Australian actor Callan McAuliffe who played the younger Leonardo Di Caprio in “The Great Gatsby” and a lead role in “I Am Number Four” stars anew in the sci-fi action film “Robot Overlords” alongside Ben Kingsley and Gillian Anderson where the movie centers on a teenager named Sean (McAuliffe) who gathers a group of teens together to search for his long lost father in the midst of a war between humans and robots. The teen discovers a way to fight back, and he realizes that there’s more to this war than his own family.
“Robot Overlords” was borne out of director Jon Wright’s dream where he was stuck inside his home and there were robots patrolling the streets, threatening to shoot anyone who set foot outside. “There was a lot of world-building: making sure the robots’ motives made sense, that the tech didn’t descend into babble. Then, once you have that, you have to sweep it under the carpet because that stuff can really bog down your script. However, a novel’s a little more forgiving when it comes to that kind of backstory, so I got to have fun with it there,” shares the director.
Moreso, the film tackles on the father and son dynamics and the son’s coming of age and standing up to be his own hero where we see Sean three years after the invasion. Sean Flynn has never given up hope that his missing father might still be alive. All humans have been fitted with transmitters to ensure they obey the cardinal rule of the robot empire – that they stay indoors at all times or be incinerated. An accident at home leads to one of the transmitters short-circuiting, allowing Sean and his friends the opportunity to infiltrate their alien adversaries. They may even get a shot at freeing themselves once and for all, but it’s not going to be easy.
McAuliffe also shared what attracted him to the role, “Certainly, Sir Ben Kingsley being involved was a big positive. To be honest, when it comes to choosing roles, I am not at the stage where I am having people throw scripts at my desk and I just do the film. I still have to do auditions and things like that. So, I auditioned for this film and was very glad to have the opportunity! When they said that they wanted me for the part, I was more than happy to be a part of the project. Taking this role meant traveling to Ireland and working with some truly great people. To me, that is what it is all about!”
“Robot Overlords” opens March 25 in cinemas nationwide.