Jackie Chan does not appear in High-speed trainthe crazy new action movie starring Brad Pitt and directed by maestro of chaos, David Leitch. But both the director and his star see the Hong Kong action hero as the creative star behind the turbocharged blockbuster, which takes place on a bullet train full of assassins traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto. “We’ve talked a lot about Jackie Chan and our admiration for what he does,” Pitt told Yahoo Entertainment. “I still think he’s our Buster Keaton – he’s underrated.” (Watch our video interview above.)
Pitt and Leitch specifically sought to recreate the way classic Chan images like Drunken Master and Police Story bring the funny to all kick-ass fights. It’s an approach the stuntman-turned-director has tried to replicate not only in High-speed trainbut also his past films including Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2 and Hobbs & Shaw. “The way he injects comedy into the fights is really special,” says Pitt, who first met Leitch in the late ’90s when the future filmmaker served as his fight club stunt double. “To do something in that direction under Leitch and the Leitch gang was a lot of fun. I’ve never had the opportunity to do that before.”
The rest of the High-speed train the cast also had a blast mixing laughs and punches. Asked to reminisce about the craziest stunt he’s ever been involved in, co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson points out a bonkers moment when he and Pitt are thrown through one of the train’s open doors. “We were on two different platforms with different harnesses, and we literally got ripped off and pulled back, and had to pull out,” the actor said. “It’s exciting when you’re encouraged by the director to be able to do your own stunts.”
Bryan Tyree Henry, meanwhile, says he particularly enjoyed a moment when he double-kicked another killer in the chest. “I was like, ‘This looks legitimately amazing,'” the Atlanta the star remembers. “There’s also a crazy punch that me and Brad got to do – that was really fun.” And Japanese martial arts superstar Hiroyuki Sanada also had fun working with Pitt. “When I first met Brad he was so friendly and easy to communicate with. His atmosphere is always fun and peaceful, that helped me a lot.”
Speaking of lending a hand, Sandra Bullock made her longtime friend Pitt solid by filming a cameo appearance in High-speed train after appearing in his hit comedy The lost city earlier this year. “From now on, I will only do Sandy Bullock films,” jokes the actor. “It’s contractual.” It seems like the perfect time to give the green light to the next oceans film…
— Video produced by Olivia Schneider and edited by Jimmie Rhee
High-speed train now playing in theaters.
Watch the trailer:
