out a way to destroy Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder, Friday the 13th), a hulking, seemingly-invincible sociopath rampaging through a sleepy Louisiana swamp.
While a heavily-armed team of mercenaries takes to the bayou surrounding Crowley's home, Marybeth finds herself begrudgingly teaming up with a local policeman (Gremlins star Zach Galligan) and his ex-wife (Caroline Williams, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) - an expert on the maniac who may have uncovered the secret to ending his murderous rampage once and for all.
The directorial debut of acclaimed cameraman BJ McDonnell (Jack Reacher, Killer Joe), the action/horror sequel HATCHET III opened theatrically on June 14, 2013."
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