TORONTO -- Kurt Russell doesn't believe in "too soon" when it comes to true-story dramatizations.
"What would be the proper time?" the actor asks when pressed about the release of his film "Deepwater Horizon."
The Hollywood action flick plunges head first into a retelling of the hours before the BP oil rig explosion in 2010 -- an environmental tragedy off the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 workers.
Turning the event into a movie has rankled some observers who claim Hollywood is capitalizing on a tragedy.
Russell says they're right in some respects, but they aren't considering the bigger picture.
"I think what's important is the story you're telling," he says.
"And if this one doesn't honour those people, then I don't know what does."
Timeliness can be a touchy subject for Hollywood producers, who are often looking to recreate a storyline ripped from the headlines. Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" faced similar criticism when it arrived in theatres five years after 9/11.
In "Deepwater Horizon," Russell plays Jimmy Harrell, the offshore installation manager of the rig and one of the survivors of the event. Mark Wahlberg plays Mike Williams, an electronics technician who's ostensibly framed as the hero.
Overall, the film is presented as a tribute to the men who lost their lives on the ill-fated oil rig.
But it's also a big fall action movie from Peter Berg, director of "Battleship" and war drama "Lone Survivor," which itself ran against criticism for its loose interpretation of a real-life story.
"Deepwater Horizon" appears to stick closer to the facts, but still finds its glory in some intense fiery moments with men in peril.
Some families of workers on the doomed oil rig were consulted for the production, Berg says, though others were silenced by gag orders linked to legal settlements paid out by BP.
Russell never spoke with Harrell about what it was like being on the rig. He wishes he had.
"When you're playing somebody you're obligated to do as good a job as you can to capture the reality of that person -- whether they're alive or dead, but certainly when they're alive," he says.
"I know if it were me, and somebody was playing me, I'd say, 'Jesus guy, give me a phone call. I could've told you.' Unfortunately that wasn't the case here."
When it comes to the impressive moments of spectacle, Russell says it's simply a case of Hollywood tradition.
"We capitalize on every story that takes place in the world," he adds.
Ultimately, it's up to the cast and crew to "take the time and effort to do it extremely well."
Russell has waded into sensitive territory before with true stories. He portrayed Elvis Presley in John Carpenter's 1979 film "Elvis," which was screened while fans were still mourning the death of the singer.
"The project was underway when he was alive," Russell says.
"So if you don't think I got asked that question with a little more seriousness, it was only 17 months after Elvis died."
"Deepwater Horizon" makes its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday. The film rolls into theatres across the country on Sept. 30.
