"David Leitch"

Summary

SmartLess Podcast Episode Summary: "David Leitch"

Release Date: May 19, 2025

Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Guest: David Leitch, Accomplished Director and Former Stunt Coordinator

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Introduction

In this episode of SmartLess, hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett warmly welcome David Leitch, a renowned director known for blockbuster hits like John Wick, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and Bullet Train. The conversation promises a deep dive into David's illustrious career, his transition from stunt coordination to directing, and his recent endeavors in the film industry.

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David Leitch's Career Journey

Sean Hayes opens the discussion by highlighting David's impressive resume, emphasizing his evolution from a stunt performer to one of Hollywood's most sought-after directors.

Sean Hayes [10:13]: "David, thoughts on that?"

David reflects on his roots in the stunt industry, sharing anecdotes about his early days working on iconic films.

David Leitch [12:16]: "I was really lucky. I got to mentor under a lot of great directors... Being an asshole really doesn't work for me."

He credits his mentors, including the Wachowskis, for instilling a collaborative and respectful work environment.

David Leitch [13:17]: "There’s a precision to what they do. They build a family with their department heads and allow creativity."

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Collaboration with Keanu Reeves and Other Actors

The hosts delve into David's strong professional relationships, particularly with Keanu Reeves.

Jason Bateman [49:07]: "Was that your first film as a director?"

David Leitch [49:06]: "Yes, the first John Wick. Keanu was incredibly supportive from the beginning. We had worked together on the Matrix sequels, training him for those sequences."

David emphasizes Keanu's discerning nature and commitment to quality, making their collaboration a cornerstone of the John Wick series.

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Stunt Work and Its Recognition

A significant portion of the conversation centers on stunt work and the push for its recognition within the Academy Awards.

David Leitch [37:04]: "After making Fall Guy, we felt excited about a commercial we made advocating for an Academy Award category for stunts."

He details the challenges and triumphs of campaigning for this recognition, highlighting the importance of acknowledging stunt coordinators' contributions to filmmaking.

Sean Hayes [39:18]: "And the Academy recognized it too. So kudos to everybody."

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Transition from Stunts to Directing

David shares insights into his seamless transition from coordinating stunts to directing major action films.

David Leitch [14:07]: "Being a professional and loving the business helps. You want to be part of the process, making the vision come true."

He discusses the balance between meticulous planning and allowing actors to bring their creativity to the table, especially in action-packed sequences.

David Leitch [20:00]: "We curated the production design and had a plan but let the actors riff a lot."

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Challenges During Pandemic Production

The episode touches on the complexities of filming during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for action films set in Japan.

David Leitch [21:39]: "We had to pivot from shooting on location in Japan to creating an anime-inspired graphic novel feel on a soundstage."

He elaborates on the innovative solutions employed, such as remote directing through platforms like WhatsApp, to maintain production quality despite restrictions.

Sean Hayes [22:51]: "He was directing remotely. Oh, my. From WhatsApp."

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Future Projects and Perspectives

Looking ahead, David discusses his upcoming project, How to Rob a Bank, which aims to subvert traditional heist movie tropes by infusing dramatic elements alongside action.

David Leitch [53:25]: "It's a new take on a heist movie, turning it on its head with dramatic storytelling."

He expresses enthusiasm for exploring more character-driven narratives while maintaining his signature action style.

David Leitch [52:18]: "Watching great actors collaborate brings real humanity to the screen, which separates my movies."

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Personal Insights and Anecdotes

The hosts and David share personal stories, including David's early days in stunt coordination, his mishaps, and the camaraderie among stunt performers.

David Leitch [31:08]: "I shattered my wrist during a Batman live show audition. It was embarrassing but taught me resilience."

They also discuss the importance of David's wife, Kelly, as his producing partner, highlighting the balance between professional and personal life.

Sean Hayes [47:13]: "She's 100% responsible for me turning into a director. She taught us how to pitch ourselves."

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with heartfelt commendations for David's contributions to the film industry, his humility despite his success, and his ongoing passion for filmmaking.

Sean Hayes [60:53]: "David, kudos to you for doing it. It's awesome that the Academy recognized it too."

The hosts express their excitement for David's future projects and the potential for more collaborations, closing the conversation on a high note of mutual respect and admiration.

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Notable Quotes:

• David Leitch [12:39]: "Being an asshole really doesn't work for me."
• Jason Bateman [16:02]: "No one gets fired for doing 75%."
• David Leitch [20:00]: "We curated the production design and had a plan but let the actors riff a lot."
• David Leitch [37:04]: "Preparation plus opportunity equals miracles."

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Key Takeaways:

• David Leitch's Evolution: Transitioned from stunt coordination to directing, maintaining a collaborative and respectful approach.
• Stunt Recognition: Pioneered efforts to have stunt work recognized by the Academy, advocating for the inclusion of a dedicated category.
• Collaborative Filmmaking: Balances meticulous planning with allowing creative freedom for actors, enhancing character depth in action films.
• Resilience and Adaptability: Successfully navigated the challenges of filming during a pandemic, showcasing innovation and flexibility.
• Personal Partnerships: Attributes much of his success to his wife, Kelly, emphasizing the importance of strong personal-professional relationships.

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This episode offers an insightful look into David Leitch's career, his vision for filmmaking, and his unwavering commitment to elevating the art of stunt coordination within the cinematic landscape. Whether you're a film enthusiast or aspiring filmmaker, the conversation provides valuable lessons on collaboration, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence.

Transcript

[Jason Bateman]

Hello friends. Jason here. We are so excited that Smartless has officially joined the SiriusXM family. We can't wait to announce new surprise guests who we know that you'll love. And if you want to be the first to hear new episodes ad free and a whole week early, subscribe to SiriusXM podcasts plus on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today.

[Will Arnett]

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[Jason Bateman]

Something like a horse sleeps. Does a horse sleep standing up or is that just a cow?

[Will Arnett]

That's a cow. That's a cow.

[Sean Hayes]

No, I mean they eat hay. Where do you Sean you go. Sorry. Cause you had it seems like you had a thought about. Are you doing a lot of standing counters?

[David Leitch]

What are you doing?

[Will Arnett]

I do stand through open windows.

[Sean Hayes]

What are you doing.

[David Leitch]

Anyway?

[Will Arnett]

Talk about being open. I love being open with you guys. Welcome to Smartless.

[Jason Bateman]

What just happened?

[Sean Hayes]

What happened? Smart. Less.

[David Leitch]

Smart less smart.

[Sean Hayes]

Heart less.

[Will Arnett]

Willie so wait, so when did you move into your new place?

[Sean Hayes]

I moved in yesterday. I just got.

[Jason Bateman]

Can you straighten out your hat? You're. You're not Justin Bieber. Hang on.

[Sean Hayes]

First of all, I'm very young.

[Will Arnett]

I know.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay.

[Jason Bateman]

No, well, you don't tell your face.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay.

[Jason Bateman]

Honestly, why is it. Why is it. Why is it cocked? Why is it.

[Sean Hayes]

Just did it. I just did it like that for one second.

[Jason Bateman]

Thank you.

[Will Arnett]

It feels good to put it on the side like that. So I do that too.

[Jason Bateman]

Shut up, Sean.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow, that. I think that's a record for a. Shut up, Sean.

[Jason Bateman]

Inside two minutes.

[Sean Hayes]

Inside two minutes. We're already at Shut up Sean.

[Jason Bateman]

You guys, I miss you. Can't you.

[Will Arnett]

I know. We're gonna see each other tomorrow.

[Sean Hayes]

Tomorrow.

[Jason Bateman]

Tomorrow. I'm gonna get all over you guys.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, it is on.

[Will Arnett]

It's gummy city for me.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, damn. Chew it up and suck it down.

[Will Arnett]

And then take a gummy.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. Hey, so Will, how's your new. First of all, congratulations, Will, on finishing credibly hard period of work.

