The comparisons to ''Wolf Creek'' are inevitable, and whilst some actors – not to mention filmmakers - may be concerned that their film treads similar territory to another, highly-successful film, ''Gone'' star Shaun Evans thinks it’ll only work in his film’s favour.
“I’m ashamed to say I haven’t seen Wolf Creek, but I hear its bloody great. I suppose it’s a pity that it came out twelve months before us and bet us to the punch but I think it can only help our film if they’re at all similar”, the British actor says. “But everyday you hear about tourists disappearing or coming into danger, so it’s simply an intriguing tale on its own. It doesn’t have to be another Wolf Creek, it can just be another terrifying tale of taunted tourists in the outback”.

The outback the 27-year-old actor is referring to is the Australian outback – hence the ''Wolf Creek'' comparisons – and whilst some actors may have dreaded the thought of sleeping under the stars, going to bed with blowflies and getting grubby, relished the experience. “It was bloody brilliant. I loved it. We filmed it in Sydney and Byron Bay but more so Winton. It was difficult because I was away from my family for three months on the other side of the world, but it was so rewarding. What I loved was meeting the aboriginals – I’m intrigued by their almost, er, supernatural ways. That was cool, to go from such harsh conditions to meeting people that believed in the supernatural. Two totally different worlds. It was just brilliant”.

Gone, the story of a young British couple travelling through the Australian outback who become involved with a mysterious and charismatic American whose motive for imposing his friendship upon them becomes increasingly suspect and sinister, features American actor Scott Mechlowicz as the villain, the psychotic Taylor. Unlike a lot of method actors, his co-star says the actor was able to switch on and off rather remarkably.

“He was so nice. A great actor. I know a lot of actors work in a different way, but he simply switched off at the end of the shoot. Or whatever scene he was doing that day. He was just the nicest guy.”

Seems Evans doesn’t have a bad word to say against anyone on the film, least of which is first-time director Ringan Ledwidge

“He did a great job on it, but you know what? I kinda knew he would. It was one of those things that even turned out better than I ever imagined it would. He brought so much to it – the research he did; you should have seen the photographs he collected! – that I just knew he would [do a good job].”

Evans, who doesn’t think there will be a ''Gone 2'' (for obvious reasons; see the movie), says he hopes to work with Ledwidge again.

“Ringan’s got a thriving commercial (as in advertisements) career, but he’s definitely got a lot of great ideas about what he’s going to do next. Hopefully we can work together soon. We both have a couple of projects in mind.”

Though ''Gone'' has yet to be released in the states (“I don’t understand the whole publicity and marketing thing mate”, notes Evans “But I hope it eventually comes out there and does really well and we all get caught up in that”), Evans has already snagged a job as a result of his new ‘show reel’.

“I’m going to do this thing in Hawaii. It’s me and Q'Orianka Kilcher from the New World. But I can’t say too much about that one at the moment”, Evans says, “The one I can tell you about is Sparkle. It’s a good film. Its one we did back home. Four years ago everyone involved got together and improvised the whole script – came up with the story, came up with the concept, came up with the characters – and then three or four years later we finally got the financing. We shot it last year. It’s just been released back home. It stars myself, Bob Hoskins and an American actress named Stockard Channing. And after that I shot a movie in Manchester called Boy A, which I hope will get a theatrical release too.”

Evans is obviously very passionate about the British Film Industry but after spending some time down under, he’s got a fondness for the Aussie Film industry too.

“Your industry is really thriving at the moment. Such great filmmakers there. Such great actors – Joel Edgerton, Cate Blanchett and people like that; there’s a whole host of them.”

- CLINT MORRIS

GONE is now on DVD