RUN ALL NIGHT
From Warner Bros. Pictures comes the action thriller “Run All Night,” starring Oscar nominee Liam Neeson (“Schindler’s List,” “Non-Stop”), Joel Kinnaman (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”), Vincent D’Onofrio (“The Judge”), and Oscar nominee Ed Harris (“Pollock,” “The Hours”), under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Non-Stop”).
Brooklyn mobster and prolific hit man Jimmy Conlon (Neeson), once known as The Gravedigger, has seen better days. Longtime best friend of mob boss Shawn Maguire (Harris), Jimmy, now 55, is haunted by the sins of his past—as well as a dogged police detective (D’Onofrio) who’s been one step behind Jimmy for 30 years. Lately, it seems Jimmy’s only solace can be found at the bottom of a whiskey glass.
But when Jimmy’s estranged son, Mike (Kinnaman), becomes a target, Jimmy must make a choice between the crime family he chose and the real family he abandoned long ago. With Mike on the run, Jimmy’s only penance for his past mistakes may be to keep his son from the same fate Jimmy is certain he’ll face himself…at the wrong end of a gun. Now, with nowhere safe to turn, Jimmy just has one night to figure out exactly where his loyalties lie and to see if he can finally make things right.
“Run All Night” stars Neeson, Kinnaman, D’Onofrio, Bruce McGill (“Ride Along”), Genesis Rodriguez (“Identity Thief”), Boyd Holbrook (HBO’s “Behind the Candelabra”), Holt McCallany (“Gangster Squad”), with Common (“Now You See Me”) and Harris.
Collet-Serra directs from a screenplay by Brad Ingelsby (“Out of the Furnace”). The film is produced by Roy Lee (“The Departed”), Brooklyn Weaver (executive producer, “Out of the Furnace”), and Michael Tadross (“Gangster Squad,” “Sherlock Holmes”), with John Powers Middleton (TV’s “Bates Motel”) serving as executive producer.
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Martin Ruhe (“The American”), production designer Sharon Seymour (“Argo”), editor Dirk Westervelt (“Journey to the Center of the Earth”), and costume designer Catherine Marie Thomas (“The Heat”). The music is by Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) (“300: Rise of An Empire”).
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Vertigo Entertainment production, a Jaume Collet-Serra film, “Run All Night.” The film is set for release in cinemas across India on March 20, 2015, and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
From Warner Bros. Pictures comes the action thriller “Run All Night,” starring Oscar nominees Liam Neeson (“Schindler’s List,” “Non-Stop”), and Ed Harris (“Pollock,” “The Hours”), under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Non-Stop”).
Brooklyn mobster and prolific hit man Jimmy Conlon (Neeson), once known as The Gravedigger, has seen better days. Longtime best friend of mob boss Shawn Maguire (Harris), Jimmy, now 55, is haunted by the sins of his past—as well as a dogged police detective (Vincent D’Onofrio) who’s been one step behind Jimmy for 30 years. Lately, it seems Jimmy’s only solace can be found at the bottom of a whiskey glass.
But when Jimmy’s estranged son, Mike (Joel Kinnaman), becomes a target, Jimmy must make a choice between the crime family he chose and the real family he abandoned long ago. With Mike on the run, Jimmy’s only penance for his past mistakes may be to keep his son from the same fate Jimmy is certain he’ll face himself…at the wrong end of a gun. Now, with nowhere safe to turn, Jimmy just has one night to figure out exactly where his loyalties lie and to see if he can finally make things right.
“Run All Night” stars Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”), Vincent D’Onofrio (“The Judge”), Oscar nominee Nick Nolte (“Warrior,” “Affliction,” “Prince of Tides”), Bruce McGill (“Ride Along”), Genesis Rodriguez (“Identity Thief”), with Oscar winner Common (“Selma”) and Ed Harris. Rounding out the cast are Boyd Holbrook (HBO’s “Behind the Candelabra”), and Holt McCallany (“Gangster Squad”).
Collet-Serra directs from a screenplay by Brad Ingelsby (“Out of the Furnace”). The film is produced by Roy Lee (“The Departed”), Brooklyn Weaver (executive producer, “Out of the Furnace”), and Michael Tadross (“Gangster Squad,” “Sherlock Holmes”), with John Powers Middleton (TV’s “Bates Motel”) serving as executive producer alongside Collet-Serra.
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Martin Ruhe (“The American”), production designer Sharon Seymour (“Argo”), editor Dirk Westervelt (“Journey to the Center of the Earth”), and costume designer Catherine Marie Thomas (“The Heat”). The music is by Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) (“300: Rise of An Empire”).
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Vertigo Entertainment production, a Jaume Collet-Serra film, “Run All Night.”
runallnightmovie.net
For downloadable general press information,
please visit: https://mediapass.warnerbros.com/
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
The Sins of the Fathers
JIMMY
I’ve done terrible things in my life. Things
for which I can never be forgiven. I decided
long ago that when the night finally came for
me to pay for the things I’d done, I wouldn’t
protest… But the night didn’t go as planned.
And they didn’t just come for me.
Mob hitman Jimmy Conlon has lived a life of regret, full of things he’s done that he can never take back. Decisions of a moment that haunt his waking hours as well as his dreams and, one way or another, come back around to hurt him…or worse, the ones he loves.
And on this night, one split-second decision will make him run for his life.
In “Run All Night,” Liam Neeson stars as Conlon, who, over the course of just one night, must face off with his former mob boss in order to protect his son. In doing so, he sets off an action-packed chase where he is the most wanted man in the city—by both sides of the law.
“I loved how the story is full of action while it also examines the fractured relationships between two men who are like brothers, and a father trying to make amends with his son for things that happened years ago. It was complex and rich, with thrills and spills, and a lot of ‘what ifs,’” says Neeson. “What would have happened if Jimmy had taken this course instead of that course? But that’s the story of all our lives, isn’t it?”
Neeson once again teams up with director Jaume Collet-Serra, whom he describes as “like a brother,” and who the actor says, “sees action movies as symphonies.”
Collet-Serra states, “It was one of the best scripts I’ve ever read. Every word came to life. The central story of the fathers’ sins coming back to haunt their sons was evocative and the characters were full of soul.” The director reveals he immediately envisioned Neeson in the role of Jimmy. “It was a no-brainer. Not only does Liam have great range, but he has sons, and I knew he’d connect to the story on a whole other level.”
Neeson admits that the script hit a deeper chord with him, having sons who are at the age of discerning their own paths in life. “I can’t imagine losing their love or trust and I can relate to being willing to do anything—no matter what it takes—to get that back.”
In the twists and turns of the night on the run, Collet-Serra saw Ed Harris as mob boss Shawn Maguire, who is also going to protect his own son, and is coming after Conlon with everything he’s got.
“I thought Ed was perfect for the role,” notes Collet-Serra. “He’s a wonderful actor and can exude intimidation. He and Liam each command a powerful presence, and together they really ratchet up both the drama and the action. The combination of the two gives the film a real punch.”
Harris was intrigued with the tale of retribution, regrets and redemption, and eager to work with Collet-Serra and Neeson. “I was glad they asked me to join them, I thought it would be fun. There’s an edge, but also an intimacy to the crazy night they get caught up in. Jaume knows how to weave the action and emotion together and I’ve always had a lot of admiration for Liam, so it was a great scenario all around.”
Producer Roy Lee also found the story and the creative mix exciting. “It had me from the get-go. One split-second event triggers the dominos and the life-and-death chase to stay alive is on…and one way or another, before dawn, it’s going to play itself out. Jaume is a master at the chase and Ed and Liam are masters at being tough guys.”
The script came to Lee by way of producer Brooklyn Weaver, who manages screenwriter Brad Ingelsby. Weaver says, “I was absolutely blown-away by the emotionally powerful characters and journey, which he had executed in such a thematically epic manner. On page four I had goose bumps and by page 11 I knew I wanted to make the movie. I really connected to the complex, intertwined story of fathers and sons in the middle of all this great action that kept me turning the pages. I knew Brad’s script would be in great hands with Jaume, Liam, and the rest of the incredible cast.”
Ingelsby wanted to set the deathly conflict against the gritty backdrop of the mafia, explaining, “That world always interested me. Particularly from the vantage point of years down the road, when the repercussions of the choices these guys made when they were young and the full weight of their actions eventually catch up with them.”
Producer Michael Tadross was equally intrigued by the mob element. He adds, “I love these stories because they deal with loyalty and, in this film in particular, how the decisions you make in life really affect your family. You can run from your past, but you can’t hide.”
But maybe, just maybe, you can get a second chance.
