Bullet Train: The Art and Making of the Film E-Book

Abbie Bernstein

• Herausgeber: Titan Books
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 145

Beschreibung

The official companion to the film Bullet Train from Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw director David Leitch, starring Brad Pitt. Screenplay by Zak Olkewicz. Assassin-for-hire Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is filling in for a colleague and just wants an easy in-and-out mission for once. What he gets is far from it. There are four other assassins on this Japanese bullet train (Joey King, Brian Tyree Henry, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Zazie Beetz) and when each assassin's mission impedes the others', it leads to disastrous consequences. Go behind the scenes of this action-packed film in exclusive detail. This beautiful coffee-table book is full to the brim with concept art, behind-the-scenes photography, and storyboards, accompanied by exclusive interviews with the cast and crew, including David Leitch, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, and Hiroyuki Sanada.

Leseprobe

BULLET TRAIN: THE ART AND MAKING OF THE FILM

Standard Edition ISBN: 9781789099560Ebook ISBN: 9781803360768

Published by Titan BooksA division of Titan Publishing Group Ltd.144 Southwark St.LondonSE1 0UP

First edition: October 2022

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TM & © 2022 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

CONTENTS

FOREWORDS

6

INTRODUCTION

8

THE TRAIN

18

EXTERIOR

20

FIRST CLASS

22

FIRST CLASS LOUNGE

24

FAMILY CAR

26

ECONOMY

28

BATHROOMS

30

GANGWAYS

31

DRIVER’S CAR

32

LADYBUG

34

LADYBUG

36

THE BELLBOY FLASHBACK

38

MARIA

40

THE BRIEFCASE

42

TANGERINE & LEMON

44

TANGERINE & LEMON

46

TANGERINE

48

LEMON

52

THE SON

56

HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY KILLED

58

TANGERINE & LEMON CLASH WITH LADYBUG

62

THE FATHER

64

KIMURA

66

HOSPITAL

70

WATARU

71

THE PRINCE

72

THE PRINCE

74

THE WOLF

78

THE WOLF

80

THE CARTEL BOSS

83

THE WEDDING

84

LADYBUG VS THE WOLF

86

THE HORNET

87

THE MOMOMON COSTUME

90

THE SNAKE

91

THE WATER BOTTLE

92

THE WATER BOTTLE SCENE

94

THE ELDER

96

THE ELDER

98

THE ELDER’S OFFICE

104

MINEGISHI

106

MINEGISHI’S COMPOUND

107

THE WHITE DEATH

110

THE WHITE DEATH

112

THE WHITE DEATH BATTLES THE ELDER

117

THE JOURNEY

118

THE CONDUCTOR AND

CONCESSION GIRL

120

TOKYO TRAIN STATION

122

SHIZUOKA AND HAMAMATSU STATIONS

126

MAIBARA STATION

130

KYOTO STATION

132

THE CRASH

136

THE TRAIN CRASH

138

THE CRASH SITE

142

FRUIT TRUCKS

147

FINAL WORDS

148

AFTERWORD

150

AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

152

FOREWORDS

I never wish for disturbing things to happen in the real world. I have no desire to encounterfrightening people or to do harm to anyone myself. But things are different when it comesto enjoying fiction. In fiction, I like to get close to things and people I would never want toencounter in my own life. I like to observe frightening characters in situations both comicand tragic. This is why I like to put disturbing things and frightening people in the novels Iwrite. I find myself wanting to create not so much fairy tales divorced from reality as worldsthat overlap with the real world, worlds that float just an inch or two off the ground.

Bullet Train is a story set in a world where mysterious assassins intermingle with aneveryday reality that resembles our own. I have written three novels set in the same kind ofworld, each with its own distinctive features. The first of the three, Grasshopper, followed soul-searching assassins in their everyday routines while setting the stage for a surprise ending.The third of these novels, AX, depicted the life of an assassin highly skilled at his job whilealso being committed to his family. What I was aiming for with Bullet Train, the middle bookin this series, was a story in which assassins would tangle with one another in the confinedspace inside a high-speed train, and a story that anyone could find entertaining.

Film was on my mind from the beginning. I believe that novels have an appeal thatcomes from the fact of being novels, that there ought to be value in the enjoyment of theprose and in the descriptions and literary techniques of story construction themselves. Theseare things that vaporize when a book is turned into a film. But with Bullet Train, I was veryconscious of wanting to create a novel that would have the appeal of an entertainment film.

In the writing process, I thought a lot about the differences between films and novels.Novels are no match for films when it comes to portraying intense action and the sensationof speed. I thought that what I needed here were ideas that could take the reader by surprise,and I filled pivotal plot developments and action scenes with as many ideas as I could comeup with.

The completed novel Bullet Train became an important one for me as a result, but it neveroccurred to me that it would be made into an American film. As clichéd as this may sound, thisfeels like a dream come true.

It was always my intention to bring all my powers to bear to create an entertaining novel.The fact that people even in places far away from Japan have found this novel entertaining isthrilling to me. I hoped it would translate, and it really has.

The other films that David Leitch has directed are all packed with two things that Iembrace when writing fiction: ideas and humor. This is a fun and exhilarating film, a greatfilm that people will be able to enjoy as fiction.

