Actor James Rolleston back in crime caper
Hidden away in Wellington is an abandoned warehouse, perched on a bush-covered hill.
This week, the cobwebs have been blown away as the cast and crew of Lowdown Dirty Criminals settle into their shoot.
A star-studded cast has been brought on board for the film, including James Rolleston and newcomer Samuel Austin as leads, Robbie Magasiva (Sione’s Wedding), Rebecca Gibney (Packed To The Rafters) and Cohen Holloway (Hunt For The Wilderpeople).
In a break between scenes, cast members stop to share a laugh and a chat over a hot drink.
‘‘Don’t you think they look like a younger version of us?’’ Holloway is quick to ask, gesturing between Magasiva and himself, and the two younger actors, Rolleston and Austin.
The set of the comedy crime caper is busy and bustling this sunny Wellington morning.
Inside the warehouse, through a rabbitwarren of stairs and hallways, the crew bustle back and forth, jokes flying over the top of camera equipment and props.
‘‘Rolling!’’ the call goes out and everyone freezes – the cameras are on.
Lead actors Rolleston (Boy, The Breaker Upperers) and Austin are playing the roles of Freddy – ‘‘a cool kid, a very cool kid’’ – and Marvin, a ‘‘right time, right place/wrong time, wrong place kind of guy’’, respectively.
Friends both on and off screen, Rolleston and Austin have naturally settled into their roles of two young men looking for a better life.
‘‘There’s lots of laughs,’’ Rolleston said. ‘‘And an amazing cast and crew, that’s what brings the lightness to the set.’’
Austin is a fresh face on the scene, having graduated from Toi Whakaari about three years ago. His resume is well-peppered with short films but Lowdown Dirty Criminals is his first feature-length project.
‘‘Being fresh myself, spending lots of time with James has been great because he feels so experienced in a way I don’t,’’ he said.
Rolleston is quick to jump in, saying he doesn’t see himself as a veteran actor and is ‘‘just stoked to be a part of this awesome story, playing this awesome role, with these awesome people’’.
With actors like Holloway, Magasiva and Gibney on set, the younger duo was surrounded by a wealth of acting experience.
‘‘Sometimes they just drop little bits of wisdom for us,’’ Austin said.
Helmed by Paul Murphy as director and written by David Brechin-Smith (Insiders Guide To Happiness, The Cult), Lowdown Dirty Criminals will be shot in Wellington over the next month.