Collet-Serra says, “Most people wish they could have at least one do-over, to right some wrong in their life. To actually get that opportunity to redeem yourself is very appealing and everyone can relate to that.”
But Jimmy’s only got one shot at redemption, at having his son not hate him anymore. One shot to live…and one night to pull it off.
Retribution
SHAWN
Nobody gives a s**t about you. I’m the only
one who ever cared…and all that ended an hour ago.
JIMMY
I won’t let you take him, Shawn.
SHAWN
You don’t got a choice. I’m coming at your
boy with everything I got, Jimmy.
Blood may be thicker than water but mafia ties outlast everything. Jimmy knows where the bodies are buried, because he put them there. But his secrets have cost him.
Neeson says of his character, “Jimmy’s part of a group that has a very unique set of morals and a code of ethics that they rigidly stand by. Loyalty is everything. And that’s his great conflict—and also what gets him into trouble. When push comes to shove, who does he choose?”
Collet-Serra points out, “Liam has obviously played a father before, but I think the difference with this character is that it’s not just about protecting or saving, it’s about earning back the title. For anybody who’s a father I would imagine losing that can be heartbreaking and you would do anything to reverse the situation.”
Estranged from his family because of the many deeds done at the bidding of his boss, Jimmy is all alone and without heat in a dumpy Brooklyn apartment at Christmas.
“Jimmy’s a remnant of a period that’s long gone, struggling to survive in a modern world that has no room for him anymore,” Neeson describes. “He gave everything up for his job and all he has left are his regrets. The closest thing he has to family now is Shawn. That’s who he goes to when he needs help, like money to pay the heating bill. That’s who has his back.”
Ingelsby explains, “I thought it was an interesting dynamic to depict someone who used to be a very powerful man, who now isn’t in a position of power but is still in the periphery of that same world. Now the same guys who were afraid of him don’t take him seriously, they make fun of him.”
Although he is no longer Shawn’s enforcer, those guys still have to keep their distance, because Shawn still looks out for Jimmy.
“Jimmy carries a heavy burden, this loyalty to a crime family that is more like his family than his own, by his own choice. It’s a very honorable thing to try to keep that darkness away from his son. So he’s really caught in a bind,” says Collet-Serra. “Day one, first take, Liam brought all that to the character. That’s been my experience with him, on all the movies we’ve worked on. He’s a damn good actor and it’s always a pleasure.”
Trained to kill as a covert operations solider in the military, Jimmy came back home and when things didn’t work out, he fell back on what he knew how to do well.
Neeson offers, “Seeing what he’s seen and doing what he’s done, he could do what other people couldn’t do, so he took care of their dirty work. It’s been a few years now and he may be down, but he’s not out. He’s been involved in life-and-death issues, not just in Vietnam but in the concrete jungle of New York, so at the end of the day, he knows what to do to stay alive. He’s a survivor.”
Jimmy’s boss, Shawn Maguire, is another survivor, running what’s left of the Irish mob on the West side, the Westies.
Harris observes, “In the ‘70s, the Westies who ran Hell’s Kitchen were really brutal, and vicious, and druggies; most of those guys are either dead or behind bars. Like Jimmy, Shawn has stayed out of jail and out of a coffin. He’s tough.”
But the two have more in common than their survival skills. They’re also friends, tied inexorably together through their past—from the girls they dated, to the men they killed.
Collet-Serra notes, “It was very important to establish the friendship between Jimmy and his boss and really feel their deep bond so when their relationship and loyalty is tested, it’s more profound. Ed did a fantastic job conveying both best friend and worst enemy in their bittersweet journey.”
Neeson was thrilled to work with Harris and says of his co-star, “If you get the chance to work with Ed Harris, you do it. No questions. Ed is a legendary actor. It was extraordinary doing these intense scenes with him.”
“Jimmy and Sean have such a rich history; they are so closely tied together, and because of that, so are their sons’ destinies. It was interesting to explore that with Liam,” says Harris. “Jimmy is Shawn’s guy from the early days, his best pal, really. Now he’s in bad shape and Shawn’s trying to help him out. It creates so many layers. These guys really care about each other even though they end up on opposite sides of the fence.”
It was the first time the two had the opportunity to work together. Although Harris was doing eight shows a week on Broadway at the same time, filmmakers rearranged the schedule to accommodate him. “It speaks to how much we wanted Ed, and how much he wanted to do the film,” says Collet-Serra. “I admire his stamina.”
Tadross recalls, “We’d race him to the curtain with a police escort, whatever we had to do to get him there. He was working day and night through the whole shoot. Ed is such a pro. He’s amazing.”
“It was worth it. I feel really good about the work,” states Harris.
Jimmy and Shawn have fatherly instincts in common, as well as their checkered past. And those instincts conflict with their fierce loyalty to each other one terrible night when their sons inadvertently cross paths. Although they both grew up in the same city and around the business, Jimmy and Sean’s boys couldn’t be more different.
Joel Kinnaman stars in the role of Mike Conlon, Jimmy’s estranged son, who wants nothing to do with his father or his father’s line of work, not since Jimmy abandoned them years ago. A quick run as a professional boxer didn’t pan out, so in addition to his construction job, he drives a limo to support his wife and two kids.
Kinnaman describes Mike as “another casualty of his father’s lifestyle. He walked out on Mike when he was five and Mike’s lived his life just trying to be everything his father wasn’t.” The only time Mike has seen Jimmy in the past five years has been at his mom’s funeral, and even then Jimmy showed up drunk. Before that, it was only when he needed a place to hide out. “Jimmy has not been a father figure in any way and so Mike takes his own role as a dad very seriously. That’s why he works so hard; he’s trying to make ends meet for his family and his family is everything. It’s what he lives for,” says Kinnaman.
The actor had been on Collet-Serra’s radar for some time. “I’m a fan of Joel’s and was just delighted that he came on board. He’s powerful in so many ways—mentally, physically, emotionally—and he brought all that to this character. He and Liam connected immediately.”
Both Kinnaman and Neeson agree that working out the father and son relationship on screen afforded them the chance to become close off screen.
Kinnaman shares, “I’ve always looked up to him, so it was a very special opportunity. It was a great honor to get to play alongside Liam. He’s had so many memorable performances.”
“It was wonderful working with Joel,” Neeson affirms. “We were very much a team, discovering our way through the emotional maze of this fractured father-son relationship. They are suddenly thrust into this situation where they have to trust each other, but Michael doesn’t know how to trust Jimmy.” Things are so strained that Jimmy has never even met his son’s wife or his granddaughters, who are also drawn into the fray.
Genesis Rodriguez stars as Mike’s expectant wife, Gabriela Conlon. “She’s very grounded and supportive,” says the actress. “She understands more than anyone he’s a tortured son who just wants to be a good dad, and Gabriela and their two daughters fill that void for Mike in the family that he’s always been lacking.”
Rodriguez admits the role was different for her, particularly in an action film. “I’ve never played a mother, someone who has to take care of other people before herself. You feel so much more vulnerable once you have the belly strapped on; you feel the weight of it and it literally drags you down when you have to run,” she says.
“Genesis is great,” Kinnaman acknowledges. “She really gave a fierce, maternal energy to Gabriela. And she really brought it in scenes where Gabriela and Mike are disagreeing. You can see why he fights to protect his family, but you know Gabriela protects him too.”
“Joel has this internal monologue always going on underneath the surface, which is great to work off of,” says Rodriguez.
Mike’s commitment to be a good father figure also extends to kids at the gym, and in particular a young boxer nicknamed Curtis “Legs” Banks, played by Aubrey Omari Joseph, whom he mentors. In the course of their flight, Mike must also protect Legs from the fallout of the night’s perilous events. Kinnaman prepared for his role by learning to box, training with professional boxers for three months.
Producer Mike Tadross shares, “He was really great at it, picked it right up. He had professional boxers around him telling me, ‘This kid can really box.’”
Kinnaman enjoyed the training. “The boxing really shows Mike’s deep-seated anger, but it also gives him a physicality and hints at his ability to be lethal. He didn’t want a part of his father’s violent life but in a way he still vents his emotions through violence,” he details.
Although Jimmy and Shawn’s sons have taken different paths, Danny Maguire has had his own issues. He may have followed in Shawn’s footsteps and gotten into the business, but there is a growing philosophical and emotional rift between them that comes to a head over getting into bed with Albanian drug dealers. Unlike his dad, who wants no part of the drug trade, Danny is not content with his dad’s legitimate business, running a bar.
Boyd Holbrook plays Danny and says of his character, “Danny and Mike are yin and yang. Mike is straight-laced; he’s got a family, he’s got an honest job. Danny’s just trying to get ahead as quickly as possible. He’s a little ambitious in all the wrong ways. He has a lot to prove to live up to his father.”
A father he’s heard a lot of stories about. “In his mind, his father’s larger than life, and he wants that rite of passage,” he continues. “He’s always been catching up and trying to make himself and his presence known, to be somewhat of a contemporary version of him.”
“Shawn’s son is a bit of a wild card,” Harris posits. “I think Danny wants to emulate who he thinks Shawn is or wishes he is, like the vicious outlaws who were pretty insane on a certain level. He wishes Shawn was more reckless, and bolder in his dealings.”
Danny’s determination to prove himself to his father and Mike’s determination to steer clear of his throws them into each other’s path one night when Mike unwittingly chauffeurs the drug dealers connected to Danny. Mike subsequently witnesses a murder and can implicate Danny, and in that moment his whole life changes.
Brooklyn Weaver notes, “From our very first meeting, Jaume’s theory was that this one night is the key to Mike’s entire path.”
Whether or not he realizes it, or likes it, he needs his father’s help. Kinnaman relates, “He’s reluctant to accept that help at first because of his feelings toward him, but it becomes evident that his dad is the only person who can help him out of this situation. So they are forced together.”
Collet-Serra adds, “In the larger scheme of things, if this night didn’t happen, Mike would not be complete. This night has to happen so that he can reconnect with his father, so he in turn can be the best father he can be.”
To help his son, Jimmy must dust off his gun—and use it again. Of course once he does, he has both the mob and the entire police department on their trail. “Father and son are together and yet not together, trying to evade the forces of law and order, and the Westie gang, and it sets up a lovely tension between the two of them,” says Neeson.
Vincent D’Onofrio stars as Detective John Harding, a cop who has wanted to put Jimmy away for three decades and who may now get the opportunity to do just that. “I definitely wanted to be involved with a New York kind of drama/action film with Liam and Ed,” says D’Onofrio, who has spent many hours in the theatre watching Harris on stage. “Harding is a New York City detective who has a rocky history with Jimmy. He’s never been able to prove how many hits Jimmy committed and he’s still fixated on that. It’s been many, many years but when they meet again, it’s actually the first thing on Harding’s mind. He believes this is the night he’s going to finally nail Jimmy Conlon.”
If he can catch him.
Neeson offers, “Harding represents not only justice, but also Jimmy’s conscience. Jimmy is haunted by his kills, he sees their faces, and he wants to unburden himself. He just has to get through this night to arrive at a place where he finally may be able to after all this time.”
But who Jimmy really needs to worry about is the guy Shawn has called upon to track him and his son down: Andrew Price. He’s a whole new kind of enforcer, and he’s colder and harder than Jimmy ever was.
Collet-Serra describes Price as “the monster that you unleash and you cannot stop. He’s a next generation hitman. He has no alliances to anybody or anything except money. He represents the new way of the mob. Everything has a bottom line.”
When Shawn reaches out to Price, the bottom line becomes taking out Jimmy and Mike. No matter what. Harris says, “Both Jimmy and Shawn know there’s only one way it can end. It’s the rule of the street in the world they inhabit.”
Common stars as Price, the assassin who isn’t going to stop until, as Jimmy says, “We’re all dead.” He offers, “It’s just cool to be in a film with Liam Neeson and to play his character’s modern-day counterpart. The guy who will look someone in the eye, shoot them in the head, say ‘job’s done’ and keep going. Price has an edge, he’s a little disturbed, is very smart and determined and moves with precision. He’s on this quest to get his prey and he is on them. It was exciting to embark on that.”
Collet-Serra recalls their first meeting. “Common is a really nice guy. That obviously speaks to his acting skills as he was able to draw from somewhere deep and play this villain who’s really tough and scary, and has this relentless energy.”
For his role, Common trained with the stunt coordinators to develop a body language and gun skills that were different from anyone else’s. “He definitely lived up to the expectation of somebody coming after a Liam Neeson character, which is not an easy thing to do,” Collet-Serra smiles.
Rounding out the cast are Bruce McGill as Shawn’s consigliere, Pat Mullen; Holt McCallany as his muscle, Frank; and Patricia Kalember as his wife, Rose Maguire. Nick Nolte also makes an appearance in a pivotal scene as Jimmy’s brother, Eddie, whom he rarely sees.
Neeson declares, “We were so blessed to have the great Nick Nolte. I couldn’t believe it when Jaume told me. He was wonderful. So raw and honest. His part is brief but hugely important to my character and we were all very excited by his taking the role.”
Collet-Serra agrees. “I was very fortunate to have such a great cast to collaborate with. They all brought so much to their characters and that brought so much to the story. Their performances engage you and keep you on the edge of your seat, and really elevate the stakes of survival and redemption.”
Redemption
JIMMY
Right now, Shawn’s got everyone meeting at the
Abbey…they’re gonna start pullin’ your life apart.
And the cops got their own motivation. All I’m
asking…is…listen to your father for one night.
MICHAEL
One night. Then I never have to see you again.
“Run All Night” shot in practical locations in and around New York. Originally set in the screenwriter’s hometown of Philly around the Italian mob, Brad Ingelsby researched and incorporated the Irish mafia when filmmakers decided to change the locale. The production team also mined the rich world of the Westies, the infamous and cutthroat mobsters that ran Hell’s Kitchen in the ‘70s.
“Although that mob, per se, doesn’t exist anymore, a lot of people moved over to Queens,” comments Collet-Serra. So that’s where we scouted.” As they drove around, a visual imagery began to develop in the director’s mind. “It’s full of Irish pubs and Irish culture and I realized that a lot of those places were near or under the elevated train. That instantly gave me a sense of place and structure. So the elevated trains and subways became a metaphor for the mafia connections. Everything and everyone that had to do with that world was near a subway or a train.”
Production designer Sharon Seymour says, “It was a great hook to hang our gangsters on, really visual, a smart idea on Jaume’s part. And it was an interesting take on New York because we’re not showing typical ‘Manhattan movie’ New York; there’s a very real sense of what the neighborhoods and community outside of the Manhattan borough are like. Jaume really embraced that, he has a really great aesthetic. What he likes and what he responds to are very strong, architectural spaces that have a sense of place.”
The production design team created Shawn’s pub, the Abbey, which is the headquarters of the mob, out of three different locations: an exterior under the train on Jamaica Avenue, another exterior reverse under the train in Woodside, and an interior in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. They looked at many Irish bars in the boroughs, and quite a bit in Yonkers. Seymour recalls, “Once we had identified what we wanted for the exterior, our choices were limited to the elevated subway area. It took awhile, it was a complex puzzle, but we solved it.” The interior had the same feel as the exterior and a bigger, more dynamic space.
Jimmy’s place also had to be connected to the train and that took awhile as well. Seymour recalls, “We ended up in a real space that we made even smaller than it actually is, but the kitchen windows directly overlook the train, and the exterior has the train running right by it. The result is very claustrophobic. It really reflects the end of the line and Jimmy’s decline.”
The interiors play out in the tight quarters of actual working class row houses in Ridgewood, Douglaston and Bellerose. The characters environments, except for Mike’s and his family’s, are in either a natural palette, like brick and wood, or in cool tones.
Mike’s world is the only one that has really warm colors and “has this real sense of humanity to it,” says Seymour. “We wanted to reflect how they were doing economically, and that they were really struggling to get by. We found this house in Maspeth that was a single floor, small two-bedroom, and it just felt right. It had a lot of paneling. It just felt very much like a starter home. It was cramped, but full of life.”
John’s Boxing Club in the Bronx was one of the first locations they found. “It felt like a community-based gym, it didn’t feel slick and new,” says Seymour. They also travelled north to Putnam, New York for the rural cabin setting of one scene.
Collet-Serra notes, “It was very important that with a movie called ‘Run All Night,’ we don’t just run from Brooklyn to Queens. You want to run through all of New York. We made a big effort to go into Manhattan several times, as well as Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. We really shot almost everywhere.”
Tadross smiles, “The story takes place in one night, but we shot 48 nights. In New York. In the winter.”
Brooklyn Weaver adds, “Mike Tadross knows everyone in New York and knows the city inside and out. Without him we wouldn’t have gotten the locations we got.”
One of the most recognizable places they incorporated into the shoot is the world-famous Madison Square Garden. “Although the mob has a large presence in the Woodside area, they would still have roots back in the city,” Seymour explains. “That’s what led us to the whole connection with Madison Square Garden and the restaurant nearby. It would have been something that is a renovated version of a place they used to frequent back in the day.”
Roy Lee says shooting at the Garden was “challenging, but definitely paid off.” Collet-Serra shot inside the venue just before a New York Rangers hockey game, but to get the exterior, used the actual crowd exiting the event, working around the real traffic on Seventh Avenue.