By Kotaro Isaka[Translated by Ryan Cook]

Fate. How did we end up where we are right now? And how does that affect someone else’sstory? How do we make sense of the madness? These are daunting themes to ponderduring one’s entire life, much less in an action-comedy. But somehow in Bullet Train, theesoteric theme of fate feels easily digestible, relatable, and timely.

When Kelly McCormick first introduced me to the project, I had no idea what I was infor or to what depths of philosophical rabbit holes we would go down in adapting KotaroIsaka’s work for the big screen. Zak Olkewicz wrote an incredible screenplay based on thebook; Kelly and I were drawn in by the bold and refreshing characters, the dark, irreverenttone, and the strong genre themes of revenge, justice, brotherhood, and most compelling,FATE. We are not in control. Our lives are like a bullet train going off the track. Flow withit and you may just survive; resist and you will most definitely crash. And although thesecharacters are heightened and live in a seemingly alternate reality, their struggles, losses, andexistential questions are entirely relatable. Ladybug struggles with bad luck that he is unableto control, and must find acceptance. The White Death and his daughter, Prince, believethat they can control their fate, but learn through tragic ends that it is impossible. It is onlythe Elder who truly understands the moral of the tale: one can’t control fate, it will deliverexactly what is needed at exactly the right moment.

Getting this momentous philosophical undertaking on the big screen was not an easytask. Kelly and I worked closely with our key artistic collaborators who are featured inthis book. They all embraced the challenge of making a modern fable, one that used theentire cinematic experience to our advantage. We designed character-based action notonly for spectacle when needed, but for the close quarters of the train as well. We designedbold worlds for the backstories, allowing the Bullet Train experience to be more than justthe claustrophobic journey. We crafted a visual language of compositions that kept thecharacters connected and guided the audience through this tapestry of reveals where everythread has a pay-off and multi-viewing will uncover more and more connections. Weinterwove music that supported our bigger mission of the modern fable, transporting us toeras and evoking deep emotion. And finally, we added the characters themselves, born fromIsaka’s work but unique to ‘our’ world and personified by some of the best actors I’ve everworked with.

WOW. Making movies is hard, but this one, especially, was worth it.

By David Leitch

7

INTRODUCTION

Bullet Train began life as author Kotaro Isaka’s 2010 novel Maria Bitoru, whichtranslates as ‘Maria beetle,’ the Japanese term for a ladybug. It concerns fiveassassins who unknowingly take on separate, simultaneous missions on the samebullet train on Japan’s Tokyo–Kyoto run.

Producer Kelly McCormick read Isaka’s novel after she and her producingpartner in 87North (and husband), director David Leitch, were approached by Sonywith Zak Olkewicz’s script. “I really liked [the book], but I was curious how it wouldadapt. Zak nailed it with the draft that we read. It’s a departure, and yet I think it’strue to the source material and its spirit. It’s still much about fate.”

Olkewicz was hired by Fuqua Films and CTB Films to adapt the feature film.“They brought me a translated copy of the book,” says Olkewicz. “I loved it, anddove in from there.”

Olkewicz observes, “It’s one of the most complicated scripts I’ve ever written. Ihad a whiteboard up with all the different strings going from plotline to plotline, tomake sure I was tracking all the story lines and balancing them all appropriately.”The book doesn’t have the same complex connectivity that the film does, but it “hassuch a great message and such a great theme, you want to make sure those werecoming across. David, Kelly, and I worked to bring everything together to make sureit had that payoff.”

Still, Leitch notes that the script arrived at a fateful moment. When COVID hit,he and McCormick began seeking a project “that was contained on a sound stage, in

LEFT: “Our goal for this whole movie was to get people workingduring COVID, so the contained environment was safe on thestage. It ended up being the right time to try it.”—producer KellyMcCormick.

BOTTOM LEFT: David Leitch directing on set.

THIS PAGE: Director David Leitch explaining his vision for the shot.

BULLET TRAIN: THE ART AND MAKING OF THE FILM

hopes of getting our filmmaking team jobs in this difficulttime. When Bullet Train was presented, the bell went off inmy head.”

Leitch adds, “All of the creatives that I work with, it’s ‘thebest idea wins.’ The script is obviously the bible, but if thereis inspiration, especially in the action, or if the actors havecharacter ideas, I will take them on if I feel they’re better, andwe’ll adjust the script accordingly. Zak is a great collaboratorand really good with that process.”

One of the changes made early on was that the characterswent from all being Japanese to a mix of Japanese, American,British, Russian, and Mexican. McCormick credits Olkewiczand Sony executive Brittany Morrissey with the alteration.

Olkewicz observes, “There’s a version where all thecharacters were Japanese. I think that would be a fun version,

but we tried to make it feel like it had a bigger world.”Olkewicz felt it was imperative that key characters the Elderand Kimura remain Japanese. “But everyone else, we tried tolook at how we could make this as diverse as possible.”

Casting directors Mary Vernieu and Lindsay Graham haveoften worked before with McCormick and Leitch. “We lovethem,” Vernieu declares. “They’re very good at figuring outpeople who are able to deliver strong acting performancesand who also have a real physicality to them.”

