Exclusive Interview: Writer/Director Nicholas Gyeney Discusses His New Film Matt's Chance

Matt's Chance (read review) is now available for your viewing pleasure and stars Edward Furlong--who is best known for his roles in the Terminator movies. We recently had the chance to chat with Nicholas Gyeney (director, writer, actor) for Matt's Chance to give fans a little more insight into the film. Read on to learn more.



AMANDA DYAR: Matt's Chance has plenty of dark humor and tells a tale unlike many other movies in the film industry. What were some of your inspirations for writing the film and developing some of the memorable characters from the film?

Nicholas Gyeney on set of Matt's Chance

NICHOLAS GYENEY: Believe it or not, the inspiration begins with a true story. A friend in Seattle had a similar experience, at least initially. His name is Matt, and one night he walked in on his fiancée in bed with another man… From there, my twisted imagination slowly took over. I knew early on that I wanted Matt to encounter “wise men” characters that, while crazy in their own regard, would force Matt to see things from another perspective. Then it was really just a matter of coming up with the character that best served the story. A writing partner is vital for any filmmaker to make something memorable, and I couldn’t have come up with any of it without the help of Edi Zanidache, who also plays Daddy Dave in the film.

Edward Furlong in Matt's Chance

AMANDA: Edward Furlong stars in Matt's Chance as the title character. What was the process like that allowed you to nab this actor as the star of your film?

NICHOLAS: It was easier than one might think. I knew I wanted to cast someone who had peaked earlier in his career. In fact, we did that with the entire cast to echo the theme of second chances. Once Eddie read the script (after submitting to his agent through the traditional means), he called me and was very excited to come on board.

AMANDA: You played many roles during the production of Matt's Chance including writer, director and actor. What advantages does both acting and directing in the same film give you while creating a new movie?

NICHOLAS: Well, I would hardly call my role “acting”. It was just a fun cameo, but I certainly would love to play larger roles in future films. When you have a great crew that you trust, it makes stepping in front of the camera much easier. I wouldn’t necessarily say there are any advantages to acting in a film you’re directing. Though, putting yourself in an actor’s shoes will always help the director better understand their actors.

AMANDA: Matt's Chance is a film with a good message behind it and plenty of good people working together to make the film work. What do you hope will be the lasting impact of Matt's Chance on the careers of the people that worked on the film and on the film industry in general?

NICHOLAS: In a perfect world, people will discover this little movie and offer us work on other movies. Each film you make is a resume of sorts. While we hope we made a film that entertains the audience, we also hope some industry professionals might find it worthwhile to bring us onto projects they are developing.

To learn more, visit the official Matt’s Chance website.