Jeri Jacquin
Coming to Bluray/DVD from writer/director Christian
Gudegast, STX Entertainment and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is truly
a DEN OF THIEVES.
In the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department there is a
team of wild cops led by Big Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler). You see Nick isn’t
the kind to just sit by and let crime just run rampant in the city. He may be a
sharp cop but not to smart when it comes to his own home life which is falling
apart. When strange heists hit the city, they grab Donnie (O’Shea Jackson, Jr.)
to find out who is responsible.
Getting him to talk takes a little persuasion but Donnie
tells them about Merrimen and his gang that includes Enson Levoux (Curtis
Jackson) and any detail he can think of. That leads them to a quietly
disturbing mastermind in Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber), he also isn’t the kind to
sit by and not be a part of planning a massive crime.
The game of cat and mouse begins when the two leaders come
face to face to test the waters as each flexes in his own way. As Nick and the
boys meticulously go over plans to catch Merrimen and his boys at their next
heist, Merrimen and his boys are meticulously going over plans for a heist that
even the L.A. County Sheriffs couldn’t have seen coming.
When they finally come face to face, backing down doesn’t
seem to be in their vocabulary!
I had the amazing opportunity to speak with writer/director
Christian Gudegast about what inspired him to write the script, the amazing
cast and making it all go from page to screen. Gudegast is responsible for
films such as LONDON HAS FALLEN, A MAN APART and is the executive producer for
the documentary SEQUESTRO.
Jeri Jacquin: Hello Christian
thanks for spending time with me today.
Christian Gudegast: Absolutely, thank you as well.
JJ: Let’s jump right in. My big question is where did you
come up with this story line?
CG: Wow, it was a combination of a lot of things. It was
going back to wanting to make crime films and there are so many stories I want
to tell about that world. Also, there are people that the characters are based
upon and a series of bank robberies in a book my friend wrote about the most
successful crew in Los Angeles
called the Hole-in-the-Ground gang. Merrimen and his crew are based on them and
the heist you see in the film are based on the actual heist that went down.
They were never caught and got away with hundreds of millions of dollars. They
have a legendary status within the law enforcement community in Los Angeles. Gerard Butler’s
character, Big Nick, is also based on a friend of mine. So all of it is the
basis for the story I’m telling in the film under one roof.
JJ: It was interesting to me how you had these two brotherhoods
going on at the same time, for you was that difficult to take from your brain
to the page to the screen?
CG: Yes in a sense that film production is extremely
difficult and no because it’s always what I wanted to do. The cast and crew who
read the script bought into the concept so it was about not judging any one
character and treating everyone like a human being and understanding
motivations. It is seeing how they are all affected by that life from both
sides. The reality of crime is that it’s one business with different players;
it’s a world unto itself. Both sides know each other and went to high school,
have the same clothes, grew up on the streets, sometimes dated the same girl;
so there is a mutual understanding and respect to the two sides and to me that
is fascinating. It is amazing to explore that.
JJ: You are right, the interaction between the two group’s
dances on a delicate line and one miniscule step can change so much.
CG: That’s exactly right. Every step of the way, even the
individual characters, I had technical advisors. I had real gangsters, real
cops and ex-military with boot camps and the actors were there two months
before training very hard and drilled down. We took into consideration what
they wore, how they walked and talked and it was all very specific. Everyone
bought into it and the result is on the Bluray.
JJ: The casting, as you wrote this did you specifically have
these actors in mind?
CG: Aside from Gerard Butler and then Curtis Jackson, no. It
was all part of the process. Everyone in the film I was aware of before hand
but it was really about myself and casting director John Papsidera who is a
genius, we both wanted the cast to be authentic. I didn’t want to recognize
every person in the story. I know there was to be some but the cast had to be
real. There is actually a lot of real people in the film and we mixed that with
the actors. We did a lot of rehearsal until it felt natural. In the casting we
made sure it was who we wanted and sometimes had 100 to 150 audition for a
role, we were obsessive about it. We wanted the perfect person, even if they
didn’t have a line; we were obsessed with finding the right person.
JJ: I have to say that Pablo basically scared me crazy; he
has that look about him and doesn’t have to say a word. It’s like you want to
slink away to get out of his line of sight.
CG: (laughing) Yes, Pablo is a spectacular dude and he is
one of the most disciplined, prepared and talented actors I’ve ever come
across. The guy is an animal! He is extremely intelligent and he does his work.
He really got into character by getting his body trained a very specific way,
he spent a ton of time on the range shooting and just got into the mode of
playing Merrimen. He is a genius.
JJ: His character is a beast. I was fascinated, maybe even
more so than Gerard Butlers character. I was drawn to his though process.
CG: I will be working with Pablo quite a bit so you will
have ample opportunity to get to know him more.
