Bullet Train
Friday 6th January 2023
In Bullet Train, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug's latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe-all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives-on the world's fastest train. The end of the line is just the beginning in this non-stop thrill-ride through modern-day Japan from David Leitch, the director of Deadpool 2.
Columbia Pictures presents an 87North production, a film by David Leitch, Bullet Train. Starring Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, and Sandra Bullock. Directed by David Leitch. Produced by Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, and Antoine Fuqua. Screenplay by Zak Olkewicz. Based on the book by Kotaro Isaka. Executive producers are Brent O'Connor, Ryosuke Saegusa, Yuma Terada, and Kat Samick. Director of Photography is Jonathan Sela. Production Designer is David Scheunemann. Edited by Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir ACE. Costume Designer is Sarah Evelyn. Music by Dominic Lewis. Music Supervision by Season Kent.
"Ladybug is going through an existential crisis," says Brad Pitt, who stars as an assassin just trying to do his job peacefully in the comedic action thriller Bullet Train. "Too many of his recent jobs have gone sideways and he's starting to think that the one thing all of those jobs have had in common is him. He thinks he's brought bad luck to every aspect of his life - it's affected his work, and he's trying to find a way to turn it around through peaceful resolution."
For director David Leitch, who previously brought style and flair to such movies as Deadpool 2, the chance to direct a movie that was unlike any other presented an unmissable opportunity. "I was attracted to how bold and original it is, and that's the kind of movie I like to make," he says. "It has a tone of relentless fun and snappy dialogue. But the most important thing to me was that it had well-defined characters that gave the actors a lot to chew on. It's a fun action-thriller with crazy, bombastic characters - and it's a meditation on fate. Really."
Bullet Train brings together seven characters, all with connected, conflicting, and at times, confusing objectives. "Fate brings these people onto this train, and their energies combine in the craziest, most gonzo way possible," says producer Kelly McCormick, who is Leitch's partner both professionally as a producer and in life as his wife. "It was important to David to make a film that would invest you emotionally. When he saw his opportunity to do that, with these characters, he was all in."
"All of these characters show their humanity," says Leitch. "Ladybug wants to be a better person. But you also see it in the characters played by Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in their brotherhood - they clearly care for each other. Joey King's character is a sociopath, but she has a dynamic with her father that we can all connect with. You can go on this journey with these remorseless killers and still feel for them, have fun, laugh at the jokes."
That makes it a movie that fits squarely into Leitch's vision as a director. "It's hard these days to strike out and make an original movie - not a sequel or a superhero story - but we're up for the challenge," Leitch continues. Through his company 87North, Leitch is seeking to bring his own personal stamp to action movies and the way action is portrayed. Having entered the business as a stuntman, and rising to become a stunts supervisor and choreographer before staking a groundbreaking directorial style with the films Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs 'n' shaw, and John Wick, Leitch says that there are boundless opportunities to stretch the action genre. "There's action in comedy, there's action in thrillers, there's action in horror," he says. "My entire adult life has been action on film. Action is in my DNA. So I'm excited by the idea of taking big, provocative swings and making bold choices, as we keep it action-adjacent."
Leitch had gained Pitt's trust by serving as his stunt double on several of the actor's classics - Fight Club, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Troy, and more - before making his mark as a director. Pitt knew he'd be in safe hands. "It was a little funny to me, watching Brad play a stuntman in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood. I can tell you that the relationship between actor and stuntman that was part of that movie is real," says Leitch. "You develop a close and collaborative relationship. We went in different directions for a while, but fate wasn't done with us, and I'm so glad it's brought us back together."
Bullet Train is based on the book by Kotaro Isaka, one of Japan's most popular and acclaimed novelists. Two of the film's executive producers, Yuma Terada and Ryosuke Saegusa, are co-founders of the Tokyo- and New York-based production company and literary agency CTB, which brings contemporary Japanese storytelling to Hollywood. They supported the idea to adapt Bullet Train as a global, international story.
"It was so exciting to watch the stellar cast bring such energy and passion to this story," says Isaka, the author of the book. "This unique vision of Japan is utterly surprising and so much fun - it made me very happy to see it, and I know audiences will feel the same way."
For screenwriter Zak Olkewicz, who adapts the novel, bringing out the theme of fate was an important part of the adaptation. "I really responded to that," he says. "Ladybug views his bad luck as a curse, but it's actually a catalyst of good luck for other people."
In fact, it's Ladybug's bad luck that has made him an expert in his field. "Something does always seem to go wrong in the craziest ways, and he has to react on the fly, which ultimately makes him very effective," says Olkewicz. "The irony is that because he's able to react when something goes awry, Ladybug is better than everybody else on the train."
Creating meaningful arcs for seven characters was one thing. Just keeping track of where each of them are on the train was another. "At one point, my whiteboard looked like I was tracking a serial killer," recalls Olkewicz with a laugh. "There were so many lines of string denoting everyone's movements on the train at any given time. It was the only way to ensure everyone knew where people were."
To create the adventure, Leitch's design team created a heighted reality inside and outside the train. "Part of the fun was creating the environments that we wanted to be in," says Leitch. "A lounge car, a quiet car, a Momomon car... We were driven by the idea that these were all places where we could do something different, but as it turns out, all of this research led to special discoveries that led not only to bold design choices, but character and plot. It's more than just a place to walk through. They're little journeys, little miracles."
To create Bullet Train's unique vision of Japan as seen through the train's windows, the team started by capturing the Japanese countryside between Tokyo and Kyoto. With this high-definition footage in hand, Leitch's design team built each of the cars of the train - the quiet car, the café car, the themed Momomon car - on soundstages, projecting Japan outside the train windows on LED screens. "Normally, you'd do this through visual effects. You'd put up a blue screen and comp the plates in later," Leitch explains. "With the LED screens hung along a hundred meters of train, we could shoot the train journey in-camera while we were on the train. It's called virtual production and I think it was a huge benefit to the actors and their performances."
Of course, in the movie, it's meant to be a stylized version of Japan. When you see the movie, expect something different. "This is Bullet Train world," says Leitch. "We're making a modern fable about fate, so it's fitting to immerse you in a story where you escape to that world. It's filled with wish fulfillment and heightened characters. We defy physics."
Ladybug
Ladybug is an intuitive and skilled but burnt-out operative whose string of bad luck has taken its toll on him. Cajoled into taking what sounds like an easy pick-up job, he unwittingly stumbles into a vipers nest of the most notorious elite assassins in the game.
"You may think Brad Pitt and not necessarily think comedy, but he's a very smart comedic actor who makes great choices with his physicality and delivery," says Leitch. "More importantly, Brad plays Ladybug in a way where you do care about him. He thinks he's unlucky, but really his luck pays itself forward and proves to be good luck that rubs off on everybody else."
"Before Brad signed on, we were wondering, well, who could play Ladybug?" laughs McCormick. "It's such an interesting, unique, complex character, with an unconventional arc."
