ANDRE GAINES:Dutchmanwas a play in 1964 written by Amiri Baraka.
Amiri Baraka is really credited as being the founder and godfather of that.
It was really a great opportunity to be able to bring it to the screen.
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GAINES: That’s a great question.
Its really just part of being a producer, pursuing rights for something that you want to make.
I didn’t know they were in the audience.
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I found out afterwards, and they put two and two together.
What space did you find in it that you thought you could bring your own unique voice to?
GAINES: It’s a very simple structure.
It’s two people on a train.
That’s what the play is.
It’s a one-act play.
Partially, I was doing it because I thought it might be an easy debut.
How hard can it be to shoot two people on a train?
Oh, I’ve got a lot of questions about that!
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GAINES: [Laughs] It’s one act, so it’s 55 minutes.
We just stayed friends over time, but we’d never worked together.
This was the first time that we actually worked together.
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[Laughs] Every year, it was a thing that we would run into each other.
I saw in Andre just a true thespian.
You speak the truth there, and you crush the role!
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I’m a big believer in community and creating community.
Nicole Beharie completes their magnetic trio.
I’ll start to get into the characters now.
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It’s her play all the way up until the very end.
You are on fire in this film.
KATE MARA: That’s such a nice compliment.
I was lucky because Andre was already attached as Clay.
I did not go to drama school; I don’t know very many plays.
ThenI read the script and was terrified, but I decided to say yes.
That’s how I became involved.
It was really just because I was so excited to work with Andre Holland.
I do not blame you one bit.
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MARA: Obviously, she’s been played many times before since it was a well-known play.
I really worked for a while leading up to the actual filming.
It was really just all about… That’s as much as I’ll give you.
I’ll take it.
I’m fascinated by all of that.
That’s why I sit here and admire all of your hard work, because I’d be embarrassed.
I can’t do stuff like that!
MARA: It’s really embarrassing!
It pays off big time, though!
ZAZIE BEETZ: What our characters provide is an opportunity for context of where Clay is at.
I was fitting into the structure of the play where Kaya would come into, as well.
ALDIS HODGE: I’m piggybacking off of that because that’s exactly it.
Its played so beautifully by the two of them because it makes one think, “What is right?
What does compromise actually look like?
As one is finding himself through this all, what do you do?
Do you choose yourself, or do you choose the issue?
Do you choose the person in front of you?
How do you choose the right answer?”
GAINES: Yes, she does.
I want you to make it.
GAINES: This came from real experience.
GAINES:Warren’s name is mentioned in the play.It was like, Who is this guy?
What is he like?
That’s where some of the fun came in, was being able to manufacture that.
This party is mentioned in the play, so we wanted to gotothe party.
Thats what movies can do.
I’ve got to jump to the other character, which is the train.
I’ve got a couple of questions about this train.
Can you tell me some production challenges you ran into that are attributed to misjudging that task?
GAINES: My producing partner, Jon [Gosier], is laughing off-stage.
That’s really where it started.
We wanted to make an authentic New York film.
It was about finding this train.
Kate and I have motion sickness.
We were worrying about this train moving back and forth.
We’re going between stations, one to the other.
It was like being up in space a little bit, but it worked out.
The idea of you filming on a working, moving New York City subway train is something else.
I don’t think I’ve heard of another production doing it quite like that.
GAINES: The MTA was fantastic.
We actually had MTA engineers operating these trains, moving us back and forth.
It was nine cars of a subway train, and we just ended up making it work.
Thats what we wanted, and that’s what you feel in the film.
I’m a New Yorker.
I appreciate that authenticity.
I always know when it’s not in New York and not done the right way!
Why did you do that, and how can we see that informing the visuals in the film?
Before we wrap, I have a few upcoming projects to touch on.
More seriously, though, it’s a big deal that you’re working with your sister.
MARA: We have been offered things before, but Werner Herzog never offered us anything before.
The title is the best title ever.
And we’re playing twins; it’s a very special opportunity.
I’m very excited about it.
BEETZ: Before anything, honestly, the script just really roped me in.
It’s just such an incredible dynamic and fun story, but also tragic.
Anyway, it’s a great cast.
I just was like, I will play a flea on a bed.
I don’t care.
Put me in this thing.
So, yeah, it was a wonderfully fulfilling experience.
Gore has a great ability to create these big worlds but still focus in on the character experience.
It was just so wonderful, and I can’t wait for it to come out.
I have no idea when, though.
Aldis,Crossis a huge hit.
I had a feelingwhen we were talking at New York Comic Con.
I loved the first few episodes and had a good feeling it’d spark with people.
HODGE: You know I wish I could.
I wish I could tell you something, but I can’t tell you nothing.
HODGE: Yall are out here trying to get me fired.
You get to learn a lot more about some of the folks that you love from the books.
But we’re expansive in a very different way.
It’s a wilder ride than Season 1.
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