By: Lisa Steinberg
Q) Can you tell me something about the script that you got that made you think this would be a good type of story for us to put the 87North stamp on, but then also something about it that made you think it would help expand the company and your work as filmmakers in a new way?
David Leitch: Yeah, that’s a good question. I’ll jump in. So, I think, number one, hadn’t done a heist movie yet. And I think we love collectively to take on genres and turn them on their head. And this film had a lot of things going on that were working for it in the sort of 87North model of, it had this social media component. The bank heist. The heist crew were content creators and influencers, and that felt fresh and contemporary and something that we could really explore and have fun with. And then it had this old-school classic cat-and-mouse bank robbery movie where we could really lean to, like, some classic storytelling. And that, excitingly, we got to shoot on 35. And I think playing with those two mediums and telling a story with those two aspects was really exciting for me personally as a filmmaker.
Kelly McCormick: Yeah, and just to add to that, I think one of the things that David always does every time out is flip a genre on its head. Is there anything he can do a little differently? And in most heist movies, they’re trying to stay hidden. In ours, they’re trying to be exposed. And how do you, you know, stay hidden in plain sight, basically? And with the opportunity with the social media, how do you entertain? You know, what is commentary there? How do you entertain? How do you grab attention? How do you make it wild and bold while also sort of hiding in plain sight? And, you know, and get a message out at the same time which we thought was really interesting and super special about the project.
Q) When these roles, this story first come your way, what single part about making this movie were you most excited to get to do? But then can you also tell me something about the experience that was more creatively fulfilling than you ever could’ve imagined at the start?
Nicholas Hoult: The thing that I was most excited about, it was David and Kelly in the initial thing. When it came into the inbox, I was like, “Oh, this is amazing,” because I’d spoken to you guys when you were making Bullet Train. They originally wanted me, but I wasn’t available, so they got Brad Pitt. [laugh] Which, you know, good for him. He needed it. [laugh] No, and the thing of exploring genres, ’cause, you know, I grew up like watching Michael Caine in The Italian Job and things like that. And I was like, I love heist movies, and the speed and glitz of those. But this movie I think had a real emotional core to it. So that knowing that these guys were tackling that, and what they were bringing to it, and upgrading it. And also, for me there was this thing where I really like playing quite radical characters, and I think I saw that with this character. You know, two kind of opposing sides of a coin with what you see with him. And a really fun movie that’s got, you know, a message at the core of it. So I was like, this feels like a great combination of things. So I was very lucky that they let me come on board. Brad wasn’t available. [laugh]
Anna Sawai: For me, it was also David and Kelly. Actually, David and I worked on the same film when I was really young. It’s called Ninja Assassin. He was still doing stunts. And so for me watching David turn into like a director and doing these awesome comedy actions, it was like a dream for me to work with him again. So that was the initial appeal. And when I read the script, I really fell in love with how Emi felt so human. So yeah, it was like an instant yes. And then being able to try all these new things and learn how to do a 180, and then meet, you know, everyone, and have conversations about how to make the scenes feel more real, it was really meaningful to me.
Rhenzy Feliz: Yeah, it’s the same. It’s kind of the piggybacking off that answer as well. It’s like Dave and Kelly stuff, it’s been so cool and such an exciting world to kinda jump into. But also, the cast. Like, I thought that everyone that I would get to work with, you know, I shared a lot of scenes with Nick and Anna and Pete, you know, the bank robbers, but also what’s going on in the other half of the script is the John and Zoe story. I’ve been a long-time fan of all of these guys as actors. And so the idea that I would get to work with them, to get to work with Dave and Kelly. And also the thing that I was most excited about was the idea of, like, you know, what was newest to me was the idea of like doing all these stunts and in such a cool way. And I came in a couple weeks early to sorta get the lay of the land on, you know, some sort of crash course in like, in an arms training and guns and moving around, and kinda jumping up and down and doing that and doing that side of the thing. And it was really exciting. Yeah, Anna was doing 180s in the cars and I was very jealous. But it’s also just so exciting and so to me. And so that was a part that I was like, you know, that kinda got my blood pumping.