When Pitt came on board the project, he helped define the character he would bring to life. "He's so great with character," says Leitch. "He had some brilliant revelations about what he wanted to bring to the character."
"The bucket hat was a stroke of genius by Brad," says McCormick. "He's arguably the biggest, most charismatic star in the world. People expect his stardom, his charm to radiate. Instead, he's hiding it in this goofy hat and glasses to become this vulnerable guy. He plays him as the underdog - Brad Pitt is the underdog of the movie in a lot of ways."
Tangerine and Lemon
The Twins, Tangerine and Lemon, aren't actually twins. (No kiddin') In fact, though they are seemingly a disparate pair, they are lifelong brothers in arms. Tangerine is a Savile Row-suited killer with slicked back hair and flashy gold jewelry - not exactly subtle. Lemon, meanwhile, possesses a guileless demeanor and moral compass that he has honed entirely from the lessons from "Thomas the Tank Engine" - but he is nevertheless just as talented a hitman as his twin.
Leitch knew that finding actors who could portray this close relationship was the key to making it work. "The energy and chemistry between Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry was immediate," says Leitch.
Taylor-Johnson and Henry agree - and say that their offscreen chemistry drove the onscreen relationship (and vice versa). "Tangerine and Lemon go hand in hand and really rely on each other," says Taylor-Johnson. "There's a love between them, a deeply rooted partnership that goes back years and years. That kind of bond needs to be supported by an instant connection and chemistry for us both, and Brian brought the energy, fire, and passion every day. I fed off of his energy, bounced off of his enthusiasm and his charisma. He's one of the best actors around, without a doubt."
Henry, well-known for his roles in The Eternals and "Atlanta," says he was able to tap into the fun odd-couple nature of their characters & pairing. "Lemon is incredibly genuine. He is the most genuine, childlike, joyous psychopath you'll ever meet in your life," Henry says. "He enters a room and you can't miss him, but at the same time, he has a real ease about him. That's why pairing him with Aaron's Tangerine is so perfect. Tangerine is crazy, and there's a finesse that Aaron has when he steps into the role. He's that fine wine of sociopaths. The two of us together is so eclectic and fun and we're just the oddest pairing, but at the same time, it works so well."
"I don't know if Tangerine is a psychopath, a sociopath, just a psychotic nutcase, or a combination of all three," says Taylor-Johnson. "Tangerine and Lemon are funny because they're hyper-charismatic. Also, the circumstances are so ludicrous - they're trained assassins and extremely dangerous, but they've lost their marbles a little bit. But what makes them truly funny is the way they bicker like husband and wife. Even whilst they're tying someone up... or chopping someone up."
Henry adopts a British accent to match his character's brother's. "It's a true honor to be able to speak the King's English," he says. "It's something that I've always wanted to do, I worked hard at it, and I had a great dialect coach. working hard, like we got a great dialect coach. One of the great things is that every single person is flipping these characters on their head. Brad playing the crazy, weird, unlucky assassin. Joey King playing like an upper-class society girl who can turn into a cold-blooded killer in a minute. Everybody in this movie is playing the complete antithesis of who they really are in real life. Except Aaron."
The Prince
For Tangerine and Lemon, killing is all business. For The Prince, a young woman on the train played by Joey King, it's pleasure. Knowing that others will judge her by her appearance, she makes full use of those misconceptions. "She knows that she's underestimated and she also knows that's an advantage," says King. "She uses her sweet looks and her tender voice to get what she wants - and she knows exactly what she wants," says King. "She masks her true desires with fierce cruelty and these menacing, torturous tendencies. Ultimately, she seeks love and respect - it's interesting, the people who she loves the most, she also fears and hates the most."
Leitch says that the actress - who goes from "The Princess" (her new Hulu series, which is receiving rave reviews) to The Prince with Bullet Train - brought a surprising depth to the character. "Joey King's first reading with us was emotional and satirical in a way we weren't expecting," says Leitch.
That take on the role is what distinguishes the Prince's scenes with Kimura, played by Andrew Koji. "Prince could not be more excited that Kimura's life is falling apart," she says. "That's why it's so interesting to play a character like this. I got to play around with emotions in a way I've never done before, and it was really quite fun. Our scenes together vary so much - from brutal, heartbreaking stuff to being absolutely hilarious, and everything in between."
Kimura
Before he boarded the Shinkansen, Kimura, a low-level Tokyo criminal, hit rock bottom. An alcoholic in a perpetual haze, he boards the train ready to exact his revenge on the unknown culprit who attacked his son and ultimately redeem himself and restore honor to his family name.
Japanese-British actor/martial artist Andrew Koji plays the role. For Koji, the complexity of the character and the film's relatable themes of luck and family resonated. "I've never seen a character like Kimura before, let alone in a big Hollywood film like Bullet Train. From the moment you first see him, you know he's a man in crisis, made worse by the disapproval of his father. He's a decisive moment that incites the whole film and his storyline."
"This film is about luck, and like Ladybug, I think Kimura's always felt unlucky his whole life," Koji continues. "When you have a victim mentality, you attract that kind of energy. But he'll have a moment when his luck turns around."
"Andrew's character is the heartbeat of the movie," says Leitch. "It's definitely Ladybug's story, but the emotional center - and the most complex relationship in the movie - is the relationship between Kimura and The Elder."
As Kimura's stoic, unyielding father, known as the Elder, Hiroyuki Sanada takes on the multi-layered character of the modest florist who is fiercely protective of his family. Even as Kimura loses himself in a bottle and feels the enormous shame he's brought to his family, the Elder knows his son is a survivor. "Getting the role was a dream, but then I find out that Hiroyuki Sanada is playing my dad," says Koji. "This whole experience has been a bit surreal. I never saw my path ever crossing with Hiroyuki Sanada."
When the Elder, worried about Kimura, boards the train, he shares some sage wisdom with Ladybug. "He explains the lore of Tentou-mushi - Japanese for ladybug," says Olkewicz. "The explanation is that there is a spot on its back for each of the seven sorrows of the world of mankind. Tentou-mushi isn't lucky - it holds all the bad luck, so others may live in peace with good luck. That, to me, is such a beautiful moment - a discussion of acceptance of your place in the world."
The Hornet
Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2, Atlanta) is the Hornet, the fourth assassin, a master of disguise who travels under the radar on every job she takes. Most of her victims don't even realize she's struck until they take their last breath.
"The whole movie is in this heightened space of cat and mouse," says Beetz. "At the same time, it was fun really leaning into the caricatures and absurdities of playing a master assassin. I got to pop in and out of all these different looks and personas."
Especially exciting for Beetz? The wigs. "I never wear wigs," she says. "I'm so grateful that people love my hair and always want my hair to be natural in films, but honestly, sometimes, I want to do something else. In this movie, I'm in my full wig glory. It was really fun."