[Sean Hayes]

Thank you.

[Will Arnett]

So great.

[Jason Bateman]

What we have cooking in Hollywood's oven is. Is undoubtedly a masterpiece. I'm going to call it right now.

[Will Arnett]

Yes. And I was there to witness the masterpiece. It was so good.

[Jason Bateman]

There was a dash of Sean in it.

[Sean Hayes]

Thank you.

[Will Arnett]

Which is more than enough.

[Jason Bateman]

Sprinkle of Scotty.

[Sean Hayes]

Sean and Scotty were so great. Can I just tell you, having them, it was so fun and I've seen a bunch of stuff and it's really, really good.

[Jason Bateman]

This is a film listener that. That Will wrote and just finished acting in, directed by our friend Bradley Cooper, who's also in it.

[Will Arnett]

On it.

[Sean Hayes]

What a filmmaker.

[Jason Bateman]

What a guy.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, what an eye. Yeah, exactly. He was so great.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

And yeah, it was super fun. And Jay, are you done with yours yet?

[Jason Bateman]

No, I got another six weeks left.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, wow. Well, that's not fun.

[Jason Bateman]

But that's also fun and going well.

[Sean Hayes]

But you're having a good time and you're working your butt off too.

[Jason Bateman]

I am. It's very, very hard. But don't try to deflect. You've just finished just like an incredibly large amount of work and it must feel nice to be done. And you're back home in a new home. Ye. Your hat's kind of cocked and it's like it's all. Everything's. Yeah, everything's happening.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, I'm wearing it high. I'm. I'm thinking about. I'm like Von Dutch adjacent right now.

[Jason Bateman]

Cuz listener. He's Got long hair and it's all kind of kinked and looking super sexy.

[Sean Hayes]

Going old school with my flaked hat, you know what I mean?

[Jason Bateman]

You must crush an ass out there, huh? Hey, man, just walking around with that hairdo.

[Sean Hayes]

Can't wait for that headline, you know what I mean?

[Jason Bateman]

How about we're all in the same city, though, for once? I'm so excited to see you guys. I feel like we haven't recorded one of these in a few weeks.

[Will Arnett]

Too many weeks.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, it's. It's been a minute. And what do we got on the menu for tomorrow night? Has anybody made a request yet for food? Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Can I make two guesses?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Well, there are only two guesses. They're. By the way, they're great. They're great guesses.

[Will Arnett]

Great. They're always.

[Jason Bateman]

And if she's listening, listen. They are in those two meals are two of my favorite meals.

[Sean Hayes]

No, they're the best.

[Jason Bateman]

There's a reason they're. They're on reason.

[Will Arnett]

We keep going.

[Jason Bateman]

Heavy rotation.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, we. There's. We always have an unbelievable time and a delicious meal, and we're very, very lucky.

[Jason Bateman]

And I haven't been able to be there for a long time. Willie, you haven't been there for months.

[Sean Hayes]

And months and months. Since January, I think.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. I'm very excited.

[Will Arnett]

It's gonna be fun. On the way back. I flew back yesterday.

[Sean Hayes]

From Chicago, right?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, from Chicago. I stopped in and I saw a play at my old high school with some friends that I was in that play with. It was.

[Sean Hayes]

They did.

[Will Arnett]

You can't take it with you, you know, and so all of a bunch.

[Sean Hayes]

Of friends, turns out you can take it with you.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, but wait a second. I saw a show at your high school. You're still in contact with the folks that run your high school theater program?

[Will Arnett]

No, no, friends. My friends that I was in theater with in high school and my friend Amy and Rob. And Shereen. And Shereen I went to prom with, and she's like, so we're all like, let's go see the play that we were all part of.

[Sean Hayes]

Was she a beard situation?

[Will Arnett]

100%.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Can I ask you this, too? I actually thought that you were gonna say I was in Chicago, and I stopped to check in with. I thought you were gonna say a piece of chocolate cake.

[Will Arnett]

I stopped to check in with Portillo's.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, Portillo's. That's the name of the place. That's what I thought.

[Will Arnett]

By the way, I did. I got off the floor.

[Jason Bateman]

Shawnie I'm always. I'm always impressed. I don't know if that's the right word with the. The amount of people you're still in contact with.

[Sean Hayes]

I know. Me too.

[Jason Bateman]

From.

[Sean Hayes]

It speaks to what a great gen person you are. It really does. It really does.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Because on the surface you seem like such an world class a hole and then you will.

[Jason Bateman]

That. I was trying to figure out how to say it.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. But then it turns out, no. You are such a caring and loving.

[Jason Bateman]

Surprisingly nice.

[Will Arnett]

That's. Seriously, look at. That's her.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

And that's my friend Rob. And that's me. Prom.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh my God.

[Will Arnett]

Anyway, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

[Jason Bateman]

The show was good. How was.

[Will Arnett]

The show was great. The kids were great.

[Jason Bateman]

Do you have any notes for the presentation?

[Will Arnett]

I had one line. I had one line and it was. You're a right, chief. They have enough gunpowder down there to blow up the whole town. So when.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, do you say that with anxiety?

[Will Arnett]

Yes.

[Jason Bateman]

Have you just come back from a reconnaissance?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sean Hayes]

By the way, when I was like kind of out of breath. You were right.

[Will Arnett]

Totally. Totally. And when the guy came on because we said.

[Jason Bateman]

Do you remember the way you read it?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Let me have it.

[Sean Hayes]

Ready?

[Will Arnett]

I think I just did it.

[Sean Hayes]

No, just do it. Let's go. And you were right, chief.

[Will Arnett]

They have enough gunpowder down there. And blow them.

[Sean Hayes]

I hope you weren't laughing like that. This guy is not in the moment.

[Will Arnett]

But the guy that came out and said my line, I was like, woo. They clapped really hard.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh my God.

[Will Arnett]

They were great. They're all great.

[Sean Hayes]

Anyway, well, listen, you could have used some direction, which. And maybe you could have used direction from our guest today.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, nice. Will.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes. Because Segway alert. Because this is a guy who's become one of our more accomplished directors that we have today. Not only is he prolific, but he is also a fantastic director. And what he is. Listen again. He's one of those guys, once you name some of his credits, you're gonna go exactly who it is. But what I. And I know this guy and I got to know him because he's worn a bunch of different hats in what we do. He for many years started as a stunt stunt guy, stunt person and that, and then he became a stunt coordinator and then he became a director and a producer and. And Jason, you already guessed it because he did Deadpool 2, Hobbs and Shaw, Bullet train, fall guy. It's my friend David Leach.

[Will Arnett]

No way.

[Sean Hayes]

The second you say it, because he's such a Legend.

[Jason Bateman]

Very good at what he does, everybody.

[Sean Hayes]

He is. He is very good. And. And one of the things, Dave, that I want to say, first of all, welcome to Smartless.

[Jason Bateman]

Welcome.

[David Leitch]

I'm excited, guys. Thanks for having us on. Hey, yeah. I'm nervous.

[Sean Hayes]

One of the things I love about you, David, is that I knew you back when you were still coordinating, when I first met you, and you were also second unit directing. And you have not changed a bit. You've become like this huge director and you were still the same guy. You're still very hungry, you're still very normal. You're still very grounded. And so I really. It's a real testament. Before we get going, everybody needs to know what a great dude you are. I just want to say that off.

[David Leitch]

The bat, we had a great. Thank you. Well, you know, we had a great time on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

[Sean Hayes]

We did. We did. We had a great time. David made me look really good because he shot all this stuff of this 18 wheeler driving down a mountain, right? And so he went and he shot all this stuff, this insane 18 wheeler thing. They shot it like two months before. And then like two months later, I got to just sit in the cab of a truck, a parking lot outside Steiner Studios in Brooklyn and just hyperventilate and pretend I was doing that.

