Daniel Radcliffe seems to be doing whatever it takes to change his image from boy wizard to genuine actor. This aim of his sees him take on a host of weird roles and movies that don’t exactly scream box office, but are aimed more at allowing him to flex his acting muscles. And as much as I’m not a personal fan of the Harry Potter movies, I can at least appreciate his commitment to his acting career, as he is willing to not play it safe (including playing a flatulent corpse of all things).
His next film, Imperium, sees him take on another different angle as he portrays the story of an undercover agent who infiltrates a neo-nazi white supremacy group. Radcliffe has certainly gone all out for the role as the first poster for the film highlight his new look –skinhead and all, which pretty much reminds me of Edward Norton’s masterful transformation in American History X.
The film is inspired (not based directly on) by a true story of Michael German, who as an undercover agent had to go through a similar experience. Hopefully with a script co-written by an undercover expert, it will give us a more realistic take on not only this type of detective work we typically see in movies, but also a deeper look into the world of neo-nazism that is often very misunderstood.
Director of the film Daniel Ragussis had the following to say on the film when talking with Entertainment Weekly:
It was inspired by real events and co-written by Michael German, a former agent who spent years inside the neo-Nazi movement. Daniel Radcliffe plays Nate Foster, the agent. His greatest strengths are his intelligence and his people skills; I learned from Michael that actual undercover agents are primarily master manipulators — able to win confidences, control situations, and out-think the enemy, even when mortal danger is staring them in the face. Toni Collette plays Angela Zamparo, his case agent and supervisor. She’s spent years focusing on white supremacist terrorism and is really the only person out there that’s focused on keeping Nate alive.
What the director is also hoping the film will shed light on is a rise of neo-nazism in Europe and hopes to tell a story that brings a lot of attention to these groups before they become too dangerous.
We’re witnessing a surge in far-right groups all across Europe; in some cases they’re nearly winning national elections. We have a stereotype of what it means to be a white supremacist, but when I began collaborating with Michael and doing my own research, I was stunned by the depth and the extent of this movement.
The film is scheduled to be available through VOD services on August 19th.
Last Updated: July 5, 2016
