What Julian Dennison Has Done Since Hunt For The Wilderpeople

What has Julian Dennison been up to since starring in Hunt for the Wilderpeople? Now streaming on Netflix, the 2016 adventure film directed by Taika Waititi follows a troubled boy who manages to overcome the odds while embracing the outdoors. Dennison was just 13 years old when Hunt for the Wilderpeople released, and has since made big leaps in his movie career.

Prior to Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Dennison collaborated with Waititi for a massively-popular PSA about driving under the influence of drugs. In the 2013 black and white clip entitled Blazed – Drug Driving in Aotearoa, Dennison’s character imitates his father’s behavior while stoned. At the time, the young New Zealand actor was known for portraying Solomon in the 2013 coming-of-age film Shopping, for which he earned a New Zealand Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. Four years later, Dennison received a higher honor upon winning the Best Actor award for his performance as Ricky Baker in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, a role that he landed based on his professional relationship with Waititi (who most recently directed Jojo Rabbit).

Even though Hunt for the Wilderpeople is New Zealand’s highest-grossing film, Dennison is now best known in pop culture for portraying Russell Collins a.k.a. Firefist in Deadpool 2. The character originally appeared in the 1986 comic X-Factor #1, and was brought to life by Dennision for the 2018 sequel starring Ryan Reynolds. The casting of the New Zealand actor was significant due to his Māori heritage and physical performance as a young superhero with violent tendencies. In a 2018 interview (via GQ), Dennison acknowledged the pressures of the role, specifically in terms of the character’s personality:

“It was really cool and really draining, I guess, mentally, to think how bad he’s gotten. How evil he is, because especially during the emotional scenes, you’ve got to keep that anger in you. Also, I look good as a future me. It was a really big glow up. Really good tan. Really nice facial features.”

Deadpool 2 introduced Dennison to a world of franchise fans, and exposure from the role immediately led to big industry opportunities. In June 2018, just weeks after the film released, Dennison was cast in the blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong. Adam Wingard’s franchise film stars Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) and Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies), along with several other high-profile performers. Details about Dennison’s role are still unclear; however, filming has wrapped and the movie received a May 2021 release date. By then, the up-and-coming New Zealand actor will be just shy of his 19th birthday and will seemingly be in a position to land steady roles in mainstream cinema, at least if he chooses to prioritize high-budget films over indie productions.

Dennison currently voices the character Pierce in the Australian animated series The Strange Chores. He’ll soon appear in the 2020 franchise film The Christmas Chronicles 2 starring Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, respectively. To Dennison, a native Māori, New Zealand is known as “Aotearoa.” During an October 2018 interview (via 10,000 Dreams), the Hunt for the Wilderpeople actor expressed his goals for the future and how they relate to his homeland:

“My dream is to love God, love people, and to support my future family, and my mum and pops. And I also want to use my influence that I gain from acting to change the world, and to impact the world of people who are less fortunate than me, and the people of Aotearoa.”

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Q.V. Hough
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Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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