[David Leitch]

But I want to say that was a great performance.

[Sean Hayes]

Thank you.

[David Leitch]

Very brave. Very brave.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[David Leitch]

Very brave.

[Sean Hayes]

I had to get out of my Escalade, then get into the front cab.

[Jason Bateman]

Of the thing and then take off your warming coat.

[Sean Hayes]

Take what time is lunch.

[Will Arnett]

But, David, don't you think you have to be as prolific as you are and a bunch of directors that are as successful as you and Mr. Bateman here? Don't you think you have to have that kind of personality that Will just described you are, which is a peacekeeper and like, you know, you can't get a hot head and everybody's, you know, keep everything in order because you can't have a temper, right?

[David Leitch]

Well, I mean, there are directors that have it. That are prolific.

[Jason Bateman]

There's plenty that have made it work.

[David Leitch]

That I've worked with as a. As a stuntman or a department head. You know, look, I was really lucky. I got to mentor under a lot of great directors. You got to see what worked for you and what doesn't work for you. And being an asshole really doesn't work for me.

[Sean Hayes]

It really doesn't work for me. You would not wear asshole.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, it is interesting, isn't it? Like, a lot of people don't realize it, that directors don't work with other directors. So they don't know whether what they're doing is good or bad or efficient or not. And so actors or cameramen or really anybody on the set has the opportunity to sort of cherry pick from, you know, a bunch of directors how to, how to do it, if they get a chance to do it. And so, David, you've, you've, can you mention any that you've, that you've picked some, some great points from.

[David Leitch]

Yeah, I mean, I worked with the Wachowskis for a long time.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, yeah.

[David Leitch]

And they, you know.

[Sean Hayes]

On the Matrix movies.

[David Leitch]

On the Matrix movies. And then after that we did V for Vendetta, we did Ninja Assassin, the classic Ninja Assassin, but we did a lot of films. And you know, there's a precision to what they do. There's the homework that they do to be prepared, like all of that stuff. And they really build a family with their department heads and they, you know, they're really close and they allow their department heads to be creative and bring them ideas and like. And that's where I really enjoyed, you know, I think there's other directors that are like the collaborative, yeah, the collaborative spirit of a director. Whereas especially coming from production, you want your ideas to be heard. You know, you design a sequence as a stunt coordinator, you want to be heard.

[Sean Hayes]

That kind of goes to Jason. Jason kind of. You know, it's interesting the point you make. Both of you guys became directors, but you came from. Jason, you were an actor for many years, since you were a kid. And then you came to, so you got to witness and cherry pick pieces as you went and bring it into. And David, you started as a stunt performer and then coordinator, so you also got to work, work under. Whereas, you know, Jason, as you were mentioning, a lot of directors who start as directors don't have that breadth of experience working with directors.

[Will Arnett]

You guys, to know how to manage.

[Sean Hayes]

Personality, to know how to collaborate. Right. Do you think there's something to that?

[Jason Bateman]

I, yeah, I, I, I do, David. And you, you were kind of touching on it that, that, you know, you, you, you get exposed to a few work environments, you know, sets that have that collaborative spirit or that we're just basically like a, you know, to, you know, minimize it. It's sort of a good vibe. And what that yields is, is, is a, is just a better product and it's, and it's applicable to any industry where, and I've said this before, I apologize to anyone who's heard this but, you know, no one gets fired for doing 75%. Like, you can hold your job for 40 years if you. If you deliver 75%. That's what kind of people expect. But if you want that extra 25% from people, it's. They've got to feel a little bit of ownership, a little bit of buy bit of, you know, equity in. In the process. And that comes from people feeling like they kind of. It's. It's partly theirs. It's like if it's your house, you put a coaster underneath your drink without even being asked to. But if it's not your house, you might put your drink on the wood table and leave a ring as you don't really give a fuck, you're going to drive home. So if you let people feel like they're a part of the process, you get that extra bit, and then the product really soars, especially in what you.

[Sean Hayes]

And I think that's really, really long said. That's really long said.

[Will Arnett]

And I think it applies to many jobs.

[Sean Hayes]

I think it's true, though.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you.

[Sean Hayes]

David, thoughts on that?

[David Leitch]

No, I mean, it's 100% true. I mean, again, like, having been on set, you know, my entire adult life as a performer or a department head, it just. You want to be included. And then, you know, being in the director chair and knowing all those people are there to make you look good, you take the good ideas and then you steal all the credit.

[Sean Hayes]

But, David, so, I mean, when you look at your. Just your first of all, your resume as a director is impressive enough considering the films that you've made so far as a director. But the films that you performed as performed in Fight Club, I mean, this is one of the great. That's a classic. People often reference it, especially dudes, as their favorite of all time. You were Brad's stunt double in Fight Club. Is that true?

[David Leitch]

I was, but it was kind of like one of those movies where you're not doing a lot. You know, when you think about it, it's funny. It's like the name is Fight Club. And then you go back and watch the film. I actually watched it a couple months ago. There's only like three fight sequences in it.

[Sean Hayes]

Right.

[David Leitch]

But what we were doing, and you often do as a stunt performer is train the actors. So we were training the actors for a long time sort of in this messy style of fighting. And then I might have doubled Brad on two or three little moments.

[Sean Hayes]

Right?

[David Leitch]

Because at that time he was like, super fit dude, by the way, still super Fit.

[Sean Hayes]

Still super fit.

[David Leitch]

The guy's ripped.

[Sean Hayes]

I know, I know. Cool. By the way, Dave, these guys know nobody loves Brad more than me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everybody loves awesome.

[David Leitch]

We all do. He's an awesome human being. Yeah, I love it. And, yeah, so it really was like one of those movies where I was working a lot, but we weren't. You know, the stunts I had to do were, like, very, very simple. Although I do remember one Great. This goes back to Fincher being the sort of, like, perfectionist that he is. I had to throw the Ed Norton stunt double down that set of stairs at the end of the movie.

[Sean Hayes]

Sure.

[David Leitch]

12 times. 12 times.

[Sean Hayes]

12 times.

[David Leitch]

And I ran, and I ran into David. You know, this is like, a couple years ago, and I ran into him, and I asked him, like, hey, what take did you use? And he's like, oh, yeah, Take two.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

So while we're on, one of my favorite, favorite directors of all time, David Fincher. His level of specificity and precision does require a lesser amount, perhaps of kind of not contribution or even collaboration. Not sure what the right word would be, but he knows exactly what he wants. And so the sort of the arena for, hey, well, what do you guys think? How should we do? Like, there's a great deal of planning and precision going into every shot that he's doing. And so how do you. How do you recommend in. Even in other industries, room for other people to fit into that, their own ideas?

[David Leitch]

I mean, with David, I think you. You. You buy into the vision, right? And so I think, you know, part of, like, your. The excitement with his crew is like, you know, the vision is so strong that you want to make sure you're providing the details for it. And so, again, like, if you're. If you're a professional and you love this business and you get to work with somebody who has this really strong vision, then you just, you know, you.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, yeah, you.

[David Leitch]

You ratchet the gear and looking in that way and like, okay, how can I service this vision?

[Jason Bateman]

I mean, you're doing a lot of that, though, too. Like, you know, Bullet Train is. I got the title right. Yeah. I mean, I. There was so much incredible technical execution on that that, like, there's no room for fucking. Guys, let's all kind of figure this out. You know, we'll just rehearse until lunch, and then we'll just shoot after lunch. Let's just. It's like, no, you coming in with a plan. You know, exactly what. So.

[David Leitch]

Well, I would say this. Sorry to interrupt, but I Think that that was a mixture of those two styles. I think, you know, I had shot listed that movie with Jonathan Cella, and we were very, very precise, but we allowed for, like, when you look at Aaron Taylor Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry, they're playing these lemon and tangerine. When I was in my setups, I let them go. Like, they were just brilliant, and I was just, like, rolling, like, you know, and just mining for gold. So the composition and the editorial style and, like, all of the production design, like, that was really my department heads, and we curated it and we had a plan going in, but we let the actors riff a lot.

