WEBVTT - Ep27 - Guy Ritchie / "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" 0:00:18.720 --> 0:00:22.279 You're listening to playback a Variety podcast. I'm your host, 0:00:22.360 --> 0:00:25.520 Variety Awards Editor Chris Tapley. We took a few weeks 0:00:25.560 --> 0:00:28.480 off in the wake of this year's monumental Oscar's outcome, 0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:31.560 and I don't think that's a hyperbolic thing to say. 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:33.680 It was quite a moment one that I'm sure will 0:00:33.720 --> 0:00:36.519 be unpacking more and more as we grew up for 0:00:36.560 --> 0:00:39.440 another Awards season in the fall. But for now we've 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:42.080 got the summer movie season ahead of us. It more 0:00:42.159 --> 0:00:45.040 or less kicks off today with Marvel's Guardians of the 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:49.159 Galaxy Volume two, which is, you know, fun. If you 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:52.720 enjoyed the first one, I'm sure you'll dig this one. 0:00:53.640 --> 0:00:55.400 And uh, you know, speaking of which, it seems like 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:57.920 it's going to be a typically franchise heavy summer. There's 0:00:57.920 --> 0:01:00.680 another Spider Man, and other Transformers and other Pirates of 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:04.000 the Caribbean, Wonder Woman, all of the I p s 0:01:04.040 --> 0:01:05.920 are out in force, all of the stuff that does 0:01:05.920 --> 0:01:08.559 a really good job of selling toys and book bags 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:11.560 and whatnot. As I like to say, I'll probably be 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:14.000 sitting in a theater watching the new Alien film as 0:01:14.000 --> 0:01:17.240 you listen to this, and uh, you know, you're not 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:20.680 limited to that. For something entirely different, There's a ghost 0:01:20.760 --> 0:01:25.480 story from David Lowry new film with Casey Affleck that's fantastic. 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:28.400 Edgar Wright has a new film that everyone's loving, Baby Driver, 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:32.520 and Big Sun Dance Hit The Big Sick from kuma 0:01:32.520 --> 0:01:36.839 Io Nan Johnny from Silicon Valley, and my guest today 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:38.440 has a new film as well. His name is Guy 0:01:38.520 --> 0:01:40.720 Ritchie and he's sitting right here, sir. Thank you for 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:42.200 coming on the show today. I appreciate it. Thank you. 0:01:42.319 --> 0:01:46.480 Chris Films called King Arthur Legend of the Sword with 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:50.880 Charlie Huntum and Jude law Uh. It's interesting too to 0:01:50.960 --> 0:01:53.200 me because I mentioned all of those brands a moment ago, 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:57.880 and King Arthur is kind of the original brand in 0:01:57.920 --> 0:02:01.320 some ways. I mean, there's been like countless movies and 0:02:01.840 --> 0:02:04.400 TV shows, and Disney even took a crack at it. 0:02:04.560 --> 0:02:10.240 And it's a well known legend, you know. So my 0:02:10.360 --> 0:02:14.120 question is I'm curious, knowing that it was such well 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:18.120 worn material, what excited you about coming in and telling 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:21.360 a King Arthur story of your own? I think the 0:02:21.440 --> 0:02:23.800 challenge as much as anything else. It didn't occur to 0:02:23.880 --> 0:02:32.760 me that it was a dusty or an exciting title. Um. 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:35.560 I think I liked the idea. I was inspired by 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:39.280 the Boorman movie Excalibur. I don't think it's been as 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:42.720 many incarnations as you think actually about the legend of 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:46.440 King Arthur. But nevertheless, it seems like a familiar monica. 