Brad Pitt and more of the absolutely stacked cast of “Bullet Train,” including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, and Hiroyuki Sanada joined CinemaBlend to discuss their favorite behind-the-scenes details and more. Watch as they dive into working with Director David Leitch, filming high-intensity action sequences in small train cars, working on the film during the height of COVID and more.
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00:00 - Stop, just go, go away.
00:02 - This black void is very suspicious.
00:04 - Oh my God, people coming from everywhere.
00:06 - From everywhere.
00:07 (laughing)
00:09 - Right on schedule.
00:12 (upbeat music)
00:14 - Start with you, Mr. Pitt.
00:18 I mean, one thing that's kind of cool about this movie
00:21 and it's in a kind of meta way
00:23 is to see you working with David Leitch again
00:25 with both this movie and "Deadpool 2"
00:27 after having just made "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"
00:29 where you're obviously playing a stuntman.
00:32 I'm curious if that is kind of just
00:34 a confluence of the universe
00:35 or if that's something that was on your mind.
00:38 - Confluence of the universe.
00:39 No, it was super, super cool.
00:42 No, working with Leitch was like,
00:44 it was just, I mean, this is,
00:45 his story is like unprecedented.
00:48 I mean, I don't know of anyone who came from the stunt world
00:52 has worked up to this kind of status of director.
00:56 And he certainly developed his own language.
00:59 And that was really cool to see.
01:01 But yeah, we met on "Fight Club"
01:02 and we worked all the way up to "Mr. & Mrs. Smith"
01:05 and he had these aspirations and here he is.
01:08 So for me, it was really cool to see how far he's come
01:12 and be a part of his thing now, his vision.
01:15 - You said you wanted simple for your first job back.
01:18 - Doesn't get simpler.
01:19 - I mean, how open,
01:22 obviously he has such extensive experience.
01:24 I mean, how open was he to collaboration
01:26 and your ideas on the spot?
01:28 - Yeah, he listening all actors ideas
01:33 and then his ideas and then mixed together.
01:38 And yeah, so creative.
01:42 So yeah, just great collaborate on set
01:47 including other cast, Dave.
01:53 Yeah, it was so much fun.
01:56 - I'm going to want to hear the whole story.
01:58 - Did the two of you would know each other?
02:00 'Cause I mean, you have some shared credits
02:01 with I think "Speed Racer" and "The Wolverine."
02:04 Did you have the chance to work together on those projects?
02:06 - Yeah, I worked with him before.
02:11 So very easy to communicate
02:14 and then yeah, we respect each other.
02:16 So yeah, it was fun.
02:19 - Everything that's ever happened to you
02:21 has led you here.
02:25 - Wait, that's a shit deal.
02:28 - Totally.
02:29 And to speak about just that vision
02:30 and just the kind of the magic that he works
02:33 with the action.
02:34 I mean, one of the cool natural elements of this story
02:37 is just the fact that you're inside of a train,
02:40 which is such a contained space,
02:41 which dictates such cool physicality.
02:44 But I also have to imagine that for all three of you,
02:46 it's not necessarily the easiest environment
02:48 to like throw punches in.
02:50 - Phyllis?
02:52 - I mean, I think that kind of adds actually,
02:56 I like when there's boundaries and limitations
02:58 because then you use the environment around you.
03:02 And I think that's what we did.
03:03 And I think David Leitch wanted us to lean into that,
03:06 I think, and then it just adds layers.
03:07 I mean, these two just had such an incredible fight sequence
03:11 in a contained space against each other around the table,
03:15 but in the quiet car.
03:16 And then that adds another element
03:18 so that they got to keep everything quiet.
03:21 And so it's just, you know,
03:22 that comedy with the action is such a good balance.
03:27 - You sure you wanna talk this out?
03:28 - Not particularly, no.
03:30 - Okay.
03:31 - Yeah, when you are able to work within boundaries
03:36 and then work with someone who, like Brad,
03:38 who doesn't respect any boundaries,
03:40 - Hmm?
03:42 (laughing)
03:44 - It creates this whole kind of amazing visual element
03:49 - Go on, yeah.
03:50 - It's the same thing with Kamikaze,
03:52 you know what I'm saying?
03:53 You really try to figure out how to work
03:56 within the confines of fighting on a train
04:00 and killing somebody with a tray table
04:01 and beating someone's ass with an arm rest.
04:03 And it turns out to be one of the most fun,
04:07 crazy theme parks you've ever been a part of, right?
04:11 You're like, how is the camera gonna get through
04:13 down this aisle?
04:14 How are we gonna hide in this toilet?
04:16 Like, it's all kinds of fun things.
04:19 - That's just a testimony to David Leitch
04:20 and his imagination.
04:21 He's brilliant.
04:22 (grunting)
04:26 - Oh yeah, sometimes difficult because it's so narrow
04:35 and then so many people in the train.
04:38 But for me, just, it was fun.
04:42 And easy to collaborate with stunt guys or coordinator.
04:46 And then especially director David
04:49 knows about action very well.
04:53 So easy to collaborate and then create
04:56 the interesting, unique choreograph together easily.
05:01 So I had so much fun every day on set.
05:10 - What's waiting for us in Kyoto?
05:12 - The White Death with his army of assassins.
05:15 - I don't see the White Death
05:16 letting any of us off this train.
05:18 - And just, I mean, this movie was made during,
05:21 in development during summer and the fall of 2020.
05:24 What did that do just as far as rehearsal time
05:26 and preparation?
05:27 Was it a lot different than your normal experience?
05:30 - Just, yeah, during rehearsal, we wore the mask, of course,
05:36 and then take a COVID test three times a week
05:43 or more, sometimes more.
05:45 But, you know, it was a little scared
05:49 because we didn't have any vaccination at that time.
05:53 So we had to respect and believe in each other,
05:58 helping each other.
06:00 That kind of things created the good teamwork.
06:05 So yeah, we could use that in the movie, I believe.
06:12 - We need to come up with a plan.
06:14 (dramatic music)
06:17 - And I mean, to talk a bit about the future also,
06:22 I mean, you have a very exciting project coming up
06:24 in the form of "John Wick 4,"
06:26 reuniting you with Keanu Reeves.
06:28 I mean, can you just talk about
06:30 what that experience has been like
06:31 and just prepare audiences for what to expect?
06:35 - Yeah, I worked with Keanu before "47 Ronin,"
06:41 almost like 10 years ago.
06:43 So it was a great reunion.
06:45 And then we have that kind of history in the real life.
06:50 So we could use that kind of atmosphere
06:57 or chemistry into the movie.
07:00 So that kind of relationship in the movie too.
07:05 So that's the biggest hint.
07:09 (laughing)
07:11 - Nice, that's exciting.
07:12 - There's nothing simple about this job.
07:16 - Something else going on here?
07:18 - Yeah, I'm not the only one on this train
07:20 looking for this case.
07:21 - I gotta get off this train.
07:24 (upbeat music)
07:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]