Director Josias Tschanz on the Nine-Year Journey Behind Taming the Beast

Watch the full interview below.

This interview was originally conducted in German by Philipp Portmann for KinowetterTV. The video features AI-generated English subtitles, and the transcript has been translated into English using AI to make the conversation accessible to our international audience.
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What does it take to turn nearly a decade of filming into a compelling feature documentary?
In this in-depth conversation with KinowetterTV, director Josias Tschanz reflects on the extraordinary journey behind Taming the Beast—from its earliest concept to the final cut that audiences see today.

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Eight Years, Thousands of Hours, One Story

Looking back, Tschanz describes the production as a true rollercoaster.

Over eight years, the team travelled across multiple countries, filmed with Eddie Hall during different stages of his life, and captured interviews with legendary figures including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Meanwhile, post-production was based in Vancouver, where years of footage had to be transformed into a single, coherent story.

According to Tschanz, filming wasn't the greatest challenge.

The real task began afterwards.
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With an enormous archive of interviews, personal moments, competitions, and behind-the-scenes footage, the filmmakers had to discover the emotional thread that connected everything. That process took years of editing, discussion, and countless creative decisions before the documentary finally found its rhythm.

​A Story That Grew Beyond Its Original Idea

One of the most interesting parts of the interview is Tschanz's explanation of how the documentary evolved.

The original concept was relatively simple: follow Eddie Hall as he pursued his dream of meeting his lifelong hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

That meeting remains an important part of the film, but as production continued, a much deeper story emerged.

Following his victory as World's Strongest Man in 2017, Eddie experienced depression and struggled to find a new sense of purpose. Arnold's own journey—from bodybuilding champion to Hollywood icon—inspired Eddie to explore acting as his next challenge, leading him to visit Arnold's museum in Graz before eventually meeting him in person.
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What began as a documentary about a sporting hero meeting his idol gradually transformed into a powerful story about identity, mental health, and life after success.

​From Inspiration to Mentorship

Tschanz also reflects on the relationship between Eddie Hall and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

While Arnold served as Eddie's greatest inspiration growing up, Eddie has now become a role model himself.
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Today, a new generation of athletes and young fans looks up to Eddie in much the same way Eddie once looked up to Arnold—a reminder that every generation eventually has the opportunity to inspire the next.
The interview also touches on Eddie's connection with Sylvester Stallone, whose encouragement and first acting opportunity in The Expendables 4 helped open the door to Eddie's growing career in film.

​The Director's Biggest Challenge

For Tschanz, directing Taming the Beast wasn't about travelling the world or interviewing famous personalities.

The greatest challenge was shaping a story that focused not only on Eddie Hall's achievements, but on the person behind them.

Working alongside co-director Chris Michael Fretwell and EMMY Award winning editor Mike Jackson and Andrew Hukuliak, the team searched for the moments that revealed Eddie's humanity—his struggles, his family, and his determination to keep moving forward despite setbacks.
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The result is a documentary that reaches far beyond strength sports.

​Watch the Full Interview

This conversation offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes perspective on how Taming the Beast was created and why the story evolved into something far more meaningful than originally planned.

If you're interested in documentary filmmaking, storytelling, or the creative process behind Taming the Beast, this interview with director Josias Tschanz is well worth watching.

The interview was originally recorded in German. AI-generated English subtitles are available on the video, and the transcript has been translated into English using AI to make the conversation accessible to viewers around the world.