John C. Reilly: I really wanted to wear that FBI windbreaker. Which it turns out, you can’t just buy those. They are highly controlled. Yeah, of course, and, you know, when I spoke to David, I could tell, like, this is gonna be really fun. It’s really my first big action movie. And, you know, I’ve known from a lot of my comedy work, I’ve done a lot of movies over the years, but this is really my first kinda grown-ass man role, you know? Someone who has some gravitas, who’s, you know, he is the age that he is, and he’s in charge. You know, it’s not exactly getting all the, you know, the clues as they come in at first. And then when I met Zoe, you know, when we started working together, I was like, “Wow, she’s like a force of nature.” And so we sat down together and she’s like, “Yeah, we could say this, and we can say this, and I’m gonna be eating Chee-tos.” And so I was like, “Wow, this is amazing. What a great partner to have.” You know, ’cause most of my stuff is with Zoe in the movie. And then, you know, really, I think the original thing that really got me interested in the movie was about how timely it was. About the social justice aspects. So it has this really satisfying thriller aspect to it about robbing banks and getting away with crimes. But underneath it, there’s these really strong emotional journeys of every one of these characters who are doing these bank robberies. And for my characteristic too, you know. Like, it’s not only what they went through, but it’s also this guy, this character. I play this FBI agent struggling with, wait, am I doing the right thing? ‘Cause these people are under a lot of pressure in their own lives. And would I rob a bank if I lost a kid because I didn’t have insurance or something? You know, so I felt like the movie really told the truth in ways that action movies tend to gloss over, you know? I thought it had some real depth to it.
Q) I’ll stick with scene partners a little longer, and I’ll stay with Zoe for you, John. Can you tell me something about her as scene partner that maybe helped you do something with your own character that you wouldn’t have been able to if it was anybody else but her in that role?
John C. Reilly: Well, like I said, she’s a force of nature, and she’s small in stature compared to me, anyway. But when I came in, we were meeting at first, and I thought, you know, oftentimes when you come in to a movie and you don’t have a ton of time to go through the script and think about like how to kinda custom-fit it to you or, you know, to the actors, you’re a little worried like, well, I could say this line just like it is, but if we just massaged it a little bit, it would feel more like it was coming out of my mouth. But I was being a little shy when we first met. But Zoe was right in there. She’s like, “No, this could be funnier. Why don’t we say,” you know. She just had a million ideas. And that first day after we met, and we collaborated with David about the script, I said, “You know, I’m really thankful for you.” Because she had this kind of chutzpah about it all, and this confidence. Not in a bossy way, but in a way where we can make this better, guys. We can make this funnier. And we can tailor-make it to what we are. You know, as opposed to, a writer writes a character, they don’t know exactly, you know, who’s gonna play it when they write it. But now that we are playing it, why don’t we tailor-make it to ourselves? So that was great.
Q) The chemistry just has to be on point from the second the movie opened. So did the three of you remember the first thing you all did, either in prep or on set, that made you look at the others and go like, “We’re the right group of people for this team,” like, this is really gonna work?
John C. Reilly: Was it the Pickle Festival?
Rhenzy Feliz: I was gonna say, the Pickle Festival. Actually, that’s the first thing that came to mind, was riding the pickle. Take it away.
Nicholas Hoult: Mechanical pickle. We went for dinner.
John C. Reilly: Should explain what Pickle Fest is first.
Nicholas Hoult: Pickle Fest, we shot in Pittsburg and they have Pickle Fest, a celebration of all things pickle. And we were having dinner, and we looked out the window and there was like a mechanical bull, but it was a pickle. And we looked at it and we said, “We’re gonna ride that pickle.” [laugh] And I think that’s when we knew we were gonna have a good time making the movie, but also we all trusted each other, and we’re like, “All right, we’re a team. We can do this.”