The Wolf
Rounding out the cast of assassins is Benito A Martínez Ocasio, better known to millions of fans around the world as Bad Bunny. The award-winning artist plays The Wolf, an assassin with a beef and a score to settle against Ladybug.
"I thought for the longest time that the Wolf would be this grizzled old journeyman hitman who's seen it all and is dangerous because he's been around the block. Then Bad Bunny came in and changed all that," says Leitch. "Mary Vernieu, our casting director, proposed Bad Bunny for the role, and we were excited by his work on 'Narcos. His work ethic was off the charts - he spent the time on rehearsals to come in prepared, and we leaned into his passion. If you've ever seen him perform, you know that he does everything with so much heart. So instead of being revenge-driven, we made him lovesick. Having Bad Bunny play that part defined the humanity in that character."
Leitch says that the emotion of the character comes through even when the Wolf and Ladybug are beating on each other. "The Wolf was madly in love, and lost the love of his life, but Ladybug has no idea what's going on," notes Leitch. "It's a good example of how to use fight choreography to define character: Ladybug is confused, and even in his defensive moves, he's trying to assess who this guy is and why this is happening, while Wolf has allowed an unbridled rage to overcome him over what he's lost."
The Others
Rounding out the ensemble are Michael Shannon as the White Death, a reclusive Russian kingpin with his fingerprints on the inner workings of an international crime syndicate; Sandra Bullock as Maria, a key character in Kotaro's books and Ladybug's resourceful and dedicated handler; Logan Lerman as the wayward son of White Death; Masi Oka as the Conductor; Karen Fukuhara as Kayda Izumi Concession Girl; and, not least, a six-and-a-half foot Taiwanese Blue Beauty snake named Edwina, who becomes an unwitting part of the intrigue.
When Leitch first approached the prospect of directing Bullet Train, he admits that one of the biggest challenges would be how to create a compelling feature-length action film set in one contained environment. "As David was considering it, he thought, 'How am I going to do action? The train is such a small space, '" says McCormick. "And I said, 'Isn't that an opportunity?' That's how we like to look at things - turning problems into opportunities."
"The problem is we're on a train, but the opportunity is we're on a train," Leitch explains. "When you confront yourself with problems, when you challenge yourself, when you put obstacles in front of yourself to design around, that's when the choreography becomes more fun and fulfilling and creative. Instead of two people fighting in an arena, it's now in the confines of the tube or the specificity of the dining car or the quiet car or the bathroom. You're forced to find ways to make it interesting, and ultimately, through those challenges, you create better stuff."
Designing the individual cars would be the role of production designer David Scheunemann, who says that he worked closely with director of photography Jonathan Sela from the very beginning. "Jonathan and I work very closely together from the minute we start a movie," he says. "The only way to design a good set is to integrate every piece of lighting that you will need later on. It's about crafting a set that works visually and technically on every level. Every single light source has been designed, tested, discussed, and built into the set piece to cover almost every scenario in Jonathan's lighting design and David Leitch's shot list."
Scheunemann's designs allowed for the two full-sized train cars that his construction team built to be interchangeable, allowing each train car to be redressed and repurposed to serve as multiple cars, including the family friendly Momomon-themed car. The special Momomon family car required extensive bespoke upgrades, such as an adhesive-backed hot pink skins affixed to both the interior and exterior of the train set to transform it into a brightly colored explosion of anime. Scheunemann's keen attention to detail extended to conceptualizing the whole anime Momomon family of characters, even working with costume designer Sarah Evelyn to build a full-size costume for the Momomon character to interact with passengers.
And once in each of these environments, anything could be in play for the assassins to use in their trade. "You wouldn't think there'd be so many weapons on a speeding train but we have guns, we have knives, we have samurai swords. And that's just the beginning," says Leitch. "There's a snake, there's a water bottle, there's a laptop. There's a broom handle and a kitchen knife duct taped together. There's a cleaning solution. Even the Momomon suit gets in on the act.
How'd that happen? "That was one of those special discoveries," Leitch continues. "In pre-production, Sarah Evelyn, our costume designer, had a photo of a guy trying to stuff a huge plushy inside of a train. We had pulled that photo to look at what he was wearing for wardrobe, but we kept returning to it - we all thought it was interesting. And we started connecting the dots - we had already been designing the Momomon car with the art department - we wondered, what if we could recreate this moment with the mascot? And what if one of the assassins was inside the mascot? These are some of the beautiful discoveries that you get when you have a great team of creatives that are willing to go on those little journeys with you and design along the way."
Stage 26 on the Sony Lot housed the two train car sets, as well as a train station set, which Scheunemann's team of artisan would redress as five different train stations. For Tokyo Station and its surroundings, the filmmakers reimagined and redressed the Los Angeles Convention Center as the station while a side street in downtown would be transformed into bustling Tokyo streets replete with flashing neon signs, food stalls, and market stands.
The screenplay for Bullet Train required a stylized, heightened, imagined vision of Japan, but also one that was respectful to the culture and felt honest. So, even as the filmmakers take definite liberties with its setting - making the creative decisions to design a setting that best suited the narrative and nature of the film - they did extensive research to make that vision a reality. For example, Academy Award®-nominated set decorator Elizabeth Keenan worked closely with a cultural advisor to ensure that everything - Tokyo, train stations, signage, dozens of different Japanese snacks, newspapers, magazines, vending machines, restaurants, and food kiosks - rang true.
Outside the windows of the train, this imaginary Japan passes by at 250 miles per hour. To create that, Leitch and his team used LED wall technology, which would surround the train cars to provide the enveloping backdrop of the Japanese landscape.
Visual effects supervisor Michael Brazelton and his team worked in tandem with Lux Machina, the company that designed and constructed the high-resolution interactive background of the LED wall. A separate Japan film unit would capture imagery with specialized array cameras filming routes similar to the Tokyo-Kyoto passage taken by the movie's Shinkansen.
One key challenge for the Japan film unit was the inability to shoot on real moving bullet trains or even at train stations. The solution was to film on Japan's freeways, traveling within posted speed limits that are significantly less than the 250 miles per hour that the bullet train can reach. With the footage in hand, technicians could speed it to the train's proper velocity.
When displayed on the LED screens outside of Scheunemann's windows, the team could sync up the train and the LED walls, which could move the image between First Class and Economy cars as intended. "We were able to do things we never thought we'd be able to do before," says Brazelton.
"That was the biggest source of pressure for me - how do we sell the scope of our movie when we're shooting in a sound stage on the Sony lot in two train cars that are supposed to feel like a twelve car train," says Leitch. "The immersive environment for our actors was really helpful. Immediately you're feeling the rhythm and the pace of the movie, instead of looking at a blue screen and trying to visualize it."
In this stylised, imaginary vision of Japan, costume designer Sarah Evelyn would help flesh out the characters with their wardrobes.
