Tai Freligh chats with Kellan Lutz about Desert Dawn…
Kellan Lutz (Twilight Saga, Immortals, Extraction) stars in Desert Dawn as a newly appointed small-town sheriff with his reluctant deputy, played by Cam Gigandet (Priest, Twilight Saga, Love Hurts), who find themselves entangled in a web of deceit and corruption when the murder of a mysterious woman unravels a perilous conspiracy involving unscrupulous businessmen and a notorious cartel. Flickering Myth’s Tai Freligh chatted with Kellan Lutz about his Twilight reunion with Cam Gigandet, doing his own stunt work, and how he ended up in Desert Dawn.
I asked Kellan to tell me about his character in the new movie and what the film is about. He told me, “I play a sheriff who moves back to his small hometown after living in the big city for a long time and while investigating a woman’s murder, unravel all kids of lies and corruption. It’s a murder mystery crime action thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.”
Lutz had previously starred with Cam Gigandet in the Twilight movies before reuniting with him on the new movie. Commenting on working with Cam again, Lutz said, “It was great working with Cam again after all these years. We’ve both grown up so much and we’re both fathers now and it’s always fun to reconnect with someone you were a part of something as epic as Twilight was.”
Kellan came onto the project through the producers of a previous movie he had worked on. He elaborates, “I had worked with the producers on a movie called Due Justice the year before and really enjoyed working with them and so when they had this script they thought of me and we collaborated on the story to make it what you will see.”
Desert Dawn is an action movie filled with some pretty crazy stunts, so I asked Lutz if he did his own stunts and his answer was pretty interesting. “I did! One thing about me is I have tremendous respect for the stunt community. I feel a kindredness to them in that I too am someone who loves adventure and to take risks and I have been blessed to have worked with the best of the best and learn from them. Whenever I have the ability to do my own stunts I love doing them and when I can’t I gladly step aside for the real professionals.”
Moving away from his current film, I asked Kellan some questions about his career, including one of my personal favorites—If you could have a conversation with any character you’ve played, what advice do you think you’d give them, and what advice might they offer you in return? His answer was insightful. “Wow great question… Probably Emmett from Twilight and we would both say enjoy the present because it’s a gift.”
If acting wasn’t in the cards for Kellan Lutz, his alternative career choice is telling. “Navy seal – fighting for justice and against injustice. That’s why I enjoy playing the hero roles.”
Wrapping up the questions, I dropped another favorite—What’s a question you wish people would ask you, but never do…and what’s the answer?
Lutz tells me, “People often refer to me as energetic, positive, and full of life but they don’t really ask where that comes from. For me that answer always comes back to my faith in God.”
I closed out the interview by asking him what he has on deck for projects and what’s next for him. “I love being a husband and a father of two! It’s such an amazing season of life and it’s going by way too fast! Trying to be a sponge and enjoy every second of it I also have some indie movies in the pipeline for later this year and next so looking forward to continuing to work and do what I love!”
A newly appointed small-town sheriff (Kellan Lutz) and his reluctant deputy (Cam Gigandet) find themselves in a web of lies and corruption when the murder of a mysterious woman leads them to a dangerous conspiracy involving shady businessmen and the cartel.
Kellan Lutz rose to international prominence with his breakout role in the blockbuster Twilight Saga and has since cemented his status as a certified action star. His filmography spans some of the industry’s most successful franchises—collectively grossing over $4 billion worldwide—and includes standout roles in Extraction, The Expendables, The Legend Of Hercules, Prom Night, A Nightmare On Elm Street, and Immortals. On television, Kellan played a major arc throughout Dick Wolf’s FBI universe, appearing in more than 30 episodes across FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International. While best known for his work in many high-octane action and thrillers, Lutz has also showcased his range in comedy and drama, with credits including HBO’s The Comeback, Paramount’s What Men Want opposite Taraji P. Henson, Love Wedding Marriage with Mandy Moore, as well as memorable appearances in 30 Rock, Accepted, and Six Feet Under. Lutz lives in Nashville with his family.
I thank Kellan Lutz for taking the time to chat with me. He can be found on Instagram. Desert Dawn is available in select U.S. theaters, on digital and On Demand as of May 16th.
Tai Freligh writes about entertainment and pop culture for Flickering Myth from sunny Huntington Beach, California…just a hop and a skip from Los Angeles. He can be found on Threads, Blue Sky, TikTok and his website.
IMAGES: Courtesy of Saban Films
