Q&A with the Cast and Crew of Sundance's "Fing!"

This week, Australian/British feature film, Fing! premiered in Park City Utah for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Appearing in the Family Matinee category, this David Walliams adaptation is a colorful, ridiculous, cartoony romp sure to entertain the whole family. We here at Cinemasters were lucky to interview the cast and crew of Fing! on the red carpet at the Eccles Theater; featuring input from actors, Iona Bell, Mia Wasikowska and Taika Waititi!

Left to right: director, Jeffrey Walker, actors, Skye Fellman, Yasmin Kassim, Taika Waititi, Iona Bell, Mia Wasikowska, Blake Harrison and writer, Kevin Cecil. Photo by Charles Sykes - Invision

Rua: "Hello everybody thank you for tuning into Cinemasters.net today. First I am here with the screenwriter of Fing! Mr. Kevin Cecil. Now, I'd love to ask, as someone who grew up reading David Walliams children's books, what drew you to this story in particular?"

Cecil: "Well, I read it and it just seemed like a really unusual, fun story, just a really interesting metaphor for growing up. As a parent, I really was attracted to the parents in the story and the question of how to cope with your children. I also loved the fact that our protagonist, Myrtle was just so fierce and had so much energy."

Rua: "She's almost like a Veruca Salt-type."

Cecil: "Yes, I think she's more of a modern version of her and I felt like that would be an exciting thing to make not only for kids but for the parents, we want everyone to enjoy it!"

Rua: "I'm sure they will! Next I have a question for actress, Mia Wasikowska. It's so amazing to be speaking with you today, I grew up watching you as Tim Burton's Alice so my inner child is freaking out right now."

Wasikowska: "Aw, thanks!"

Rua: "Of course! Now, your career although far from over, has largely been saturated with fantasy roles..."

Wasikowska: "Yeah, it has."

Rua: "I mean you have worked with some truly visionary directors like Tim Burton and Guillermo Del Toro, you've really had a career for the books. Why do you think your career ended up taking such a turn towards the fantasy genre?"

Wasikowska: "I'm not sure. It's a combination of what you get offered and what you respond to so I guess it was due to a mutual admiration."

Rua: "And what do you hope audiences get out of Fing!?"

Wasikowska: "I hope they enjoy it, I think it's such a beautiful metaphor for accepting the parts of ourself that we don't like or try to hide away. I think there's a really sweet message and also it's just really funny!"

Left to right: Blake Harrison, Iona Bell, Mia Wasikowska

Rua: "Okay, so now I'm here with actress, Yasmin Kassim! It's no secret this year that Australia has had quite the presence at Sundance with films like Saccharine, Leviticus, and Fing!-"

Kassim: "-Oh my god how amazing is Saccharine?!"

Rua: "Oh I loved it! It's the kind of film I don't want to hear a man's opinion on unless it's glowingly positive."

Kassim: "You get it."

Rua: "But yeah, it's been a huge year for Australia so I was wondering as an Australian actress, what do you hope to see out of Australian film in the near future?"

Kassim: "Well I have my own films that I've written that are going into production. I have an upcoming film called Prawn Curry Christmas that I wrote and I'm co-starring in. We're hoping to be the first South Asian-Australian Christmas movie!"

Rua: "Amazing, congratulation!"

Kassim: "Thank you! That's going into production this year, Overall, I just hope to see everyone telling really good stories, putting diverse stories at the forefront that make people feel seen and accepted. Those are really important and that's what I hope to bring to the screen."

Rua: "That's incredible! I can't wait to see it!

Kassim: "Thank you!"

Taika Waititi as The Viscount

Rua: "Next up we have Mr. Blake Harrison! Now, as a Brit, I was wondering how you feel about being in a film adaptation by one of the UK's most revered children's authors?"

Harrison: "It's great! I mean, the book has a lot of differences to the film, I think our writer, Kevin Cecil adapted it really, really well for movie audiences. Then Jeffrey Walker became attached who I think is just an outstanding director. Every aspect of the movie just seems to get better and better, it was such a privilege to be involved. And then on top of that you've got Taika, Mia, and Iona Bell, who's such an incredible young actor, she's gonna be such a star! I'm so pleased that now people get to watch this film, I think people will leave feeling joyful and uplifted."

Rua: "Well, we definitely need more of that these days."

Harrison: "I think we're in a time and place where joyful movies will be a nice thing, for sure."

Rua: "Thank you so much for talking with me today. Now we are onto the villain of Fing!, the incomparable Mr. Taika Waititi. I have been a fan of your work for the past decade, you are such an inspiration. Thank you for talking with me today."

Waititi: "Cheers!"

Rua: "I'd love to get your perspective. In the little time I have been here at Sundance, it's clear that this is a champion festival for indigenous voices and art. As one of the few indigenous people to win an Academy Award, can you speak as to what you hope to see in the near future from indigenous artists and foundations who support them?"

Waititi: "Well, my main thing is that we just need to have an opportunity to speak. The opportunity to tell our own stories in our own way is a win. Sundance has managed to provide that platform over the years and has been incredibly supportive. I've been really lucky and privileged to be in the Sundance Native Program since 2002. So yeah, I think just providing opportunities for people to tell their stories is the most important thing."

Rua: "I couldn't agree more, thank you for your point of view! Next I am here with director, Jeffrey Walker. Now, like Mia Wasikowska, your career has been largely involved in the fantasy genre but they have become hard to come by nowadays. Do you think there's still a place for fantasy movies in the current film climate?"

Walker: "I have no idea! Growing up, the films I used to watch were like Labyrinth, The Goonies, The Dark Crystal, The NeverEnding Story, which were really beautiful, live-action, character-based films and I've made two of those now, I didn't think I'd ever be able to do that! When I make them I probably make them a little bit nostalgically because they do slightly belong in another era."

Rua: "I mean who doesn't love Jim Henson? His work will always be timeless. Now, I've always had an affinity for Australian film, my childhood hero growing up was Baz Luhrmann-"

Walker: "-he can still be your hero, as a grown-up."

Rua: "Oh he absolutely is! As a prolific Australian director, I was wondering what you hope to see from the Austrlian film industry in the next few years?"

Walker: "You see, we're in a funny spot in Australia because there's Baz Luhrmann and George Miller and these directors who make these ginormous films. But then there's a tier of filmmakers who work independently and are trying to project a new voice, I think I'm part of that crop that's fortunate enough to have their films made in Australia but shown around the world, and that's all we can hope for."

Rua: "Last but not least, we have the star of Fing! fourteen year old up-and-comer, Iona Bell. Now, Iona you have had such an eventful past year, being not only in this film but also shooting the upcoming Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. A lot of big, amazing things are happening for you so I just want to ask: where do you hope to be career-wise. in ten years?"

Bell: "What's really important to me is that I only do roles that I'm comfortable with and that I connect with. So if I don't connect with a certain role, I don't want to do it, if there's another person who fits that part better I want them to do justice to that role. So I guess in ten years I want to be able to look at my CV and think 'I'm really really happy with it and grateful.'"

Rua: "So what exactly connected you to the role of Myrtle in Fing!?"

Bell: "Ooh, what connected me with Myrtle...my mum and dad like saying I'm a brat but I'm not - I promise! I tend to sometimes put up a wall and not express my feelings so I guess I connected with her on that."

Rua: "Well congratulations on this film I know you're going to do great things!"

Bell: "Thank you!"

Photo by Charles Sykes - Invision

It was a unique pleasure getting to talk with the cast and crew of Fing! this week at Sundance. As of now the movie does not have a set wide release date but when it comes out, make sure to bring the kids to your local theater for some good ol' family fun!