Chris Hemsworth Says 'Red Dawn' Was 'Calm Before The Storm'
Please forgive Chris Hemsworth if he has some trouble remembering the making of "Red Dawn." Since shooting the remake of the cult favorite 1984 film starring Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell and Lea Thompson (Hello, 1980s!) in 2009, the 29-year-old Australian has been very busy indeed, starring in "Thor," "The Avengers," and "Snow White and the Huntsman." Why the delay? "Red Dawn" was caught in a black hole of MGM's storied financial troubles, you see, and maybe that ended up being the best thing for it.
Not only does the November 21 release star the now bankable Hemsworth (reprising Swayze's big brother role of Jed), but it features Josh Hutcherson coming off "The Hunger Games," plus Josh Peck (star of the highly underrated "The Wackness") and "Friday Night Lights" alum Adrianne Palicki. The young cast form a ragtag bunch of characters caught up in a terrifying circumstance: their hometown has just been overrun by a North Korean invasion force. In times like these it's good to have Chris Hemsworth on your side.
MTV: It must feel like you shot "Red Dawn" ages ago because, well, it was ages ago.
Chris Hemsworth: [Laughs] Yes, it was. Actually I was shooting "Cabin in the Woods" at the time and auditioning for "Thor" and "Red Dawn." I was hoping to get one of them. I got a call on a Friday about "Red Dawn" saying I got the part and then a call on Saturday morning saying I got "Thor"!
MTV: I'd call that a good weekend. Did you have any sense at the time you made it that the release might be delayed due to MGM's problems?
Hemsworth: During shooting, I didn't have any clue there would be problems. And then afterwards, I heard there was a hold up and they were having some delays, and now it's kind of a Benjamin Button thing. As my films come out, I get younger and less experienced.
MTV: The original "Red Dawn" has a strong following here in the States. Were you familiar with it? Was it as big back home?
Hemsworth: I had seen it at some point. It wasn't etched in my memory though. I hadn't seen it numerous times like a lot of people from the states.
MTV: You fill some pretty big shoes taking over a role that Patrick Swayze played in the original. Was that on your mind much?
Hemsworth: I'm a huge fan of his work and the character he created was very iconic. I hope he would be proud of this version. But I didn't want to get into a position where I was mimicking someone else. I wanted to come at it from a fresh angle. The script is a bit different anyway. It follows the relationship of the two brothers a little more than the original did.
MTV: Since filming "Red Dawn," both yours and Josh Hutcherson's careers have certainly blossomed. Have you guys kept in touch?
Hemsworth: Yeah, we see each other at various events and obviously Liam is working with him so there's that connection. I saw Josh at the MTV Movie Awards actually. We were talking about "Red Dawn" and how making it was kind of the calm before the storm.
Check out everything we've got on "Red Dawn."