Opening in theaters nationwide on November 14th is the new action thriller ‘Trap House’, which was directed by Michael Dowse (‘Stuber’), and stars Dave Bautista (‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’), Jack Champion (‘Avatar: The Way of Water’), Tony Dalton (‘Hawkeye’), and Bobby Cannavale (‘Ant-Man‘).
Innw4MIF9TBhb8rTtMOhcMoviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dave Bautista about his work on ‘Trap House’, developing the project as a producer, balancing the action with the father/son story, his advice for young actor Jack Champion, fanboying over Bobby Cannavale, and his close working relationship with director Michael Dowse, as well as sword training to play The Kurgan in the upcoming remake of ‘Highlander’, and joining Jake Gyllenhaal for ‘Road House 2’.
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Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your work on ‘Trap House’ as a producer and the challenges of getting this movie made?
Dave Bautista: I’d have to go back to how this happened. So, a buddy of mine who works for the NSA now, but he’s kind of been around law enforcement. He was in the military, he’s been a cop, he worked for the DOD, and he worked for Federal law enforcement. Now he’s at the NSA. Anyway, he came to me with this idea. He said, “Hey, I got an idea. I wanted to run by you. It’s about a bunch of DEA agents and they’re seizing drugs and money from drug dealers. These kids, they’re just looking for a wild ride, so they start robbing the money from their parents. I said, “I don’t love that. I don’t love the kid stealing from the government. What about this?” So, I came up with the idea of the kids really needing the money, not just wanting the money or wanting to be on the wild ride but needing the money to help a friend. They start robbing drug dealers that their parents were investigating, because their parents of course they’re not going to suspect their kids. But I like the idea of turning into a three-way kind of cat and mouse. So that’s originally how it started. Then I’d done a film called ‘Final Score’ with the producer who I ended up producing ‘Final Score’ with, Marc Goldberg. So that’s how I pitched the idea to him, and he said, “I love that idea. Let’s a hire writer, and let’s do it”. So, that’s how it all initially started. When I read the first draft, it was very different from what I turned it turned out to be, because I it was originally more like ‘The Fast and the Furious’. I wanted it to be kind of that meets ‘Stand by Me’. I wanted it to be an adventure for the kids who kind of get in over their heads. But I wanted there to be some innocence to it and that’s kind of how it started. It took years to get the script to where we wanted it to be, and even then, there was still a rocky road after that. This was a hard film to make.
MF: Can you talk about balancing the film’s father and son story with the action and thriller aspects of the movie?
DB: That’s what we wanted it to be. We wanted it to be about strained relationships, but we always wanted it to be told from the kids’ point of view. I didn’t want the parents to be the star of this film. I wanted the kids to be the stars of the film. I also thought, I just wanted it to be fun, because sometimes, especially I found out with wrestling, you want the bad guy to get away with it. The kids, they’re not doing the right thing. They’re not doing the best thing. They’ve gotten themselves in way over their heads. But we went through drafts where one of the kids got shot, and I was like, “No, we can’t do that.” In one draft the kids got arrested, they went to prison, I was like, “No, we can’t do that.” It’s one of those things where it is just a fun film. This is not a documentary. We just want to have fun. We want kids to have fun watching this film. We want it to be a popcorn film. We want it to be entertaining. But it’s built a bridge between a father and his son who, where their relationship is strained and they’re trying to figure out how to bond. Then that’s how they got through all this mayhem. That’s the way my character was able to express his love to his son, which his son had never noticed before. He always thought he’d put his job first but Cody really knows that he’s sacrificing everything because he loves his son so much.
MF: Can you talk about creating that father and son relationship onscreen with Jack Champion?
DB: It was so easy. Jack and I bonded immediately. We’re kind of from the same neck of the woods, and he was really starting to get into boxing and stuff. So, we had something to talk about and it just happened organically. We went and trained before we started filming. We worked out together and you really get to know people if you work out together. So, we bonded immediately. I also thought, he’s just such a nice, cool, humble kid, and I’ve worked with people in Hollywood who started out young and I feel like they lose a connection with people. They kind of get sheltered, they get in a bubble, and they lose interaction with people. Jack didn’t have any of that. He was just super friendly and humble, and he really wanted to learn. I thought, man, this kid he’s a leading man. He kind of looked at me like a mentor on this film and to be honest with you, I kind of loved it. So, we had good conversations and I thought, he’s going to have a future in this business. I wanted to share with him some of the stuff that I learned along the way, and just hope he’s on the right path throughout his career and treats people great. I really believe in treating your crew great. They don’t make as much money as you do, and they don’t get the spotlight that you do, but they are working twice as hard as you do. They’re there before you get there, and they’re there after you leave. I believe that. I learned that from WWE. I’ve always carried that with me, and I try to pass that on to anybody who will listen. Since Jack is young in this business and impressionable, I wanted to share that with him, that sentiment, that’s the way I look at filmmaking. That’s the way. That’s the attitude I go to work with. Be nice to people, courteous to people, respect people and then build that kind of positive environment. In the hard days, that kind of environment, it pays off because it’s not like somebody’s working harder than somebody else. We’re all working. We’re all on it together. We’re in this fight because days on films get long and they get hard. You’re missing your family and you’re not sleeping well and you’re not eating right. So, if you build that relationship with people and keep it in a real positive environment, that starts from the top all the way down, then you get a good environment which will translate into good filmmaking. Hopefully, good filmmaking. But you know at least everybody’s on the same page and we’re trying to create a quality project. Everybody’s got their heart invested in it.
MF: What was it like working with Bobby Cannavale and what did you learn from watching the way he approaches a character?