Equally challenging was shooting the action sequences in the subway. Since the subways are always in motion and New York officials staunchly protect the system, filmmakers were only allowed to use it at certain times.
Collet-Serra had four hours each day, in two days, to shoot. “We couldn’t control any of the subways, except one for about an hour, from 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. one night. But you don’t know when the train is going to come, or if it’s going to be full of people or not, and if it is, if they are going to look into the camera…so it just makes everything much more difficult and complicated. But then, that’s New York,” he smiles.
In addition to a subway chase, there is a dramatic car sequence in which Jimmy is chasing the cops through Brooklyn in his Camaro. But there’s a twist—Mike is also in the cop car he’s running down. For the sequence’s spectacular finish, the production design team built an entire pawn shop from the ground up in an empty lot in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens.
“You always see cops chasing the bad guys, so it’s fun to have the bad guy chase the cops. Ultimately, if you have your main character chasing a car in which his son is riding, it adds more danger to the situation,” says Collet-Serra. “I also really wanted it to happen under the elevated subway, and crashing through a building gave it a dramatic ending.”
There were seven cameras outside, one on an ultimate arm that was travelling and moving. They also used a movie bird—a camera on a high crane looking down, for a wide shot—and several crash boxes. Additionally, four surveillance monitors inside the pawn shop grabbed footage from that angle to cut in.
The car had to hit the ramp, fly through the air and end up right in the middle of the pawn shop. “It’s like threading a needle,” says Collet-Serra. “They only had four feet on each side of this entrance as he’s coming in sideways, and they have to hit a specific mark. If they were short or long we were in trouble. But the team really prepared and we had a really great stunt driver who nailed it.”
Another sequence was shot in the Linden Plaza Apartments in Brooklyn, where Mike’s young protégé, Legs, lives.
Seymour describes, “The New York City Housing Authority built a lot of the projects at the same time. When we originally started looking at them, they all have a cookie cutter look to them. But when pictures of this came up, it was just so striking and visually bold. It has these great balconies, which facilitated one of our more interesting action sequences.”
During this part of the story, Neeson, Common, D’Onofrio and Kinnaman’s characters are all chasing each other through the interior and exterior of the massive multi-level complex. The building was difficult to control because of its size, and required huge lighting set-ups and crews. Multiple cameras and helicopters were employed all night and the two days there were the coldest and windiest of the entire shoot. And, finally, the night schedule meant residents would be in their apartments while they were filming.
D’Onofrio recalls, “We would come through an apartment, break through all the partitions on the balconies, go out at the end of the building, through the hallway and then back through their room, all through the night while people were watching TV, or trying to get some sleep. By the time we finished, the last take that I did, there was a couple sleeping in their beds with their newborn, which was sound asleep and didn’t wake up through any of the shooting. Then we had to tip-toe through the living room, and onto the balcony and do one last take. It was pretty funny.”
“It was freezing, it was night, it was tough, but a great experience,” Tadross notes. “The residents invited us into their homes, they made us coffee. They were just lovely, wonderful people.”
One of the internal sequences at the same location required hand-to-hand combat in a burning apartment. Collet-Serra shares, “I had wanted to do a fight sequence in a burning room for a long time. It’s very difficult because it gets very hot, very quickly. There’s a lot of the smoke and the camera doesn’t really see through it.” But his actors were in for the long haul and no one complained.
“It helps when you have such a well-oiled machine, with a director at the helm like that,” says Lee. “You don't want to mess around at four o'clock in the morning, but that’s why you have the right guy for that job. Sometimes, Jaume and Liam didn’t even have to speak. Liam knew what Jaume was thinking and vise versa. They’re just a great team.”
From fights on a subway to hanging off a building, Neeson is very hands-on planning and executing his fight sequences. Kinnaman recounts, “There were a lot of intense action sequences that we had to do, and a lot of fight scenes, and it was especially fun to do it with Liam; it’s impressive how much he does and how physical he is.”
Collet-Serra says, “Liam loves to do action and really puts time into rehearsing to get it right. He’s a trouper. In our last film, I had him doing all sorts of things, and even swinging from a cable, and in this one I’ve got him doing even more, and on a cable 16 feet off the ground.”
Neeson’s longtime stunt double, Mark Vanselow, was also the stunt coordinator and worked closely with Neeson and Collet-Serra to choreograph the fights. Neeson observes, “Each character you play has a different back story so each character is going to react differently to things, and even hold weapons a different way. It’s always a fascinating process.”
Junkie XL’s music accompanies the night’s journey as it winds up to its frenetic climax, with Jimmy and Shawn facing the ultimate sacrifice for their sons.
“I’ve always had a soft spot for the tapestry of family conflict in movies, especially if you can wrap it up in a little bit of action, and I believe this movie has all of that,” says Neeson.
Collet-Serra concludes, “I think if audiences come for the action, they’ll get hooked in by the emotion, and they’ll enjoy quite a ride.”
# # #
ABOUT THE CAST
LIAM NEESON (Jimmy Conlon) is an award-winning actor who has been internationally recognized for his work in both major studio blockbusters and acclaimed independent features. He has been honored for his depictions of three very different real-life figures. Neeson received Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations for his performance as Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 Oscar-winning Best Picture “Schindler’s List.” Three years later, he played the title role in Neil Jordan’s biopic “Michael Collins,” earning another Golden Globe nomination and winning an Evening Standard British Film Award and the 1996 Venice Film Festival’s Volpi Cup for his impassioned portrayal of the Irish Republican hero. In 2004, Neeson starred as controversial sex researcher Alfred Kinsey in Bill Condon’s “Kinsey,” for which he garnered his third Golden Globe nomination and an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and won a Los Angeles Film Critics Award.
He previously collaborated with Jaume Collet-Serra, starring in the 2011 thriller “Unknown” and, again in 2014’s “Non-Stop.”
Neeson recently reprised his role as unstoppable CIA operative Bryan Mills in 2014’s “Taken 3,” grossing $40.4 million in its opening weekend as the third in the successful series, which began with the 2008 hit crime thriller “Taken.” Also in 2014, he starred in the drama “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” Seth MacFarlane’s comedy “A Million Ways to Die in the West,” and lent his voice to the animated megahit “The LEGO Movie” as Bad Cop/Good Cop/Pa Cop and the animated film “The Prophet.”
His prior films include the hit comedy “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”; writer/director Paul Haggis’ “Third Person” and “The Next Three Days”; Peter Berg’s actioner “Battleship;” and starred in Joe Carnahan’s thriller “The Grey,” which topped the box office in its opening weekend. His recent film credits also include “The A-Team”; and the role of Zeus in “Clash of the Titans” and “Wrath of the Titans”; as well as the indie films “Chloe,” directed by Atom Egoyan, and “After.Life.”
Neeson is also well known to film fans for his work in two blockbuster film franchises: playing the role of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace,” and the enigmatic Henri Ducard in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.” In addition, Neeson lends his distinctive voice to the character of Aslan in “The Chronicles of Narnia” films: “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Prince Caspian” and “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”
Born in Ireland, Neeson began acting in 1976 with the Lyric Players Theatre in Belfast, and made his professional debut in Joseph Plunkett’s “The Risen People.” After two years, he joined the famed repertory company of Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, appearing in their production of Brian Friel’s “Translations.” He later won a Best Actor award for his performance in Sean O’Casey’s “The Plough and the Stars” at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, England.
In 1980, director John Boorman spotted Neeson as Lennie in John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” and cast him in the Arthurian epic “Excalibur.” During that decade, he played a wide range of characters in such films as Roger Donaldson’s “The Bounty”; Roland Joffe’s “The Mission”; “Lamb,” in the title role; Andrei Konchalovskiy’s “Duet for One”; “A Prayer for the Dying”; Peter Yates’ “Suspect”; “The Good Mother”; and “High Spirits,” which marked his first collaboration with director Neil Jordan.
Neeson’s film work includes Sam Raimi’s “Darkman”; “Crossing the Line”; “Under Suspicion”; Woody Allen’s “Husbands and Wives”; John Madden’s “Ethan Frome,” playing the title role; Michael Apted’s “Nell,” with Jodie Foster and Natasha Richardson; “Rob Roy,” as the title character; Barbet Schroeder’s “Before and After,” opposite Meryl Streep; “Les Miserables”; Kathryn Bigelow’s “K-19: The Widowmaker”; Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York”; Richard Curtis’ ensemble hit “Love Actually”; Ridley Scott’s “Kingdom of Heaven”; and Neil Jordan’s “Breakfast on Pluto.”
