A funeral is what pulls the family together in the first scene where we see Nani, played by the New Zealand-Samoan actress Frankie Adams, as she hugs her long lost cousin, Jonny Hale, played by Jason Momoa, on the beach.
The moment is one of many in “The Wrecking Crew,” a movie filmed partly in Hawai’i that is set to stream globally on Amazon Prime Video at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27. The fast-paced action comedy features the estranged brothers, Jonny (Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista), who reunite when their father dies. In trying to figure out what happened, the brothers discover a conspiracy that can tear their family apart.
“The Wrecking Crew,” is based in Hawai’i but shot mostly in New Zealand. Filming included 12 days in Hawaiʻi and 43 days in New Zealand, Angela Laprete, the Hawaiʻi producer for “The Wrecking Crew," told Aloha State Daily earlier this month. She is part of the newly formed Hawai’i Film Alliance, which launched in July and is advocating for tax incentives that could bring more movies and televisions shows to Hawai’i.
When asked what sets the movie apart from other action films, Adams shared location was part of the charm.
“I think the fact that it's based in Hawai’i, and it's not a touristy glimpse of the island, which I think is really important,” she said. “You see real people. You see real family dynamics, and you get to see a bit of the underground world there, which I think is unique to anything else that anyone's seen.”
Adams plays the strong and sassy cousin of the brothers.
“She is the younger cousin of Jonny and James, and she's just there to call them on their crap,” Adams said. “Nothing gets past her. And she's very honest. Very sassy and smart. All the things that I love in women, personally.”
Adams remembers her first meeting with Momoa.
“Gosh, he's so full of energy,” she said. “He's so fun. He came bounding in the room, came straight up to me and was like: ‘Hi, I’m Jason. You're playing Nani. I love the character.’ We got straight into it. It was so fun. He had his guitar on set.”
Temuera Morrison (“Chief of War,” “Moana 2,” “Aquaman,” “Star Wars,” “Once Were Warriors,” etc.) also had a guitar, she said.
“In between takes, we'd be listening to music and singing, and they'd be playing the instruments,” she said. “I love music. I think it really brought the energy up on set.”
While filming in Hawai’i, Adams also enjoyed the ABC Stores.
“I love that you can get anything — anything you want is in that store,” she said. “It's magic. And I wish it existed everywhere.”
Adams also got poke at Foodland.
“I actually, perhaps overdid it,” she said. “I think I overdosed on poke. I was eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
Adams laughed.
She will be back on screen in another production, Disney’s live action “Moana,” which was also partially filmed in Hawai’i.
“You must take tissues because the amount you cry — from joy and pride — is quite insane,” she said. “I really hope and I feel that people are going to feel really represented when they see that and feel a sense of home.”
“The Wrecking Crew” features Jacob Batalon, Miyavi, Stephen Root and Morena Baccarin, as well as Roimata Fox. It also features actors from Disney’s live action version of “Lilo & Stitch” (2025), including Maia Kealoha, who played Lilo in that film and is a daughter of one of the main characters in this one. David Hekili Kenui Bell also appears in the movie. Watch the movie on Amazon Prime Video. It is set to release at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
