With the release of Bastille Day only a day away, Flickering Myth’s Scott J. Davis was lucky enough to sit down with the film’s director James Watkins to discuss the action thriller.
Watkins, who made his name with dark thrillers such as The Woman in Black and Eden Lake, was always keen to do an action film such as this one, telling FM: “Lots of influences from 70’s movies: French Connection obviously in Idris’ character, that kind of maverick, no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners-cop. There’s Popeye Doyle, there’s Dirty Harry, Lee Marvin in Point Blank was a massive reference… And 48 Hours also in terms of their relationship. I wanted to action to play real but there were lighter moments. I told Idris to watch Midnight Run!”
The director also spoke about filming in Paris, the influence of the Bourne movies on the film, and also mentioned what he sees as his next movie: “I would love to do a really elevated sci-fi film. I’d work with Idris again in a heartbeat. If you imagine Idris and Tom Hardy, that would be a pretty combustible combination!”
You can view the entire interview in the player below. Be sure to check out our latest interviews and other great content over at Flickering Myth’s YouTube channel.
Bastille Day opens on April 22nd in the UK and is set for a summer release in the US.
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Originally published April 21, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
