Melding genres isn’t a new gimmick, but World War II-era horror movies certainly are new territory. Mauro Borelli’s WarHunt is one such example, dropping a platoon of American soldiers into a survival story in the jungle. WarHunt also brings together quite the cast, including Mickey Rourke, Robert Knepper, and Jackson Rathbone.

In WarHunt, an American military unit is stranded in the Black Forest of Germany. However, as the troops try to get their bearings, they find more than they bargained for. Before long, they find themselves in the fight of their lives with a mysterious, otherworldly menace in the forest.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

We speak to Jackson Rathbone on the making of WarHunt, the experience of filming the movie in Latvia with his co-stars and director Mauro Borelli, and the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Screen Rant: How did you become involved with WarHunt?

Jackson Rathbone: They sent me the offer with the script. They mentioned Mickey Rourke was attached, and they said ‘You get to fight Nazis and witches’. And I said, ‘Wait, who’s attached?’, and they said ‘Mickey Rourke’, so I said ‘Okay, I’m in!’

What was WarHunt‘s timeframe in relation to the pandemic? Was it done before or after the pandemic had begun?

Jackson Rathbone: Well, we were filming kind of on the onslaught of the first wave. We started shooting when it was just started coming out of China, but we kept filming. We were watching it like the whole world. Then about halfway through the shoot, we had to shut down because the whole world did. There was about a two month hiatus before we could go back to filming.

Was that the only major disruption from the pandemic?

Jackson Rathbone: Oh no. So, leading up to it before we had to take the hiatus, we had several actors having to drop out during filming who were fairly notable characters. One was our crew medic for the soldiers in the film. He had a surgery coming up so had to get back, and it ended up being one a day until the week we had to pause production. It was kind of reminiscent of the film where we’re going through the woods and one-by-one we’re losing soldiers. At the end of the day, we’re making a film, and people’s health and their families, that always should come first.

So, with WarHunt being a horror movie set during World War II, what really drew you to the film? 

Jackson Rathbone: Well, the biggest draw for me was the opportunity to get to work with Robert Knepper and Mickey Rourke. I always try to pick roles for a variety of reasons, but one of the things I really love is getting to work with actors I really admire and hopefully learn from. I do love horror films and I want to do more in that genre space. So this was kind of my first foray into that and I got to work with the icons that are.

What were some of the more memorable experiences from the making of WarHunt for you?

Jackson Rathbone: Honestly, being in the woods deep in Latvia. It’s an absolutely stunning place. I brought my three young kids and my wife, and just going for hikes on the weekends and exploring old Riga, which is a beautiful, beautiful city, that really stood out. I know that’s not about filming, but one of the great joys of being an actor is getting to travel see different locations and places that I might never have put on the map as a destination. But now, my wife and I often talk about Latvia just for a vacation.

What were some of your favorite scenes or moments from the making of WarHunt?

Jackson Rathbone: Honestly, I got to work a lot with Robert Knepper and I had a lot of fun with him. We go head-to-head in the movie, but behind the scenes, we were just cracking up and trying to stay warm because it was freezing. One of the first days of filming, we had snow, which we didn’t have in the rest of the movie. So you do see a bit of a supernatural weather change happen with the edit of the film. We didn’t really have a choice, but that’s indie filmmaking!

Did that complicate the film any further?

Jackson Rathbone: I mean, the movie was complicated for a lot of reasons. We were making it during the pandemic that we’re still dealing with and there was the weather, too. To me, it’s just about at the end of the day, hopefully people have fun watching it. I got to have a lot of fun making the film, and now getting to call Robert Knepper a friend, that’s awesome to me.

On that note, what was the experience like of also working alongside Mickey Rourke?

Jackson Rathbone: Well, one of the disappointments for me was I didn’t actually get to work with Mickey Rourke. Because of the pandemic shutdowns in Latvia and the rules for when they opened back up, my schedule and his schedule got kind of separated. So, he had to film all of his scenes with a stand-in for me and vice-versa, which was a bummer man, I’ll be honest. If you watch the movie, you can’t really tell. My wife watched the movie with me and she said ‘It looks like you guys are in the same movie!’ It would’ve been nice to have a chance to talk to the big man, but it didn’t happen. I’m not stressed about it, but it was a disappointing aspect for me.

What other projects do you have in the works? 

Jackson Rathbone: I have movie on Netflix right now called Mixtape, which is a really beautiful family film set in the nineties. I get to sing and play music in it, which is really fun for me as a musician, as well. I’m also currently writing and working on my feature directing debut, which will be in the horror genre. It’s something I’ve been obsessing over for a few years now and it’s starting to take shape. It’s fun and pretty damn dark!

WarHuntis now available on VOD platforms.

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Brad Curran
(725 Articles Published)

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Growing up, Brad developed an innate love of movies and storytelling, and was instantly enamored with the world of adventure while following the exploits of Indiana Jones, Japanese kaiju, and superheroes. Today, Brad channels his thoughts on all manner of movies, from comic book films, sci-fi thrillers, comedies, and everything in between through his writings on Screen Rant. Brad also offers philosophical musings on martial arts and the filmographies of everyone from Jackie Chan to Donnie Yen on Kung Fu Kingdom, where he’s also had the privilege of interviewing many of the world’s great stunt professionals, and hearing plenty of gripping stories on injuries incurred in their line of work and the intricacies of designing the acts of death defiance he first thrilled to as a youngster. When he’s not writing, Brad enjoys going on a ride with the latest action hit or Netflix original, though he’s also known to just pop in “The Room” from time to time. Follow Brad on Twitter @BradCurran.

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