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Action Hero Scott Adkins Reveals Ron Burgundy is The Secret Inspiration For His Max Cloud Performance

Action icon Scott Adkins sat down with The Illuminerdi to talk about his new film, Max Cloud, and reveals the hidden inspiration behind the lead character.
Max Cloud Scott Adkins Ron Burgundy

Action icon Scott Adkins sat down with The Illuminerdi’s Braxter Timberlake to talk about his new film, Max Cloud, and reveals the hidden inspiration behind the lead character.

Max Cloud follows the adventures of a teenager who is magically trapped inside of her favorite video game. The teen finds herself in the body of an avatar in the game and she must assist Cloud, played by Scott Adkins, save the galaxy while also finding a way out of the game herself.

Fans might know the martial artist and action movie star from the Undisputed franchise, Doctor Strange, and The Expendables 2, among other places in the actor’s prolific career. Now Scott Adkins’ latest project, Max Cloud, places the icon in a brand new genre and environment as a legendary space ranger, who has know idea that he’s a character in a video game.

Scott Adkins Reveals The Inspiration Behind His Max Cloud Performance

Recently, I got the opportunity to sit down with Scott Adkins and talk all about his upcoming space adventure, Max Cloud. He compared his experience on this film with other projects, revealed that the middle action sequence in Max Cloud is his favorite, and talked about what went into creating this specific character.

Max Cloud is intended as throwback film that celebrates the naivete of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, while highlighting the camp found in past video game and sci-fi film franchises. In our interview I mentioned that the movie’s vibe and lead character seems infused with the pulp sensibilities of a Flash Gordon. Scott Adkins liked the comparison, however admitted that he was inspired by a different muse:

“Flash Gordon…that’s interesting. The inspiration actually came from a less likely source. I really tried to pattern Max after Ron Burgundy. I love Will Ferrell.”

Anchorman Ron Burgundy Will Ferrell Scott Adkins Max Cloud inspiration

It’s hard to argue that it wouldn’t be interesting to watch a movie about Anchorman’s Ron Burgundy in space. In many ways, that is the experience that you get from Max Cloud.

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Scott Adkins’ performance of Max Cloud brings to mind heroes that you usually only meet in an arcade. The film’s action and side-scrolling motif allows the actor to show off his martial arts prowess in inventive ways, that you only see in video games. However, the actor’s insight into his performance of the character actually sheds new light on the project.

Max Cloud Scott Adkins

Max Cloud has no idea that he is in a video game. Yet, he carries himself with that same misguided self-assuredness that Ron Burgundy is known for while he’s reading a misleading teleprompter. In addition, we even got to see Burgundy let loose in a street fight in the finale of Anchorman 2, so the similarities are truly there. That blend of spontaneous action matched with a loveably clueless character is indeed what adds to Scott Adkins’ performance and the film at large.

Max Cloud Full Official Synopsis

Max Cloud Scott Adkins

1990. Brooklyn. Teenager Sarah loves playing video games with her best friend Cowboy. One evening after an argument with her father Tony, Sarah finds herself magically propelled into her favorite game, The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud.

Embodying the useless character of Jake (the chef), Sarah finds herself immersed in Max Cloud’s world and smack-bang in the middle of a galactic crisis. The ship has crash-landed on the planet of Heinous, a prison for the galaxy’s most evil and dangerous criminals and ruled by the utterly bizarre Revengor and the evil sorceress Shee.

With no pause and only one life, (and sub-average gamer) Cowboy must control Sarah through a wacky, zany adventure as they help Max and his team face Revengor, Shee, and an army of space ninjas in order to escape the planet before the two suns burn them to a crisp! Expect nostalgia and be ready for action, but nothing can truly prepare you for MAX CLOUD.

Control  yourself…Scott Adkins’ retro gamer action flick Max Cloud will be available on digital platforms on December 18!

What do you think of Scott Adkins’ comparison of Max Cloud and Ron Burgundy? Do you see it? Are you excited to check out Max Cloud? Let us know in the comment section below or let’s kick around theories over on Twitter!

KEEP READING: MAX CLOUD: SCOTT ADKINS LEVELS UP IN NEW TRAILER FOR UPCOMING VIDEO GAME MOVIE

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Braxter Timberlake

Braxter Timberlake

Braxter Timberlake was born in New York and raised in California. He’s a graduate of UC Berkeley and the School of Hard Knocks and is always in search of the next adventure. The daring writer and editor of The Illuminerdi is also a veteran of film and television production, with an unquenchable thirst for stories, whether on the comic page, video game console, or small, medium, or the big screen. After years of expeditions in search of K’un-Lun and Wakanda, he now spends his time investigating all things geek and shares his spoilery findings with anyone with open ears. Aside from on the internet, he can be found on the basketball court, hiking with his dog, or at a screening near you.