Rhenzy Feliz: I got a video somewhere. Nick was actually very impressive on that pickle.
Nicholas Hoult: Not my first pickle.
Rhenzy Feliz: He could ride the hell out of that thing. Really exciting.
Q) I did want to take a moment to highlight him a little from the three of you. I’d love to hear anything you want to tell me about the energy that he brings to the set and their group dynamic. And then David, also, I was reading another interview that Pete did where he mention that he signed on for this film without even reading the script. Just by knowing who was a part of it. So I was curious what it was like basically seeing him realize how emotionally demanding this role would be?
David Leitch: I can answer that first. Yeah, I mean, I kinda had a inkling maybe he hadn’t read the script. [laugh] But he was really excited about, like, the action training. And I think he was really excited about playing a dramatic character. And I think he was excited about the, you know, fact that he was gonna have a daughter and that he was gonna be able to experience that same sort of emotional connection with a character in the film through a lot of things that he knew about the character, so just not to throw him completely under the bus. But I did think as he started, you know, we got into the first week of shooting and he started to realize like how all the other characters had these, you know, a strong emotional throughlines and reasons for robbing these banks, and that’s what we were exploring. Like, what was driving these characters to take these extreme measures. He fell right into place and he’s like, “Wow, this is more than just, you know, another version of Point Break or The Town. This is something different.” And it is. Like John said, it’s something for our time. It’s set in our time, and the struggles of our time, and like what people may be going through. And Pete got it.
Kelly McCormick: Yeah, funny that he didn’t read though, because his character on the page brought everyone to tears, whoever read the script, I think. And so, for him to not have read it and still signed on is pretty hysterical. [laugh] But you know, I think we owe it to Mary Vernieu, our casting director, to sort of help us. We’re huge fans of Pete, but to help us, like, see that Pete has so much more to give as an actor, and to have the opportunity to watch that and see that and be a part of that evolution for Pete is really exciting for us.
Q) He was excellent in that role. Anything the three of you want to add about working with him?
Nicholas Hoult: I think it’s the same thing that David and Kelly were saying. That when he signed on, it was so exciting because you know him as the comedian and that side of his acting. Which we were lucky. We got to go watch him do a couple of standup shows. Which was really interesting watching how it changes night to night, and just how skilled and talented he is in reading an audience and improvising like that. And that’s something that on set every day, he’d definitely always bring a funny variation or a new joke or a new button for a scene. But then it was brilliant to watch how much he cares deeply about bringing the emotion and the dramatic side of things. And he’s just a great person to have on set, because he’s encouraging to everyone, and says a lot of funny things on the radio. [laugh] That would always make me laugh.
Rhenzy Feliz: No, it’s true. He’s just so game. Like, I could see it, it’s kinda what you were saying where you could see he has so much more to give as an actor, and how excited he was to do that as well. Like, I don’t think it was something that he took like as if it was nothing. He didn’t take it lightly. I think he came wanting to do a great job. And what a great role. And you’re right, when we first read the Script, there’s moments that his characters got that really do kind of, you know, that has that weight, that has that depth. And so I don’t think he shied away from it at all. I think he came in, you know, a hundred percent guns blazing. You could feel the passion he had about doing this thing. And, you know, it gets me more excited to get up and do my part as well.
John C. Reilly: I had a really interesting entry into the movie. My first days shooting were those interrogations in the room. So I met each of these guys, including Pete, in scenes where they were not going to talk to me. [laugh] So I’m kinda like trying to apply this X-ray vision on them. Like, who are you? What are you thinking? You know? And that’s a really interesting way to meet another actor. You know? You’re sitting there across from them, trying to get them to say something, trying to get them to make a mistake. Of course they don’t. But then off-camera, you know. I don’t know, you guys can tell me, like, I felt a little bit like how close do I want to get to these guys? You know, or how close do they want to get to me? I think there was a feeling at the beginning like, maybe they didn’t really want to reveal themselves too much to me. The way actors, you’re playing your role all the time in a way, you know. So that was really interesting to meet Pete that way. He had such a big profile publicly, you know. And he’s such a great comedian that, just to see someone like that, like, in a more vulnerable moment, taking on something that was heavier than I’d ever seen him do before, yeah, it was cool. It was a really great way to meet all these guys. You know, sorta stare at them for 15 minutes, try to get a rise out of him.
