David Leitch brands How to Rob a Bank as a 'heist movie for the social media age'
David Leitch has labelled his upcoming film How to Rob a Bank as "a heist movie for the social media age".
David Leitch has described his latest film How to Rob a Bank as "a heist movie for the social media age".
The 50-year-old filmmaker has helmed the upcoming comedy heist flick – which centres on a crew of bank robbers who use social media to document their heists – and expressed excitement at "holding up a mirror to society" with the picture.
Leitch told Collider: "This is not your typical heist movie. This is a movie that turns the genre on its head. What's exciting about the movie is it's a heist movie for the social media age, and not only is a fun, provocative punk rock film that I'm so excited about, it has something to say, and it is sort of holding up a mirror to society right now in a way that I don't always get to do as a filmmaker, and that's what's really exciting to me about How to Rob a Bank."
The Bullet Train director explained how the positive reaction to test screenings of How to Rob a Bank – which stars Nicholas Hoult, Pete Davidson and Zoe Kravitz – shows how the flick will "resonate" with audiences when it is released later this year.
Leitch recalled: "We had two incredible test screenings. I always take away bits and pieces from our test screenings, but they were overwhelmingly positive. This is a movie that is going to resonate with a lot of people in a lot of walks of life. It's asking a lot of questions about where is our society going and what are our society's priorities?
"On the surface, it's a little bit of a Robin Hood for the digital age, but it has even, again, more things to say than that, all wrapped up. A little thing we like to do at 87North (the production company he founded with his wife Kelly McCormick), and I like to do, is I still want to make it entertaining and I want to make it commercial, but at the same time, again, it's subversive, it's punk rock, and it has something to say."
Leitch is also directing the uniquely-titled movie Jason Statham Stole My Bike and explained how the Shelter star will be portraying himself in the flick.
The filmmaker said: "He's playing Jason Statham. He's playing himself. I think that's what's really interesting about it to me. I think it's different from some of these other meta movies. We're just really trying to capture something comedic and fun.
"Obviously, there is some self-righteousness going on. There is a four-quadrant element to it. It's fun, and it's family, and it's a chance for Jason and I to do something we've been wanting to do for a long time together, and that's, really, get together and make a story with heart."