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:52.480 And to me, I fancied the challenge of bit like 0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:55.040 Sherlock Holmes, for all, familiar with that. I think I 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:59.120 could do something with that. And I was familiar an 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:03.720 excited bar I or many components in the Autherian legend, 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:09.119 and it was the challenge, can I go into the 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:16.040 epic fantasy genre and create something that feels different and fresh? Um? 0:03:16.080 --> 0:03:22.960 And that was my mandate, um, to somehow create a 0:03:22.960 --> 0:03:28.320 new voice in that. Yeah, it's a It's interesting because 0:03:28.919 --> 0:03:31.080 I was a little surprised, and although I shouldn't have been, 0:03:31.120 --> 0:03:34.280 because you've never been one to like anonymously direct your films. 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:37.760 There's a definitive signature to your work, and so you 0:03:37.760 --> 0:03:40.360 know this, for lack of a better description, I mean 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:44.320 it kind of it's like a bloke mobster movie in 0:03:44.400 --> 0:03:48.040 the King Arthur world and very much your aesthetic. And 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:50.920 so I'm curious if, like, was there ever a moment 0:03:51.120 --> 0:03:54.440 where you thought this aesthetic that you wanted to apply 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:59.000 your trademark, that it might not fit the material. Yes, 0:03:59.240 --> 0:04:02.440 is the elnse to? That was my principal concern is 0:04:02.480 --> 0:04:08.360 that could I would it translate my vision, if you will? 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:15.440 Or what would it congest the experience? Um? And my 0:04:15.640 --> 0:04:18.680 that was my principal concern. So two weeks into filming, 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:22.640 your ask tends to go a bit where you start thinking. 0:04:23.040 --> 0:04:25.520 And it's on every movie I've ever made, and I 0:04:25.520 --> 0:04:28.360 think it's a sort of necessary and healthy, but nevertheless 0:04:28.360 --> 0:04:33.240 an unpleasant experience. For two weeks you doubt yourself enormously. Um. 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:36.280 And then somehow you rise out the ashes of that 0:04:37.440 --> 0:04:43.240 and the film then reveals itself. And my job is 0:04:43.279 --> 0:04:46.920 to steer the head of that tiger and to find 0:04:46.920 --> 0:04:51.200 a tone and then try and be consistent with that 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:53.360 town and then relax and enjoy it. And the more 0:04:53.360 --> 0:04:55.239 you sort of relax and enjoy it, than the more 0:04:55.920 --> 0:05:00.840 that voice can make itself clear. Um. So as we 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:05.040 sort of thundered along, I felt as though it had 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:08.480 its own identity that felt fresh, um, and I became 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:11.039 more and more confident with it. If you will, is it? 0:05:11.160 --> 0:05:13.640 I mean you're you're very well taken care of and 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:16.359 set up over at Warner Brothers. But still, was this 0:05:16.400 --> 0:05:18.320 a vision you had to fight for? When was there 0:05:18.320 --> 0:05:20.120 anyone that felt like, I would like this to maybe 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:22.839 be a little more about the book. Not really, I 0:05:22.880 --> 0:05:25.600 mean I was saying this earlier. I've never really had 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:32.040 a fight with the studio because it seems pointless. There 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:36.960 are so many things that can be answered just asking 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:40.640 five people if you stick it in front of an audience. 0:05:41.240 --> 0:05:46.120 So a certain point, I wanted to not make my 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:50.120 signature so obvious on the vision, if you will, are 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:54.320 quite fancied becoming more anonymous. But as soon as we 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:57.400 stuck it in front of a room for the five people, 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:00.480 people wanted more of that, that signature that they were 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:03.159 unfamiliar with who I was, but they were, oh, that stuff, 0:06:03.200 --> 0:06:04.719 we really like that stuff. Can we have more of 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:07.880 that stuff? And that was the stuff that spoke to him. So, 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:11.120 I mean, I had my arsenal full of all those 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:14.960 sort of shenanigans, which I I filmed anyway, and I 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:17.200 truncated the three and a half hour moving down to 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:22.560 two hours. Um, so me and the studio were all 0:06:22.560 --> 0:06:27.160 on the same page because it was obvious what people wanted, um, 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:29.640 and I sort of needed people to confirm that that's 0:06:29.680 --> 0:06:33.280 what they wanted. UM, so we were all on board. 