[Jason Bateman]

Right. But once you get into the action sequences or stuff that where the camera's being the performer, you've got to keep them somewhat reined in. They got to toe the marks. They got to make sure their look doesn't turn until camera gets around. Like, they. They. They need to be good soldiers.

[Sean Hayes]

And. And Jay, as you. As you probably know, and David, we've talked about it, you. You made that film under very tough circumstances. It was right in. Right during the pandemic, and place takes place in Japan. And you guys shot it in Culver City, primarily.

[David Leitch]

Yeah, right, Totally.

[Will Arnett]

We know that.

[David Leitch]

Yeah, we shot it. Yeah. It was like height of the pandemic, you know, before the vaccine, and we were greenlit, and we were actually getting ready to, like, sort of prep it for Tokyo, and we were gonna go shoot it on location. And then it's like they decided they want to do it, but they're gonna do it. Can I do a version on stage? And so.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, wait, you weren't you. But you. You had to assume that a lot of that was gonna be a build. Right. Like, you weren't gonna shoot it on a practical train, all that stuff, were you?

[David Leitch]

No, no, no. But I really wanted to go to Japan and, like, get some, you know, some real environments and, like, you know, and real grit and texture. And even the tone of the movie is now completely different because I'm like, okay, we're gonna shoot it on stage. What's the anime version of this film? And then I think we did a big pivot, you know, with the production design and the music and, like, the costumes. And I'm like, I'm gonna make this sort of an anime graphic novel.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[David Leitch]

Movie. Because we really have one big soundstage we can. And do it on.

[Jason Bateman]

But you knew you were gonna go with a splinter unit or a second unit or whatever and get all the exteriors and the establishing. Yes.

[David Leitch]

And actually we did that crazy enough during the pandemic on WhatsApp.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, what do you mean?

[David Leitch]

I had a cinematographer. I know cinematographer.

[Sean Hayes]

I love this story.

[David Leitch]

Cinematographer in Japan. And a first AD in Japan. And we had had them for weeks, scouting, sending location photos, sending video because no one was allowed in Japan. You couldn't travel there. It was like there was a lockdown, so.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, so you did it through.

[David Leitch]

We did it. All the plate photography we did with a remote unit. And I would get up in two in the morning and get on WhatsApp and watch on a camera.

[Will Arnett]

No way. That's crazy.

[Sean Hayes]

So he's directing remotely. Oh, my. From WhatsApp. Through WhatsApp. Yeah. Maybe frame it up a little bit.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. That's crazy.

[Jason Bateman]

You know what I mean? So your video tap was through WhatsApp as well? Or was there another piece?

[David Leitch]

No, we had another. We had another piece of software to give us the video.

[Sean Hayes]

Video.

[David Leitch]

And I can't remember what it was.

[Sean Hayes]

Exactly, but it's so insane.

[David Leitch]

It was crazy.

[Will Arnett]

We'll be right back.

[Jason Bateman]

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[Will Arnett]

There's truly nothing like a California road trip. Every mile feels like a movie scene. Whether you're chasing sunshine along the coast or winding through redwood forests, the best way to experience everything California has to offer is from the road. All routes lead to play when you're on a California road trip. Guys, California is the best. I used to go up to Big Bear, California. In the mountains during the winter. Got to experience the snow. And then when I was done after a couple weeks, I came back down to where I live in Los Angeles and went to the beach. I mean it's pretty spectacular. Every turn brings a new view, a new vibe and a new reason to keep exploring. From tree lined mountain roads or down sun soaked coastal highways, anything is possible. No adventure is off limits and spontaneity is part of the fun. And with iconic landmarks and hidden gems all over the map, you never know what's up around the bend. So take those unexpected pit stops because that's where the fun really starts. Maybe you want to pull over at a roadside taco stand, I don't know, pause at a jaw dropping lookout point. Or discover quirky small town festivals you didn't even know you needed. Plan your road trip in the ultimate [e-mail].

[Jason Bateman]

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[Will Arnett]

So we've never had a stunt person on before and I'm fascinated with that life and why you chose it. And was the first, like, you know, I just watched Smokey in the band and I was like, that guy was a stunt guy, you know, hell needle was that.

[David Leitch]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Hal need them.

[David Leitch]

Legends.

[Will Arnett]

If anybody needs them, Hal does. So you know the if. So like what makes you want to do to do that?

[Sean Hayes]

Because how does somebody wake up one day and go, hey, you know what I'm doing?

[Will Arnett]

I want to beat the out of myself. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

I hope somebody throws me down the stairs today.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. And don't you just. Aren't you constantly aching? Anyway, Go ahead.

[David Leitch]

Well, I actually I, I am a little achy, I'm not going to lie. But you know, I've been doing a lot, I do a lot of PT and I, I stayed.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[David Leitch]

Try to stay healthy. And I did get out earlier than some of my friends who are still like, calling me, like, hey, I hear you got a movie going. And, like, got a couple days for me on that show. And you're like, you know, you're 50, dude. You're not jumping out of the car.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, but, like, were you constantly. Were your parents constantly driving you to the emergency room when you were a little boy? Were you always jumping off shit and hurting yourself?

[David Leitch]

I actually came into the stunt business right around the time everyone was, like, specialized and so they were looking for, like, martial artists. And I. I competed in martial arts as a. As a kid and, like, all through college. And I was getting really excited about using this knowledge in movies. Like, you know, because you. You learn so much in martial arts, that's completely useless. Let's be honest. Like, there's all these moves that don't work. And you're like, why am I studying all of this stuff? And then you realize, oh, because I can make up a fight with it and it could be really cool and look cinematic. So there was a group of guys that I was competing with that were in LA and they were working on, you know, these bad bloodsport movies and things like that. And I went and visited them in Mexico on the set of this movie called Perfect Target, starring Daniel Bernhardt. And I watched them put together fight scenes, jump off of stuff, and like, yeah, fall into pads.

[Jason Bateman]

And I'm like, that looks fun.

[David Leitch]

I'm in. I just, like, packed my car and left. I. I was teaching second grade in Minneapolis. I just graduated from college.

[Will Arnett]

Wow. And you're like, instead of meeting where.

[Sean Hayes]

You go, they're like, where are you going? You're like, I'm going to be a stunt performer.

[David Leitch]

Yeah. I'm like, moving to la. I'm going to be a stuntman. And then, of course, nothing in this business is easy. And so I moved into a house in Redondo Beach. There were six of us that were all trying to be stunt people. I mean, this is a show in its own right. So we dug a. We dug a trampoline in the backyard without telling our landlord. Sure. We bought our pads, we bought an airbag, we went out to the desert, we built high fall towers. We were just going to train to be stunt people until somebody gave us a shot.

[Sean Hayes]

No way.

[Will Arnett]

And those. Are you still friends with those, that group of.

[David Leitch]

Yeah, they're all. By the way, they're all really successful stunt coordinators. Second year to directors.

[Will Arnett]

Wow.

[David Leitch]

Chad Stahelski was the other guy. He Directed John Wick with me.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. You guys co directed John Wick.

[Will Arnett]

And that's amazing.

[Sean Hayes]

We have a mutual friend, too, the great Wade Allen, who we both.

[David Leitch]

He was around in their early years as well.

[Sean Hayes]

Just love me, Wade Allen. Love me.

[Will Arnett]

Stupid, stupid question. But what's the biggest injury? Like, what's like, you're like, okay, I'm out. I can't do this.

[David Leitch]

I'm out. This is a great one. So I'm thinking, like, you know, the training ground for stunt performers is the live show, right? And so I hadn't even done a movie yet or a TV show, but I was trying out for the Batman live show at Magic Mountain, by the way. Trying out. I wasn't even the guy.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, yeah.