Throughout his film career, Neeson returned to the stage. He made his Broadway debut in the 1993 revival of Eugene O’Neill’s “Anna Christie,” for which he garnered a Tony Award nomination. In 1998, he played Oscar Wilde in David Hare’s play “The Judas Kiss,” which opened in London’s West End and later moved to Broadway. He returned to Broadway in 2002 to play Proctor in Sir Richard Eyre’s acclaimed production of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” opposite Laura Linney, earning a second Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination. Neeson also starred in the 2008 Lincoln Center Festival presentation of Samuel Beckett’s “Eh Joe,” directed by Atom Egoyan and produced by Dublin’s Gate Theatre.
JOEL KINNAMAN (Mike Conlon) is originally from Stockholm, Sweden and a graduate of the prestigious Swedish Academic School of Drama, whose alumni include Stellan Skarsgård, Peter Stormare and Lena Olin.
Kinnaman made his feature film debut in the Swedish film “Snabba Cash,” directed by Daniel Espinosa. The film, the first of three, based on the international best-selling series written by Jens Lapidus, is the highest grossing Swedish movie in history. Kinnaman won the 2011 Guldbagge Award for Best Actor for his work in the film.
Shortly after he relocated to Los Angeles, Kinnaman won the male lead in the critically acclaimed AMC series “The Killing,” starring opposite Mireille Enos. The show recently completed its fourth and final season.Most recently, he starred in José Padhilla’s feature action film “Robocop” as the title role character, alongside Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson and Abbie Cornish.
Kinnaman next reunites with Espinosa to star opposite Tom Hardy in “Child 44,” produced by Ridley Scott. He also collaborated with Espinosa in 2012, appearing in the action-thriller “Safe House,” starring Ryan Reynolds.
Among Kinnaman’s other feature credits are the sci-fi feature film “The Darkest Hour”; the romantic comedy “Lola Versus”; and David Fincher’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
VINCENT D’ONOFRIO (Detective John Harding) recently wrapped filming on Colin Trevorrow’s “Jurassic World,” opposite Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. He is currently filming the Netflix series “Daredevil,” opposite Charlie Cox, as the supervillain The Kingpin. He was recently seen in “The Judge,” opposite Robert Downey, Jr. and Robert Duvall.
D’Onofrio will next be seen as the coach in Brian Grazer’s “Pelé,” written and directed by Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist. Last year he wrapped the independent film “Broken Horses,” opposite Anton Yelchin. In July 2013, D’Onofrio was seen in Wayne Kramer’s action-comedy “Pawn Shop Chronicles,” with Elijah Wood, Matt Dillon and Brendan Frasier.
D’Onofrio was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Hawaii, Colorado and Florida. He eventually returned to New York to study acting at the American Stanislavsky Theatre with Sharon Chatten of the Actors Studio. While honing his craft, he appeared in several films at New York University and worked as a bouncer at dance clubs in the city.
In 1984, he became a full-fledged member of the American Stanislavsky Theatre, appearing in “The Petrified Forest,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” and “The Indian Wants the Bronx.” That same year, he made his Broadway debut in “Open Admissions.” He recently starred off-Broadway in Sam Shepard’s “Tooth of Crime (Second Dance).”
D’Onofrio gained attention for his intense and compelling talent on the screen in 1987 with a haunting portrayal of an unstable Vietnam War recruit in Stanley Kubrick’s gritty “Full Metal Jacket.” His other early film appearances include “Mystic Pizza” and “Adventures in Babysitting.” He also executive produced and portrayed 1960s counterculture icon Abbie Hoffman in the film “Steal This Movie,” opposite Janeane Garofalo, and starred opposite Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn in the science-fiction noir film “The Cell.”
His other film credits include “The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys,” opposite Jodie Foster; “The Salton Sea,” opposite Val Kilmer; “Imposter,” with Gary Sinise; “Chelsea Walls,” directed by Ethan Hawke; “Happy Accidents,” co-starring Marisa Tomei; Robert Altman’s “The Player”; Joel Schumacher’s “Dying Young”; Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood”; Kathryn Bigelow’s “Strange Days,” opposite Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett; Harold Ramis’ “Stuart Saves His Family”; Barry Sonnenfeld’s “Men In Black,” opposite Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones; “The Thirteenth Floor,” opposite Craig Bierko; “The Whole Wide World,” which he produced and starred in, opposite Renée Zellweger; and Oliver Stone’s “JFK.” More recently, D’Onofrio appeared in the sci-fi thriller “The Tomb,” featuring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and also recently finished “Fire with Fire,” opposite Bruce Willis and Josh Duhamel. Forthcoming film appearances also include the independent feature “Chained,” from writer-director Jennifer Chambers Lynch.
On television, D’Onofrio starred as Detective Robert Goren in over 100 episodes of the series “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” He received an Emmy Award nomination in 1998 for his riveting guest appearance in the “Homicide: Life on the Street” episode “The Subway.” D’Onofrio directed, produced and starred in the short film “Five Minutes, Mr. Welles,” and recently appeared in the Academy Award-winning short “The New Tenants.”
NICK NOLTE (Eddie Conlon) is a three-time Academy Award nominee, who earned his first Oscar nod for Best Actor for his role in the 1991 drama “The Prince of Tides,” opposite Barbra Streisand, who also directed the film. In addition, Nolte won a Golden Globe and the Los Angeles and Boston Film Critics’ Awards for his portrayal of a man trying to help his suicidal sister while uncovering his own haunting childhood memories. He received his second Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as a man battling addiction in 1997’s “Affliction,” directed by Paul Schrader, as well as Best Actor Awards from the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics, and garnered Golden Globe, Independent Spirit Award and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nominations. His third Academy Award nod came in 2012, for his supporting performance in “Warrior”; he was also nominated for his work by SAG, the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Chicago Film Critics Association.
Most recently he appeared in Ken Kwapis’ “A Walk In The Woods,” with Nick Offerman, Robert Redford and Emma Thompson, and lent his voice to “Noah,” starring Russell Crowe.
Among his other recent films are “The Trials of Cate McCall,” with Kate Beckinsale and James Cromwell; Roger Spottiswoode’s “The Impossible Dream”; Taylor Hackford’s “Parker,” starring Jason Statham; the independent films “Hateship, Friendship,” with Guy Pearce and Kristen Wiig, which premiered at the 2013 Toronoto International Film Festival, and “My Own Love Song,” opposite Renée Zellweger and Forest Whitaker, which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
His previous projects include Robert Redford’s “The Company You Keep”; the indie “Arcadia Lost”; Ben Stiller’s Hollywood spoof “Tropic Thunder”; the family adventure “The Spiderwick Chronicles”; Hans Petter Moland’s “The Beautiful Country,” executive produced by Terrence Malick; Olivier Assayas’ “Clean”; “Peaceful Warrior,” adapted from the Dan Millman novel Way of the Peaceful Warrior and directed by Victor Salva; and “Neverwas,” directed by Joshua Michael Stern and co-starring Ian McKellen, Jessica Lange and William Hurt. He also voiced Vincent the Bear in the animated feature “Over the Hedge,” Butch in “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore,” and Bernie the Gorilla in “Zookeeper.”
Nolte’s other notable film credits include the critically acclaimed “Hotel Rwanda,” with Don Cheadle, for which he earned a SAG Award nomination; Neil Jordan’s “The Good Thief”; Ang Lee’s “The Hulk”; the Polish Brothers’ “Northfork”; Alan Rudolph’s “Investigating Sex”; Oliver Stone’s “U-Turn”; “Jefferson In Paris”; Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear”; “I Love Trouble”; William Friedkin’s “Blue Chips”; writer/director James L. Brooks’ “I'll Do Anything”; and the critically acclaimed “Lorenzo’s Oil.”
His television credits include the mini-series “Rich Man, Poor Man,” for which he received a Golden Globe and Emmy Award nomination for Best Actor, and, more recently, the TV series “Luck,” alongside Dustin Hoffman and the 2014 Fox series “Grace Point.”
In 2000, Nolte returned to his acting roots in the stage production of Sam Shephard’s play “The Late Henry Moss,” in which he starred with Sean Penn.
His production company, Kingsgate, currently has in development “White Jazz,” based on the James Ellroy best selling film noir novel, and “The Last Magic Summer,” an adaptation of the Peter Gent novel of the same name.