Along with Pitt and under Leitch's direction, Evelyn created a look for Ladybug that reflected his internal existential crisis. "You have to be respectful of the actor, but ultimately, they have to take care of the character," says Leitch. "Our initial idea for Ladybug wasn't this disheveled guy. But when you see Brad present it to you and that character comes to life in front of your eyes, it's undeniable. It's a great choice and we leaned in."
Evelyn says she too embraced Pitt's conception of the character as soon as she heard it. "Right now is a time when maybe we're questioning the traditional tropes of what a hero is, and I feel like Brad really responded to that," she says. "It makes the story so incredibly textured, and allows you to be more questioning. Ladybug is essentially a reticent hero. He'd rather be fishing."
Evelyn dressed Ladybug in a relaxed silhouette of flat-front Dickies-style pants, a white t-shirt, and a green utility jacket, topped off with a peacoat, sneakers, and a bucket hat. Evelyn and her team custom-made every piece of Ladybug's ensemble to complete Pitt's transition into the assassin bearing the burden of unrelenting bad luck.
Keeping with the theme of turning to the unexpected, Evelyn worked against type in dressing Tangerine and Lemon. "We have our own lexicon in cinema, and I thought it was really exciting to challenge that," she says, noting the cliché: "Assassins or villains wear dark suits. That's the expectation, and I love the idea of revisiting that language."
So for these characters, Evelyn stars with the suits - and subverts the expectations from there. Taylor-Johnson's Tangerine is an East End bloke who favors a custom-made Savile Row three-piece suit with a pocket square... and then he adds accoutrements from there. Remember when Coco Chanel said to look in the mirror and take one thing off? Yeah, nobody told Tangerine. He's added an antique St. Christopher medal, a flask, a pinkie ring, brass knuckles, and, in a nod to his East London roots, West Ham United socks.
Evelyn went another way with Henry's suit. The character sports a denim-on-denim look (a/k/a the "Canadian tuxedo"), refined by Lemon's working class British roots and his love of the Thomas the Tank Engine.
"For Tangerine, we custom made a Savile Row suit with a bit of a Tom Ford twist," she says. "We liked the idea of making Lemon the same but different, so we gave him this denim 'suit' with red suspenders - classic but cool and a little irreverent."
For the Prince, Evelyn would have the opportunity to play with the schoolgirl look for Joey King. "Joey is a dream; as a collaborator, she was everything," says Evelyn. "She was totally game for my ideas, and brought her own vibe to the whole thing once we got into the fittings. Our jumping off point for her character, stylistically, was her own story: she had been sent off to boarding school, where we imagined that she would have had to wear a uniform. In addition, we were interested in exploring the power of the schoolgirl uniform in the visual culture and movie lexicon of Japan. We were inspired by the idea of schoolgirl chic, like Alexa Chung in Miu Miu and Britney Spears 'Baby One More Time' vibe."
For the score, while Leitch has tended to prefer punctuating the action and comedic moments with well-recognized songs, he felt that Bullet Train would need a more traditional score. Turning to composer Dominic Lewis, he gave his direction: "I told him, 'I like to have a lot of needle drops in my movies, but I don't know if this is a needle drop movie,'" he recalls. "I still wanted it to have an episodic rock and roll feel, where you can access it immediately - as with a song you know. And he said, 'I got you'."
That began a collaboration with the composer that lasted through the moment Leitch locked the movie. "He created suites for all of the characters - that's not unusual, but they were really provocative and distinctive. A rock and roll vibe for White Death. A punk sensibility for Prince. A beautiful Latin influence for Wolf. And for the Elder, a more traditional score, with beautiful strings and real emotional sensibilities. So we had seven characters with seven themes, all of which had to arc and the end and make sense, and he did that, in a sort of 'Beautiful Mind' way, where those themes intersected in different ways. It's beautiful."
Of course, the film does have a few of those needle drop moments. "We had this idea that maybe we could rerecord well-known songs with really interesting artists," Leitch says. "And so we recorded we rerecorded 'Staying Alive' and 'I Need a Hero' with Japanese artists. Dominic had a couple of different original tracks that he recorded with specific artists, and wrote an original song for the Wolf, which Alejandro Sans recorded."
With a decades-long career that began as stunt player, fight choreographer, stunt coordinator, second unit director, and now director, Leitch is an accomplished designer of action sequences, weaving them within the narrative of every project he directs.
In fact, Leitch first began to entertain the idea of directing his own projects when he was still designing action for other directors. "Through fight choreography, you're telling a story microcosm of a film - beginning, middle, and end. You're defining character and working with narrative. That's where I really got the bug to direct," Leitch explains.
Over the years since then, Leitch has brought together a team of top-tier stunt and action pros at 87North, Leitch's stunt design collective.
Discussions on how the action would work started at the beginning of the project. Stunt coordinator and second unit director Greg Rementer and fight coordinator Kirk Jenkins ramped up those discussions once Pitt came on board. Under Leitch's direction, the action would have to be fun and inventive but grounded.
"The direction was, 'Let's have fun. Let's do something that an audience will enjoy and let's make people laugh,'" says Leitch. "That ended up being our mandate. We really wanted to create some heightened characters who we could connect with. The stakes are high and there is drama, but we wanted to create some action that defines those characters in a fun and compelling way."
The enclosed environment of the bullet train would inform the fight choreography as much as the material's bombastic tone. Working in the small spaces of train would require Rementer and his team to work with the cast to master the moves in extremely limited spaces.
"The one thing that I knew that we had to do after talking to David was to make sure the actors were comfortable and able to do as much of their action as possible," says Rementer. "Lack of space can be unforgiving, and we didn't have it to hide stunt doubles. So many of our actors, maybe more than any film we've done before, did a lot of their own action, starting from the top with Brad."
And Rementer says that Pitt was in a great position to lead by example. "Who better than Brad Pitt to take on an action-driven role like this?" he says. "He's made a career of great action movies like Troy, Fight Club, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. And because he's partnering with David, his former stunt double, there's a level of trust. Brad is a natural athlete and it comes across on screen - but he's portraying this character, Ladybug, all the way. It's really impressive to watch."
When approaching Ladybug's fighting style, Leitch was inspired by the physical comedy elements of Jackie Chan, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd, and often tried to channel that into Ladybug's early confrontations when he's trying to avoid fighting, knowing his bad luck and fate will work against him.
"There's acting in the action, there's story in the action, there's comedy in the action. We're not just rushing through it," says Rementer. "There are built in moments and breadth and story and humor in each fight, so we tried to do that differently for each character."
Brad Pitt (Ladybug), one of today's strongest and most versatile film actors, is also a successful film producer with his company Plan B Entertainment.
In 2020, Pitt won an Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie. That year, he also starred in and produced James Gray's Ad Astra. Prior to this, Pitt won an Academy Award® as a producer of 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen (the film also won Oscars® for screenwriter John Ridley and supporting actress Lupita Nyong'o), led a five-man tank crew in David Ayer's World War II epic Fury, starred in and produced By the Sea, played a supporting role in The Big Short, and played the lead in War Machine, a provocative satirical comedy from David Michod for Netflix; the latter two films he also produced with his Plan B shingle. In 2016, Pitt starred opposite Marion Cotillard Robert Zemeckis' Allied. Pitt will next be seen starring in Damien Chazelle's Babylon opposite Margot Robbie.