[David Leitch]

And to play Batman. To play Batman.

[Will Arnett]

Excellent.

[David Leitch]

And I was showing off. I was like, swinging from the. The car goes under this catwalk, I grab the bar, and I'm supposed to do a bat. Well, I'm not supposed to do a backflip, but I'm going to show everybody how I'm going to do a backflip.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, my God.

[David Leitch]

Yeah. Famous last words. Hold my beer, right? And then it was like, I completely under rotate it, put my wrist down, and I shatter it in four places. Oh, my.

[Will Arnett]

Wow. Wow.

[David Leitch]

I'm like, surgery, you know, I have a big halo on my wrist. And, you know, and it's super embarrassing because, again, I'm not even a stuntman yet. I am just like the beginning of my career trying to break into, Try.

[Will Arnett]

To cover it up.

[Sean Hayes]

And do you think, like, oh, shit, I'm not. I don't have what it takes because I broke my wrist. Like, is there part of you that. Were you discouraged?

[David Leitch]

I was embarrassed more than discouraged. I think there was a great group of guys that we were all, like, we just really believed it. We really believed we could make it. And part of it was this conversation we overheard in a diner. We always tell each other this. Today, it was pretty funny. There was two women in a diner sitting behind us, and they were like, preparation plus opportunity equals miracles, sister. Preparation plus opportunity. And so we would. Jokingly, we'd always say that, but we really meant it. It's like, just get good. Just get good. And then someone will open the door, and then you're good.

[Will Arnett]

All right.

[David Leitch]

Get to do stuff. And so we would just train. All we did was train.

[Will Arnett]

I mean, it's crazy. Like Tron, which I love Tron. The Bourne movies.

[Sean Hayes]

I mean, that is what them. I, I. There are very few movies that I watch on Repeat. And the Bourne movies are, are in there. There are like five. Do you guys have like five movies that you. That you will repeated repeatedly? Watch. I have the Bourne movies.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Ronin, Midnight Run and With Nail and I. That's it.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, yeah, that's it.

[David Leitch]

Midnight Run. So good.

[Jason Bateman]

David. What, what's, what's, what's sort of agreed upon as the. When you say that the stuntmen sometimes now specialize what is sort of upon hardest thing the, the high water for all stuntmen. Is it, is it driving stuff? Is it firework? Is it free falls? Is it.

[David Leitch]

Yeah, well, look, in the fall guy, we got to like, you know, sort of play homage to all the, the old school stunts, right? We did this like incredible car roll.

[Jason Bateman]

Dar Robinson.

[David Leitch]

Yeah. And we did the high. We did a high fall like.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[David Leitch]

And that was Bob Brown's kid and who was a legendary high fall artist like that. That is really like the lost art.

[Jason Bateman]

You know, down into like down into an airbag.

[David Leitch]

Into an airbag.

[Jason Bateman]

You don't see those anymore, right?

[David Leitch]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

It's all cable drops now, isn't it?

[David Leitch]

Yeah, we use, you know, visual effects, lets us erase the wires and we can use high speed winches or we can use descender rigs. And there's a lot of ways to do that, you know, in a safer manner. But like when we did it in the movie, we had Troy, Troy Brown come out who's, you know, Bob's kid, and he's one of the few people that can that do it and like has trained that old school sort of stunt. But look, it's such a wide discipline of stuff and that's why you have to be specialized because, you know, everything got more and more technical as we tried to make it safe. And so the drivers specialize in driving.

[Sean Hayes]

But is there one stunt that exists in cinema, like in film that is heralded as the stunt?

[Jason Bateman]

Well, you know, what you don't see anymore, and I wonder if this is the answer, is the fire gag. Like you never see somebody lit on fire anymore walking around like, oh my God, pull me up.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, because they're in like, they're in like a Michelin man suit.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[David Leitch]

Well, now there's like, they've invented this great gel, actually. There's a stunt performer, he's got a company called Action Factory and he just won, or he was. He was recognized by the Academy for a technical achievement award for his gel, the stunt gel that allows you to basically burn for a long period of time without the big suit and without the Prosthetics, rub it on your body. Well, there's the gel underneath it, but it's really the fuel that burns cooler. It's a combination of the water gel, which is an aloe vera based gel, and then the fuel that burns cooler. But look, it's all like the circus. Like there's all these sort of secrets.

[Sean Hayes]

Jay, what's that story from you when you were. You were 18, you had to use a gel for burning. What was that whole thing? Hey, hey, hey. But is there. But, but I guess what I'm asking is, is there one thing that everybody uses? As you know, Jason said, you know, like, there's a particular style of stunt that's the high water mark. But is there one performance, stunt performance that everybody goes. That's the granddaddy of them all. Somebody who did like a jump or a thing or a fall or.

[Jason Bateman]

What about that jump in one of the Bourne movies where the guy jumps from one building into another building through a side window. Right. And camera follows him in?

[Will Arnett]

Yes, I think about that all the time.

[David Leitch]

Yeah, it was pretty amazing.

[Will Arnett]

It's really impressive.

[Sean Hayes]

And Matt must have loved it. I mean, you know, sitting there with his Dunkin Donuts coffee in his hand, he was already on a. Yeah, you know what? That looks really good from over here. Yeah, do it one more. Is the one where we can see his face a little bit less. That'd be great. Just so people believe it's me. Fuck it. And I don't want anybody taking my.

[Jason Bateman]

Tell him to fix his head.

[Sean Hayes]

You know, Matt. You know how Matt is.

[David Leitch]

He probably was sitting on first unit. I mean, I don't know if we shot it on second unit. I can't really remember that. But yeah, it was. It was a pretty amazing scene.

[Sean Hayes]

By the way, I drive Matt crazy with questions about the Bourne movies all the time. I make him insane. I ended up. Frank Marshall ended up giving me like a rap gift, like from the first one with the briefcase and the jacket and stuff, because I wouldn't stop about how you guys do that. And then what did you do when you did that? Like, I'm so annoying. I love those movies.

[Jason Bateman]

David, how do you feel? Are you excited about this? You know, the Academy Awards are going to.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, this is what I was going to bring up. Yes, this is David's. David has been leading the charge on this. Jason, do you know this?

[Jason Bateman]

No, not at all.

[Sean Hayes]

David sort of gra. Really grabbed the reins on. And David, I. I want you to say it in your words, but I want to Tee you up.

[Jason Bateman]

Tell Tracy what this is.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, you have. It's a real breakthrough in entertainment and in.

[Jason Bateman]

In our new category in the Academy Awards.

[David Leitch]

Yeah. Yeah. Look, it's been a long journey. And look, for 20 plus years inside the Academy, there's been a lot of stunt coordinators working on it. You know, Jack Gill, Greg Smurz, Melissa Stubbs. There's been a lot of people trying to move the needle. And after, you know, we basically. We made Fall Guy. We're coming back from making Fall Guy. We are all feeling really excited about this giant commercial we made for, why there should be an Academy Award for stunts. And I just went in with Kelly, my wife and producing partner. We went in and talked to the Academy of, like, what's been the stumbling blocks? How do we get this done? You know, casting found a way to get this done. How can we find a way to get this done? And they really did. There was a tremendous amount of support inside the Academy, and they just said, look, we have a roadmap. You follow? And it's just been some sort of lack of clarity. And so Kelly and I really went down the road of, like, trying to rebrand what we were asking for. And I think, you know, the Academy obviously has this legacy of honoring design, like production design, costume design. And I think when people think stunts, they're like, what, are you gonna give the stunt to the. You're gonna give the award to the performer, or are you gonna give the award to the person that rigged the stunt? And it's like, no, we're gonna give it to the stunt coordinator, the department head. The tradition is you give it to the designer. And so we rebranded our credit on the Fall Guy, and this was Kelly's idea to stunt designer and Chris o' Hara, the stunt coordinator on that. Kelly went to the guilds. She got it approved by the WGA and the dga. I'm sorry, the DGA and sag and it was like, we got the credit stunt designer. And that was sort of the first really cool bridge.

