Jewel Staite

SF staple Jewel Staite (Stargate Atlantis) told SCI FI Wire that she stars in the upcoming horror-action movie The Tribe, which she denied is a simple slasher movie.

"The Tribe is an action movie, basically," Staite said in an interview while promoting Atlantis, in which she plays Dr. Jennifer Keller. "It’s got a lot of suspense and a lot of thrills. There’s been a misconception that it’s a slasher movie, which it totally is not."

Staite has made a name for herself among SF fans in such TV series as Wonderfalls and Firefly, in which she played ship’s mechanic Kaylee, a role she reprised in the subsequent feature film, Serenity.

In The Tribe, she plays the main character, Liz. "It’s basically about a girl who starts off as being very meek and kind of subservient and scared about life in general and then really has to step up to the plate and become the leader, become the alpha in the situation," Staite said. "So it was really fun to play. It was a really complex character, and, yeah, it should be coming out next summer."

The Internet Movie Database summed up the film’s plot as follows: After a devastating boat crash, a group of friends is stranded on an uncharted island, where they encounter an ancient tribe of humanoid creatures. Staite confirmed that storyline. "It does have a bit of a fantasy element to it, yes," Staite said. "It definitely does. It would please the sci-fi fan, I will say that."