In 2013, Pitt starred and produced one of the year's top ten grossing movies, World War Z for Paramount. Following Z, Pitt played supporting roles in Cormac McCarthy's The Counselor directed by Ridley Scott and Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly; that film marked the second time Pitt starred in and produced a Dominik film, the first being The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, for which Pitt was named Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. In 2011, Pitt gave two of his most complex and nuanced performances, in Bennett Miller's Moneyball and in Terrence Malick's Tree of Life, films he also produced. Pitt won the New York Film Critics Circle Award and the National Society of Film Critics Award for both roles. Additionally, Pitt was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and an Academy Award® for his work in Moneyball. The movie also received a nomination for the Academy Award® for Best Picture. Tree of Life won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards as well. In previous years, Pitt was an Academy Award® nominee for his performances in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Terry Gilliam's Twelve Monkeys, for which he won a Golden Globe Award. He was also a Golden Globe Award nominee for his performances in Edward Zwick's Legends of the Fall and Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel.
In 2009, Pitt starred in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds as Lt. Aldo Raine and appeared in Joel and Ethan Coen's comedy thriller Burn After Reading. Opposite George Clooney, his Burn After Reading co-star, he also appeared in Steven Soderbergh's hits Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen.
It was Pitt's role in Ridley Scott's Academy Award®-winning Thelma and Louise that first brought him national attention. He soon went on to star in Robert Redford's Academy Award®-winning A River Runs Through It, Dominic Sena's Kalifornia and Tony Scott's True Romance. Pitt also received critical acclaim for his performances in the two David Fincher films, Se7en and Fight Club. His other films include Doug Liman's Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which was one of 2005's biggest hits, and Guy Ritchie's Snatch.
Pitt's Plan B Entertainment has been responsible for producing numerous award-winning and commercially successful films, including The Departed, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Tree of Life, World War Z, The Normal Heart, Selma, 2017's Academy Award®-winning Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins, The Big Short, directed by Adam McKay, Selma, directed by Ava Duvernay, and 2014's Academy Award® winner 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen. Other productions include Okja, directed by Bong Joon-ho, The Lost City of Z, directed by James Gray, David Michod's War Machine, Barry Jenkins' film If Beale Street Could Talk, Adam McKay's Vice for Annapurna, and the television project Sweetbitter for Starz.
A natural talent with a striking presence, Emmy-nominated Joey King (The Prince) has established herself as one of Hollywood's most sought-after young talents.
A veteran actress at such a young age, King has received praise from fans and critics alike for her unremitting memorable performances, including her induction into the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 Class when she was just 20 years old. In addition to being spotlighted annually in the Variety Young Hollywood Impact Report and being named one of the Rising Stars Poised for a Breakout by The Hollywood Reporter, she took the awards circuit by storm earning nominations across the board for her transformative performance in The Act" She not only earned nominations from Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, but made Emmy history when she was the youngest nominee in almost two decades to score a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
Further to this, she reached a new level of global recognition stemming from tentpole success across two of the biggest streaming giants. Her breakout leading role in the Netflix phenomenon The Kissing Booth, which she also served as executive producer, was referred to as "one of the most-watched movies in the country, and maybe in the world" by Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. Randy Freer, who was Chief Executive Officer of Hulu when the critically acclaimed limited series The Act debuted, revealed that its performance led to a new subscribers-to-series record for the streamer.
Most recently she starred as the lead and served as a producer on the supernatural romance The In Between, streaming on Paramount+ and internationally on Netflix. The project was originally acquired by Paramount Players based off an original pitch she developed and an early book idea by Marc Klein. King currently stars as the title character and serves as executive producer on Hulu's high-octane action film The Princess. In addition to her blockbuster summer, she will soon begin production on her leading role alongside Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron in an untitled romcom film from Netflix, and is also attached to lead the Hulu limited series adaptation of the Georgia Hunter novel We Were the Lucky Ones.
Taking control behind the scenes, King is continuing to expand her role as a producer and is one of the youngest creatives ever to strike a deal across any streaming network, not once but twice. Within the span of a year, she inked a first-look television deal with Hulu and expanded her relationship with Netflix after striking a first-look deal to produce and develop films through her production company, All the King's Horses. Through her ATKH banner, she will star and serve as executive producer on the film adaptation of Scott Westerfeld's dystopian YA book series Uglies for Netflix and is attached to headline and produce A Spark of Light, a limited series based on the bestselling novel by Jodi Picoult for Sony Pictures TV.
King currently lives in Los Angeles, where she hails from.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Tangerine) has made a significant impression on audiences worldwide in several memorable performances. Born in High Wycombe, England, he began performing at age nine and attended the prestigious Jackie Palmer Stage School.
Taylor-Johnson has wrapped production on the Marvel film Kraven the Hunter, in which he will star as the titular superhero character. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, the picture is intended to be the fourth film in Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters. Ariana DeBose, Christopher Abbott, and Russell Crowe, among others will co-star. The film is slated to release on January 13, 2023 by Sony Pictures.
Taylor-Johnson most recently appeared in Christopher Nolan's Tenet opposite John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. The film follows a secret agent who is tasked with preventing World War III through time travel. Warner Bros. released the feature on September 3, 2020.
Additionally, Taylor-Johnson appeared in the action-spy feature The King's Man, a prequel to the Kingsman film series. The story follows one man and his protégé who must race against time to stop history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds who gather and plot a war to wipe out millions. Directed, produced, and co-written by Matthew Vaughn, the film also includes Ralph Fiennes, Matthew Goode, and Rhys Ifans, among others. 20th Century Studios released the feature on December 22, 2021.
Taylor-Johnson, alongside his wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson, co-penned the feature film adaptation of James Frey's 2003 book A Million Little Pieces. Sam also directed the film, which follows a young drug-addled Frey (played by Aaron) who submits to two months of agonizing detox at a treatment center in Minnesota. Billy Bob Thornton, Odessa Young, and Charlie Hunnam co-star. The film had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival and was released by eOne on December 6, 2019.
In November 2018, Taylor-Johnson starred in David McKenzie's Outlaw King as the storied figure James Douglas, alongside Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce, in the War for Scottish Independence. The film was released globally by Netflix and premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival and 2018 London Film Festival.
In May 2017, Taylor-Johnson starred in the lead role in Doug Liman's thriller The Wall. Distributed by Roadside Attractions, the film follows a cat-and-mouse game waged between an American sniper (Taylor-Johnson) and an Iraqi sharpshooter who has him pinned down behind a small chunk of concrete.