[Sean Hayes]

And so now this year, the next Oscars stunts are gonna be recognized or maybe not.

[David Leitch]

It's gonna be two years. I think, you know, that's kind of like we have some internal things to do in terms of, like, how it's gonna be awarded. And they want to do it on the 100th.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, on the 100th anniversary.

[Jason Bateman]

Do we know if that's gonna be a part of the Primetime Awards or is that gonna be the technical awards?

[David Leitch]

I think it's all open for discussion and really wasn't what we voted on this time around. But it's exciting. Look, I think it's long overdue and I was happy to be instrumental inside the Academy, really getting on the zooms with all the governors I could and really canvassing it. And then for our final vote, I curated a. A video presentation with a lot of director friends, celebrity friends that were really advocates for it.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, honestly, David, kudos to you for doing it. I think it's awesome. And I think it's awesome that the Academy recognized it too. So kudos for them for that. And as we all know. And Jason, I've heard you talk about it before and we all know here on this and people should know everybody who's on set when you're there. Everybody is a filmmaker at that point point. Everybody is part of the filmmaking process.

[Jason Bateman]

There's no one there that doesn't need to be there, especially when it comes to rigging up a stunt is such. Such serious work. So much rigging.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. And that recognition is. Is. Is long overdue to. To all the incredible stunt performers out there. So. So really kudos to you. It's. It's awesome and yeah, it's great.

[Will Arnett]

I have a question about, like, overall.

[Sean Hayes]

Stunt work do well, good, because from Will and Grace.

[David Leitch]

There were some crab falls in.

[Will Arnett]

By the way. By the way, one of my. One of my entrances on the.

[Sean Hayes]

By the way says me. I don't.

[Will Arnett]

One of my entrances. Entrances on David Letterman when I. When he had his talk show, they let me jump off the balcony onto a.

[David Leitch]

What?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, I jumped off the balcony onto. What is it called?

[David Leitch]

Like a pad.

[Will Arnett]

Like. Like it was air. Like an air.

[David Leitch]

Like an air base. Airbag.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, an airbag. I can't believe they let me do that.

[Sean Hayes]

So go ahead, Sean.

[Will Arnett]

No, I was just going to say. So is it. By the way, that's. Whatever that is. But is it true that.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, sorry, sir. Hang on.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, no, no, I just meant, like, I can't believe somebody let me do that. And I'm not. I wasn't even.

[Sean Hayes]

Best stunt performance in a talk show appearance.

[David Leitch]

There was no stunt coordinator on set.

[Will Arnett]

There was none.

[Jason Bateman]

Was there a bump? Did you get. Or did you just get the appearance fee or was there a bump?

[Sean Hayes]

Bump? Jason, you always. Jason, you always did a bump before Letterman, didn't you?

[Jason Bateman]

I always loved a good bump on Letterman.

[Will Arnett]

And not Letterman. But anyway, so. But is it true to like, do you guys get. Or the stunt people get paid every single take? Is that right? It's not like a regular acting fee or whatever. Is it true that that's how they get paid? I heard that once.

[David Leitch]

Well, that's a great. That's a great. We can explain what bump means in the stunt world.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes.

[David Leitch]

So every time. Yeah, well, in the 80s it meant two things. I'm sure it probably meant one, like, how am I gonna get ready? And two, how am I gonna get paid? But it's really, it's called the stunt adjustment. And you get money for each time you do something that's dangerous and that's sort of. It's decided by the stunt coordinator in production and like sort of agreed upon. And so, yeah, if you did this, that stairfall I was talking about in Fight Club, I mean, he was probably getting $500 each time, by the way.

[Will Arnett]

On top of his salary.

[Sean Hayes]

David, I like the idea that he's like, he's, he's like, hey, man, listen, my kid needs new braces. Do you want to just throw me down a couple more times?

[Jason Bateman]

Fuck it up, you know?

[Will Arnett]

Exactly.

[Jason Bateman]

And we will be right back.

[Will Arnett]

So I don't know about you guys, but every day it seems like I go 110 miles an hour and I write, you know, 100 emails a day. And I just wish I was smarter at it. I wish I sounded smarter in the email emails. And so there's this great thing called Grammarly I'm going to tell you about. From emails to reports and project proposals, it's more challenging than ever to meet the demands of today's competing priorities without some kind of help. Grammarly is the essential AI communication assistant that boosts productivity so you can get more of what you need done faster, no matter what or where you're writing. Grammarly's AI lets you easily adjust your tone and writing with just a few clicks, helping you communicate more effectively and connect with your audience exactly as you intend. You deserve to be equipped with the best tools to do your job with the right AI support. So, like I said, I'm doing all these emails and when I'm doing, I'm going so fast. I always use Grammarly to just kind of do a once over and it makes me sound smarter and it makes me sound more like myself and it actually makes me sound like the thing I wanted to say in a better way than I could. Like that last sentence I just finished. Let Grammarly take the busy work off your plate so you can focus on high impact work. Download Grammarly for [e-mail] podcast. That's Grammarly.com podcast.

[Sean Hayes]

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[Will Arnett]

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[Jason Bateman]

You mentioned that your wife is your producing partner. Kelly, talk to us about that.

[Sean Hayes]

She's awesome.

[Jason Bateman]

I mean, how long you been doing that? I mean, the fact that you never have to be separated because so much of what we do necessitates a separation from your family. And I know, boohoo. You know, these are high class problems, but, you know, it is kind of tough. It's so great. It sounds like you guys get to stick together all the time. Talk to us about that.

[David Leitch]

It really is, actually. I mean, we, so we've been, we've been married 12 years and it, we. And it's been, it's been amazing. Like, look, I, we. We met a little later in life and that, that was great. She's just.

[Jason Bateman]

Was she, was she a producer when you met her?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Is that how you got.

[David Leitch]

I mean, she had, she came, she worked at Scott with Scott Rudin's company, and then she ended up in LA. And she is 100% responsible for me turning, becoming a director. I will give her all the credit. So she sort of, she wasn't a manager, but she hip poc. Chad and I, when she was working at this company called Sierra Affinity, which is a foreign sales company, and she was curating their slate of projects and she was like, I'm gonna get you guys. And Nick Meyer, the guy that owned that company, allowed her to do that. And so she really taught us how to take meetings and like, really was a champion to the agencies about these guys direct action, but they also tell stories. And she was like a big advocate for us and she ended up finding John Wick. It came through Sierra Affinity's office and she sort of slipped it to Chad and I and she's like, you guys should meet on second unit and then you should pitch yourselves as directors because it's all action.

[Jason Bateman]

And was that your first film as a director?

[David Leitch]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

And was that the first John Wick?

[David Leitch]

The first John Wick, yes.

[Jason Bateman]

Wow. Keanu Reeves is notoriously very picky and snobby in the best way about directors, as is Brad Pitt. Like, these guys just work in director vehicles, even though they're enormous stars and can work in and create star vehicles and just get any director that'll listen to whatever the hell they want to do. They don't do that. They love to work for. So what a huge compliment that you ran through whatever gauntlet creatively through Keanu, who's so discerning. That's awesome.

[David Leitch]

Yeah. He was incredibly supportive from the beginning and he Is. You're right. He's like a director's actor. Like, he loves the director. And he. We had worked with him for so long on the Matrix sequels. We had trained him for those sequences. And Chad was actually.

[Jason Bateman]

So he was familiar with you guys?