Kelly McCormick: And an incredible sequence, I’ll just say. I think it’s so powerful in so many ways. It’s kinda how the movie sort of talks about the powers of both sides, and like, you know, the push and pull. And I think it’s just like a masterpiece, babe. You did such a good job with that sequence.
Q) Were the masks always scripted exactly this way, or is that an idea that evolved? And what was it like choosing the right bear, rabbit, and wolf masks so that it was maybe comfortable for the actors wearing it, but also popped on screen the way that you wanted?
David: So that was something that evolved. As how I go about making a movie, like, there’s the constant sort of collaboration with all my department heads, and obviously the writer, and Kelly’s creative producer. And so things are constantly evolving. And sometimes it’s not. I think some directors are like that. A lot of directors are like, you know, the vision is really taught. Look, we were trying to figure out, like, what would be a fun sort of subversive character that could, [clears throat] you know, be personified into social media? I came up with this idea of the wolf. And then we were looking at different wolf masks, and production design was sending us different looks. And we came up with this sort of, like, you know, contemporary kind of wolf thing that was really interesting. And so we decided, okay, that’s great. We designed a rabbit next to that. Then we designed a bear next to that that’s sort of in the spirit of the wolf that you see now. So we built all those, and then one day, the props department was opening up their truck.
Kelly McCormick: The bear wasn’t done.
David Leitch: The bear wasn’t feeling right. And so we had to do some costume tests, and props took this bear mask that they had made for Halloween for themselves. [laugh] Like, there was a teddy bear that they just cut upon, and there was blood on it.
Kelly McCormick: He won it in a ski shoot competition at a, like, fair or something, and he bloodied it up for Halloween and turned it into a costume.
David Leitch: Yeah, and he brought it on. He’s like, we could put this on for the costume test and look at it, and we’re just looking at it like, “Can you replicate that?” Because this is now the bear thing. And so I think that’s the fun about making movies. Like, you’re constantly discovering.
Kelly McCormick: You know, like, John is saying like, you know, Zoe and John discovering their characters and we’re changing the dialogue. And their banter’s changing and it’s making them better and stronger. And the gang all together in the car, like, having these moments of improv. And, like, that’s what I love about making movies. Like, I love the experience of artists coming together and we’re collaborating and it’s evolving and it’s getting better. All the way through post. And so, yeah, that’s [overlap]. But just to add really quickly. So the wolf, the bear, and the bunny, and the cat, ended up being really perfect for the movie in the sense that we wanted to connect to younger people. Like, they feel juvenile in a sense. They feel like they can attract the demo who really this movie is for. ‘Cause they’re closer to that age than they are to, like, you know, nuns and stuff. Like, [laugh] you know what I mean? And then David added a backstory of Nick’s son, that his favorite, you know, book was the Big Bad Wolf. And so you see that in a million places. David’s seeded it so beautifully, and, you know, sorta charity boxes, or in this mural in the child’s room that we’re in a few times. And so then it’s like, oh, that’s why Nick chose the wolf. And then that’s why it’s populated by these other sort of cartoonish characters. And then it’s like, has this connection also to, you know, the reason why deeper. It’s like, it’s pretty profound actually.
Q) Very, very effective in every sense. I’ll throw in one more question. I’ll pose it to the two of you, but if anyone wants to chime in, please do. A big broad question about all the ambitious stunts in this movie. You two are very accomplished in that department. Going into filming this, is there a particular stunt that you thought would be the most challenging for you and the team to pull off? And ultimately, was it, or did something else catch you all by surprise?