In November 2016, Taylor-Johnson starred in Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals alongside Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal. The drama, adapted from Austin Wright's 1993 novel Tony and Susan, earned Taylor-Johnson a Golden Globe Award as well as a BAFTA Film Award nomination and three Film Critics Society nominations, for Best Supporting Actor. The Focus Features film was showcased at the 2016 Venice Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize, 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, and 2016 BFI London Film Festival, and garnered several awards nominations in the 2016-2017 season.
In May 2015, Taylor-Johnson joined the returning cast of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson and Mark Ruffalo in the second installment of the Avengers franchise, Avengers: Age of Ultron. Taylor-Johnson and co-star Elizabeth Olsen played brother-sister duo Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. The sequel earned over $1 billion in worldwide box office sales.
In May 2014, Taylor-Johnson starred in the Warner Bros. action remake of Godzilla alongside Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen. Directed by Gareth Edwards, the film grossed over $200 million domestically.
In November 2012, Taylor-Johnson portrayed Count Vronsky in the adaptation of Anna Karenina, directed by Joe Wright for Focus Features. The film is an innovative retelling of the classic novel and premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Earlier that year, Taylor-Johnson starred as one of three leads in Oliver Stone's Savages opposite Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively with a stellar supporting cast including Salma Hayek, John Travolta, and Benicio Del Toro. The film, distributed by Universal Pictures, follows pot growers Ben and Chon who face off against the Mexican drug cartel that kidnapped their shared girlfriend.
In April 2010, Taylor-Johnson played the lead role of Dave Lizewski in the cult hit film Kick-Ass, opposite Nicolas Cage, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of the Mark Millar comic won Best British Film at the Empire Awards. In August 2013, Taylor-Johnson reprised his role in the highly anticipated sequel Kick-Ass 2. Both installments were released by Universal Pictures.
In 2009, Taylor-Johnson was seen in Sam Taylor-Johnson's Nowhere Boy, in which he portrayed John Lennon during his turbulent teenage years. His riveting performance earned him several award nominations, including a London Critics' Circle Film Award for Young British Performer of the Year, a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor, and an Empire Award for Best Newcomer, which he won. Screen International named him as one of their Stars of Tomorrow in their 2010 portfolio.
Previous roles include playing a young Edward Norton in the Oscar®-nominated and award-winning film The Illusionist; Shanghai Knights, opposite Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson; The Thief Lord, with Caroline Goodall and Jasper Harris; the independent U.K. film Dummy; Gurinder Chadha's Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging; and The Greatest, opposite Carey Mulligan and Pierce Brosnan. Taylor-Johnson has also appeared in several popular U.K. television series, including Feather Boy, Family Business, Nearly Famous, and Talk to Me.
Emmy and Tony Award nominee Brian Tyree Henry (Lemon) is a versatile actor whose career spans film, television, and theater. He currently stars alongside Donald Glover in the Emmy, Golden Globe, and Peabody Award-winning FX series "Atlanta." Henry portrays Alfred Miles, Atlanta's hot of-the-moment rapper who is forced to navigate fame while remaining loyal to family, friends, and himself. He has received Emmy, SAG, Critics' Choice, and MTV Movie'tV Award nominations for his work.
Henry is currently in production on MGM's feature film Flint Strong and has completed production on an untitled A24 feature from director Lila Neugebauer, opposite Jennifer Lawrence, and the Netflix animated feature The Magician's Elephant. He will also be seen in the FX original limited series "Class Of '09," in which he will portray the character of Tayo Miller, a brilliant and unorthodox FBI agent, as the series examines the nature of justice, humanity, and the choices people make that ultimately define their lives and legacy.
In 2021, Henry starred in four feature films, including Marvel's Eternals, directed by Chloe Zhao. Henry starred as Phastos, the intelligent weapons and technology inventor. He also starred in Warner Bros.' blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong, in which he portrayed the character of Bernie, a truth-seeking podcast host and conspiracy theorist; the indie drama The Outside Story, in which he received rave reviews for his leading role; and Netflix's The Woman in the Window, opposite Amy Adams and Gary Oldman.
In 2018, Henry had a prolific year on the silver screen, starring in a diverse array of feature films. He co-starred in the action thriller Hotel Artemis alongside Jodie Foster and Sterling K. Brown, Sony Pictures drama White Boy Rick, with Matthew McConaughey; director Steve McQueen's thriller Widows, opposite Viola Davis; Sony Pictures' Oscar®-winning animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; and Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk, for which he received critical acclaim (NAACP nomination) for his performance as the character Daniel Carty. In 2019, Henry starred in MGM's Child's Play, Blumhouse's Don't Let Go, which premiered at Sundance, and the indie comedy Fam-i-ly.
Henry's additional film credits include his NAACP-nominated role in Netflix's Vivo, Superintelligence with Melissa McCarthy, and the indie films Irreplaceable You, Puerto Ricans in Paris, and Crown Heights. On television, he has appeared in numerous shows, including "HouseBroken," Room 104," "Drunk History," "BoJack Horseman," "How To Get Away With Murder," "Vice Principals," "Boardwalk Empire," "The Knick," "The Good Wife," and "Law & Order." In 2017, he guest-starred as Ricky on NBC's "This Is Us," for which he earned an Emmy nomination.
Henry originated the role of The General in the critically acclaimed Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon," for which he received high praise. In Spring 2018, Henry returned to Broadway in Kenneth Lonergan's Tony-nominated play "Lobby Hero." For his role, he received Tony, Drama Desk and Drama League Award nominations. Henry's wide-range of theater credits include "The Fortress of Solitude" and "The Brother/Sister Plays/The Brothers Size" (Helen Hayes Best Actor Nomination) at The Public Theatre, as well as "Romeo and Juliet" and "Talk About Race" at New York Stage and Film and The Public.
A graduate of Atlanta's Morehouse College, Henry received his MFA from Yale's School of Drama.
Andrew Koji (Kimura) is well-known for starring as the lead of Jonathan Tropper's critically acclaimed and top-rated HBO Max series "Warrior," which is inspired by the writings of Bruce Lee. In this career-defining role, Koji was selected to play the character of Ah Sahm from a worldwide search in 2017. The show will go into production on its third season this summer.
Most recently, Koji starred opposite Henry Golding in Paramount Pictures' Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins with Andrew playing the iconic character Storm Shadow. The film was released on July 23, 2021.
In 2013, Koji starred in, wrote, and produced the UK short film Above the Waist, for which he won the Best Actor award at the Asians on Film Festival. Koji's other credits include the Netflix series "The Innocents," Starz's highly rated "American Gods," Netflix/BBC's critically acclaimed "Peaky Blinders," BBC's "Call the Midwife," and BBC/Hulu's "The Wrong Mans."
Koji grew up in Surrey, England and went to school in South London while studying Shaolin Kung Fu and Taekwondo. He then traveled to Thailand and Japan where he trained further and began his work in film. At 20, he came back to England after developing a passion for acting and trained at The Actors Temple in London.