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:36.960 What do you think about just the test screening process 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:41.640 in general? Is there something that I'm not opposed to it? Actually? Um, 0:06:41.680 --> 0:06:43.640 I would I wouldn't. I certain wouldn't it as much 0:06:43.640 --> 0:06:46.359 as people do do it. It's allo expensive to do 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:49.720 it too, by the way, UM, and it's unnecessary to 0:06:49.720 --> 0:06:51.720 do it that much. I understand why some people are 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:54.400 opposed to it. Sometimes it's a good way of solving 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:57.040 an argument and being sure about what you're doing is 0:06:57.040 --> 0:07:00.400 the right thing to do this? You know, I'll put 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:02.960 some stuck in it, but not terrible amount. But it's 0:07:03.000 --> 0:07:05.880 not like a painful thing for you. An It's well, 0:07:05.880 --> 0:07:09.039 I'll tell you what I'd rather do it then than now. 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:15.200 I want to be found out before I'm found out. Uh. 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:16.720 I don't want to give too much away, but the 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:20.720 opening scene of this film is like positively epic, and 0:07:21.040 --> 0:07:23.440 it kind of hints at I mean, it's like Lord 0:07:23.480 --> 0:07:26.120 of the Rings epic, and it hints at this overall 0:07:26.240 --> 0:07:31.440 universe really that it makes you feel like there's a 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:33.160 lot of different ways you could go and telling stories 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:36.040 in this world. So just out of curiosity, I mean 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:38.840 you've certainly bounced around within a franchise before with the 0:07:38.880 --> 0:07:41.640 Sherlock Holmes films. Is this the world you want to 0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:43.320 come back to? Would you want to tell more stories 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:45.880 in King Arthur? I mean you set it up certainly, Yeah, 0:07:45.960 --> 0:07:47.440 I mean there. I don't think it's a film I've 0:07:47.440 --> 0:07:48.760 made that I never wanted to come back and make 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:53.360 another one. UM, this particularly in part because it's an 0:07:53.440 --> 0:07:57.480 enormous world, and you put a lot of effort into 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:00.320 creating these worlds, and that's really the lie and share 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:04.640 of the effort is creating the world. And I thought 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:05.880 this movie to take a year and a half and 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:09.000 here I am three years later. So after you put 0:08:09.000 --> 0:08:11.960 that much effort in, you go, I'll go back again. 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:15.960 I love Charlie. Charlie Huntum was an absolute pleasure to 0:08:16.000 --> 0:08:21.600 work with. UM would not be cautious about jumping back 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:25.680 into the lines. Then with him, the process of making 0:08:25.720 --> 0:08:30.720 movies I adore, and in particular this one great fun, 0:08:31.160 --> 0:08:36.160 creatively challenging. UM. Yeah, I would, I would go back. 0:08:36.920 --> 0:08:39.439 What what do you think made it go from one 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:45.360 and a half years to three years there was in 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:47.840 light of what you were saying earlier, you are in 0:08:47.880 --> 0:08:51.840 such a congested market, trying to get a weekend in 