In an era when everyone wants to have their own John Wick, amateurRami Malek and James Hawes are eager to go another route.
Inspired by Robert Little’s 1981 spy novel of the same name and Charles Jarrott’s big screen adaptation from the same year, Malick and his director Hoss relied on amateurbasic premise as the starting point for their modernization. After CIA cryptographer Charlie Heller (Marek) loses his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) in a terrorist attack, he forces his conflicted boss to approve his personal mission of revenge. So in the newly released trailer (below), viewers were conditioned to expect the trope of Heller turning himself into a one-man killing machine. But he’s soon given a rude awakening by Laurence Fishburne’s CIA instructor character.
Instead, Heller returned to his existing core competencies involving computers and technology, thanks to Malick’s role as hacker Elliot Alderson in “Elliot Alderson.” The role won an Emmy Award. mr robothe’s very familiar with characters who can balance the scales at the push of a button. However, while Elliot’s motivations stem more from domestic abuse and corporate malfeasance, Charlie’s revenge is rooted in love.
“In this case, Charlie lost his soulmate, the person he loved. So he sought some kind of justice from the people he worked for, but he refused [by the CIA],” Malik told hollywood reporter support amateur‘s first trailer. “He was told to bury his head in the sand, and that bred an explosive nature in him that made him a very different person.”
Hoth – has recently explored the espionage genre by slow horseand understanding the dangers of technology through his fragmentary works black mirror — is interested in an unconventional protagonist who puts his own intelligence first. (The British filmmaker will also direct the DCU’s upcoming series lantern.)
“As a viewer of a spy thriller, the tropes you want are there, but with a twist,” Hawes said. “The most important core of it is the character of Charlie, who is the hero and the justice that you don’t see coming. The unexpected hero.
The trailer reinforces this point by ending with Charlie walking away from a fiery explosion. But instead of taking the explosion in stride like a typical Hollywood action hero, he flinches like anyone would. Malek compared the moment to a beat in a Christopher Nolan film dark knight.
“This reminds me of Heath Ledger [in The Dark Knight]part of the hospital explosion did not happen immediately. And then you see, once that happens, he actually backs off,” Malik recalled. “But even a character like this [the Joker] Will flinch from the explosion. So the idea that you can walk away from something of this level without batting an eyelid is unrealistic and our goal is to make things as realistic as possible.
Below, in recent times with THRMalick and Hawes also discussed other updates they’ve made to the property before revealing a specific cameo from the 1981 film.
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Hello everyone.
Rami Malek (know him mr robot Hearing the slogan, Malik perked up, like seeing his version of the Bat-Signal.) Hello friend.
As I mentioned earlier, you’re used to playing the role of knocking people down with button presses, but mr robotElliot Alderson likes to lurk in the shadows unnoticed. yes amateurIf Charlie Heller was willing to blow up a floating swimming pool, would he be louder?
Malek There’s a difference because in this case, Charlie lost his soulmate, the one he loved. So he sought some kind of justice from the people he worked for, but he refused [by the CIA]. He was told to bury his head in the sand, which bred an explosiveness in him that made him a very different person. In a sense, he is always hiding, but he is hiding in order to make his next move. Their power is exponentially greater, there’s more ingenuity behind it, so there’s a propulsive nature to him. But he also lacks hiding in his heart, because he is a pursuer of truth and justice and essentially has no reason to hide.
James, unless one is familiar with the source material, one would assume Charlie Heller is Rami Malek’s John Wick or Jason Bourne, and the trailers perpetuate that expectation right up until Laurence Fish Bourne gives Charlie a reality check. Was this subversion part of your original appeal?
James Hawes Exactly. As a spy thriller viewer, the tropes you want are all there, but with a twist. At the heart of it is the character of Charlie, who is the hero and the justice you don’t see coming. Unexpected heroes. The character’s journey, with a real emotional arc, is from grief to some kind of resolution.
This subversion also occurs in the final shot of the trailer, as Charlie walks away from the explosion. A traditional action hero wouldn’t react at all, but Charlie definitely flinches.
Malek This reminds me of Heath Ledger [in The Dark Knight]part of the hospital explosion did not happen immediately. And then you’ll find that once he does that, he actually backs off, and [Christopher] Nolan kept it in the movie. God bless him, what a remarkable performance. But even a character like this [the Joker] Will flinch from the explosion. So the idea that you can walk away from something of this level without batting an eyelid is unrealistic and the goal is to make things as realistic as possible. In our minds, it was always, “He’s going to do some extraordinary things to stop the popcorn from getting to your mouth, but in the end, he’s still an ‘amateur.'” So we kept that one compass, and Charlie’s moral compass. Both guide us and remind us that we are putting someone in a position they have never experienced before. He simultaneously tapped into the deepest recesses of his soul, his intellect, and his mind in order to do something extraordinary that he didn’t even think he was capable of.
Would you two say you were more focused on re-adapting the book than remaking the 1981 film?
Harveys What I’m trying to say is, it’s really not an either/or question. We are making our own film inspired by the same source material and premise. So we went back to the source, took what was so wonderful and powerful about that premise, and developed it from there. We knew the movie, but we wanted to bring something new and fresh for 2025 audiences.
Through your respective past work black mirror and mr robotyou are all familiar with the horrors of technology, so has modern technology brought you a lot of differentiation?
Harveys It did some, but the human truth remains. Politics is a division. The Cold War was excessive, or at least decentralized. We talked about the fact that a lot of the climax of the novel takes place in Prague, and that the most dangerous thing that can happen to you in Prague these days is that you’re going to get run over by a British bachelor party beer cart or something. There weren’t many Soviet spies there anymore, so we moved that part of the story to Istanbul, which had a new exotic feel. In current history, it feels a little dangerous. So we’ve been growing quietly, but we know where we’re coming from. There is a cameo in the film by Marthe Keller, one of the main characters in the 1981 film. So our tradition is always there.
Malek James did a very smart thing, he didn’t want to put any recognizable landmarks in the background. You could be in Marseille or Paris but have the feeling of not knowing exactly where you are. You feel lost and untethered, which can increase feelings of paranoia. It essentially makes you feel like an amateur, so there’s a first-person perspective. You’re sitting there watching all this and thinking, “If I were Charlie Heller, what would I do to get out of this situation?” He would go through the maze blindfolded, but he would use every other sense he has Come out of the maze and beyond.
Rami, you won a 20th Century Academy Award. Do you consider it? amateur Become a continuation of an Oscar-winning relationship?
Malek I like this relationship. This is my home. The idea for this film came from a conversation I had with people from the 20th century. Honestly, they have always supported me, so I am in this relationship for the long haul. There’s a certain commitment to filmmaking there, and I’m lucky enough to be able to contribute to that. So I hope I can continue that in this film and other films.
You guys had a wonderful time in Rachel Brosnahan’s career. (The latter will play Lois Lane in the July 2025 film Superman.) Was her character’s death an inciting incident, but her presence was still felt throughout the film?
Malek It’s always a good time to start a Rachel Brosnahan career!
Harveys We kind of like Rachel Brosnahan. She brings intelligence and soul to the film and the team. Lamy calls her a “supernova.” So, yes, that’s the answer to your basic question. She appears throughout the film.
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amateur It will be released in April 2025.