[David Leitch]

Yeah. And he. And then we had helped with choreography on man of Tai Chi, something that he directed. And so we were like. We maintained that relationship and friendship. So then when it came up, hey, there's a lot of action in this movie. We'd love to be considered. And we put together our presentation, our lookbook, our sort of, you know, our character sketches and our arcs, and we pitched it to him. He said, let's go to Lionsgate and tell him you want to do it.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you ever see yourself, Dave, do you ever see yourself doing something kind of moody and small and talky, just as a gear shift? Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

You have a screen you want to submit, Will?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, you got one. It's real talky. It's just me basically talking.

[Will Arnett]

It's in a room. It's.

[David Leitch]

You know, it's hard because, I mean, I have so much fun. You know, since Deadpool, I. You know, everything has had a real fun tone. And I do enjoy comedy. You know, that's why I'm, you know, not only the reason, but I'm a huge fan of all your work. You know, all you guys, like, you're just so fricking fun. And that's why we have to do something together. Please.

[Jason Bateman]

The smartless stunt movie. I see it.

[David Leitch]

Let's do it.

[Will Arnett]

Or you just throw me down the stairs and that's it.

[Jason Bateman]

Over and over.

[Sean Hayes]

By the way. By the way, before you get into it, because I want to hear your. I want to hear your answer of what you want to do. Just. Just to remind our audience the films that you've done, that you've directed. Just that you've directed. John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs Shaw, Bullet Train, Fall Guy. Like, these are.

[Will Arnett]

That's incredible.

[Sean Hayes]

I know. These are all big, big cinematic, you know, event movies that people love to go. Just to remind our listener, these are the movies that you love.

[Jason Bateman]

And the degree of difficulty is super high.

[Sean Hayes]

It's super high. So. So having said that. So you've done these big movies that take a lot of planning and a lot of resources and figure. So do you see yourself making something simpler?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. No.

[David Leitch]

Well, I do. I mean, I. Look, I. The. The fun moments. For me right now, it's not the big action sequences. I mean, again, I love making them, but they're the sort of, like, earnest, dramatic moments, you know, I think into the Fall Guy, like some of the scenes with Ryan and Emily that are really sort of emotional.

[Jason Bateman]

They're both such good actors.

[David Leitch]

Yeah, yeah. And like, watching those collaborating with those great actors and like, bringing some real humanity to the screen, I think separates. If I pat myself on the back for a second, I think it separates what. You know, people go to see my movies because they're big action movies and there's subversive comedy and all that, but they remember them because they love the characters so much. And it's because you actually cared about them.

[Will Arnett]

Right.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, I think. And it goes to David also, like, how I kicked it off, which is, you are such a great guy and you are such a. You are a very thoughtful person. And so it doesn't surprise. It wouldn't surprise me if you did something. Something leaning more that way. And you're right. Your movies do have those elements in it, so it'd be cool to see. I think you'd be really cool.

[David Leitch]

Yeah, I would love to do, you know, a straight up drama. I think right now I'm actually in Pittsburgh and I'm prepping the next movie. It's called how to Rob a Bank. And it's the. It is sort of a new, you know, taking a heist movie and turning it on its head. And I have Nick Holt and Pete Davidson.

[Sean Hayes]

Amazing.

[Jason Bateman]

That's awesome.

[David Leitch]

There's a lot of dramatic elements in this project. That was why I'm attracted to it.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, talk about that for a sec. Like, would you have been as excited earlier, earlier that. That. That a project like this has sort of led with, you know, just sort of. You need to be able to talk actor bullshit lingo, and you need to be able to talk fucking, you know, lighting and editor. But, you know what I mean? Like, how was. How was that a comfortable transition for you or. Or not transition? Was it a comfortable process for you to learn and get as familiar with talking actor or talking gaffer or talking camera operator as it was talking stunts? Like, was that. Was that. Was that one of the big things? It was like, oh, you know, I can coordinate a fight. But the other part of the directing stuff is being able to, like, help an actor kind of find a moment or try or talk to, you know, the, the. The gaffer about, you know, what the lighting strategy might be in this thing or talk about that stuff, or tell.

[Sean Hayes]

Jason Bateman that his wig is slipping off. You know what I mean?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. You got to take him to, to the side, you know, because no one knows.

[Will Arnett]

No one's gonna tell. Yeah.

[David Leitch]

Well, I will say yes, you get, you get better each time out. And I think. But I did, you know, I had, for better or worse, I had the training wheels of second year unit. And so with second unit, you're still working with actors and like, you know, a movie like this, you know, this blockbuster, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that Will and I work with, like, I mean.

[Sean Hayes]

I worked with, it was a blockbuster. It was number one for three weeks. Go ahead.

[David Leitch]

It was, we.

[Sean Hayes]

We.

[David Leitch]

I worked with Will, you know, I got to work with actors and we were working on performance even inside the actual action. So you were constantly like, you were learning actor speak at that, that. Well. But then, you know, obviously sitting in the, the first unit chair becomes. It's a different animal. But I felt really, really comfortable from the get go. But I think it was, you know, having years of like, you know, being a second unit director, getting more and more a bigger piece of the, of the film each time out. You know, like these big commercial films. Like you might have like six weeks of second unit. You know, it's a lot. And it was. That's more than we had to shoot John Wick, the first movie.

[Jason Bateman]

What would the. What, what would, what would, what would folks listening who were not in, who are not in this business. What, what, what part of the process as a director would they be surprised to hear is really not enjoyable, not really pleasant? Is it, is it, is it the, is it sort of the start sort of pitching, you know, trying to describe what you're gonna do to these studio heads when you're sitting in an office, you know, or is it marketing it? Like talking to the press afterwards about what to expect? Like, there's so many different parts. Is there, is there a part that's particularly unpleasant to you or a part that you're still kind of getting used to or making friends with?

[David Leitch]

I mean, getting them off the ground is always the hardest, I think. You know, it's just, just selling, selling it, you know, and like, and getting people involved and getting their schedules right and like getting your key collaborators to.

[Sean Hayes]

Believe in it once you even. Once you've sold it. Just from the, even once they say yes, even from the yes to first day to actually showing up, you're like, right to the end, right? You're like, we're supposed. There's never a hard green light.

[David Leitch]

Are we greenlit?

[Sean Hayes]

Are we greenlit? And, and you're working on the budget like the week before they're like, it's kind of approved budget. Right. Explain a little bit how that works.

[David Leitch]

Yeah, they say they want to make it for something, and then you get it into that box, and then you have a creative idea, and it's like, that's a great idea. And then you're like, yeah, the money box. And then it's like the box expands, and then you try and get it back in. And it's constantly, like, trying to hit a number, whether it's a, you know, $100 million movie, because there's all these expectations that drive those costs up, or it's a $25 million movie, like these ones that we produce that, you know, like, nobody agreeing that Nobody's coming out. Nobody 2 is coming out in August. That's another exciting.

[Sean Hayes]

With the great Bob Odenkirk, who.

[Will Arnett]

I love him.

[Sean Hayes]

Who we all know very well.

[Jason Bateman]

I just saw him on stage at Glengarry Glen Ross.

[Will Arnett]

I did, too, Jay.

[Sean Hayes]

So good.

[Jason Bateman]

How great is God? Was he great?

[Will Arnett]

So great. He's.

[David Leitch]

He's amazing. He's so good. And nobody, too. I'm really excited about it. We've had. We've had. We had a great time making it. I. I was actually one of those where Kelly produced it, but I was on set quite a bit. It was really fun. Like, we were.

[Sean Hayes]

Isn't that. Sean, that's your. That's your handle on Grindr is just nobody, right? And that's correct.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. And just my photos are just the neck down, so you look. You don't get a lot of downtime to just go travel or do anything. I mean, it seems like you just go project to project to project.

[David Leitch]

Right now. It's been that the last 10 years has been pretty busy, I have to say. Like, we've. This is movie number seven. And then plus the ones we produced, Violent Night with David Harbour and the Nobody with Bob. But again, I love it. I guess I kind of grew up. Grew up. I said my adult life was all physical production. I loved it. I love the set life. I love my fellow friends on there. Love, like, waking up, eating the bad burrito. And, like, how do we get this done? Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I miss it. It's been two years since we were on set.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, no way. Really?

