Motherless Brooklyn
ForMotherless Brooklyn , it ’s been a farsighted journeying from the page to the screen . For author / director / genius Edward Norton , accommodate the 1999 book by Jonathan Lethem was much more complicated than filming the upshot of the account . Instead , Norton took the novel ’s iconic main case , Lionel Essrog , and transplanted him into a entirely new scope , change the time period from contemporary to the late 1950s , and differentiate a whole new story while remaining true to the themes of the original book . The last result is a visually striking film noir risky venture with humour , individual , and tangible dramatic play .
At a press day for the flick in New York City , Screen Rant sat down with Norton to talk over his work on the film , including how he asked legendary studio executive Bob Shaye to aid get the rights to the leger right smart back in 1999 . He also discusses his relationship with Michael K. Williams . AstuteMarvel movie fansmight recognize Williams ' cameo in Norton’sThe Incredible Hulk , but he play a much more significant role inMotherless Brooklynas a jazz trumpet player who is wary of the political agitation that threatens his neighborhood ’s sustenance .
relate : Screen Rant ’s Motherless Brooklyn Review
Motherless Brooklynis out now in theaters across the nation .
There ’s so much I would like to sing to you about this picture , but I really do n’t need to get too much into the story , because I feel like it ’s really something that should be experienced as sweet as possible . So I ’d care to inquire you a couple of behind the scene questions .
Sure , yeah .
I always wait for the Special Thanks during the questions , and one name in particular bound out to me , and that was Bob Shaye , from New Line . I late interview him , it was one of the good consultation I ’ve ever done .
Oh my God , I can only imagine .
What was his input on this ? Did you call him for advice ?
No , no , Bob Shaye work New Line when I didAmerican History X. And when we came through that process , I remember Bob looking at the moving picture , and he turn to me and goes , " Kid , that ’s a pit of a movie ! " And he goes , " That performance is gon na get remembered . " And I was like , " Oh , that ’s overnice , Bob . " I was thinking , this is our edgy minuscule guerilla plastic film that we made , but I was very struck by his support . He told anybody that would listen , that was a film he was very gallant of having made . And he basically said to me , " secernate me what you require to do . " And I had just read this book , Motherless Brooklyn . I read it before it add up out . I got it in galley because someone angle me off about it , and I went to Bob and the other guys at New Line at the clip , and I said , " Hey , would you get me the right to this book ? This eccentric really speaks to me . " And Bob Shaye was the one who got it for me .
Wow .
Yeah .
And all these years later , you finally got to make it . Do you know if he ’s seen it ?
He has n’t , but we ’re inviting him . Toby Emmerich , who now extend Warner Brothers , and worked for Bob , stayed my champion on it , and there ’s an amazing history … It ’s very rarefied that people verbalize about how studio apartment citizenry really helped them , you have a go at it , make an original grownup drama , but these guy wire really did . They really believed in it , and they back me , and they remain with it .
There ’s a story , or I guess a legend , I should say …
Okay …
… About you and Michael K Williams . His role inThe Incredible Hulk , apparently being a heavy thing that was edit down to , like , two shots in the movie .
Are there two shots still in there ?
There ’s one of , like , a motorcar blow up and he ’s like , " Woah ! "
Yes . There was a … Yes . Like everybody , I was an obsessional fan of Omar and The Wire , and then Chalky White ( in Boardwalk Empire ) , but I do n’t think that had fall out yet , I do n’t think of . But basically , I immediately found … The first scenery that he appear in The Wire , I literally gain pause and was like , ( pantomimes pen in a notepad ) " Work with Michael K Williams someday . " Right ? I looked many time for chance to do that . This one was a better one .
This is the one .
He ’s like a shaman . He ’s like a unfeignedly … It ’s not even that he ’s a scene stealer . He ’s so hypnotic . When I was doing scenes with Michael , I sort of view him saying these thing that I had compose , and he ’d … And I was like , " Oh , is it my crease ? " I was like , " Oh , I ’m drear ! " You know , I was literally like an audience penis observance , run , " God , he ’s so beneficial . " And then I forget I was in the conniption with him .
More : The 10 Best Edward Norton Movies ( As Actor ) , accord To IMDb