Kelly McCormick: It’s not [all?] action for us, actually. It’s all about the storytelling in a sense. And so, like, let’s call it physical storytelling. But yet, the action sort of like is so connective, and it works really well ’cause it’s very grounded. And I think that’s the trick in it, is that it needs to feel like all of the action is happening kind of in real life for the most part. And when it’s happening as the YouTube channel, it’s, you know, kinda wilder and more fun. And it’s about the angles and the sort of bombacity rather than the sort of intensity of the sequence. The one that sorta went wrong, and then was like brilliant was the police car. Anybody wants to talk about that, [laugh] and how crazy it was that day that it went way too high in the sky, and [laugh] came crashing down in a beautiful, like, [laugh].
David Leitch: Yeah, we did what we call sidewinder, which is where we crash the police car into another car that’s sort of bolted to the ground. And you’re expecting it to roll and roll down the street as you do. [laugh] But this time, it, like, stopped dead in its tracks, went straight up. And, look, I mean, it’s caged and the math has worked out, and everybody’s safe, and we’ve done them a hundred times. But you always get something a little different, and then I think that time we got something, like, crazy special.
Kelly McCormick: And it’s a important moment because things get really real at that point in the movie. So it ended up being the perfect kind of too much was just enough.
John C. Reilly: Yeah, I had to drive past that and go like, “I think he’s okay.” [laugh] We had to justify that somehow. [laugh] We already filmed it.
Nicholas Hoult: I was thinking about when the armored truck did the 180 but hit into the exotic pet store.
John C. Reilly: Yes, oh, that’s it, yeah.
Nicholas Hoult: It was a real exotic pet store and broke the window. And we all stood there as like, [laugh]
Kelly McCormick: And everybody had gone in already and, like, had the boas like [indiscernible]. But it was the scariest pet store.
Nicholas Hoult: Imagined all these pets escaping. Alle exotic animals.
David Leitch: But we kept it. We kept that shot in the movie, actually. Like, we did the stunt again. We were like, “Okay, she can’t actually crash into the wall.” And then we’re like, looked at it in post and we’re like, “Oh, that’s amazing.” She actually smashes the window of the exotic pet store.
Anna Sawai: It wasn’t me.
David Leitch: [laugh] Your stunt double.
Q) You have the audience watching the movie and an audience inside the movie watching the robberies. How did you use those two perspectives to show the difference between the image the crew is selling and what’s actually happening?
David Leitch: Well, again, like I said, it was really fun to, like, put on, like, this new creator hat and, like, be a creator for a moment and, like, make these episodes of the wolf. And how you can be hyperbolic, and you can, just like people are online, and you can have alternate facts at times. And you can entertain to seduce people to a movement. And that was really fun. That was really exciting to do. Then again, what was more exciting I think is like, for me, this is probably the most dramatic movie that I’ve gotten to tell. And, like, having the scenes like John said in the interrogation where the tables are turned, or the emotional scenes with Anna and Nick’s character, or Pete, you know, losing his, you know. Oh, sorry, spoiler. You know, Pete and, you know, his emotional scenes, Rhenzy and his emotional scenes. Like, there’s some real-life drama that I think people are gonna relate to that are gonna endear you to these characters. And that was great for me as a filmmaker to tell that story.
Q) Speaking about the emotional heft of this movie, Anna, I have a question for you that leans into that. What did you want audiences to understand about your character in the quieter moments that they couldn’t learn from watching her during the heist?
Anna Sawai: I guess it’s just that everyone’s going through something, and sometimes not everything happens for a reason. Life is unfair, and I feel like a lot of people will be able to relate to that. And so really interested to see how they would relate to her story. Everyone’s story, really. Yeah.
Q) Nick, the crew puts everything on the line for what they believe. How did you approach the difference between a character who believes he’s doing the right thing, and one who’s getting carried away by his own story?
