“The world surrounding The Legend of the Five, it’s very much a magical world,” notes Lauren Esposito (The Conjuring 2, Love Child), the star of the newly released Aussie fantasy film.
“It’s very special,” she adds, “I don’t think it’s anything that anyone has really seen before in the cinema as well.”
The Legend of the Five follows five misfit teenagers on a school excursion who encounter an ancient relic that not only transports them to a magical world but reveals their hidden elemental powers and entrusts them to stop a centuries-old sorcerer from destroying their world.
Esposito plays Zoe Caldera, the new girl at school.
“From the start of the movie, she’s very much like a loner… She’s just moved from America to Australia and doesn’t even have any friends.
“I definitely was able to relate to her,” Esposito tells, recalling her own experience of moving from Adelaide to Melbourne at a similar age.
“I think what I really loved about the character was that she turned out to be very much a leader and she brought all these kids together, and they became such great friends.”
Coming from a background of acting in horror and drama, The Legend of the Five was a new and enjoyable experience for Esposito.
“It was a really cool experience to also get into a studio with a green screen and everything. Then seeing it afterwards, all of the CGI and stuff, was really cool because onset you obviously can’t see that stuff,” she says.
The Legend of the Five is the directorial film debut for Joanne Samuel (Mad Max), who encapsulated the landscapes of Australia and told a familiar yet unique narrative.
“She’s very much like an actor’s director,” Esposito praises. “She really put in the effort with us and made sure that we were doing okay and we knew what we were doing. And she gave us a lot of creative direction too, which was really great. And a lot of creative freedom as well.”
While The Legend of the Five is a fantasy flick with magic and mystical creatures, Esposito notes that young audiences will be able to relate to its characters.
“It’s a lot about finding yourself as well, especially as a young teenager. And I think a lot of kids go through the same struggles as what these kids go through. So I think it’s very relatable for a lot of kids around the world.”
The Legend of the Five is out now in selected cinemas. For more details, head to FilmInk.