An Omaha, Nebraska native, Nolte began his acting career at the Pasadena Playhouse. He studied with Bryan O'Byrne at Stella Adler’s Academy in Los Angeles and traveled for several years, performing in regional theatres, before gaining international recognition with his breakthrough role in the legendary series “Rich Man, Poor Man.” Soon after, he made his feature film starring debut in “The Deep,” opposite Jacqueline Bisset, and went on to deliver a number of diverse character roles in such films as “Who’ll Stop The Rain”; “North Dallas Forty,” which he developed with author Peter Gent”; “Heart Beat”; and “Cannery Row.” His additional film credits include “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” “48 Hours,” “Under Fire,” “Extreme Prejudice,” “Weeds,” “Three Fugitives,” “Farewell to the King,” Martin Scorsese’s segment of “New York Stories,” Karel Reisz’ “Everybody Wins,” and Sidney Lumet’s “Q&A.”
BRUCE McGILL (Pat Mullen) has been a constant and memorable screen presence since driving his motorcycle up the Delta House stairs as D-Day in National Lampoonʼs “Animal House.” He has appeared in over 145 films, television movies and series spanning the last five decades. Throughout his career he has consistently received rave reviews for his stand-out performances, showing no signs of slowing down.
On the big screen McGill recently portrayed Edwin Stanton in Steven Spielbergʼs “Lincoln,” with Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field. He also appeared in the comedy "Ride Along" with Ice Cube and Kevin Hart.
Among his more than 80 motion films are “Law Abiding Citizen,” with Gerard Butler and Jamie Fox; Oliver Stoneʼs “W”; “Vantage Point,” with Dennis Quaid; “Runaway Jury”; Ridley Scott's “Matchstick Men,” and “Cinderella Man,” with Russell Crowe; and Michael Mann's “Collateral.” He previously collaborated with Mann on “Ali” and garnered high praise from critics and audiences alike for his performance as southern attorney Ron Motley in Mann’s “The Insider.” His other notable film work includes “The Sum of All Fears,” “Shallow Hal,” “My Cousin Vinny,” “The Last Boy Scout,” “Silkwood,” “Wildcats,” “The Lookout,” and “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde.” McGill is a single-digit handicap golfer and played Walter Hagen in “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” which was directed by Robert Redford and remains one of his favorite roles to date.
McGill is now in his 6th season of portraying Detective Vince Korsak on TNT's hit series “Rizzoli & Isles.” His list of television credits past is equally impressive, as he has starred in some of HBOʼs most critically acclaimed productions: portraying controversial journalist Peter Arnett in “Live From Baghdad”; painting a chilling portrait of LBJ cabinet member George Ball in “Path to War”; and realistically capturing legendary Yankees manager Ralph Houk in “61.” He has made memorable guest appearances on “The Good Wife,” “C.S.I,” “The Practice,” “Gideonʼs Crossing,” “Home Improvement,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” “The Commish,” “Quantum Leap” and “Miami Vice,” among others. McGill may be best known as Jack Dalton, MacGyverʼs troublemaking best friend, which he portrayed for six seasons on “MacGyver.”
Hailing from Texas, McGill is proud to be the voice of the Longhorn Network, taking over that job from Walter Cronkite. After earning his bachelor's degree in acting from the University of Texas at Austin, he made his professional debut as a member of Rhode Islandʼs Trinity Square Repertory Company. Relocating to New York City, he began a long association with the New York Shakespeare Festival, appearing in “Hamlet,” produced by the legendary Joseph Papp; “Henry V”; and playing Iago, opposite Raul Juliaʼs Othello, for the NYSFʼs Shakespeare in the Park series. He also starred on Broadway for two years in “My One and Only,” with Tommy Tune and Twiggy. In 2007, he returned to the stage after 22 years with an acclaimed portrayal of Orson Welles in “Orsonʼs Shadow” at the Pasadena Playhouse.
In 2010, Bruce was deeply honored when he was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame.
Genesis Rodriguez (Gabriela Conlon) most recently starred in Kevin Smith’s modern-day monster film “Tusk,” alongside Justin Long and Haley Joel Osment and Smith’s upcoming comedy thriller “Yoga Hosers.” She will next appear in the thriller “Home,” starring alongside Topher Grace.
Rodriguez previously starred alongside Paul Walker in the dramatic thriller “Hours” and lent her voice as Honey Lemon to the Oscar nominated animated film “Big Hero 6.”
In 2013, Rodriguez starred alongside Melissa McCarthy, Jason Bateman, Eric Stonestreet and Jon Favreau in the comedy “Identity Thief.” Rodriguez was also seen alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rodrigo Santoro and Forest Whitaker in the action thriller “The Last Stand.”
Among Rodriguez’s other films are “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” alongside Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez and Chris Rock; the suspense thriller “Man on a Ledge,” opposite Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Ed Harris and Ed Burns; and as Will Ferrell’s love interest in the Spanish-language comedy “Casa de mi Padre,” opposite Ferrell, Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna.
Rodriguez’s memorable American television roles include Becky Ferrer on the NBC soap opera “Days of our Lives” and Sarah in HBO’s “Entourage.” She is also known for her roles in the highly acclaimed NBC Universal/Telemundo television series “Prisionera,” “Dame Chocolate” and “Dona Barbara.”
Rodriguez was born and raised in Miami, Florida and is the youngest daughter of legendary international recording artist and actor Jose Luis Rodriguez “El Puma.” She is an alumnus of the Lee Strasberg Theater in Los Angeles and New York’s Film Institute.
Boyd Holbrook (Danny Maguire) is quickly amassing an impressive resume of diverse roles, starring among some of the most respected actors and proving to be one of Hollywood’s most engaging and sought after young talents.
Holbrook can next be seen in Gavin O’Connor’s western “Jane Got A Gun,” alongside Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor, set to release in September. These noteworthy performances will follow his latest leading role in Sara Colangelo’s indie film “Little Accidents,” opposite Elizabeth Banks and Chloe Sevigny.
He is currently in production for the Netflix original series “Narcos,” based on the true events that depict Pablo Escobar’s life and set to release August/September. Holbrook will star as DEA agent Steve Murphy, one of the male leads, sent to Colombia as part of a U.S. mission to capture and kill the notorious cocaine kingpin in the late ’80s and early ’90s. He is also set to star in the indie drama “Cardboard Boxer,” alongside Terrence Howard and Thomas Haden Church, as well as Terrence Malick’s latest film, opposite Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Michael Fassbender, Rooney Mara and Natalie Portman.
Last year, Holbrook received notice for his riveting performances, including his work with director David Fincher in the adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s novel “Gone Girl,” alongside Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. In addition, he could be seen opposite Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader in “Skeleton Twins,” which debuted at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and in Scott Frank’s crime drama “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” where he first starred alongside Liam Neeson. Additionally, Holbrook completed production for his writing and directorial debut, “Peacock Killer,” a short film based on a short story of the same title by Sam Shepard.
Prior, Holbrook starred in the drama “Very Good Girls,” alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival; in Scott Cooper’s “Out of the Furnace,” alongside Christian Bale and Zoe Saldana; as well as Andrew Niccol’s “The Host,” based on Stephanie Meyer’s romance novel of the same name. That same year he also starred in the HBO Liberace biopic directed by Steven Soderbergh, “Behind the Candelabra,” opposite Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, which opened to rave reviews at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Preceding this success, he garnered prolific roles in numerous films, including Vera Farmiga’s “Higher Ground” and Gus Van Sant’s Academy Award nominated drama “Milk”; and in the unforgettable Emmy nominated television mini-series “Hatfields & McCoys,” as well as the Golden Globe nominated Showtime series “The Big C.”
In addition to his thriving film career, Holbrook pursues other creative endeavors as an avid sculptor. His work has been exhibited at various locations, including the Rare Gallery in New York.
COMMON (Andrew Price) recently won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Glory” from the Oscar nominated film “Selma,” shared with John Legend. Common also won a Golden Globe as well as Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for the song. Starring in the film as 1960s Civil Rights Movement leader James Bevel, Common also shared nominations from numerous Critics Associations for Best Ensemble with a cast including Oprah Winfrey. Already a multi-Grammy Award winner, Common recently received two more Grammy Award nominations this year, for a total of twelve, for his 2014 rap album “Nobody’s Smiling,” in the category of Best Rap Album, as well as for Best Rap/SungCollaboration for his Song “Blak Majik,” featuring Jhene Aiko.
His numerous previous accomplishments in film and music include starring on the silver screen in films such as “Smokin Aces,” “American Gangster,” “Wanted,” “Terminator Salvation,” “Date Night,” “Just Wright,” “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” “Luv,” and “Now You See Me.” Common also starred in the acclaimed AMC TV series “Hell On Wheels,” as Elam, a freed slave who comes west in post-Civil War America seeking work on the Transcontinental Railroad.