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:56.760 this market an unbranded product because in the in the 0:08:56.840 --> 0:08:59.600 end it is and arguably the branker sometimes hurt you, 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:05.640 um in this case. But we had to wait a 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:11.240 year for one for the right we can't that wasn't 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:13.880 didn't have anyone else on it. You've got guardians a 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:19.480 week before. So it's still quite an unpleasant um position 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:23.400 to take. But a year ago there were no positions, UM, 0:09:23.480 --> 0:09:25.319 and we came a bit unstuck on man from Uncle 0:09:25.679 --> 0:09:30.440 under the Summer a couple of years ago, UM, which 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:35.360 I don't think we went at the right time. UM. 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:38.520 And you're you're cautious about when you come out. You know, 0:09:38.800 --> 0:09:40.439 these things cost money to make and you need to 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:45.360 make your money back. So we had to wait a year. 0:09:45.480 --> 0:09:47.599 So in that year, I tink it around with the 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:51.800 visual effects from another year, um, which is obviously in 0:09:51.840 --> 0:09:54.280 hindsight is and the year's worth of extra visual effects. 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:56.720 And I'll tell you that makes a difference. It's funny 0:09:56.760 --> 0:09:59.800 what people will put up with, you know. Uh. So 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:03.480 we did that and that was really it. I suppose 0:10:03.480 --> 0:10:05.960 I sort of wrapped this wall. You'll you'll rinse it 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:08.520 out as long as you can until you know when 0:10:08.559 --> 0:10:12.800 your date is you'll you'll leave the cut loose um 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:15.559 so you can go in and tinker, go away, come back, 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:19.640 go away, come back. Well while lock it until you 0:10:19.640 --> 0:10:25.160 know you have to lock it? Do you get yourself 0:10:25.200 --> 0:10:29.760 involved deeply at all? Just with visual marketing posters? Things 0:10:29.800 --> 0:10:31.280 like they're like, how how much do you get involved 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:33.240 in that kind of stuff? Quite a lot, very good, 0:10:33.280 --> 0:10:36.640 the studio coming to you, getting their input. It's a 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:41.120 very much a two way street. They're they're very they're pros, 0:10:41.559 --> 0:10:46.560 you know, and they they are interested in the filmmakers version, 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:51.160 and I've never witnessed and a thing to contradict that 0:10:51.920 --> 0:10:59.480 they're sympathetic to filmmakers. There's Warner Brothers in particular, and 0:10:59.559 --> 0:11:01.600 so they do everything they do, they sort of flag 0:11:01.640 --> 0:11:04.360 past you and every not. But the thing is is 0:11:04.360 --> 0:11:06.280 that if that's what you do day in day out, 0:11:06.920 --> 0:11:11.360 it's hard to remain fresh, you remain creative, but to 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:16.439 actually create something where it's an interesting campaign, it's very 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:19.439 hard to do. And sort of spot for this Last Night, 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:24.280 which comedy Central cobbled up. It's quite funny, is that 0:11:24.400 --> 0:11:27.640 Comedy Central. What's it called? It's called It's called something, 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:31.080 isn't it? Arvant? Can you rememban what's called? It's called something? Anyway? 