JJ: That’s extremely cool and I’m okay with that. Lets talk
about Curtis ‘Fifty Cent’ Jackson.
His role is that of a guy who knows what he’s going to do and is connected to
Merrimen totally.
CG: Also his character is based on a real person. When I met
Curtis I knew he was one of those guys that is immediately intimidating. He
doesn’t have to do or say anything and doesn’t need to be the leader. Merrimen
never moved on from the military mindset and doesn’t have a family whereas
Levoux has a family and he starts showing some cracks because he has something to
live for.
JJ: By the way the daughter going to the prom scene was very
good!
CG: Yes it was.
JJ: Of course there is Gerard Butler and could you have made
his arms any bigger?
CG: Yes, he was pretty determined and played a lot of
characters where he had to be fit. He put a lot into being Big Nick and I think
this is the biggest he’s been in his life. He really worked on getting his look
and it paid off for his character.
JJ: His character, it’s like at any second he could snap.
CG: Yes, correct, that’s the whole point, he has this intensity
and he had to look jacked.
JJ: Big Nick is also the kind of leader where his crew might
not always agree but they certainly have his back.
CG: Yes, you wouldn’t believe what these guys have to do to
tell the story. The stuff they do is pretty wild and to do that you have to be
a certain kind of person. That’s real and the law enforcement community thought
this was the most realistic portrayal they have seen. The public doesn’t always
look at what the police do favorably because of things that have happened but
the reality is that cops come up against some very, very bad people.
JJ: It just shows what cops have to do to stop this kind of
bad. I have to give you a shout out for having Cooper Andrews in the film. When
I saw all I could think of was ‘oh my gosh Jerry!’
CG: I have to say,
Cooper is the man. He is such a gentle giant. He is a big strong boy and he is
a wonderful actor. When we saw him we knew he was the character of Mac.
JJ: It was nice to see him outside the horrors of The Walking Dead.
CG: Exactly, he is amazing and is going to do a lot.
JJ: When people watch DEN OF THIEVES on Bluray, what do you
want them to take from it – besides the fact that it’s a great story?
CG: If they listen to the Director Commentary that will be
fun. Actually the care we put into making the film, from the cast to crew, it
became a labor of love for everybody. We had a phenomenal time making the film
and it was an incredible experience. We went to great lengths to keep it
authentic, as real as possible, emotion and honest. That was really the goal in
everything that we did. We hope that people enjoy it again when they see it on
Bluray.
JJ: All I can say is well played sir! I enjoyed it
immensely.
CG: Thank you Jeri, thank you very much.
My sincere thanks to Christian Gudegast for giving us the
insight to DEN OF THIEVES which is more of an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ leaving the
audience to decide the rest. The intensity is definitely there and leaves
little time to catch your breath. Butler
leads the way as Big Nick making damn sure that it all stops with his crew just
as much as Schreiber’s character of Pablo feels the same way on the other side
of the law.
Other cast include Meadow Williams as Holly, Maurice Compte
as Borracho, Brian Van Holt as Murph Connors, Evan Jones as Bosco, Mo McRae as
Gus Henderson, Kaiwi Lynam as Tony Z, Dawn Olivieri as Debbie, Eric Braeden as
Ziggy, Jordan Bridges as Lobbin Bob and Cooper Andrews as Mack.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an
amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience
and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre
available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to
offer please visit
www.uphe.com.
STXFilms and Entertainment is a global next-generation
company who has taken on the mission to unlock the value of direct connection
stars have with their fans through the development, production and distribution
of film, television, VR, digital video, music and live entertainment content.
It is the industry leader in transforming beyond traditional platform-driven
content to creating talent-driven enterprises. To experience more please visit
www.stxfilms.com.
DEN OF THIEVES Bluray and DVD Bonus Features include an Alternate
Ending, Alpha Males – The cast describes how the tough characters in
the film blur the lines between the good guys and the bad guys, Into
the Den – Director Christian Gudegast and the cast describe the two
brotherhoods within the film, the renegades and the outlaws and their unique
set of skills, Alameda Corridor – The cast and director discuss filming the
intense scene that takes place on the streets of L.A. and the extensive weapons
training it took to film it, Outtakes and Deleted Scenes, Commentary
with Director Christian Gudegast and Producer Tucker Tooley, DEN OF THIEVES
Theatrical Cut with an All-New Unrated Version with Never-Before-Seen
Footage.
The story is one filled with twists, turns and action that
doesn’t stop to let you think to much. Instead it is two hours and twenty
minutes of intensity that dares you to come along for the ride pulling us all
from one side to the other. Find a comfy seat and turn on the sound bar for
some serious action and characters that you have to see to believe.
In the end – giving up is not an option for either!