[David Leitch]

Yeah. So for me, it's like, I'm ready to dig in and shoot some stuff.

[Jason Bateman]

How are you liking Pittsburgh? What have you found up there in Pittsburgh that you're liking to do?

[David Leitch]

We play. Honestly, we play pickleball, so.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, yeah. Have you, have you. Have you experienced any life scarring injuries from pickleball? Because that it. You can really recognize.

[Will Arnett]

Yes. I knew somebody that works in the ER just recently. She said most of the people that come in here because of pickleball, I.

[Sean Hayes]

Swear to God, David, no offense, I'm not a fan. I'm not a fan of pickleball.

[David Leitch]

You're not. Did you play tennis?

[Sean Hayes]

I just, I don't know. I think a pickleball, it's a fat man sport. It's replaced racquetball. You stand in the middle of the thing, the ball's going to come to you eventually.

[Jason Bateman]

Racquetball.

[Sean Hayes]

I love racquetball with Johnny Schwartz. Remember jb back in the day?

[David Leitch]

There's even places to play racquetball anymore.

[Jason Bateman]

I love it when you find them. You're like, oh, my God, look at that big white room.

[Sean Hayes]

Squash, because it was harder. You know what I mean? And you had to start running.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. But there's a very, very unsatisfying sound and, and, and, and hit.

[Sean Hayes]

How dare you say that about squash. We almost enjoyed it immensely. So you playing a lot of pickleball, which is good.

[David Leitch]

Yeah. Our nephews go to Carnegie Mellon, Kelly's nephews. And so it's been odd, like being here. They're both in college and we're now here on prep and it's like, hey, you guys want to hang out? It's Saturday night. And they're like, yeah, we're in college.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[David Leitch]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

And you're. And you're 50. Yeah, exactly.

[Sean Hayes]

And you're 50.

[David Leitch]

Yes, exactly.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, again, David, I just want to say, I want to reiterate how cool it is what you've done for the stunt performers and really cool to, to bring them, you know. Yeah. To get them recognized. And that the academy did. That is really awesome. And so congrats to everybody. And again, another testament. What a great dude, what a, what an awesome guy, and what a great director you are that you become. And increasingly, it's just so fun. Rad. And I'm happy to know you and continued success, my friend.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. It's great to have talked to you for a bit about all this, man. Thank you for doing this.

[David Leitch]

Thanks for having me on. Yeah, man, this has been so fun.

[Sean Hayes]

Send my love to Kelly, if you will, please.

[David Leitch]

I will.

[Sean Hayes]

And yeah, and we'll talk to you really soon. And have a great time out there in piss Pittsburgh.

[David Leitch]

I appreciate it.

[Jason Bateman]

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

[Will Arnett]

See you. Bye.

[David Leitch]

Bye.

[Jason Bateman]

Bye bye. That was a great guest There, Willy. How's it going?

[Will Arnett]

Really super guy.

[Jason Bateman]

Such a fan of his.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm really stoked it worked out and that. That the sked worked out and, and he's such a great guy and I have had the pleasure. We also made a commercial together that. That hasn't aired for a bunch of reasons. But. And so. And it was something that. It was great, but we didn't really have to do much and we were just on a stage at Paramount.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, he seems like a. A really fun hang.

[Sean Hayes]

So we just kind of hung out for three days and we did this thing. It was fine and the people were really nice and we did a nice thing. But I just got to spend an additional three days with him like four months ago. And it was so great. He's such a good, thoughtful dude.

[Jason Bateman]

I think we should workshop what. What the smartest movie would be that we can pitch to him.

[Sean Hayes]

It should be stunt intensive.

[Jason Bateman]

The three of us. The three of us get kidnapped by a disgruntled listener. And. And we're tied up in the back of a van.

[Sean Hayes]

Disgruntled listener. And Sean is helping hostage at the donut factory.

[Will Arnett]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Oh, I'm back in. I'm back in.

[Jason Bateman]

To keep him quiet, he's got a dozen donuts in his mouth the entire.

[Will Arnett]

By the way. By the way, the, the last day. Our last day. Mine and Scotty. Because Scotty's in Will's movie as well. Yeah, we sent donuts to everybody on set.

[Jason Bateman]

Huh?

[Sean Hayes]

They did. They said donut. They sent donuts. And then I asked him if he'd had any. He said, of course. And then I had a great moment. I will say. I won't say where, but I had a great moment. There was this big Sean Scott, this like, I don't know, like 30 boxes of donuts on. On. On this big table. And at one point, I see. I see like four cops standing over it. And I was like. And I didn't have my. I never had my phone. I was like, where's my fucking phone?

[Jason Bateman]

That's real.

[Sean Hayes]

I know. It was pretty good. They were great guys.

[Will Arnett]

David's great, though. You know, the one thing.

[Jason Bateman]

Here he comes.

[Will Arnett]

No, no, no, no. This isn't it. This isn't it yet. But I did want to ask him because he does seem so level headed and like, really cool. Like, you're saying he is really cool. Really, like down. And Jay, you're the same way, I imagine on set where you're just. But it's like those Types of personalities that are like just down to earth and have to keep everybody happy on a set. What do you do when you get so fucking pissed about a person or something? How do you stuff it and then how does it come out later?

[Sean Hayes]

Well, let's ask Amanda because she's usually.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, wait. Sorry.

[Sean Hayes]

She bears the brunt of most of the frustration.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, wait, she. I was. Sorry, I was actually reading something. All right, say that one more time.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh my God.

[Jason Bateman]

No, no, honestly, I just. We just got a pitch for a buy. But what, what was the. No, no.

[David Leitch]

Did you say.

[Jason Bateman]

When somebody says something that you don't like, how do you keep your.

[Will Arnett]

No, no, no.

[Sean Hayes]

Like.

[Will Arnett]

Like you guys have personalities where you have to. You're very level headed. You have to keep the piece on set all the time. And when something, somebody or something really pisses you off, you can't let it out. So how do you let it out later? Or what do you do about stuffing a. All that?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, I know. I mean, I am not perfect with this. I'm sure some will attest, but I guess you just like it. Anything like you or Will or anybody else in this world. You just hope that you have managed your day properly leading up to that point where you are living in a place of patience and compromise that you need to sort of cut.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. There just must be so many things that are just like, what the fuck? Like all day long when you're directing, like when anybody's directing.

[Sean Hayes]

Why are you so mad yourself right now? You're already worked up.

[Will Arnett]

I know, because I feel like I.

[David Leitch]

Would be that way.

[Will Arnett]

That's why.

[Jason Bateman]

It is part of the job though, right? It is part of the job to manage all the incoming. If you're gonna raise your hand for a leadership position, there's a lot that comes with it. So unless you can do it all.

[Sean Hayes]

No, you know what it is, I think that you gotta do? I think that in those moments when you. That stuff. No, you just got to be calm and you got to think about what, what certain people would do. Like, you know, historically, people who are good. So you think about great people and thing you might think about this and you think about God. And whatever you do, you can always look it up in the Bible.

[Jason Bateman]

Or you might need to just bite your tongue.

[Sean Hayes]

Don't waste that one. Okay. Smart Less. Smart less. Smartless is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Rob Armjarv, Bennett Barbico and Michael Granteri. Smart, Smart less.

[Jason Bateman]

Hey, friends. Jason here. We're so excited. The Smart List has officially joined the SiriusXM family. We can't wait to announce new surprise guests who we know that you'll love. If you want to be the first to hear new episodes ad free and a whole week early, subscribe to SiriusXM podcasts plus on Apple Podcasts or visit siriusxm.com podcastsplus to start your free trial today.

[Will Arnett]

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[Sean Hayes]

New McCrispy strips now at McDonald's. Bottom of.