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:34.680 And it's Judelore and Charlie Annam taking the mickey out 0:11:34.720 --> 0:11:40.640 one another saying, um, you know King Arthur was justin 0:11:40.760 --> 0:11:43.560 very King, and Charlie Annam says, you know, go cause 0:11:43.640 --> 0:11:46.559 into some form of contradiction anyway. So they contradict each 0:11:46.559 --> 0:11:47.719 other all through it, and I got to telling it's 0:11:47.720 --> 0:11:50.200 a nice tone and Tony is everything, because if you 0:11:50.200 --> 0:11:51.319 get the tone of that, you get the tone of 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:53.880 the movie. And in a way, do we care about 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:57.120 three elephants in a trailer? I'm not sure if I do. 0:11:57.679 --> 0:12:02.000 What I care more about is what's a tonality of 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:06.320 the people that made the movie? And if I can, 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:10.400 if that's on my frequency, they're on my frequency, I'll 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:12.719 go and see it because I get the tone. So 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:15.840 it's a combination I suppose of I want to see 0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:20.960 some escapism. I want to launch myself into a world 0:12:22.840 --> 0:12:26.720 that's fantastic in one of the that means that you 0:12:27.520 --> 0:12:33.800 and within that, what was it? What was it was 0:12:33.800 --> 0:12:38.640 it called Throne Shade. Throne Shade anyway, it's funny. So 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:43.280 within that, if you can dial into the tone, then 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:46.240 you go, right, they got they got a few quid, 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:49.080 they spent a bit of money throwing a foot elephant, 0:12:49.280 --> 0:12:52.320 and they're going to be that's the tone, right, And 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:57.439 I to juxtaposition those tones because it's a big fantasy thing, right, 0:12:57.520 --> 0:13:00.640 and then you've got that sort of cheeky, chappy nonsense 0:13:00.679 --> 0:13:03.200 going on the side. It feels like a fresh tone 0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:06.920 man to me. Um, I think so I captured that 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:08.800 in that little spot, which must have cost all of 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:14.320 interesting well. Yeah, and just regarding tone, also identity, I 0:13:14.320 --> 0:13:16.280 mean the identity of the film. Getting that across and 0:13:16.360 --> 0:13:19.480 the visuals is always a challenge for these departments. And uh, 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:21.400 I felt like in the posters and stuff for this 0:13:21.440 --> 0:13:23.319 when you can see this is this is gonna be 0:13:23.360 --> 0:13:25.720 a guy Ritchie King Arthur film, you know, like you 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:28.360 feel that that identity and these character posters and things 0:13:28.360 --> 0:13:30.360 like that. So that's why I ask, like, what kind 0:13:30.360 --> 0:13:33.240 of involvement you have? You know, Yeah, they're they're they're 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:35.439 smart those cause it's interesting, hey, you say, because I'm 0:13:35.440 --> 0:13:39.600 too a copy objective. Now we're regarding you know, just 0:13:39.960 --> 0:13:44.160 the idea of superhero movies. Uh. I mean, you know, you're, 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:46.280 like I said, you're set up at Warner Brothers, And 0:13:46.720 --> 0:13:49.120 I mean, I'm just guessing that maybe they've come to 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:50.960 you for some of these titles in the past that 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:53.400 they're putting out there in the DC universe and stuff 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:56.160 like that. But what I'm curious about is you, you know, 0:13:56.240 --> 0:14:00.840 you maintain your own voice throughout your career, and so 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:05.960 how do you feel about navigating that modern climate of 0:14:06.000 --> 0:14:07.960 all of these superhero movies. Do you feel like you 0:14:08.040 --> 0:14:10.320 might need to play that game at some point? Or like, 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:12.920 how do you feel about a good question? Actually? And 0:14:14.280 --> 0:14:18.040 if I find a tone that I'll go, oh, I 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:24.440 like that. Um, I quite fancy doing Suicide Squad two 0:14:25.600 --> 0:14:30.360 because I thought I could do a good job with it. Um, 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:33.560 so I'm up for I can't do it because I'm 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:39.200 doing something else, But I'm not. I'm a guy that 0:14:39.280 --> 0:14:44.240 likes to work, so I'm gonna work and I'll work 0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:48.720 with whatever I can to make it work. I am 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:56.800 