After graduating from The Actors Temple, Andrew performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the UK, with credits including "#aiww: The Arrest of Aiweiwei" at the Hampstead Theatre, "Snow in Midsummer" with the Royal Shakespeare Company and a production of "A Tale of Two Cities" at the Open Air Theatre in Regents Park.
Alongside acting, Koji pursues his passion and interest as a filmmaker. He writes and produces his own projects which have been screened across the UK.
Hiroyuki Sanada (The Elder) is an international star, award-winning actor, and is one of Japan's most distinguished and celebrated actors of his generation. He has starred in over fifty films and earned a Japanese Academy Award for his role in The Twilight Samurai. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film.
With multiple projects being released this year, Sanada's star continues to rise. He is set to appear in the popular action franchise John Wick: Chapter 4. Last year, Sanada appeared in Zack Snyder's highly anticipated Army of the Dead for Netflix, a film about a group of mercenaries as they plot a heist on a Las Vegas casino during a zombie outbreak where he plays the casino boss, Bly Tanaka. He also appeared in the James Wan-produced fantasy-action film Mortal Kombat for Warner Bros., playing the part of Scorpion, the most iconic role in the franchise. Both films were incredibly successful and have since announced sequels. Sanada recently appeared in MGM's Minamata, opposite Bill Nighy and Johnny Depp, and directed by Andrew Levitas. The film follows the historic photographer Eugene Smith, who documented the effects of mercury poisoning on the citizens of Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan.
For television, Sanada is set to star and produce the remake of the epic "Shogun" miniseries for FX, where he will play the role of Lord Tornaga. The miniseries is based on the best-selling novel by James Clavell.
Sanada's first major Hollywood appearance was in The Last Samurai opposite Tom Cruise, later appearing in such blockbuster films as The Wolverine, 47 Ronin, and Avengers: Endgame. Sanada's career is just as impressive on the small screen, having appeared in dozens of shows including the critically acclaimed series "Lost" in its sixth and final season as well as the second season of "Westworld."
He is also an established stage actor, working in both Japanese and British plays and theatre. His role as The Fool in Shakespeare's King Lear gave him notable theatrical praise and awarded him an honorary MBE for being the first Japanese actor to perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RBC).
Sanada's career in film, television and theater has spanned more than 50 years and he has garnered the attention of both American and foreign audiences alike. His unique ability to embody the roles he takes on has made him one of Hollywood's most respected and sought-after Asian-American actors working today.
Academy Award®, Golden Globe, and Tony Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon (The White Death) continues to make his mark in entertainment, working with the industry's most respected talent and treading the boards in notable theaters around the world.
This fall, Shannon will star opposite Jessica Chastain in Spectrum/Paramount+ limited series "George'tammy." The show follows the tempestuous marriage of C&W music couple George Jones (Shannon) and Tammy Wynette (Chastain). Later in the year, he will be seen in David O. Russell's Amsterdam, alongside Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Rami Malek, and Zoe Saldana. Disney is slated to release the period film on November 4, 2022.
Shannon will also be seen starring in Michael Maren's Shriver, opposite Kate Hudson and Don Johnson. The film follows a small college, desperate to make a splash in the literary world, who think they have found Shriver (Shannon), a famous writer who has been in hiding for 20 years. Unfortunately, the person they have located is a different Shriver, who in actuality is a down-on-his-luck drunk who has never read a book in his life. With nothing to lose, Shriver accepts the invitation and steps into the limelight. Next year, Shannon will be seen in Václav Marhoul's McCarthy, opposite Emilia Clarke, Dane DeHaan, and Scoot McNairy. The biopic is centered around the life of controversial U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy (Shannon), portrayed as the man behind anti-communist doctrine McCarthyism, depicting what drove a lawyer and decorated former U.S. Marine down an unprecedented path of demagoguery, show-trials, and venomous populism.
Most notably, Shannon garnered critical acclaim for his Oscar®-nominated supporting role in Revolutionary Road, playing John Givings, the psychologically troubled neighbor's son. Directed by Sam Mendes and adapted by Justin Haythe, Shannon stars opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and Kathy Bates. He went on to receive additional acclaim for Ramin Bahrani's timely drama 99 Homes, co-starring opposite Andrew Garfield. Set against the backdrop of the economic crisis, Shannon portrayed Rick Carver, a charismatic and ruthless real estate tycoon gaming the market and home banking system. He was nominated for a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice, Gotham, and Film Independent Spirit Award on behalf of this performance. Additional accolades include Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. For his performance, Shannon received an Academy Award® and Critics Choice nomination. Shannon was also seen in Guillermo del Toro's critically acclaimed drama The Shape of Water, a love story set against the backdrop of Cold War-era America. The film co-stars Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer. The Shape of Water won the 2018 Oscar® for Best Picture, adding to its tally of four Academy Award® wins and 13 nominations.
With over eighty roles in film, Shannon's credits include in Spencer Squire's thriller Abandoned; Jennifer Reeder's Night's End; Michael Mailer's Heart of a Champion; Seth Savoy's Echo Boomers; Scott Teems' The Quarry; Rian Johnson's Knives Out; Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's The Current War; Meredith Danluck's State Like Sleep; Elizabeth Chomko's What They Had; Nicolai Fuglsig's 12 Strong; Werner Herzog's Salt and Fire; Bart Freundlich's Wolves; Matthew M. Ross' Frank & Lola; Joshua Marston's Complete Unknown; Liza Johnson's Elvis & Nixon; Jonathan Levine's The Night Before; Peter Sollett's Freeheld; John McNaughton's The Harvest; Jake Paltrow's The Young Ones; Zack Snyder's Man of Steel; Ariel Vromen's The Iceman; David Koepp's Premium Rush; Liza Johnson's Return; Marc Forster's Machine Gun Preacher; Floria Sigismondi's The Runaways; Werner Herzog's My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans; Sidney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead; Oliver Stone's World Trade Center; William Friedkin's Bug; Curtis Hanson's Lucky You; Michael Bay's Bad Boys II; Curtis Hanson's 8 Mile; David McNally's Kangaroo Jack; Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky; Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor; John Waters' Cecil B. DeMented; Noah Buschel's The Missing Person; and Shana Feste's The Greatest.
Shannon's credits also include collaborative re-teams with director Jeff Nichols. He last appeared in his drama Loving. Previous collaborations with Nichols include Hank the Cowdog; Midnight Special; Take Shelter, for which he received a 2011 Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor; Mud; and Shotgun Stories.
On television, Shannon was most recently seen in Hulu's drama series "Nine Perfect Strangers" alongside Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Manny Jacinto, Tiffany Boone, Luke Evans, Melvin Gregg, Grace Van Patten, Asher Keddie and Samara Weaving. The series, adapted from the book of the same name by Liane Moriarty, takes place at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation as nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Shannon was seen as the role of Napoleon, one of the nine "perfect" strangers.
