Actor Joshua Tonks is back in his second lead role, with the brand-new indie werewolf feature Lord of Wolves, which is set to hit VOD platforms later this week.
We caught up with Joshua to talk about lycanthropy, London and urban horror.
When did you first audition for Lord of Wolves?
If I remember correctly, I auditioned for Lord of Wolves towards the end of 2022. I had met Charlie previously, so I reached out to see what he was working on next and when I heard about Lord of Wolves I threw my hat in the ring.
While director Charlie Steeds has covered werewolves in the past, we’re hearing this is a different kind of horror, what stood out to you in the script?
Lord of Wolves focuses more on real-life horrors – the isolation and depression that being alone in a big city can bring – while still having that goofy B-movie style Dark Temple is known for. One of the lines in the script that jumped out was: “in a dog-eat-dog world, be a wolf.” It sounded like the perfect tagline and it got me hooked.
Tell us about your character Nic?
Nic is a freelance photographer trying to survive in London when the death of his housemate/mentor sets off a chain of strange occurrences. I know that Charlie based the character on some of his own experiences and I certainly found many aspects of Nic relatable too. Being an artist in a big city can be brutal.
Do you think the urban setting makes the film scarier?
I think urban settings in horror movies can definitely be scarier but in a more unexpected way. The dark, claustrophobic streets and back alleys at night, the terrors lurking in even the most crowded of areas, the fact we can be perfectly safe, then take one wrong turn and find ourselves in a dangerous situation — it’s all pretty scary when you think about it for too long.
Does the film take any cues from Hellraiser, given the contraption your character has and its powers?
Absolutely. I think Clive Barker’s works are a big inspiration on the film in general. Hellraiser, Candyman and The Midnight Meat Train were all points of reference in both the audition process and during the shoot. I mean those opening titles are very Candyman-inspired. That particular contraption used in the film is one that I picked up myself from an occult shop in Soho.
What was the shoot like compared to your previous projects?
Similarly to The Latent Image, Lord of Wolves was shot in January, in the dead of winter, and yet surprisingly, this shoot was so much colder than up in Cumbria (where we shot Latent.) I was wearing these old, beaten-up converse for most of it and my feet were like blocks of ice the entire time.
As for the shoot in general, it was a lot more sprawling and much more gruelling. With The Latent Image we shot in one cosy, indoor location, whereas Lord of Wolves had locations all around London, most of which were pretty dank and grimy. It felt more raw and guerrilla, for sure. I actually ended up getting sick on the last day of filming, which thankfully was an emotional scene, so it added to the character’s misery. Haha!
This is now your second feature as the lead, how have you found the transition from short films to features?
Transitioning from shorts to features just feels like the next step — everything is bigger and more exciting, and so it’s been amazing getting to lead another feature. I felt much more relaxed this time around and I enjoyed the experience of working with a completely new team. And working specifically in horror is a dream (or should I say nightmare) come true!
I have to ask about the success of The Latent Image (feature), what has this meant to you as a co-writer?
I’m so proud of The Latent Image. Having come up through the world of theatre, I feel like The Latent Image has legitimised me as a screen actor and provided more opportunities to work on projects like Lord of Wolves. Independent filmmaking is time-consuming and so I’m thankful that Alex (Birrell, the writer/director of The Latent Image) saw its potential as a feature, and that he was able to get it made despite so many setbacks and obstacles. As a writer, it was great to see the story be fleshed out in so many exciting ways.
Do you have any scripts up your sleeve for future horror projects?
So many! Too many! It’s just a case of getting all the pieces of the puzzle aligned to actually get them made. But we keep our fingers (and claws) crossed.
Lord of Wolves directed by Charlie Steeds is released on 19 September 2024 on VOD platforms.
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