Prior to acting, Common rose to prominence as one of hip hop’s most poetic and respected lyricists, having recorded more than eight albums and garnering multiple Grammy Awards. In 2004, he partnered with Chicago native and rap music mega-star Kanye West to produce the album “Be,” which went on to garner four Grammy Award nominations. In 2007, Common released his critically acclaimed seventh album, “Finding Forever,” which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart and went on to earn a Grammy Award. His eighth album, “Universal Mind Control,” was released in 2008 and was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Rap Album. Common’s highly anticipated ninth album, “The Believer, The Dreamer,” was released to critical acclaim by Warner Bros. Records on December 20th, 2011. On September 18th, 2012, Common joined forces with the rest of the G.O.O.D. Music crew to release the highly anticipated “Cruel Summer” album. Additional artists on the album include Kanye West, John Legend, Pusha T, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, and Kid Cudi. Common plans to release his first mixtape in April of this year followed by his tenth solo album in September.
Common also offers an even younger generation a better understanding of self-respect and love, by utilizing the cultural relevance of hip hop in the children’s books he has written. His first book, entitled The Mirror and Me, teaches lessons of life, the human spirit, and human nature. His follow-up book I Like You But I Love Me was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and in 2008 he released his third book, M.E. (Mixed Emotions). Common recently added to this list of accomplished written works with his revealing memoir, One Day It’ll All Make Sense, which made the prestigious New York Times Best Seller list upon publication. Every aspect of his life’s journey was unveiled in this deeply personal account of who Common is and the people, faith and events that have shaped and molded him into the award-winning, critically acclaimed conscious artist of today.
In addition to his music, film, and literary pursuits, Common has been the face, voice and inspiration behind some of the largest consumer brands in the country. Common was the voice of Gatorade’s G Series Sports Drink commercial that was launched during Super Bowl 2010. In 2009, he was announced as the face of the new Diesel Men’s fragrance Only the Brave and he partnered with Microsoft as the inspiration and one of the designers to launch their Softwear clothing t-shirt line.
Common is a regularly requested guest speaker known to motivate and empower collegiate minds while speaking at prestigious universities across the country. In 2000, he launched his own philanthropic effort, The Common Ground Foundation, whose mission is dedicated to the empowerment and development of disadvantaged youth in urban communities by mentoring in three areas: character development, creative expression and healthy living.
ED HARRIS (Shawn Maguire) will next be seen starring with Ethan Hawke and Milla Jovovich in “Cymbeline,” Michael Almereyda’s modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s play. He recently completed filming on Dean Devlin’s untitled directorial debut.
Harris made his feature film directing debut on “Pollock,” receiving an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor for his performance in the title role. His co-star, Marcia Gay Harden, won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar under his direction. Harris’ film credits include “Appaloosa,” which he starred in, directed, and co-wrote; “A History of Violence,” receiving a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor; “The Hours,” garnering Best Supporting Actor Oscar, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and BAFTA nominations; last year’s “Frontera,” with Michael Pena and “The Face of Love,” with Annette Bening; “Pain and Gain”; “Gone Baby Gone”; “The Truman Show,” receiving an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor; “Apollo 13,” garnering Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and a SAG Award in the same category; “The Way Back,” “Copying Beethoven,” “The Right Stuff,” “The Abyss,” “The Rock,” “The Human Stain,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Stepmom,” “The Firm,” “A Flash of Green,” “Places in the Heart,” “Alamo Bay,” “Sweet Dreams,” “Jacknife,” “State of Grace,” “The Third Miracle” and “Touching Home.”
On television, Harris will star in J.J. Abrams’ and Jonathan Nolan’s “Westworld” for HBO. When last on HBO, Harris won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, along with Emmy and SAG nominations, for his portrayal of John McCain in Jay Roach’s “Game Change.” He starred with Paul Newman in the HBO miniseries “Empire Falls,” receiving Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Best Actor nominations for his performance. His other television credits include “The Last Innocent Man,” “Running Mates,” “Paris Trout” and “Riders of the Purple Sage,” for which he and his wife Amy Madigan, as co-producers and co-stars, were presented with the Western Heritage Wrangler Award for Outstanding Television Feature Film.
In 2012, at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, Harris starred with Amy Madigan, Bill Pullman and Glenne Headley in the world premiere of playwright Beth Henley’s “The Jacksonian,” directed by Robert Falls. He reprised that role this past fall to critical acclaim in the play’s New York Premiere at off-Broadway’s Acorn Theater. Harris received both an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance and a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Solo Show for the off-Broadway production of “Wrecks” at New York City’s Public Theatre. He originated the role, with writer/director Neil LaBute, for the play’s world premiere at the Everyman Palace Theatre in Cork, Ireland and won the 2010 LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Solo Performance for the production of “Wrecks” at the Geffen Playhouse. His theatre credits include: Ronald Harwood’s “Taking Sides,” Sam Shepard’s plays “Fool for Love,” for which he won an Obie Award and “Simpatico,” for which he won the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Actor; George Furth’s “Precious Sons,” receiving a Drama Desk Award; “Prairie Avenue,” “Scar,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Grapes of Wrath,” and “Sweet Bird of Youth.”
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
JAUME COLLET-SERRA (Director) was born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain in 1974. In the early 1990s, he moved from Barcelona to Los Angeles to attend film school at Columbia College.
From there, Collet-Serra moved into directing music videos and then commercials for products such as PlayStation, Budweiser, MasterCard, Miller Lite, Pontiac, Smirnoff Ice, Renault, Verizon and 7-UP, working with such agencies as McCann-Erickson, J. Walter Thompson, BBDO, and TBWA\Chiat\Day.
Collet-Serra’s stylized, surreal and often dark imagery quickly caught the eye of producer Joel Silver, who hired him to direct “House of Wax” in 2005. Then in 2007, Collet-Serra’s love for soccer took him back to Spain to shoot “Goal II: Living the Dream.” Collet-Serra collaborated with Silver in 2009, directing the horror thriller “Orphan.” In 2011, Collet-Serra and Silver teamed with Liam Neeson for the first time with the thriller “Unknown,” and again in 2014 with “Non-Stop.”
While in post-production for “Unknown” and in anticipation of its worldwide success, Collet-Serra and longtime friend, attorney Juan Sola, launched Ombra Films with offices in Los Angeles. Since its inception in mid 2011, Ombra has produced 5 films: “Anna,” “Curve,” “Eden,” “Extinction,” and “Hooked Up.”
BRAD INGELSBY (Screenwriter) previously co-wrote the 2014 indie crime drama “Out of the Furnace,” which starred Christian Bale, and was directed by Oscar nominee Scott Cooper. The film was produced by Leonardo DiCaprio/Appian Way, Ridley Scott/Scott Free, and Ryan Kavanaugh.
Additionally, Ingelsby scripted the 2013 indie drama “The Dynamiter,” which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, and received two Independent Spirit Award nominations.
Ingelsby received his MFA in screenwriting in 2005 from the American Film Institute.
ROY LEE (Producer) earned his first motion picture producing credit as executive producer on Gore Verbinski’s 2002 blockbuster “The Ring.” He went on to produce the 2004 haunted house horror “The Grudge,” which, upon its October 2004 release, broke the record for the biggest opening weekend of all time for a horror film. October 2006 saw the release of “The Departed,” a crime thriller directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio, which went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. He most recently produced the blockbuster “The LEGO Movie,” and the upcoming sequels and spin-offs. Currently, Lee maintains a first-look deal with Warner Bros. and is working on several projects in various stages of production and development, including “The Minecraft Movie.” Among his other projects are “Poltergeist,” a remake of the horror classic; and adaptations of Stephen King’s novels, “The Stand” and “IT.” A Korean-American born in Brooklyn and raised in Bethesda, Maryland, Lee earned a Bachelors degree from George Washington University and a law degree from American University. After a brief stint as a corporate attorney, Lee relocated from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles in 1996 to pursue a career in the film industry.
BROOKLYN WEAVER (Producer) is the CEO/owner of Energy Entertainment, a production and literary management company founded in 2000.
Weaver is currently an executive producer with Steven Spielberg/Amblin Television on the CBS series “Extant,” starring Halle Berry.
In 2014, Weaver executive produced Scott Cooper’s indie crime drama “Out of the Furnace,” which starred Christian Bale and was produced by Leonardo DiCaprio/Appian Way, Ridley Scott/Scott Free, and Ryan Kavanaugh.
MICHAEL TADROSS (Producer) most recently produced Akiva Goldsman’s “Winter’s Tale,” and the gritty drama “Gangster Squad,” starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Ryan Gosling. He also produced the comedies “Arthur” and “Cop Out.” Tadross served as executive producer on Guy Ritchie’s action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes,” starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, and on the Will Smith hits “I Am Legend,” a sci-fi action thriller, and the comedy “Hitch.”
