**Director Kiah Roache-Turner on His Latest War and Survival Horror Film, *Beast of War***
Director Kiah Roache-Turner, known for his distinctive work in horror films like *Nekrotronic* (2018), *Sting* (2024), and the *Wyrmwood* franchise, has carved out a unique niche within the genre. His latest project, *Beast of War*, takes a bold step by blending war and horror into one intense survival narrative.
Set against the backdrop of World War II, the film follows a regiment of Australian Allied soldiers in the Pacific theater. Their struggle is twofold—not only must they contend with the relentless Axis forces, but also with the opportunistic wildlife lurking in the waters: sharks seeking to prey on the stranded soldiers.
We spoke with Kiah Roache-Turner about *Beast of War*, diving into his inspirations, the challenges of balancing the war and horror elements, and the casting process.
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### *Beast of War* Writer-Director Kiah Roache-Turner on Battling a War on Two Fronts
**What was the inspiration behind *Beast of War*?**
“Anyone familiar with film probably knows that I drew inspiration from *Jaws*, specifically the iconic monologue given by Quint (Robert Shaw), written by John Milius, about the USS Indianapolis. Wooo! What a speech! Most of my life, I’ve been waiting for someone to riff on that. I understand Spielberg was going to do a sequel centered around it but then backed out for whatever reason. Now, 30 years later, I’m like, ‘Well, I guess I have to do it.’
When my producer, Blake Northfield, called me and said, ‘Do you have anything set on water?’ I thought, ‘It might be time.’ Blake has access to a giant tank and said, ‘Write me something to do with water.’ So I told him, ‘That’ll be the USS Indianapolis speech from *Jaws*, I reckon.’
After about five minutes of searching, I came across the true story of the HMAS *Armidale*, which sank in 1942 halfway between Darwin and Timor. Hundreds of soldiers ended up in the ocean, and many were eaten by sharks. That was my inspiration—so here we are.”
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**What were the biggest challenges in balancing the war and horror aspects of this film?**
“The thing I wanted to capture was something like one of my favorite Australian war films, *Gallipoli* (1981) by Peter Weir. It’s up there with *The Thin Red Line* (1998), *Saving Private Ryan* (1998), and *Paths of Glory* (1957).
*Gallipoli* is a beautiful, poetic film about young men—around 17 years old—going to war and getting mindlessly killed. I wanted to meld that feeling with *Jaws*, while also drawing from films like *The Descent* (2005), which feature a small cast trapped in a sealed location, battling monsters.
I took those three films, mixed them with my own vision, and saw where we ended up. Balancing the war and the beast was important, and I achieved that through character development.
For instance, the character Leo is an Indigenous man dealing with racism and haunted by the past trauma of his brother being killed by a shark. He was an ex-fisherman off the coast of Broome, Australia, an area known for great white sharks. Leo battles internal demons and racism while also fighting in a war. That’s fertile ground for complex character work.
Then there’s Will, a 17-year-old young soldier who’s terrified and likely hasn’t traveled far from home. Suddenly, he’s thrown into a meat grinder, forced to transition from boy to man.
When you’ve got such rich character work and seven very different men trapped on a raft together, character drama carries you through all the shark attacks, action, and gunfire. It’s the emotion that hooks the audience.”
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**What went into the casting process? Was there anyone you had in mind from the beginning?**
“Casting Will, the 17-year-old, was difficult. We auditioned hundreds of young men looking for the right mix of naivety, potential strength, and the ability to act—and of course, they had to look 17. That was tough.
Leo, however, was easy. I wrote the part specifically for Mark Coles Smith. If we couldn’t get him, I honestly don’t know who else could carry the film. He is the heart and soul of *Beast of War*, and he really makes it.
Luckily, Mark knew about me, and I knew about him—we had been circling each other for years. When he read the script, it resonated with him. He had a small window in his extremely busy schedule—he’s shooting multiple films and a TV series simultaneously—but we got him, thank God.
Other cast members include Joel Nankervis, Sam Delich, Lee Tiger Halley, Sam Parsonson, Maximillian Johnson, Tristan McKinnon, and Aswan Reid.”
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Well Go USA Entertainment’s *Beast of War* is now available in theaters and on digital platforms. This gripping fusion of war drama and survival horror delivers powerful storytelling that honors history while injecting intense thrills.
https://bleedingcool.com/movies/beast-of-war-director-talks-world-war-ii-shark-survival-horror-film/