April 27th, 2018
We’re very excited to announce the newest addition to the Black Eagle Universe’s growing pantheon of villains – call signs Trumbo and Ireland, played by Tori Domay and Alyssa Klingbyle, respectively, in BLACK EAGLE FOUR.
“It was incredibly important in this project to create a very physical threat to Viper and his team,” says screenwriter Daniel Stefanovich. “In BLACK EAGLE: PHANTASM, we had a very sinister, but mostly intellectual villain, who was more concerned with power struggles and mind games. When I began writing BLACK EAGLE FOUR, I started at the villains – what sort of characters can I create that will challenge Viper in honest-to-goodness combat?” Enter Trumbo and Ireland, a tandem of unhinged and volatile soldiers whose violent ambitions work in direct opposition of Viper and Phoenix Four.
“I started by trying to find a direct rival and foil for Viper, which was Trumbo. Trumbo is someone who is just as powerful and dangerous as Viper, but maybe made a couple different, more drastic decisions in his military career.” For Trumbo, the casting decision was a no brainer. Daniel reached out to one of his best friends, Tori Domay, to play the part. “He has a reputation for having a certain ironic bravado to him which I think we all agree was a perfect fit.”
The character of Ireland didn’t materialize until the middle of the first draft when Stefanovich found himself at a standstill half way through the script. “I had our four incredibly fleshed out heroes going after one very single-dimensional villain with no one around him. That’s when I started to think about not only the foil for Viper, but foils for all of the good guys. Shorty is incredibly important to Viper and his team, so what about Trumbo’s version of Shorty?” That would be Ireland.
The casting of Ireland wouldn’t be as simple as Trumbo’s – an ironic bravado wouldn’t be enough. Instead, the crew needed to find someone even more imposing than Trumbo: they had to find someone who even Trumbo would be afraid of. “Ireland is Trumbo’s muscle, and Trumbo is a competent guy. How skilled does Ireland have to be for Trumbo to have appointed her to be his personal bodyguard? We had to find someone who would encompass that kind of danger.” That’s where Alyssa Klingbyle comes in. Showing interest in the project after a conversation with director Kelly Stefanovich, both Alyssa and Kelly began to talk more and more about how they envisioned the character of Ireland. Turned out, they had the same ideas.
“The more Alyssa and I talked, the more in sync we realized we were about it,” Kelly admits. “I floated the idea by Dan, and he saw it right away. Ireland is so out of character for Alyssa. She is absolutely the sweetest person you’ll ever meet, but when those cameras turn on though – watch out. Something in her just clicks, and it’s brilliant to watch. She owns every scene she’s in.” That’s something the entire cast and crew can agree on.
As for Trumbo’s and Ireland’s true identities and motives for taking on Viper and his team? Kelly says that’s best left until the film’s release in December this year.
“Dan wrote a powerful introduction for these characters, and the first time they show up on screen is a real treat. Both Tori and Alyssa are remarkable. They exceeded all of our expectations. We can’t wait for you to see.”
You can see both Tori Domay’s and Alyssa Klingbyle’s Black Eagle debut this December as Trumbo and Ireland take on Viper, Shorty, and the rest of the Phoenix Initiative this December in BLACK EAGLE FOUR.
Tori Domay watches Alyssa Klingbyle’s performance
on the set of BLACK EAGLE FOUR.