Previously, Tadross produced or executive produced a wide range of motion pictures, including “Basic,” starring John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson; “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding”; “Rollerball,” with Chris Klein, LL Cool J and Jean Reno; “The Thomas Crown Affair,” starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo; “Jack Frost,” with Michael Keaton; “The Devil’s Advocate,” starring Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves; “Eraser,” with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vanessa Williams and James Caan; “Indecent Proposal,” with Robert Redford and Demi Moore; “School Ties,” with Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck; and “Die Hard: With a Vengeance,” starring Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons and Samuel L. Jackson, which was one of the top ten grossing films of 1995.
For television, Tadross produced the telefilms “When Will I Be Loved?,” starring Stephanie Powers, and “Deadly Illusions,” starring Billy Dee Williams.
Tadross served as Senior Vice President of Feature Production at Paramount Pictures from 1991 to 1994. During this time, he oversaw such films as “Forrest Gump,” “The Naked Gun,” “The Firm,” “Clear and Present Danger,” the “Wayne’s World” franchise, “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” “Beverly Hills Cop III,” “Blue Chips,” “Coneheads” and “Sliver.”
He also worked as a unit production manager/first assistant director on such films as “Coming to America,” “Black Rain,” “Ghost,” “Trading Places,” “Masquerade,” “Cocktail” and “Death Wish 3,” as well as numerous mini-series and movies of the week.
Tadross was born and raised in Brooklyn. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Wagner College, and was an award-winning photojournalist before starting his film career as a camera trainee and assistant film editor.
JOHN POWERS MIDDLETON (Executive Producer) is a producer at Vertigo Entertainment, which has a first look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures.
Middleton was a co-producer on the 2014 box office hit “The LEGO Movie,” and executive produced Spike Lee's 2013 action mystery “Old Boy,” starring Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen and Samuel L. Jackson. Among his other film credits are the upcoming horror comedy “The Voices,” starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick and the thriller “7500,” which he executive produced. He will next serve as an executive producer on “Sleepless Night,” starring Jamie Foxx and Michelle Monaghan.
In television, Middleton served as an executive producer on the critically acclaimed A&E series “Bates Motel,” starring Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, approaching its third season. In 2014, he co-founded The Affleck/Middleton Project production company with Casey Affleck and has various projects in development under that banner as well. He also produces for Good Universe with Roy Lee.
Middleton is a native of Philadelphia.
MARTIN RUHE (Director of Photography) most recently lensed “The Keeping Room,” a Civil War drama starring Hailee Steinfeld, Brit Marling and Sam Worthington and directed by Daniel Barber, with whom Ruhe also collaborated on the action drama “Harry Brown,” starring Michael Caine.
Ruhe’s collaborations with director Anton Corbijn include the crime thriller “The American,” starring George Clooney as an aging assassin; “Linear”; and the critically acclaimed “Control,” starring Sam Riley and Samantha Morton. “Control” earned Ruhe Best Cinematography honors at the 2007 Auteur Film Festival, as well as a Camerimage Golden Frog nomination and a Best Technical Achievement for Cinematography nomination from the British Independent Film Awards. The music biography about enigmatic singer Ian Curtis was also nominated for two BAFTA Awards and won the British Independent Film Award for Best Independent Film as well as the London Critics Circle Film and Evening Standard British Film Awards for Best Film. In addition, the film received the Golden Camera at Cannes.For his cinematography on David Hare’s dark spy thriller “Page Eight,” Ruhe won the 2012 American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture/Miniseries Television Award.
Ruhe’s work also includes the feature films “The Countess,” directed by and starring Julie Delpy.
Since 2000, the commercials and music videos Ruhe has worked on have earned him a grand total of 26 industry awards. In 2007, Variety magazine named Ruhe one of their Top Ten DPs to Watch.
SHARON SEYMOUR (Production Designer) has collaborated with director Ben Affleck on his films “Gone Baby Gone,” “The Town,” and, most recently, “Argo,” receiving nominations from the Art Directors Guild for the Excellence in Production Design Award for both “The Town” and “Argo.”
She has designed such films as Spike Lee’s “Oldboy” and the George Clooney-directed “The Ides of March.” Her work also includes “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Bad Santa,” “The Truth about Cats and Dogs” and “Don Juan DeMarco.”
Coming from a theater background, Seymour graduated from Ithaca College and moved to New York City. A job on George Romero’s “Creepshow” led her to Los Angeles and a Masters Degree in production design at the American Film Institute. She then established herself as a designer on “The Ben Stiller Show,” followed by “Reality Bites” and “The Cable Guy.”
CATHERINE MARIE THOMAS (Costume Designer) began her film work in 1994, and her influential designs have defined some of the most memorable film characters of the past two decades. Among her most notable achievements have been the cutting-edge bright yellow fight suit designed for Uma Thurman in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill,” the folksy attire donned by Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin in Robert Altman’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” and her Costume Design Guild Award-winning and Emmy nominated designs worn by Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange in Michael Sucsy’s “Grey Gardens” for HBO.
Thomas has designed over two dozen feature films, most recently collaborating with Juame Collet-Serra on the action film “Non-Stop.” Among her other films are the hit comedies “The Heat,” directed by Paul Feig, and Anne Fletcher’s “27 Dresses,” and “The Proposal,” as well as Fletcher’s upcoming “Hot Pursuit.” Her filmography also includes Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, “Whip It,” Neil Jordan’s “The Brave One,” Richard Shepard’s “The Matador,” Ethan Hawke’s “The Hottest State” and “Chelsea Walls.” She has also collaborated with writer/director Edward Burns four times, on “Purple Violets,” “The Groomsmen,” “Ash Wednesday,” and “Sidewalks Of New York.”
In October 2012, Thomas’ work was featured in a 100 year retrospective of Hollywood costume designers at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, UK.
In addition to the recognition of her work in “Grey Gardens,” Thomas earned Costume Designers Guild Award nominations for “Kill Bill: Volumes 1 and 2” and was profiled in Deborah Nadoolman Landis’ Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costumes, published by Harper Collins in 2007. She received a career achievement award from New York Women in Film & Television and Variety Magazine and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Chicago Academy for the Arts. Her media appearances have included NBC’s “The Talk,” “Access Hollywood,” NPR’s “Eight Forty-‐Eight,” TBS’s “Dinner and a Movie” and she has been featured in Interview, Vogue (US, UK, Japan), W, Harpers Bazaar, WWD, The New York Times, USA Today, Variety, Clothes on Film, and The Hollywood Reporter.
A Brooklyn resident and Chicago native, Thomas studied at the Chicago Academy for the Arts and the Kansas City Art Institute before starting her career as a designer in New York City in the costume shop at The Julliard School.
TOM HOLKENBORG (JUNKIE XL) (Composer) is a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum producer and composer. A multi-instrumentalist who plays keyboards, guitar, drums, violin, and bass, he also possesses a mastery of studio technology.
Currently focusing on film composition, Holkenborg is creating the music for director George Miller’s upcoming installment of the “Mad Max” franchise, “Mad Max: Fury Road.” He previously scored “300: Rise of An Empire,” which Snyder produced. His additional credits include Robert Luketic’s “Paranoia” and the young adult film “Divergent,” based on Veronica’s Roth’s successful trilogy.
The foundation for this new career path was laid in his native Holland, where he created multiple film scores. He later continued to grow under mentorships with celebrated composers like Harry Gregson-Williams, on the films “Domino” and “Kingdom of Heaven,” and Klaus Badelt on “Catwoman.” From there, Holkenborg formed a highly successful association with Zimmer. They have collaborated on films including the 2013 blockbuster “Man of Steel,” Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” the “Madagascar” films, “Megamind” and “Inception.”
Earlier in his composing career, Holkenborg also provided music for such films as “Bandslam,” “DOA: Dead or Alive,” “The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury,” “The Animatrix” and “Resident Evil.”
Holkenborg’s career as an artist began in 1993 when he started industrial rock band NERVE, while also producing hardcore and metal bands like Sepultura and Fear Factory. Drawn to EDM, he started Junkie XL in 1997, debuting with the album Saturday Teenage Kick. Holkenborg went on to produce five more albums under the Junkie XL moniker while playing headline shows all over the world. In 2002, the producer-remixer scored a number 1 hit in 24 countries with his rework of Elvis Preseley’s “A Little Less Conversation.” Following that success, Holkenborg collaborated with celebrated artists like Dave Gahan, Robert Smith and Chuck D, and remixed such artists as Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake, among many others. In addition, Holkenborg created the music for videogames, including “Need for Speed,” “The Sims” and “SSX,” as well as commercials for global campaigns for Nike, Heineken, Adidas, Cadillac and VISA.
