‘SNAG’ Filmmaker and Star Ben Milliken Talks New Paramount Action Movie, Teases Wanting Russell Crowe for Sequel (Exclusive)

SNAG star Ben Milliken isn’t just the movie’s lead star, he is also the mind behind the story as well as the director of the new Paramount action film. In the fast-paced shoot ’em up flick, the British-born, Australia-raised filmmaker stars as the title character, Snag, a sarcastic lone wolf who lands in hot water with a cartel leader after falling in love with her daughter. PopCulture.com recently had a chance to chat with Milliken and he offered some insight into making the movie, and teased that he’d love to make a sequel with Russell Crowe.

PopCulture.com: SNAG has so many incredible action film elements, from what I remember as the classic nineties action movies. When I was watching it, I was like, “Dude, this feels like an old Jean-Claude Van Damme movie or something, but funnier.”

Ben Milliken: Yeah, there’s a lot of bucket list moments, where when you’re a kid you like, “Oh, I’d love to do that,” or “I’d love to walk away slowly from an explosion without looking back,” all of those kinds of things. “I’d love to jump away from one in slow motion.” It’s one of those things, and speaking of leaning into it, that was a decision at the very beginning. You know what, we’re going to lean into this. It’s going to be what it is, and we’re going to lean into it. It’s supposed to be fun.

I really, really enjoyed watching it. I felt exactly what you’re saying. I felt that you left it all right there on the film. You did everything you meant to do and you did not pull any punches or bullets for that matter. How far back does the idea of SNAG go for you? You mentioned thinking about this as a kid. Has this been a thing that’s been bubbling for a long time for you?

This movie goes back to 2017…? 2016, 2017. I was sitting on the porch on a very cold January night with someone very close to me. It was one of those things where I was feeling wanting to go take this next step. It was before I had really produced anything, before I had really done anything. I had done some smaller things with some other people, but it was one of those things where it was like, you should make your own movie. He was the character and call him Snag. It just, as a small little spark of an idea, germinated. The next day a Spotify playlist was curated and all these feelings in regards to how this thing feels, how this thing kind of looks. Then it evolved and it just continued to grow and continue to… I don’t know. It’s just like when you nurture an idea, it can grow into something, I think, is the main point of that.

We end up here where we’re at, where it’s coming out and people are going to watch it. It’s your first full-length directorial. This is the first time you’ve directed. What was that experience like? What were your feelings going into it, as reflecting on once you’d completed it?

Feelings going into it were, what the hell am I doing here? What am I doing? I think that’s good with everything that’s really important to you. Well, for me specifically, anything that’s really important. There are always the elements of imposter syndrome, always the elements of like, do I have what it takes to do this? All of those kinds of things, but then it got into this point where I’m just so grateful and happy to be there. To never take a moment like that for granted, it’s the best job in the world.

I had a chance to talk with David [Zayas,  previously about it.

Such a legend. That guy, he’s such a pro, such a legend. He’s really, really good to work with, really fun.

His character, adds a lot to the story and adds a lot to the dynamic, big time.

He really does, and it’s so great how he pops up where he pops up, but there’s so much backstory loaded there.

You’ve cultivated a really, really great story with so much lore and so much potential, it seems like. That was the impression I got, and I’m assuming that’s intentional.

It absolutely was. I like it when movies do this thing where they enter into a certain area of a person’s life and then exit, but we don’t have to over-explain. We just see that this is a snapshot of this person’s life and then we exit that snapshot of that person’s life, but there’s still a full character there.

Movies have chapters and complete things happen within chapters and this functions that way. SNAG: Chapter 1, or maybe it’s more SNAG: Chapter 4… is where we’re at. I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong. I feel like that window is at least a fourth, third or fourth story.”

A lot happened prior to this and there’s a lot happened after, so it’s a cool thing.

I look forward to SNAG: Origins.

[laughs] SNAG: Origins. “It’s personal.”

You’ve got to bring in Lorenzo Lamas, or something. He’s Snag’s uncle… I don’t know. I’m just throwing stuff out there.

Or someone who’s real, real Aussie.

Off the top of my head… Russell Crowe, right?

Can you imagine? You’d have to put in there, “On my command… unleash Hell!” You’d just have to do it. You would have to do it.

You have to have him say it. Otherwise, what are you even doing? Why are you even paying that much money for him, if he doesn’t?

I actually saw his band play when I was a kid. In Sydney, and it was one of the coolest experiences. He just played this show, and I was with my dad. I was just the grom. Then we were walking down the stairs, there’s this tiny little bar and I saw him work walking up the stairs. My dad’s such a goof, and so my dad’s like, “Hey, there he is.” Crowe, he’s like, “Yeah, how’s it going, mate?” It was so cool to see Gladiator just walking up the stairs after playing a show.

It’s not impossible to get someone of that caliber, especially when you think about the John Wick movies and that franchise and how it started as a very small thing with Keanu Reeves. The first John Wick movie wasn’t really expected to do much and it exploded. A-list actors, they want to be in projects like that still.

I think it’s also, it’s just the fun of movie-making. It’s the fun of movies, just the pure entertainment aspect of movies. This is one of those movies that’s really just supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to make you laugh. It’s supposed to have some heart. It’s supposed to really just take you on a journey for however long, for that block of time in this different world and just having a great time, dude.

In addition to Zayas and Milliken, the film also stars Jaime Camil, Jonny Beauchamp, Sofia Castro Michelle Ortiz, and Ana Ortiz. Snag is now available to watch on Digital and in select theaters, and is also available On Demand starting May 12. Keep it locked to PopCulture.com for more great movie news, reviews, and exclusives! 

Editor’s Note: This interview transcript has been slightly edited for time and clarity.