not an absolutist about what a genre is, so I'm 0:14:56.840 --> 0:15:00.280 not a non man. I'm a yes man. When it 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:04.320 comes to making something manifest. That said, I just wanted 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:07.400 to be interesting. I wanted to feel fresh, I want 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:11.240 to feel different. I wanted to feel something that is 0:15:11.280 --> 0:15:15.280 worth me taking my fifteen dollar so John to the 0:15:15.320 --> 0:15:21.120 cinema and go that was worth it. That's it, that's it. 0:15:21.240 --> 0:15:26.400 Maybe suicide is quite three. Someone got to I don't 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:29.160 think they've announced anybody actually now, but I felt as 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:33.360 I could really do something with that. Uh, David Air, 0:15:33.480 --> 0:15:35.040 do you you guys friends at all? Do you know 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:40.760 each other? Um? Speaking of not really no Aladdin, we 0:15:40.760 --> 0:15:43.800 talked about Aladdin briefly. Um, I just wanted to venture 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:46.040 out here a little bit. Aladdin is one of my 0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:50.360 favorite of the Disney animated films, but it's also one 0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:55.280 that from its release was criticized for just like disparaging 0:15:55.480 --> 0:15:58.760 stereotypes of Arabs and and we're in a very sensitive 0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:01.040 climate to that kind of thing right now. So I'm 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:02.600 just curious if there's something that you get your eye 0:16:02.640 --> 0:16:07.720 on at all with this project. No, no, no, because 0:16:09.640 --> 0:16:17.920 I find bigotry in all of its guys is and 0:16:18.080 --> 0:16:25.800 the PC world often where's the biggest, biggest hat or 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:30.400 where is it the most proudly unaware of the hat 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:36.800 that they're wearing. Decency is decency, Humanity is humanity, and 0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:43.040 I think the film will dictate exactly what the tone 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:44.720 is supposed to be and who's supposed to be in it. 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:46.800 You just don't want to feel like you're muscled into 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:50.360 it because you're bullied into it. It will be what 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:52.960 it will be because it should be what it should be. 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:56.280 It will have its own authentic voice, and you don't 0:16:56.280 --> 0:17:00.320 want that voice being contaminated by a PC army. How's 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:02.400 that experience so far? I mean, these guys at Disney, 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:06.639 they're like printing money by kind of going back to 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:10.239 the well and reimagining their properties. I mean, I some 0:17:10.280 --> 0:17:12.159 people feel like it's an original. I feel like, if 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:13.560 you know that you're gonna put something out there and 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:15.920 it's going to probably make a billion dollars and you 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:17.959 own the property to begin with, why would you not 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:20.600 do that? But you know, and I love I mean, 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:22.440 it's more to it than that. I'm sure there is. Yeah, 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:25.480 And I love Jungle Book, and I really liked Beauty 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:27.200 and the Beast, and I'm very curious what you're gonna 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:29.840 do with this because it's not something that I would 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:33.040 imagine you would be interested in doing. Frankly, doesn't immediately 0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:36.320 sound like something that guy Ritchie would do. I'll have 0:17:36.400 --> 0:17:39.840 five kids. Of course, I know more about kids movies 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:42.840 than I do about any other movies, and in turn, 0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:45.719 I know more about Disney movies than any other brand 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:49.720 of movies. So it's a it's a it's a wheelhouse 0:17:49.720 --> 0:17:53.480 of which I'm well familiar. Yeah, and I'm impressed with 0:17:53.600 --> 0:17:57.760 the quality of children's product. I'm not necessarily as the 0:17:57.840 --> 0:18:00.520 children's product is early in the days for me to 0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:05.119 be able to articulate eloquently exactly what direction going in. 