Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson reveals how his family fell victim to fraudsters

Today, Thursday, January 11, 2023 David Ayer’s new action film The Beekeeper in the cinema. In it, Jason Statham, as a defensive beekeeper, goes on a one-man campaign against fraudsters who scam other people out of their savings over the phone. The Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson plays opposite him as the evil mastermind of this criminal phishing ring.

We caught up with Josh Hutcherson to ask him about his unusual role as Beekeeper villain Derek Danforth. The star also spoke about similar experiences of betrayal in his own family, teased Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and of course also talked about his Hunger Games fame and the new Hunger Games film that rekindled Peeta’s love.

The Beekeeper and his villain: Josh Hutcherson on his renaissance after The Hunger Games

Moviepilot: Is Derek Danforth The Beekeeper the first real villain you’ve played in your career?

Josh Hutcherson: Basically yes. When I was 14 I once had a villain-like role in Midnight Circus. But this was a whole other level. Derek is out of control and a great villain. It was different and liberating to play him.

Originally, Derek was supposed to be an elegant man in a suit. Then you came on board and they changed the role. How did that happen?

Well, I’m not that elegant. [lacht] At first Derek was a dapper criminal in a three-piece suit. But with my casting, director David Ayers changed him to someone who had no style but all the money in the world. This was a fun shift and I couldn’t remember seeing this type of villain elsewhere before. So I was able to build up this ‘crypto bro’ as a privileged asshole with drug problems. Creating him was really fun.

How do you prepare for a role like this?

When you embody a character like that, you have to find a way to morally justify it to him. I don’t think people like that say to themselves, ‘I’m doing this because I’m a bad person.’ I wanted to know: What is his family background? What are his dreams? What lies behind the privilege and his inexhaustible funds? With this foundation I was then able to plunge into the craziness.

As an actor, sometimes you get lost in your own head and accuse yourself: ‘This is ridiculous? Is that real? Is this based on any truth?’ The hardest thing for me was to turn off the judgment. I had to have complete trust in David Ayer’s vision and tone of his film to just let it rip.

Despite the humor in The Beekeeper, the film also has a serious theme at its center: phishing and data mining, i.e. taking advantage of people online or over the phone. Is it true that you have already come into contact with it yourself?

Yes, my great-grandmother was ripped off a few years ago. That was pretty brutal. Someone called and pretended to be my little brother and needed money to get out of jail. And Grandma helped immediately: She bought gift vouchers and gave their numbers to the person on the other end of the line.

At some point she called my brother and said: ‘I can’t take this anymore! You have to tell your family’. My brother immediately asked, ‘What? I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ And she said, ‘Well, that you were in prison!’ Then it came out. – It’s so terrible to hunt someone down like this.

I think my character Derek came up with this whole scam as a secret side project to make money because he only sees people as numbers. He doesn’t think about the human aspect behind it.

I was surprised that the scammers in The Beekeeper have their own call center with a The Wolf of Wall Street vibe. Do you think that’s really how it works?

I asked the screenwriter to imagine this world [Kurt Wimmer] left. I think it might be true. Maybe it was taken to the extreme in our film. But that’s just David Ayer’s style as a director: to take something and exaggerate it. I hope it’s not real! But I’m afraid a version of it probably actually exists.

Do you have a favorite David Ayer film?

He really did a lot. I love Heart of Steel. He is a fantastic director. He takes a grounded story and finds a way to elevate it. Entertaining and engaging. His military background, his approach to the action and combat, make it grounded and hard-hitting and real. But he also approaches his characters very sensitively. He often grabbed the camera on set and joined the action himself, almost becoming part of the scene. I’ve never seen a director do something like that before.

The Hunger Games prequel The Hunger Games – The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes was recently released in cinemas and has also reignited interest in the previous films. Was it strange to get so much attention and Peeta love again for something that had been ten years for you?

This time I wasn’t there and didn’t do anything! [lacht] It was just a little bonus in the form of a second wave of love. That’s great. For me, the release of the new Hunger Games movie was a little strange because I saw all the big posters and it had been such a big part of my life for five years. All the press tours and notoriety! I’m happy that the world lives on in a new form for the audience. I am eternally grateful for the series.

I haven’t found a free moment to see the new film yet, but I’ve heard it’s great and I’m looking forward to going back in time.

You were last seen in the horror video game adaptation Five Nights at Freddy’s, for which a second part has now been announced. Do you already know whether you will be there again?

Uh, yes. They haven’t made it official yet. But that’s actually the plan. I’m really looking forward to jumping back into this universe. It’s dark and intense, but I had a lot of fun filming it. It looks like we’ll be filming the Freddy’s sequel later this year, which would be a big deal.

What do you want to do as an actor in the future? A new franchise? Or are there people you would like to work with?

I am currently very interested in finding young and aspiring directors with whom I can work. There are so many great independent films coming out right now from filmmakers with unique voices. – But in general I always feel at home when I’m on a set. In The Beekeeper I got the chance to play something completely different. Something like that always attracts me. Maybe I’ll play more villainous characters in the future. That would be great fun.

Then just one final question: Did you learn anything new about bees in The Beekeeper?

[Lacht] I dont have that. Nonetheless, it has awakened my awareness that you shouldn’t kill a bee if you see one. We need the bees and have to protect them. So that they multiply and keep everything running.