Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Project Ithaca’s James Gallanders

Project Ithaca is a thrilling, must-see new sci-fi film that centers around a group of strangers who awaken aboard an alien spaceship. The stakes are high. If they work together, they can find a way home. If they remain divided, they’ll die. Pop Culturalist spoke with James Gallanders, who leads the extraordinary cast, about the film.

PC: Tell us about Project Ithaca and your character in the film.
James: In a nutshell, Project Ithaca is about six strangers who wake up aboard an alien spacecraft. They have to cope with their current situation, confront their past, and find their way home.

Aside from being a fan of the genre, Anthony Artibello wrote a character with so much depth. My character, John, is old school; he’s a man of integrity and principle. He’s a wounded man. He’s a tortured soul because he’s suffered terrible loss in his life, and for that, he carries a tremendous amount of guilt. 



Later in his life, he develops a bond with a young girl that he sees as his daughter. He wants more than anything to protect her, and in some ways, find redemption. From my perspective, the film is a love story between a father and a daughter once you pare down all the other elements.

The moment that I read the script, I said to myself, “Man, I want to play this role.” Then, of course, I was really excited that I got the chance to!

PC: How did you prepare to jump into John’s shoes?
James: It was multi-layered; there were so many things to explore. Of course, we have all the Roswell stuff—there’s an endless amount of information that you can find on the internet about that incident. Without giving too much away, I wanted to immerse myself in the time period that my character is from. He’s a man who’s lived through two world wars. He’s seen things and also has his own personal traumas. I surrounded myself with music from that time to help.

Then, there’s all the emotional prep that I had to do, because I was playing someone who is a tortured soul. As an actor, you have to allow yourself to go to these horrible places. While we were filming, I found that the solitude that I found myself in really helped me resonate with my character because I didn’t have a chance to come home to see my wife and two kids.

I lived a very John-like existence. He’s a very solitary kind of person, and so was I. I went to work and I came home.

PC: For a good portion of the film, you’re bound to this alien spacecraft and have limited mobility. How challenging was that for you as an actor?
James: That’s a great question. It’s actually one of the first things that I identified with once I read the script. I was like, “What a challenge for these six actors.” You’re essentially tied to a chair for the entire film, and there’s nowhere to hide. You can’t hide behind a gesture or walk across the room. If you want to keep the ball alive, you have to rely on having a vibrant inner life and a backstory that’s strong and solid, otherwise you’re just a bunch of talking heads. [laughs] That was a really, really interesting challenge.

We were on the ship for two weeks, and then off while filming the other scenes. In a sense, I still felt as though my character was bound by his duty, by the trauma of his past, even when I wasn’t actually tied up. Everyone really stepped up and did a great job.

PC: Like you said earlier, the plot centers around these six strangers, but we have John and Sera who have a past. Was building that dynamic different?
James: That was interesting! Sera is played by two different actresses, and those dynamics were very different. With young Sera, you see the heartfelt connection, that paternal love. We’re both coming from a place of loss. We’re both very solitary, and under these extraordinary circumstances, we find each other. It was really easy working with Taylor; she was so present and there. You could just look into her eyes and feel her when she says, “I don’t want you to go.” With older Sera, she’s on the ship and is either incoherent or unable to communicate. My character is trying to pull things out of her and remind her of the history that they have.

PC: The film comes out on June 7th, and there’s a lot of buzz surrounding it. What do you hope audiences take away after seeing it?
James: I hope they walk away thrilled and excited by all the sci-fi elements, and I hope they’re still trying to wrap their heads around what exactly just happened. I think more importantly, in the days and weeks afterward, I hope that these characters continue to resonate with them. I hope they wonder what happens next. Some of the questions I’ve been asked by people who’ve already seen the film are: What the heck happens next? Where are we at the end of the film? More importantly, when are we at the end of the film?

Depending on where and when we are, there’s the possibility for a potential paradox. I would love to explore that. This film is intended to be the first in a trilogy, so if there’s enough interest, we’ll be able to continue to explore these characters.

To keep up with James, follow him on Instagram, and catch Project Ithaca in theaters and on VOD on June 7.