Travis Fimmel has said he wanted to play his “genius” character in Zone 414 as he was keen to portray someone who is “so dark and messed up”.

The new film sees the Vikings star play sinister tech businessman Marlon Veidt, who has created a world populated by AI machines which are being trialled by the government in an area called Zone 414.

Fimmel said the film creates an “interesting world”.

“There’s a reason why you create a world of robots. It’s because you are very lonely or do not feel like you fit in in the real world, so you have to create your own.”

Director Andrew Baird said his vision for the film was initially “very prudent and lean”.

“And I took, initially, influence from the [William] Friedkin movie Cruising, set in the Meatpacking District in the 80s and those underground clubs,” he added.

“Then the movie grew because of the great cast we got on board and Universal came in and Paramount came in and it grew, and it certainly became a more lavish production.

“Moviemaking is like house building, it develops, and then you bring on the cast.”

He added: “I’m just really proud of what we’ve been able to assemble and everybody involved were incredibly committed to it and I’m just incredibly proud of the cast that we got for the movie.

“It’s a strange little world that they inhabit but there are some great characters in there played by some great actors.”

Zone 414 was released in cinemas earlier this month.