By Paul Salfen, Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine
LOS ANGELES — Just two weeks after its Digital and VOD debut on March 17, 2026, Cineverse’s DRAGN is already buzzing as one of the year’s most fun, campy takes on AI gone wrong. Directed by Peter Webber (Hannibal Rising), the film follows a group of co-workers on a routine corporate team-building retreat that spirals into terror when a rogue AI-driven drone begins picking them off one by one. James Paxton stars as Tom Wilson, the eager-to-please American thrust into the nightmare.
Paxton, son of the late legendary actor and filmmaker Bill Paxton, sat down with AMFM Magazine for an exclusive chat about the fast-and-furious production, the real-life parallels to his character, and why stepping onto any film set still feels like coming home to his dad.
“It Was a Total Adventure” — And It Mirrored His Character Perfectly
Cast just five weeks before cameras rolled after another actor dropped out due to a scheduling conflict, Paxton literally hit the ground running. “My real life experiences… going out to Serbia to a place I’d never been to before and kind of trying to play catch up on learn this part… really mirrored my actual character, Tom Wilson, in the film,” he laughs. “He’s kind of this eager-to-please, sort of hapless American in this foreign place with an international cast.”
Shot mostly on location in the Serbian wilderness with practical effects and a shoestring budget, the production had a “can-do attitude” that Paxton loved. “There’s such a can-do attitude behind this film, which was made for very little money, and mostly practical effects. And out in the Serbian wilderness. So it was a total adventure and so much fun to make.”
He describes the set as feeling like “sleepaway camp with all these really close friends, because we bonded really fast.” Group scenes were pure joy. “We did a lot of riffing… the producers gave us so much free rein to add things like just dialog stuff and little jokes.” Evenings wrapped with cast dinners back at the hotel — “we would all have like bolognaise and stuff” — and Paxton made a point of learning a few Serbian words from the local crew. “They were just really, really cool.”
The AI Angle: Fun Horror with Real-World Bite
While DRAGN delivers 80s-style action-horror thrills, its rogue-drone premise hits close to today’s headlines. “I’m fascinated by the way that drones have completely changed warfare and the creeping machinization of everyday life,” Webber has said. “Machine logic is very clean, but the human consequences are muddy, panicked, bloody and violent.”
Paxton agrees the topic is timely. “As much as this movie has this AI component, it’s not like a real in-depth commentary… This is more about AI application in weapons… the horrifying potential consequences of that already real life. But in general, I think AI is very worrying… it’s moving a million miles a minute.”
Legacy, Gratitude, and Dad’s Advice
Acting has been in Paxton’s blood since childhood, when he’d take small roles “for fun, just to do something with my dad.” He seriously pursued the craft at 19 after studying broadcast journalism on the East Coast, eventually moving to LA and booking his first lead in an indie Blumhouse project. Bill Paxton was candid about the business: “He was like, man, dude, do something else. This is a tough business.” But once he saw his son was “hell bent,” he offered timeless guidance: “Take the work seriously, you don’t take yourself seriously.”
That philosophy still guides Paxton. “My favorite place in the entire world is on a film set,” he says softly. “I feel closest to my dad since he’s been gone when I’m on a film set… I just think of the immense gratitude that I have for it all.” In the toughest moments — physically drained or challenged — he reminds himself: “I’m so lucky right now to be here doing this. What a privilege this is. Like I get to play make believe for work.”
Advice for the Next Generation (and His Own Hail Mary Moments)
To aspiring actors, Paxton stresses persistence and perspective. “Persistence is everything… You should have something else that is uniquely like your own outlet and whatever that may be. Your hobby that is outside of this. You can’t tie too much of your self-worth into this because it’s a tough business.”
He encourages saying yes: “Don’t be afraid to do that student film if you’re starting out… Don’t be afraid to take risks and say yes to stuff.” Genre work? Absolutely — his dad never shied away from it, and neither does he.
Paxton has had his own “Hail Mary” moments, including pushing through a stomach bug to nail an audition for the USA Network limited series Eyewitness, which kicked his career into gear. Another big swing: producing and starring in the Western Last Train to Fortune, which he describes as “betting on myself” and will arrive next year. “I really want to be a consummate filmmaker, not just an actor.”
Stream It Now
DRAGN is available now on Digital and Video on Demand via Cineverse. Co-starring Lilly Krug (Plane), Carlos Bardem (Assassin’s Creed), Alice Pagani (Don’t Kill Me), Jadran Malkovich (The Ark), Franz Drameh (Legends of Tomorrow), and Alex Lane (A Very Secret Service), it’s the perfect mix of thrills, practical gore, and timely tech terror.
James Paxton continues to honor his father’s legacy while carving his own path — one grateful, adventurous step (and one rogue drone) at a time.
Watch the trailer and catch DRAGN wherever you rent or stream movies. #DRAGN #JamesPaxton
About Paul Salfen: Paul Salfen is a Dallas-based TV host, producer, editor, writer, and consultant who currently holds the positions of co-host of Drew Pearson Live on KTXD (London Broadcasting), co-host of The ANE Show on iHeartMedia, and producer/writer for AMFM Magazine.
About Christine Thompson: Christine Thompson is the Founder/Editor-In-Chief, Writer and Video Editor of AMFM Magazine and AMFM Studios LLC.