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:08.639 What I do find exciting is it's a musical. They're 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:16.080 fantastic people to work with. Um going ground there is 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:20.879 like going into how I imagine sort of Google was 0:18:21.000 --> 0:18:24.280 five years ago. It's a load of very excited people 0:18:24.320 --> 0:18:28.040 that are very enthusiastic, and to me, it feels like 0:18:28.240 --> 0:18:35.000 product in terms of a creative expression is primary. They're creative. 0:18:35.720 --> 0:18:40.680 The fact that's successful is secondary. What is primary is 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:43.240 And this is my experience in the film business in general. 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:47.120 I'm always amazed by the lack of twats I meet 0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:51.000 in this game. Um Ivan, who's a colleague of mine, 0:18:51.000 --> 0:18:54.800 who seeing next to next to me over there um 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:57.639 here and I talked about this endlessly. How often do 0:18:57.720 --> 0:19:04.360 we meet someone that we dislike in this game? It's 0:19:04.400 --> 0:19:07.640 a very short list. I'm not even sure if there's 0:19:07.640 --> 0:19:12.239 anyone on that list in the twenty years I've been 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:16.399 in this game and in the studio game for the 0:19:16.440 --> 0:19:19.800 last ten years or so. There's no one. I'll tell you, 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:24.119 there's no one. That's the lions share of people that 0:19:24.119 --> 0:19:26.840 are in this game. Money contaminates it, and money is 0:19:26.880 --> 0:19:28.840 the water. You know, you and I are men of 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:32.119 the world. We understand why it's a necessary component. But 0:19:32.160 --> 0:19:34.119 the lion share of people that are in this business 0:19:34.240 --> 0:19:38.800 are in it because it's fun and it's creative. And 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:44.360 we were around there actually this morning. The the enthusiasm, 0:19:44.480 --> 0:19:48.600 it's palpable. I like that environment. Yeah, and and certainly 0:19:48.640 --> 0:19:50.160 not to diminish it with the talk of the money. 0:19:50.200 --> 0:19:53.000 I mean, these movies are pushing the medium. Jungle Book 0:19:53.040 --> 0:19:56.600 obviously pushed the medium considerably. Beauty and the Beast there's 0:19:56.600 --> 0:19:58.800 a lot of interesting stuff going on with effects and 0:19:58.800 --> 0:20:02.639 inserts and stuff in that from what is there anything 0:20:02.680 --> 0:20:05.359 that you have your eye on, say, it's early days 0:20:05.440 --> 0:20:08.679 but you know, to really push this medium with what 0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:10.840 you're going to do and all that. Anything too early, 0:20:10.880 --> 0:20:13.479 too early, Yeah, it is, it's too early. It's just 0:20:13.840 --> 0:20:15.439 I have to tell you, I'm very excited by it, 0:20:16.240 --> 0:20:20.040 you know. And we took this on before Beauty and 0:20:20.119 --> 0:20:25.120 Beauty was like a beast, um and no one could 0:20:25.119 --> 0:20:30.919 have anticipated that. I suppose. Um, it's just exciting. And 0:20:30.960 --> 0:20:34.040 the rumor mill has Will Smith It's name going around. 0:20:34.040 --> 0:20:35.840 I mean, can you have to tell you I'm a 0:20:35.840 --> 0:20:38.840 big fan of Will Smith. I am a big fan 0:20:38.880 --> 0:20:44.439 of Will Smith. I'm a big fan of the industry. Um. 0:20:44.480 --> 0:20:51.119 I think it's inspiring when things are unpredictable. I think, 0:20:51.560 --> 0:20:55.400 judging by your intro there, you probably feel the same way. 0:20:55.600 --> 0:20:57.960 It's nice that the industry shook up a bit, and 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:01.720 it feels a bit paid by none us at times. 