Wolves Unleashed: Against All Odds follows Andrew Simpson, a Calgary-based filmmaker’s own experiences as an animal trainer who has worked with the feathered, furred and four-legged actors in such films and television shows as Game of Thrones, Elf, A Cry In the Dark and The Revenant. The film is a sequel to the filmmaker’s 2011 Wolves Unleashed doc. This time, he and his team are tasked with raising and training some Mongolian wolves for one of the largest-budget Chinese-produced movies ever made.
With more than 150 films and 20 years experience as an animal trainer for movies under his belt and numerous television shows, Wolf Totem was Simpson’s biggest project yet. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud (Enemy at the Gates), the $30-million film, was released to rave reviews in 2018.
The journey you will see took three years to complete. From the outset, they face countless challenges and obstacles with the wolves. Unable to touch the majority of the wolf pack, Andrew must find new ways to try and connect and build a bond with the wolves in order to achieve the impossible on film.
Simpson, who was born in Scotland, got his start as a trainer while backpacking in Australia. His first job was as an assistant to an animal trainer working with kangaroos and dingoes for the western film Quigley Down Under.
His unique approach to working with animals has made Simpson one of the most sought after trainers in the world. His love of filmmaking and his willingness to accept the toughest projects around the world has taken him from the extreme heat of the Australian Outback, to the jungles of Malaysia – through the vast landscapes of the Mongolian Steppe, to the freezing temperatures of the Siberian Mountains.
But his specialty is wolves, including providing his Arctic wolf Quigly to the Game of Thrones series in which he played Jon Snow’s dire wolf Ghost. As with his first documentary, Simpson hopes Against All Odds shines a light on these often misunderstood animals. Throughout the film, we see the wolves’ attitude toward humans change, despite their rough start in life.
The development is fascinating to watch, writes Eric Volmer, film critic for the Calgary Herald, “as are the dynamics of the pack as the wolves grow older. We meet various characters, including the precocious scene-stealer Cloudy, who developed a special bond with Simpson. The male, which Simpsons refers to as a “hero wolf,” is initially the alpha of the pack but is soon challenged by male sibling Parker for the dominant spot.
This story is a roller coaster of emotions, not only for Andrew, but also for the wolves who have to adapt and overcome everything around them, including each other, in order to survive. With lots of action, drama, conflict, and highs and lows, it’s 86-minutes of the wild and wooly with an Alberta view.
When you see how they can change their experience with humans, it would be nice if humans can do the same,” says Simpson. “There’s a lot of hardcore mentality with a lot of people toward the wolves. When people watch these movies, hopefully, they will just take a second to think before they react to a wolf or to a story they’ve heard.
Simpson grew up on an isolated 19,000-hectare estate in the Scottish Highlands owned by aluminum-maker Alcan, where his parents worked. He loved the country life, and was often found with a frog or a mouse in his pocket, but as a teenager he dreamed of being a film stuntman.
One sleety day when he was 20, his brother, after seeing Mel Gibson’s Mad Max, quipped that Andrew could, being single, skip off to Australia if he wanted to. Days later he did. There he found work as an extra on A Cry in the Dark, the Meryl Streep drama about the mom who claimed her baby was snatched by a dingo.
Simpson worked with the dingo trainer for three weeks and found stints as an extra or animal training assistant before moving to Canada and working with Vancouver’s Creative Animal Talent. A few years later he started his own agency. In 1994, he moved to a ranch outside of Calgary and currently lives there with his partner and fellow trainer, Sally Jo Sousa.
Wolves Unleashed: Against All Odds is nominated for six Rosie Awards for excellence in film and television productions in Alberta by Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA):
- Best Documentary (Over 30 minutes)
- Best Director (Non-Fiction over 30 minutes)
- Best Narrator (Non-Fiction over 30 minutes)
- Best Editor (Non-Fiction over 30 minutes)
- Best Original Musical Score (Non-Fiction over 30 minutes)
- Best Cinematography (Non-Fiction over 30 minutes)
See more about the film at Andrew Simpson at: www.wolvesunleashed.com.
See more about Instinct Films, Simpson’s company at: https://instinctforfilm.com.
See more about the Rosie Awards at: https://ampia.org/the-rosie-awards.