Ruben Fleischer’s past two films, Zombieland and 30 Minutes Or Less, have been firmly placed in the comedy genre, the former in the zombie comedy sub-genre and the latter in the action/heist comedy, and both were absolutely fantastic.
With his next film, Gangster Squad (previously titled The Gangster Squad), he’s completely mixing things up, going back to the 1940s for an action-drama that is by far one of the films I’m most looking forward to next year.
The film is headed up by a terrific cast, including Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, Robert Patrick, and Anthony Mackie, and we’ve now got a brilliant first official look at Brolin and Penn in what looks to be a pretty heated moment, courtesy of EW.
Back in September, we were treated to the film’s synopsis, which sounded immense:
“Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen? (Sean Penn?) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and—if he has his way—every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin?) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling?), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.”
We’ve seen shots of Gosling, Stone, and Brolin on the set already, but this is our first official look at the film, and our first look at Penn as the mob king, Mickey Cohen. Along with the image, EW also got to talk to Fleischer about the film, and it’s definitely an interview worth reading if you have a few spare minutes. I’ve put the first and last questions and answers below to whet your appetites, and to quell anybody’s concerns that a director with previous experience in comedy won’t be able to take on a gangster film like this – because I am so sure that Gangster Squad is without a doubt going to be topping a lot of people’s Top 10 Films of the Year lists this time next year, including mine.
“EW: This is a totally different direction for you after Zombieland and 30 Minutes Or Less. How did you go about convincing the studio that you were the right guy for this movie?
RUBEN FLEISCHER: I was just looking for an opportunity to try something new, and when I read the script, I was completely passionate about it. I think that passion and that love for Los Angeles and the love for this period of time and the love for this genre kind of swayed any misgivings the studio might have had. It’s been a real step forward for me. The size and scale and period — and just the L.A. of it — makes the movie singular and special.
…
EW: The city of Los Angeles seems like such an essential character in your story but I imagine it’s not always easy to recreate the Los Angeles of the 1940s.
RF: These places don’t exist anymore. We had to take blocks of streets and build period storefronts and recreate clubs that have been closed for years. The past two nights, we had a full tommy-gun battle inside the Chinese Theater with gangsters lighting off 50 rounds a minute. And then tonight and the next night, it’s going to bleed out onto Hollywood Boulevard as our Gangster Squad retreats. We’re going to have a full battle on one of the most famous streets in L.A. And staging a scene at the Griffith Park Observatory is just iconic because you instantly think of Rebel Without a Cause and all the great movies that have filmed there. On Monday, we were on the steps of City Hall with Nick Nolte. It’s like going in a time machine when you go to the set.”
It’s going to be so good. Gangster Squad is scheduled to be released here in the UK on 9th November next year, which is definitely something to start looking forward to. Without further ado, here’s the great first image of Brolin and Penn from the film. Enjoy.
