A quick look at Antony Mandler’s IMDb page hardly jumps to the idea that he’s the right person to make the next great western. One of the industry’s most prolific music video directors, Mandler is likely to be mentioned in conjunction with the film. beyonce again Selena Gomez than cowboys and horses. SurroundedPremiering on digital platforms this week, the new film from MGM and Amazon studios, both in story and direction, shows that it’s a mistake to think that one glance can nail someone down.
“A storyteller is a storyteller,” says Mandler. “Whether your arsenal is music videos, commercials, stage or film, as a director you are a leader. You are someone with a vision and preferably a lover of characters, stories and drama.”50 The year-old filmmaker has directed 16 music videos so far. Liana I have also directed videos for 50 cents, Eminem, The Killers more. In 2018, Mandler made his foray into feature films with a courtroom drama. monster. “I think so monster and Surrounded Both are quests for individuality,” says Mandler. “Coming from a short-form medium that is often criticized for not being cast, I think it showed a willingness to put the character first and actually cast the film.”
“Whether your arsenal is music videos, commercials, stage or film, as a director you are a leader.
Mandler changed his title to University of Southern California Graduation thesis Westerns: From “Shane” to “Unforgiven”And it has long been in his sights to challenge the genre for himself. “I think that using metaphors as a way of engaging people and directing them to them creates complexity in the film, and that’s what interests me,” Mandler says. Surrounded It uses Western formulas to explore timely themes such as racism, sexism, disillusionment and social division.
Surrounded Performer Letitia Wright (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) played Moses “Mo” Washington, a black woman who dressed as a man and served as a soldier, but the ploy worked because the prejudice and disdain made most people reconsider her. Because I couldn’t. In 1870, five years after the end of the Civil War, Moe headed west to claim gold mining rights, but she found her stagecoach ambushed by a band of outlaws led by Tommy Walsh. bottom(Jamie Bell). When a counterattack attempt kills several people and Tommy’s gang is scattered, Moe is tasked with watching over Tommy while the other survivors go to seek help. Unlike the rest of her, Tommy looks Mo into her eyes and realizes who she is, but she is barely prepared for her strength and tenacity.
“I think using metaphors as a way of engaging people and directing them towards them creates complexity in the film, and that’s what interests me.”
“I knew right away that it was Letitia that I wanted to make a movie with,” says Mandler. Wright liked the premise, and she quickly stepped on as star and producer to help develop the script and add her perspective as a woman of color. Mandler felt that Bell was the perfect actor to pair with Wright, and much of the film revolves around just the two of them on screen. “I love how Jamie is an incredibly powerful and authentic actor, yet somehow petite. billy the kidsays Mandler. “So it’s two unexpected characters who represent a great many dangers, both physical and metaphysical.”
Participate in the ensemble later Michael K. Williams (Boardwalk Empire, wire) died in 2021 as Will Clay, a manipulative stranger who might represent Mo’s greatest threat. “Michael was a sweet, beautiful, loving person who knew how to play the meanest character of all time,” says Mandler. The two have been best friends for more than 20 years, and Mandler considers it a great honor to direct the acclaimed actor’s final film.
Williams battled addiction throughout his life and faced many challenges along the way to success as an actor, from homelessness to a bar fight that left a scar on his face. “This is evidence of previous life trauma that allowed him to collect all the information, translate it into these characters who were the furthest from himself, and actually transform,” Mandler says. . “I’ve seen friends disappear into characters and then reappear as the day ends.”
“I’ve seen friends disappear into characters and then reappear as the day ends.”
As Surrounded premieres to huge audiences, Mandler has his sights set on a variety of projects, including a sci-fi movie about a black hole and a project about the fight against terrorism. Regardless of the film’s scale, Mandler remains dedicated to telling character-based stories with deep social commentary and something to say.If Surrounded By any metric, audiences are looking forward to ambitious, thought-provoking, and well-crafted films in the future.
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