Shannon's television credits also include Chan-wook Park's AMC mini-series "The Little Drummer Girl"; Jay and Mark Duplass' HBO anthology series "Room 104"; Ramin Bahrani's HBO film "Fahrenheit 451"; Drew and John Erick Dowdle's Paramount Network limited series "Waco"; and Martin Scorsese's HBO series "Boardwalk Empire."
Outside of his roles on screen, Shannon maintains a strong connection to theater. He was last seen on stage starring in Terrence McNally's final production, the Broadway revival of "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune," which was nominated for a Tony Award in the category of Best Revival of a Play.
In 2018, he directed the world premiere of "Traitor," Brett Neveu's adaption of Henrik Ibsen's "Enemy of the People," for which he won a Jeff Award in the category of Best Director in a Midsize Play. "Traitor" included ensemble members Dado, Larry Grimm, Danny McCarthy, Guy Van Swearingen, and Natalie West.
Most notably, Shannon was seen on Broadway co-starring alongside Jessica Lange, Gabriel Byrne, and John Gallagher Jr. in "Long Day's Journey into Night." Produced by the Roundabout Theater Company and directed by Jonathan Kent, the revival of Eugene O'Neill's landmark 1956 drama led Shannon to a 2016 Tony nomination for Supporting Actor as well as a 2016 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play. Prior to that, Shannon appeared opposite Paul Rudd, Ed Asner, and Kate Arrington in "Grace" at the Cort Theatre. For his portrayal of Sam, a distrustful and lonely computer genius who had recently lost his fiancée in a car accident, Shannon was nominated for a 2013 Distinguished Performance Drama League Award. Shannon also led Craig Wright's off-Broadway play "Mistakes Were Made" at the Barrow Street Theater. Directed by Dexter Bullard, Shannon portrays Felix Artifex, a small time theatre producer, who gets in way over his fast-talking head when he takes on an epic about the French Revolution. The play received its world premiere at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago in 2009 with the same cast and director. The critically acclaimed production garnered numerous accolades for Shannon, including an Outstanding Lead Actor Lortel Award nomination, an Outstanding Actor in a Play Drama Desk Award nomination, an Outstanding Solo Performance Outer Critics Award nomination, and a Distinguished Performance Drama League Award nomination.
Additional theater credits include "Victims of Duty" (A Red Orchid Theatre); "Simpatico" (McCarter Theatre Center); "Pilgrim's Progress" (A Red Orchid Theater); "Uncle Vanya" (Soho Rep Theatre); "Our Town" (Barrow Street Theatre); "Lady" (Rattlestick Theatre); "The Metal Children" (Vineyard Theatre); "The Little Flower of East Orange" (Public Theatre); "The Pillowman" (Steppenwolf Theatre); "Bug" (Barrow Street Theatre, Red Orchid Theatre and Gate Theatre); "Man From Nebraska" (Steppenwolf Theatre); "Mr. Kolpert" (Red Orchid Theatre); "Killer Joe" (SoHo Playhouse, Next Lab Theatre and Vaudeville Theatre); "The Idiot" (Lookingglass Theatre); "The Killer" (Red Orchid Theatre); and "Woyzeck" (Gate Theatre).
Michael Shannon grew up in Lexington, Kentucky and began his professional stage career in Chicago, Illinois.
Sandra Bullock is one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading ladies and has received universal acclaim for her work. Over the course of her career Bullock's films have grossed over $5.3 billion worldwide and over $2.6 billion domestically. She most recently starred opposite Channing Tatum and Daniel Radcliffe in the action-adventure comedy The Lost City, for which she also served as a producer. Within a month of being released, the film crossed $100 million domestically in a major feat after becoming the first film of the pandemic era to lure females back to theaters en masse, especially older females. It is her eleventh film to have grossed over $100 million, making her the first actress to have $100 million earners in live-action star vehicles over four different decades.
Last year, she starred in and produced the Netflix Original film adaptation The Unforgiveable. The film quickly made Netflix's all-time Top 10 most popular list, joining her 2018 post-apocalyptic thriller film Bird Box, which has been watched for over 280,020,000 hours, making her the first and only actress with two titles on the list. Her other recent credits include leading an all-star cast of women including Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, and Awkwafina in the heist comedy Ocean's 8. The film, which was produced by Steven Soderbergh, had the best opening weekend in franchise history.
In 2014, she received her second Academy Award® nomination, for Best Actress, for her performance as Dr. Ryan Stone in the critically acclaimed sci-fi thriller Gravity, directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Her portrayal also garnered her nominations for the Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, as well as her first BAFTA Award nomination. Earning $723 million worldwide, Gravity is Bullock's highest-grossing film and her most critically acknowledged, winning seven Academy Awards®. In 2010, Bullock won an Academy Award® for Best Actress for her role in The Blind Side, in which she portrays Leigh Anne Tuohy, the matriarch of a conservative suburban household. Based on the true story of Michael Oher, The Blind Side was released in 2009 and earned $309 million at the global box office. Bullock also won a Critics' Choice Award, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award for her role. In the same year, Bullock starred in the enormously successful The Proposal, which earned over $317 million worldwide and brought her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy. In 2013, Bullock starred alongside Melissa McCarthy in the buddy cop comedy The Heat, which was the second-highest-grossing comedy of the year.
Following acclaimed roles in several motion pictures, Bullock's breakthrough came in the 1994 runaway hit Speed. Her next two features, While You Were Sleeping, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination, and The Net, were both critical and popular successes. Her early credits also include starring roles in The Vanishing, The Thing Called Love, Demolition Man, Wrestling Ernest Hemingway, Two If by Sea, A Time to Kill, In Love and War, Hope Floats, Practical Magic, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and the psychological thriller Murder by Numbers, which she also executive produced. She also produced and starred in the hit comedy Miss Congeniality, as well as the sequel Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous.
She went on to receive critical acclaim for her role as Harper Lee in Infamous, which chronicles Truman Capote's life from 1959 through 1965. Her other films include the Oscar®-winning Best Picture Crash; The Lake House, opposite Keanu Reeves; the psychological thriller Premonition; the drama Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; and the political drama Our Brand is Crisis.
In addition to her Oscar®, Golden Globe, and SAG Awards, Bullock has received numerous awards and nominations for her acting, including four MTV Movie Awards, nine Teen Choice Awards, ten People's Choice Awards, and three Critics' Choice Awards. Bullock is also the only person to be named Entertainer of the Year twice by Entertainment Weekly, having gained the honor in 2009 and 2013.
Bullock has donated millions of dollars to support the work of the American Red Cross, including donations in response to the 2018 California wildfires, Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis in 2004. In addition to the Red Cross, she donated to the California Humane Society to help the animals that were affected by the California wildfires. Bullock has continuously lent her support to New Orleans' Warren Easton Charter School, the oldest public high school in the state of Louisiana following the devastation and damaged caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In recognition of her on-going charitable efforts she was presented with the first ever People's Choice Award for Favorite Humanitarian in 2013.