Nicholas Hoult: Ooh, I don’t know. Well, that was one of the things when I first spoke to David about the script. That was one of the things emotionally I connected to. You know, I’m a dad, and probably the scariest moments in my life were when, you know, I was in hospital with one of my sons, and there was a bit of a time where it was a very dark, scary time. And in those moments you feel so helpless, one. But then for this character, having then experienced that kind of loss, trying to understand what that would push you to do and the regret that you would live with, and how far you would take that, I think all of those things became very quite simple and clear to me in my ways as a person, as an actor, because of things that, you know, I felt and experienced. So that was something that I was excited to explore in some ways. Yeah.
Q) John, what does your FBI agent understand about this crew that they don’t yet understand about themselves?
John C. Reilly: Gosh. Well, he understands that what they’re doing is extremely dangerous, you know? I think their attitude is like, no, we’re so organized, we plan so well, that no matter what, we’re not gonna hurt anybody. We’re gonna get the money and we’re gonna get famous and we’re gonna raise other people up, you know, by creating this popular movement. And then, you know, someone who’s the guardian of the safety of everyone has to say, like, hey, this is not safe, and we have to stop these guys before an accident happens, or one of those guns goes off in a direction they don’t realize. Or one of their cars smashes into something or whatever. Like, I thought that was a really interesting part of playing that character. It’s like, you know, what is the responsibility of law enforcement? Like, they have to kind of uphold the laws, but, you know, no one wants to oppress someone. You know, you’re trying to create fairness for everyone. And you’re trying to protect the vulnerable. And that’s something that I really focused on when I was playing the character. I was like, look, you know, everyone gets angry about situations in their lives, but that doesn’t mean we could all just go rogue. ‘Cause I even said in the movie, like, anarchy doesn’t work out for the meek, you know? Anarchy doesn’t work out for the most vulnerable. So yeah, that was the real push and pull of my character. You know, even as he’s losing faith in the system himself, he still understands like, yeah, but my main job is to keep everyone safe. The bank robbers, the little old lady in the bank. Everybody. You know, the other cops. I mean, the character’s really on a razor-thin edge in that way, you know? And I’m not sure where he ended up at the end of the movie. He seemed a little bit, like, shaken in his beliefs by the end.
Q) Rhenzy, what’s one thing you learned on this project that you plan to take with you into future ones?
Rhenzy Feliz: Stretch, I think would be a good one. I was real sore a lot of days. But no, I think that, you know, one of the things about Hugo’s character that I found interesting, because it’s like snapshots of all of our stories in a way. It doesn’t try to, you know, tell all of the entire thing. That’s not what the movie is. And so I realize that there was a sort of snapshot in Hugo’s life that said so much more than maybe pages you would think it means. And it’s that scene sorta where he’s, you know, going through his apartment and his house, and he’s on his way to, you know, his quote-unquote “office.” And I think what’s important in that scene is just like showing how much love he’s got for his family, and that’s like kinda who he’s fighting for. So without a lot necessarily in the script, not a lot of space in the script, you got to find a way to sort of, you know, understand where his motivations sorta lie. And I think he feels the sorta responsibility for his family and how he sorta needs to be the caretaker in a situation. And so I think just understanding that even in the smallest sort of scenes, or maybe you don’t think that, oh, that’s what this scene necessarily means, like, that there’s more weight to that seemingly casual moment that you maybe think on first glance.
Q) Kelly and David, how did you find the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them emotionally as well as intellectually?
