Glen Powell doesn’t need for a lot lately, after co-starring in “Prime Gun: Maverick” and watching his new movie, the romantic comedy “Anybody however You,” cross $100 million on the worldwide field workplace. Nonetheless, for the previous few months, there was one little factor he felt he had missed out on.
It has to do with “Hit Man,” a comedy Powell co-wrote with the director Richard Linklater that casts him as a hapless trainer who should pose as an murderer for rent. I first noticed it on the Venice Movie Competition in September, the place it proved so crowd-pleasing that the viewers broke into applause halfway via the film. Every week later on the Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition, the response was additionally via the roof.
However for months, Powell had solely heard about all that secondhand. For the reason that Display Actors Guild strike was nonetheless going robust through the fall checks, Powell wasn’t in a position to attend a premiere of “Hit Man” till it performed Monday night time on the Sundance Movie Competition. Afterward, he referred to as me from a automotive that was dashing him towards celebratory drinks.
“I’m buzzing proper now, man!” he stated. “It was my first time watching it with an actual viewers.” Even ready within the wings with Linklater had put Powell in his emotions. “It was hitting me ‘Stroll the Line’-style, the place he’s about to stroll on the stage.”
He defined, “Rick’s searching on the viewers and he’s telling me that is the place ‘Boyhood’ premiered. It simply felt so full circle to be there standing with him.”
Although he knew “Hit Man” had performed nicely in earlier screenings, Powell nonetheless admitted to some apprehension earlier than the premiere.
“It’s a bizarre, weak factor, placing your inventive instincts on trial,” he stated. That involvement within the screenplay made Sundance appear extra fraught than different film premieres he’d been to: “It feels prefer it’s my baby for the primary time, relatively than simply attending to be an uncle.”
However because the film started and the viewers began reacting, Powell flashed again to crafting the screenplay in his front room with Linklater and predicting how some scenes may land.
“They’d be on the sting of their seat and laughing at sure moments, and I’d be like, ‘Oh my God, that was so intentional,’” he stated, although the midmovie applause, which carried over to Sundance, nonetheless caught him unexpectedly. “To be there when everybody erupted, I’ve by no means been part of one thing like that. It was so cool!”
Netflix has set a June launch date for “Hit Man,” although Powell stated they had been nonetheless negotiating a theatrical rollout that may come first. “They’ve been such a powerful supporter of that,” he stated. “I’ve additionally proven this to individuals at dwelling simply to get their eyes on it, and it actually works at dwelling as nicely. Regardless of the place individuals get to see this film, it’s actually wonderful to see the way it’s taking part in.”
He paused. “Sorry, we’re backing up a bit. About to enter a snowbank. Sundance!”