0:21:02.520 --> 0:21:07.119 But it is what it is, and I'm interested in 0:21:08.080 --> 0:21:10.560 a lot of it. I've got a one year at 0:21:10.560 --> 0:21:15.160 at home. Actually, I've been obsessive, compulsively collecting the Disney 0:21:15.400 --> 0:21:18.240 Blue rays. Do you have a favorite of the lineage 0:21:18.240 --> 0:21:22.680 of animated titles? Well, I'm I'm it's quite long, actually, 0:21:22.800 --> 0:21:24.959 and that the films that I've been most impressed by 0:21:24.960 --> 0:21:28.000 in the last ten years of probably kids movies. I'm 0:21:28.080 --> 0:21:30.240 HARKing back a long way, but I Tota Incredibles was 0:21:30.320 --> 0:21:33.480 rather spectacular. Have you seen my Wana? Okay? I think 0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:37.200 the one is a very impressive bit of filmmaking. And 0:21:38.040 --> 0:21:42.240 my kids know, and I've got three young ones. My 0:21:42.400 --> 0:21:46.160 five year old boy, who's like a real boy, knows 0:21:46.680 --> 0:21:51.439 five of those songs off by heart. They're catching, They're catching, 0:21:51.440 --> 0:21:54.959 They're good, They're good. I just like to be surprising, 0:21:55.000 --> 0:21:59.320 impressed by people's work, and I am. And then last 0:21:59.320 --> 0:22:01.920 thing here, we were about a I guess a year 0:22:01.920 --> 0:22:05.480 away from Lockstock into smoking barrels, being twenty years old. 0:22:06.440 --> 0:22:09.920 If you can believe that, I remember seeing that when 0:22:09.960 --> 0:22:12.800 I was it was like a Charlotte, North Carolina art 0:22:12.840 --> 0:22:15.160 house called the Manner. I don't know if it's still there, 0:22:15.560 --> 0:22:18.440 shout out to Charlotte, but it was. It was a 0:22:18.480 --> 0:22:20.000 lightning bolt. I mean, it was clear that there was 0:22:20.040 --> 0:22:22.240 this new, vibrant voice on the scene and it was 0:22:22.320 --> 0:22:25.679 right at the end of you know, an explosion of 0:22:25.760 --> 0:22:30.800 nineties independent filmmaking. Just what do you recall of that time? 0:22:30.960 --> 0:22:33.439 And kind of a cheesy question, but if if you 0:22:33.480 --> 0:22:35.879 went back and spoke to your twenty year younger self. 0:22:36.640 --> 0:22:38.680 What kind of advice might you have for that guy? 0:22:39.280 --> 0:22:41.160 I think everyone's on their own journey, So I'll deal 0:22:41.200 --> 0:22:42.679 with that in a second, because that's an it's an 0:22:42.720 --> 0:22:46.960 interesting question. Um. But looking back now, doesn't that feel 0:22:47.000 --> 0:22:50.360 like an exciting period in cinema? And I'm not sure 0:22:50.400 --> 0:22:53.159 it's being replicated since it feels like we've moved in 0:22:53.160 --> 0:22:59.200 a different direction, um, And it doesn't feel as volatile 0:22:59.640 --> 0:23:03.240 as it did back then. There was a volatility in filmmaking. 0:23:03.640 --> 0:23:06.440 We're also in the filming which just come out from nowhere, 0:23:06.680 --> 0:23:09.600 left field and go how about some of that? And 0:23:09.640 --> 0:23:15.040 you felt it there was again a palpable aggression to 0:23:15.200 --> 0:23:20.840 the expression. And it was a very exciting time for filmmakers. 0:23:22.560 --> 0:23:24.960 I went to film school in so it was like 0:23:25.000 --> 0:23:28.200 a very exciting time to beginning involved in all of that. Yeah, 0:23:28.320 --> 0:23:30.919 you know it, films became sort of interesting about one 0:23:30.960 --> 0:23:33.840 of a ninety two or ninety four or ninety five 0:23:34.720 --> 0:23:39.600 Tarantinos or led a charge and they just followed lots 0:23:39.600 --> 0:23:46.280 of fresh voices. Can you remember, like, oh, I remember it. 0:23:46.280 --> 0:23:49.040 It was it was a brilliant movie. Help me out here, 0:23:49.080 --> 0:23:54.040 they made two of them. Get Shorty, Get Shorty when Yeah, 0:23:54.160 --> 0:23:59.280 it's such a Get Shorty was such a impressive film, 0:23:59.320 --> 0:24:06.040 and it felt so wild and charming. It had such 0:24:06.080 --> 0:24:08.120 an original spirit to it. But there were so many 0:24:08.160 --> 0:24:11.280 films at that time that had such an original spirit 0:24:11.359 --> 0:24:18.120 to it. They were in a different period. Um, aren't 0:24:18.160 --> 0:24:21.040 we now about if you went back in time and 0:24:21.600 --> 0:24:24.320 spoke to twenty year younger go Ritchie, Yeah, yeah, I 0:24:24.320 --> 0:24:27.920 think you have. There's just no I mean often, are 0:24:27.920 --> 0:24:31.080 you in this game because you want to fully pockets 0:24:31.080 --> 0:24:34.440 full of dough? Or are you in this game because 0:24:36.080 --> 0:24:41.600 you want to be stimulated by creative challenges and you 0:24:41.640 --> 0:24:44.840