David Leitch: It’s not easy. I think, you know, when you’re in physical production, like I said, I like to collaborate with everybody. And I look for moments of entertainment. And knowing that in post you can start to curate the piece. So I’m always looking for those human moments, those fun moments. Again, the creator aspect had so much to play with. And, like, so we really leaned in to make something bombastic. But I think ultimately in all our films, the most important component is the humanity and sort of your emotional connection to the characters. And so in this film, Rhenzy said something very sort of, like, enlightened. And it made me think. It’s like, they are just snapshots. There’s so many characters. There’s minimum amount of time to, like, really emotionally connect to them. And they are sort of like analogies of like peoples’ lives. And I think people can put themselves into all these different characters, you know, as we spend just a little bit of time with them. And these actors came in and delivered such compelling performances with just a little page count of like making you want to feel for them. And I think that’s just like a really interesting thing in this movie. Like how it call came together. And so it allowed me to have the balance of fun and drama, and tell a massive story with a lot of characters and a sort of a moral tale.
Q) Can you just go around and each name a How to Rob a Bank unsung hero? Someone who’s not in the room right now but we need to know the invaluable contribution they made to your work particularly, or the film overall.
Nicholas Hoult: Victor for dyeing my hair blonde. Keeping it looking nice. [laugh]
John C. Reilly: In a movie that’s as dangerous as this to make, I have to thank the first AD, Milos. Milicevic. Milos is this gentle giant of a man who’ve worked with before, and that’s what I said to him at the end of it. I said, “Thank you for keeping me safe. Because that’s that guy’s job, you know. He’s the sort of first mate on the ship, and there’s a lot of dangerous stuff that happens on these movies. So thank you, Milos.
Anna Sawai: I would say, I would like to thank my stunt double, Linda Jewell. I did practice the 180, but on set, it’s her doing it. I don’t want to take credit for that. She was so amazing.
David Leitch: You’d be a horrible bank robber. [laugh]
Rhenzy Feliz: I love our costume designer on this. I think some of the looks were so cool, and it kinda added to the idea that we’re making a show. You know, the characters are making a show. And I think so much of it is like, you know, it’s just so kinda cool and it pops out, and it stands out, and there’s a whole sequence, actually, in the movie where we’re kinda going through the wardrobe thing. And I think it’s such a cool shot and cool moment. And I think so much of that is obviously on the back of the costume designer to kinda make us look as cool as possible. So I think they killed it.
Kelly McCormick: I mean, I have so many. It’s really a hard question for me. Ben Norman, our line producer, you know, we were under a lot of economic pressure on this to be able to make such an original film in Pittsburg. And, you know, he did it so gracefully. He’s one of the greats out there, and I couldn’t do it. Yeah, I mean, he just really crushed this movie. Greg Rementer on the team who come together for us all the time, but there was an additional component to it where the YouTube unit would go out and shoot and go crazy on their own. And, you know, like the heist sequences, we’d be watching from first unit and commenting on. David would be kind of editing from afar. But they would just be going gonzo out there keeping everybody safe and having a great time. Honestly, the whole Pittsburg crew was so fantastic, and getting to shoot in that town with that history of blue collar, you know, just fighting for what’s right for years and years and years, and having a lot of strife in general. And that crew came every day like that to set and happy and excited and proud of the message of the movie. And then honestly, weirdly, there were extras who came for two weeks of nights. And I’ve never been in a town that even the extra would come back for the next day, let alone two weeks of nights. [laugh] And it was like a party every night. And they’d just come and, like, just party again. [laugh] And it was like pretty amazing, actually. So they became part of our core. It was a really special group, and there was way too many to thank.
Rhenzy Feliz: Also, shoutout Helen, our cast assistant. I’ve never had one of those. That’s awesome, by the way. I got to do that more often. She, like, was hooking it up with Epsom salt things when I needed them, keeping the electrolytes coming. It was a hot Pittsburg summer. So she was on deck all the time. Shout out to her, and Kirk, my stunt double as well. Love you.
David Leitch: I want to say one. Jonathan Sela, the cinematographer who’s been with me, been with us since John Wick and done all our films. And he’s our key collaborator in terms of, like, visual style and look of the film. And David Scheunemann, our production designer who has been with us since Atomic Blonde. And again, we’re like a really close-knit family of creatives. And it’s really fun to get the gang together and make a movie
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