WHAT'S HAPPENING FLASH?

Sam J Jones and Melody Anderson will always have Mongo

Flash Gordon was a huge break for you. Was there pressure on two unknowns to shoulder a blockbuster?

Melody We had no idea it was going to be a blockbuster. When you’re an actor and you’re starting you’re just happy to get a job. There was just something very unique and special about the movie that caught people. It was the magic, the comic book colours, the characters… and of course we had such an amazing design team.

Sam I was just focused on my task at hand. Shoot this scene, now go rehearse. Go to a different location, go to a different set, go learn to use the bullwhip, go rehearse that fight scene… It just didn’t stop, the machine.

Melody I had more time, and one of the things I injected into the script was that Dale was a fighter, because she’s a New York City girl, right? Not only was she a fighter and a romantic but she also had this offbeat sense of humour.

Your “14 hours” line was a gift, surely?

Melody Oh yes, and meanwhile Brian Blessed’s giving me pats on the butt while I’m trying to say it. So I had to laugh the whole time.

It’s quite a kinky film, isn’t it?

Melody If that’s where your mind is. And, you know, you’re over the age of nine…

There’s recently been talk of a sequel to

Flash Gordon…

Sam Matthew Reilly, the VP of production at Fox Studios, bought the rights. It’s been in development at Fox for a year and a half. The reason I think it’s going to come to fruition is because of his personal touch, and what it did to him – it impacted his life, along with Seth McFarlane and a lot of people. I believe it’ll happen.