In addition to suggesting and bringing in actors forroles, it’s part of the casting directors’ job to help withhiring performers the filmmakers already want. “In ourinitial creative conversation with David and Kelly,” Grahamelaborates, “Brad Pitt was the first person that we discussed,and he ended up coming aboard. It’s a rare occasion when

that happens, but he was someone they asked us to helpfacilitate, and they had a separate relationship with him, andit all worked out.”

Pitt plays the central character Ladybug. His interest inthe role was incredibly exciting for Leitch and McCormick.McCormick observes the thinking was, “Holy cow, Brad Pittwants to do this? When that became a reality, we got excitedabout the cast that might come together. Everyone wantsto play with David Leitch and Brad Pitt. They are knownthroughout the business to be good and talented people—fun, thoughtful, and prepared.”

Brian Tyree Henry, who plays top assassin Lemon, saysthis was certainly true for him. “I would be a fool if I did notadmit that when I heard that there was an action moviedirected by the David Leitch, starring Brad Pitt, that was the

OPPOSITE: The on-set monitor shows the close-up of a photobeing filmed by the camera crew.

BELOW: Ladybug (Brad Pitt) and David Leitch discuss a scene.

11

BULLET TRAIN: THE ART AND MAKING OF THE FILM

first thing I jumped at.”

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who portrays Lemon’s hit manpartner Tangerine, was attracted to the whole package.“David Leitch is someone I’ve been wanting to work with.The project was fully entertaining, it was action-packed,these characters were so original and rich.”

Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays the mysterious Elder, wasdelighted to reunite with Leitch, who had helmed secondunit on The Wolverine (2013). “I could understand his skillsat that time. But now, even after his great success as a filmdirector, he’s still such a friendly, humble person.”

Leitch began his career as a stuntman, then became astunt coordinator and second-unit director, before co-directing the iconic John Wick (2014) with Chad Stahelski.Since then, Leitch has directed the features Atomic Blonde(2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs &Shaw (2019). “[Bullet Train] has that aesthetic,” he observes,“but even more so. There’s a real graphic-novel sensibility. Itallowed us to have fun with the framing and embrace thatpop-sensibility/graphic-novel vibe.”

Production designer David Scheunemann has been partof the Leitch/McCormick team for several years now. Eventhough he does other films, he says, “It feels like goinghome when I work with David and Kelly.”

On Bullet Train, Scheunemann began in late May 2020,with a team in his native Berlin. He had another full designteam in Los Angeles, plus illustrators in San Francisco,Australia, and Norway. This allowed things to be physicallyassembled swiftly when Scheunemann arrived in LosAngeles in August.

Scheunemann says he immediately felt, “The movieneeds to have a progression visually that starts in vibrantTokyo noir, influenced by modern Japanese photography,but then, towards the end, the sun rises and it bringssomething totally different to the table. It was alsoimportant to me that the details were rooted in reality, so itmakes sense how it works – it makes sense where the toiletsare,” he laughs, “but you also need creative freedom. Theatmosphere is a lot moodier than you would expect on aregular train.”

RIGHT: Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) in proper gentlemanlyattire, complete with tie, watch, and pinkie ring.

OPPOSITE: Director Leitch, executive producer McCormick andSony chairman and CEO Tom Rothman, posing at the crash site.

12

BULLET TRAIN: THE ART AND MAKING OF THE FILM

McCormick says that Bullet Train does not attemptto directly replicate any real areas of Japan. The film isheightened, a bit of a myth. “The goal was to make it feel likea global story. We wanted it to land between reality and thiswild world.”

Even so, the team wanted to reference specific nuancesof Japanese society, as well as physical details, so ChisatoUno was hired. Scheunemann describes her as “a culturaltranslator.” Uno knew everything from how to do research inJapanese to which reference books to purchase.

Set decorator Elizabeth Keenan says, “When I first sawthe research that Chisato had done, I was blown awayby her detailed thoroughness and her professional yetsensitive nature in creating documents for second-partycultural reference.”

Keenan had lived briefly in Japan, something that came

in handy on Bullet Train. “I leaned heavily on those experiencesand the visual knowledge acquired while traveling and takingthousands of photographs.” When she started work on thefilm, Keenan also did research on everything related toJapanese high-speed rail design.

Working with Scheunemann, Keenan says, “Often, Iwould email ideas for sets to David via design ‘style sheets’and/or boards that I or one of the set decoration team created.Other times, he had the concepts for sets created, and wewould add detail from there.”

Production design collaborates intensely not onlywith the other design departments, but also withcinematography. “Jonathan [Sela] and I have done a lot ofmovies together,” Scheunemann says of Bullet Train’s directorof photography. “The only way to succeed is if you integrateinto each other’s work.”

Costume designer Sarah Evelyn concurs. “Everyone doeshave their own way of working, but David and Kelly are reallycollaborative, really great at helping to push the ideas to theirbest place.”

Bullet Train makeup department head Merc Arceneauxsays it was important to have a sturdy second-in-command.“I made sure that I came on board with a strong assistant,