The Empire Film Podcast The Psychopomps Are Flying Again (ft. guests Aaron Taylor-Johnson and David Mackenzie)
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Apr 3, 2026 Aaron Taylor-Johnson, actor and star of Fuze, talks about his role, accents and working on a construction-set shoot. Conversations cover the film's long gestation, bomb-disposal-meets-heist influences and the director David Mackenzie’s immersive approach. They also discuss researching EOD realism and building the Wembley construction set. Casual, energetic chat with on-set stories and production detail.
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Fuse Began As A Long‑Held Bomb Disposal Heist Mashup
- David McKenzie developed Fuse as a 15-year mashup idea combining bomb-disposal drama and 1970s-style heist films.
- He and co-writer Ben Hopkins iterated the script slowly, then researched EOD protocols and real bomb finds to ground the thriller in plausibility.
Blend Genres Then Validate With Expert Research
- When making a high‑concept original, combine strong genre influences and then test plausibility with experts.
- McKenzie advises grounding stylistic ideas (Hurt Locker meets French 70s heist) by researching real protocols to keep stakes credible.
Withhold Backstory To Let Audiences Imprint Characters
- The film purposely withholds character backstory early to force audiences to imprint onto characters through tense, real‑time action.
- David McKenzie leaned on small staging details (like a drinks scene) to hint at history without explicit exposition.