After a successful five years playing Lieutenant Starbuck in the popular sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica, the idea of space and science together is second nature to Katee Sackhoff. This year, she is using that experience to shape a new character, Makenzie ‘Mack’ Wilson in the future space thriller ‘2036 Origin Unknown’.
As well as her time on Battlestar Galactica, she also has credits from hit TV shows CSI, 24 and The Big Bang Theory. In this independent movie, she plays the lead character Mack Wilson, who is a glorified babysitter for the artificial intelligence, ARTi, which controls the Mars rover. Together they discover an origin unknown and are tasked with figuring out what it could be. Whoever works it out first gets to keep their job, pitting humanity against technology.
“It’s sort of an interesting metaphor on humanities fears of becoming obsolete, with technology and machines and artificial intelligence, and questioning what makes them human.” Sackhoff is aware that this fear is something which many of us have, and she believes that her character in that way is very relatable.
Origin Unknown is set to be another small screen success for Sackhoff, who says that although the idea behind the movie is nothing new, the film is still exciting and fresh in her eyes: “There’s always similarities in science fiction. Trying to do something new and ground-breaking is something that we all strive for in the genre constantly. However, the characters are all different and that’s the most fun for me, to try and play different people. That’s always been my draw from the very beginning.”
Despite the substantial number of blockbuster movies being produced each year, Sackhoff understands the appeal of these smaller, independent films: “Doing indie movies, they’re all a labour of love. They are a lot of times made with bubblegum and duct tape. You do get to be more involved, there are less cooks in the kitchen so to speak.”
With DVD sales on the decline and the rise of streaming services like Netflix and NowTV, it is a tough market for independent movie makers. However, Sackhoff is clear on who their target audience is: “We’re going for an audience that likes smart science fiction. There are so many movies in the cinema right now that are just as big as you could possibly imagine. I will never grow tired of Marvel movies, I love them just as the next person. However, there are moments for a calmer, more thought-provoking movie.”
Director Hasraf Dulull said: “Working with Katee on 2036 Origin Unknown was a dream come true, not only was I a fan of her work, but she turned out to be one of the best collaborators on the project, she really sunk her soul and passion into the character of Mack and we spent months of prep before the shoot and her input throughout really helped shape the character you see on the screen.”
The movie also features Kilmarnock born Steven Cree (Outlander) as the voice of ARTi. ‘2036 Origin Unknown’ is available on DVD now.
