Kieran Darcy-Smith’s debut feature, Wish You Were Here, premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival.  Starring Joel Edgerton, Teresa Palmer, Felicity Price and Antony Starr, the film is about four friends (two couples) who embark on a carefree holiday in Cambodia, but only three of them return home.  As the film unfolds, we start to learn more about what happened on the trip and how one of them might know more than they're letting on.

Shortly after seeing the film, I sat down with Edgerton for an exclusive interview.  During our extended conversation we talked about what it means to premiere at Sundance, how the project came together, what the film is about and who he plays, and how the project changed during the writing process.  In addition, Edgerton talked about two upcoming projects he's involved with: Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby and Kathryn Bigelow's Osama Bin Laden movie.  Hit the jump to watch.

As usual, I've time indexed the interview so you can watch the parts that interest you.  Right now Wish You Were Here is still looking for a distribution deal, but I'm sure it will get one soon.

Joel Edgerton Time Index

  • 0:10 - Edgerton talks about his go-to karaoke song, “Eye of the Tiger.”
  • 0:35 - Says UFC was the last video game he played.
  • 1:00 - Talks about getting a film into Sundance and why it’s such a welcoming and special place for him.
  • 1:45 – Reflects on the moment that debut feature director Kieran Darcy-Smith told him that Wish You Were Here would be at Sundance.
  • 3:10 – Gives a pitch and basic premise for Wish You Were Here.
  • 3:45 – Talks about his character in the film and compares it to Lantana in how it’s a “relationship drama in the casing of a thriller.”
  • 4:35 – Edgerton talks about script changes and how similar the final script was to the finished product. Says Kieran Darcy-Smith is a very thorough and exact writer.
  • 6:15 – Comments on getting acting lessons from a four-year-old kid.
  • 6:45 – Discusses how flexible he is for different shooting styles as well as working on The Great Gatsby.
  • 7:30 – The most takes he’s ever done on a film was for Wish You Were Here.
  • 8:25 – Talks about the past year in his career and how he tries to stay grounded.
  • 10:20 – Comments more about The Great Gatsby which is close to wrapping. Says it has all the right reasons to be an exceptional film. Also, talks about why he likes the “gentle, subtle version” of 3D when it “welcomes you into the world.”
  • 11:50 - Talks briefly about working with director Kathryn Bigelow on the untitled international thriller which starts shooting soon.