Priyanka Chopra Jonas has had her fair share of action roles. From Citadel to The Bluff, the actress is rarely seen onscreen without a firearm.
“I mean, I look good with a weapon in my hand,” she tells THR with a laugh.
But for her upcoming role in the sci-fi action thriller Bluefly, also starring Russell Crowe, Chopra Jonas has found a new weapon: language. She stars as U.N. interpreter Myla Reese, who joins Crowe’s Benny on a covert mission in the Congo, where they become privy to a powerful force hidden deep within the jungle.
With the action secondary, Chopra Jonas is focused on bringing “a certain softness” to the film rather than being the one who takes charge and wields the weapons. And after 15 years of working with UNICEF, she feels a great responsibility to properly portray a U.N. interpreter. “I’m working with my dialect coach to get the words right in the multiple African languages I’m going to attempt, from Swahili to Zulu to Lingala,” she says.
Highland Film Group is handling worldwide rights on the film, which is directed by Nimród Antal and written by David Frigerio, William Eubank and Carlyle Eubank.
Days before cameras rolled in Australia, Chopra Jonas spoke with THR about what attracted her to Bluefly, working with Crowe and why she’s a big fan of movie magic.
What was it about the story and your character, Myla, that made you want to help bring this film to the screen?
I’m really excited about the idea behind the film. It touches on a lot of interesting things that have been in the news, and I think it’s timely for its sci-fi elements. What I loved about Myla is that she’s a U.N. translator. I’ve worked with UNICEF for about 15 years, and I’ve had the amazing privilege of working with a lot of U.N. translators. Their lives are so interesting, and they’re so brave. They’ve gone into war-stricken areas, and their translations aren’t just words — they go beyond words into the intention of what someone means to say. So, it’s beyond language, and delving into that as we traverse the Congo has been very interesting and super challenging. I get to speak multiple African languages in the movie, and I think it’ll be really cool.
What surprised you about that job through your own experience with UNICEF, and what do you think will be the hardest part of portraying a U.N. interpreter?
I don’t think it’s hard — every part is a challenge in its own way. Doing justice to the languages I’m interpreting is something I take major responsibility for. As a bilingual person, and as someone who has grown up seeing my language and culture represented, or misrepresented, in entertainment, I take that responsibility seriously. I’m working with my dialect coach to get the words right in the multiple African languages I’m going to attempt, from Swahili to Zulu to Lingala. That’s the challenge.
What surprised me was on my UNICEF trips, we’d be on a bus for three hours, getting to know each other and our lives, and I realized it’s so much more than translating words. It’s the actual interpretation of the circumstances people are in, or what they’re trying to convey, which sometimes goes beyond the words we have. Finding those elements is going to be really fun and gratifying.
You’ve done action before, but as an interpreter, it’s safe to say Myla’s weapon is language rather than firepower.
And I love that! I mean, I look good with a weapon in my hand [laughs], but honestly, it’s great to have a break from it. I’ve had that back-to-back in a lot of the work I’ve done, so I’m really excited to dig into the dramatic aspects of this character — to not be the one wielding the weapons and taking charge this time and to bring a certain softness to the movie.
Is Myla meant to look trained or deliberately untrained?
I don’t think she’s supposed to be untrained, but she’s not fond of conflict. I’ve mostly played the opposite — someone very fond of conflict, especially physically. But if you look at the majority of my work, I’ve had the great fortune of playing many different kinds of characters, whether it’s drama or comedy, and it’s fun to delve into character work. My physical abilities get defined by what my character wants to do. So I’m just going to follow Myla.
What has excited you most about Myla that you hope comes across onscreen?
It’s subtle, but I’ve recently played such badass women who don’t have any room for vulnerability at all. I think vulnerability is a strength that is uniquely ours as women, and I hope to find both strength and vulnerability in Myla. I hope that comes across. We’ll see.
The film has been described as a character-driven thriller wrapped inside a science fiction premise. What’s the balance between the genres?
There’s no good sci-fi without heart. You can’t just lean on technology or theories without having rooted characters and a lot of heart in the people telling the story. That’s always the fun part: You mix genres and have the larger play in the plot, but ultimately, you’re following the story through the eyes of the people experiencing it. That’s the balance we’re finding in this movie.
You’re starring opposite Russell Crowe. What has your collaborative relationship been like so far?
He’s playing such an interesting character in this movie, and I can’t wait for people to see his interpretation of it. I haven’t seen it yet because we haven’t started filming, but I’m very excited to see what it turns into. He’s such a pro. I’m really excited to see how he tackles this character.
He has deep roots in Australian filmmaking. Has he had a chance to play host on the Gold Coast?
Not yet — I think he gets in just today. But I’ve spent a lot of time on the Gold Coast, so I could also be a great tour guide. There’s so much filming in Australia, especially on the Gold Coast, and it’s one of my favorite places to film. It’s so far away from everything, but you wake up in the morning — my daughter’s here with me — and we go for a walk on the beach and grab breakfast. She loves it. I love it. It’s really wonderful to be able to film here.
You’re not producing this one, but as someone who has worked on both sides, do you watch the producing side of an indie differently, even when you’re only acting?
I think so. In every element, you think, “I don’t want to add a cost to this,” or, “I want to make sure we spend everything we need to on making the movie,” and you try to be a team player. I try to do that anyway, but when you work on an indie, your brain does think that way. I want to protect the film in every way we can, and I think everyone — every department head, the cast — feels that way.
What is it about director Nimród Antal that you think will make this experience different?
He’s the perfect choice for this movie because of the way he’s handling the interpretation of everything that’s going on. He loves the subject. I love a director who’s a fan of the material, and he is. He’s excited, and that rubs off on everyone.
Nimród is so infectious with his energy. You walk into the production office and he’ll come up and show you all these prototypes and cool things they’re creating and talk through the plans. He’s so inclusive. We haven’t even started filming, but it already feels like it’s going to be a ride where everyone is in it together.
The film is set in the Congo but shooting in Australia. How is the production approaching authenticity in re-creating the Congo?
The crew in Australia is amazing — they have so much experience. Our sets will eventually look like we’re in the Republic of Congo, and the detailing the production design team is doing will make sure we don’t miss a beat. That’s how movies are made: You cheat locations … and you make sure you do justice to the detail. I’ve now been part of so many projects where we’ve re-created places. I have a movie coming out in April, Varanasi, and we re-created the entire Varanasi ghats in a completely different city, Hyderabad. That’s the magic of the movies, and it’s one of the things I’m a big fan of.