Levi Miller Takes Us Into the Trenches of His New Film, 'Before Dawn'

Before Gone was inspired by real-life diaries of these soldiers from World War I. How much does bringing awareness to these otherwise under-told, unsold stories play a role in you wanting to be a part of this project? What was it about this character and script that resonated with you? Yeah, absolutely. So I received the script a few years before shooting, and along with the script, Jordan provided, the director provided, some diary entries that inspired the story as well. So that was a big part of it for me, because I like the prep process a lot. Obviously, shooting is a brilliant experience, but the preparation, being as ready as possible, was a big part of it. And those diary entries were, yeah, enlightening. Working on a production like this, is there a different sense of pressure slash responsibility to tell these stories? I wouldn't say... I guess I would say different. There's no level to the pressure of it, but there's definitely a level for everything to portray that authenticity and let the audience in and let the audience... try and let the audience experience it as much as possible. And that's sort of where my head's at. For most productions as well, that's pretty much for everything. But it's especially... what would it be? It's especially gritty in this case, because there's the mod and the horrors of war and everything like that. Yeah. You did such a fantastic job bringing your character's coming-of-age journey and life and the intricacies of what it means to be a soldier on the field and how every decision is life or death. Can you talk a little bit about how you created that space for yourself to dive into the vulnerability and strength of this character and how you found your way in? Irene sort of echoed the headspace aspect of it, so I was ready for it. And then everything else was very environmental. Like the trenches, they were actually these... hundreds of meters were built of these muddy trenches that really, as soon as you stepped foot in them, you're just immersed instantly. And along with that, the uniforms, the heavy weaponry, the way to hold your rifle, everything just like compounding and compounding. And also, I'd say looking back on it, the camaraderie I built with my mates. Some mates I already had and the mates that I made throughout production. Everything sort of combined. It's going to be the best. Yeah. As soon as possible. Perfect segue to this next question. But you can feel the immense brotherhood that's formed between all of the soldiers. How were you able to build that bond with the rest of the cast? Do you have a favorite behind-the-scenes moment? I'd say that there's a lot of really great... I mean, everything great is also filled with the precursors to it, where it's like we're freezing cold and everything like that. So the moment that I remember as key was a night shoot we were doing and it had rained during the day and then we started shooting at night. And so the cold wet was still lingering in the air. And then we had a break while they were moving camera and went over, because they used to build these fire pits to keep everyone warm, because obviously electricity bringing out to this middle of nowhere is pretty much impossible, especially driving trucks with generators through the mud. It's just too crazy. So we'd stand by the fire and just put our... We had mitts on and have it like that, just warming and talking with the other boys. And yeah, that's a key thing in my head, for sure. It's just those little moments. Obviously on set, there's stuff that I remember, but it's a little snippet in between of real human talking and connection and stuff that I love. And the scale on which this film was created, like you were saying, is so immersive. Do you remember what it was like walking onto the set for the first time? Can you describe those emotions? And then what was it like sitting on the big screen for the first time? Absolutely. So the first time I went on set, we're having a little rehearsal day before shooting. And it was just the key principal cast and the director. And we were just wandering through this huge trench that seemed never ending. I didn't step foot in every corner of it. I think I would have been up there as the closest to step foot, but I did not. I mean, it was just incredible. It was an overcast day as well. It was afternoon overcast, a little bit of a sprinkle of rain, and we were hiding under the tin, little overhead roof things. And yeah, that sticks out for me. And then seeing it on screen, it really did translate. You can feel it through the screen. You can see the faces of the great background cast that were also in it with us as well. And the uniforms all muddied up, and you're like, that's authentic. You didn't have to fake it. Like on sets, you often, you're sprayed down with something. But no, everything is real mud. Yeah, you thought that as well. There's moments where I'd wipe my face after a scene just because I had so much mud in my eyes, and they're like, OK, we're going to move on to the next bit. You had mud on your face, so I'd just pick up the mud and put it straight back on. It was that kind of vibe, which is good. Feel everything that those soldiers went through, through everybody's performance. And you know, Jordan co-wrote and directed this project. How different is that filming experience when the person who's helped create the screenplay is also at the helm directing? What was that collaboration like? Jordan was great. Obviously, Jordan was the first person I'd met and talked to the project with, he was the one that provided the diaries for me to read. And when I first met him, he was talking about them building, they hadn't built them yet, obviously, but the plans to build them. That's what really, like the diaries and that are what really sold me on, you know, working on the film, working with him. And he certainly delivered on that front. And I think everyone's very grateful for both his work and, you know, the people out there on digging them and putting all the hard work in. They really did a phenomenal job. Yeah. And before Dawn is hitting theaters and available digitally in the States on the 19th, what do you hope audiences take away after they see this? And what scene are you most excited for them to see? I'd say, I hope to take away is two things is the broad scale, like the horror of, you know, the war itself, you know, the, the constant ringing of shells and bullets and like the mud, like you can't see, you know, our feet that you think about the soldiers back then and the trench foot, that was like a major, major illness that people would have. Sickness. It's like just the broad and also the micro horrors of it. And also the camaraderie of the boys that they'd built like throughout the war and the, you know, remembering their family and like seeing the real human side of it that yeah, can often be overlooked. You don't often see that in films like this and you've worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a creative and a storyteller? Yeah, it's, I honestly, I like both equally in the, in a broad way, but they both have their individual quirks and interesting parts that for this film, especially the, I don't know what you call the kind of cowboy shooting of where there's a lot of freedom to sort of move around and like blocking, you can really experiment and stuff, especially because they built the trenches. Like it gives a lot of room for different movement and, you know, changes on the day in the moment. That's, that's yeah, a big privilege from small productions. I feel like you're one of the most exciting actors in the industry right now. And I feel like every actor takes something away from the projects that they've worked on. What did you learn about your own craft being a part of this film? I'd say how physically pushed I can be, which is kind of a weird thing that I'd not really experienced before, but yeah, I mean, I didn't think I'd be like what, torso deep in mud for several hours a day and I'd just come home, shower and then be like, yep, next morning, do the same thing. Obviously it's not remotely comparable to what the real young men went through, but for me, at least that was, yeah, that was pretty eyeopening. Got to experience it for a couple of weeks. One final question for you, 2024 is shaping up to be such a big year for you outside of Before Dawn. You're also going to be starring in the upcoming Crave and the Hunters. Is there anything that you can tease about that project? What is it like for you to join the MCU? I wish I could, I wish I could. I mean, it was, it was pretty soon after I shot Before Dawn. And as we were talking about, you know, the big scale productions versus more independent is like, it's totally different, but obviously equally as enjoyable. And it was a great shoot. I mean, working with Russell was phenomenal. I've been privileged to work with a lot of iconic and talented Australian actors and yeah, he ranks up there as well. Just an awesome dude.