DB: I was trying not to fanboy too much. Bobby’s a quiet guy. He’s not a big talker, and I have a thousand of questions to pick his brain about, especially his stage work. He’s a real guy’s guy. He’s super into sports and he’s super handsome, which is obnoxious. He’s a New Yorker, too, so he’s just a little rough around the edges. But he’s quiet and he’s to himself. He’s super low maintenance, doesn’t have an entourage with him, and he reads a lot. But I picked my spots and just kind of picked his brain about acting and stuff. I was such a big fan of his because I thought his portrayal of his character on ‘Boardwalk Empire’ was just so fearless. I just loved it so much, and so I wanted to pick his brain about that, but also about stage work because I aspire to do stage work. But I my relationship with him, it all built from a foundation of respect for what he’s done and the person he is, because he’s just a good solid dude, and super talented.
MF: I know that you have worked with director Michael Dowse in the past, what was it like reuniting with him on this film and what do you enjoy about the way he directs?
DB: We have a relationship. Michael and I go way back. We did a film called ‘Stuber’ together, which I’ve got a chip on my shoulder because I I’ve always felt like that film was super underrated. We just got smashed in the box office. I think people weren’t sure what the film was. It’s just my opinion, but I don’t think I was a big enough name to carry the film, but I still think it’s just a great film. It’s a fun film. We were also boxed between massive films like ‘Toy Story 4’, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’. So, we just got smashed. But Mike saved us on this film because Mike stepped in last minute. We had a director and he dropped out weeks before we were supposed to start filming. So, I called Mike and I said, “Hey, we’re just in a jam.” He just jumped on it. Mike’s the type of guy who just knows what he wants. Again, he’s good to people and always has a good energy, but he’s just good at relaying what he wants. He makes things simple. He’s clearly the boss when he’s on set, he just has a vision. You never guess, who’s the boss? You’re never looking around, trying to figure it out. Like, who should I go to? Mike is the boss when he’s on set. So, people have a lot of respect for him, and I do as well. So, at that point, because we were behind and without a leader, we needed a leader and Mike stepped in and really kind of saved us. So, I always love him, and will be grateful for him for that, and other things as well, but most mostly that.
MF: What can you tell us about preparing for your upcoming role as The Kurgan in the remake of ‘Highlander’? Have you started sword training yet?
DB: I’ve been sword training for just about three months. It’s tough. This film is not going to be anything anybody’s seen before. I think this script is amazing. I don’t often get like super excited about scripts. I usually read scripts and then I start to think, how can we fix this? How can we make this better? There’s something there, but how can we elevate it? Not with this one. When I read it, I just got it. It was great. The characters were elevated, and there’s a lot of nods to the original, but it is very different. Also, the action on this is going to be ridiculous. I mean, it’s ‘John Wick’ amplified because it’s just never been done. Obviously, there’s going to be swords. I don’t think that’s going to a spoiler alert. There’s going to be swords, but it’s a lot of very stylized sword fighting. I mean, Chad (Stahelski) has been thinking about this for a very long time. Our ten-to-fifteen-minute meetings turn into two-hour conversations because I think he’s been obsessing over this film for years now. So, I think people are going to be really excited about this. I hope they are. I can’t wait for people to see the first trailer because I’ve seen mockups and I get goosebumps. I’m a fan of the original, and not every film should be remade, but this one had such a great and interesting premise. At the time, I don’t think it smashed box office records, but it’s got a bit of a cult following. But I want more people to be familiar with it and I’m sure this new film is going to be a box office smash, but I hope that it will bring attention to the original because I’m a massive fan of it and Clancy Brown. I got big shoes to fill, and I will be honest and say that I’m super nervous about it. I’m a little self-conscious because Clancy was in his 20’s when he played The Kurgan, and I’m over here in my 50s trying to fill his shoes. Those are big shoes to fill. So hopefully I do it justice, but I can say that it won’t be from lack of hard work because I’ve been working my butt off. I’ve been pursuing the role of The Kurgan for probably ten plus years, and so it is the dream role.
MF: Finally, what has it been like joining ‘Road House 2’ and working with Jake Gyllenhaal?
DB: It’s great. This is a dream. I always tell people, I kind of measure my career by who I’m working with. I’ve been a fan of Jake’s for a very long time, and I told him that years ago because we had a mutual friend and he stuck us together on a FaceTime call. I was like, “Man, I’m a huge fan. I went, long before ‘Road House’ was even a conversation, to see him in ‘Othello’ on Broadway with Denzel Washington. I went back and talked to him, and he just blows me away. He’s a real actor. He’s the real deal. So, to think that I can say that I I’m working with him, if not to anyone else, it says to me something personally about where my career’s at, and it means a lot to me. I’ve never been an accolades guy, but when I can get respect from my peers and peers that I hold on to a pedestal, that means more to me. Plus, he’s a good dude. He’s just a great guy. He’s super down to earth, funny and smart, and just super talented. We’re having in depth conversations about things we’re doing in scenes, looks, mannerisms, backstories, and that’s what I love about acting.
What is the plot of ‘Trap House’?
In El Paso, Texas, an undercover DEA agent (Dave Bautista) and his partner embark on a game of cat and mouse with their own teenage children, who are using their parents’ tactics and intel to rob a dangerous cartel.
Who is in the cast of ‘Trap House’?
- Dave Bautista as Ray Seale
- Jack Champion as Cody Seale
- Bobby Cannavale as Andre Washburn
- Sophia Lillis as Demi Morales
- Kate del Castillo as Natalie Cabrera
- Tony Dalton as Benito Cabrera
- Whitney Peak as Yvonne Reynolds
- Inde Navarrette as Teresa Flores
- Zaire Adams as Kyle Alvarez
- Blu del Barrio as Jesse Padilla
List of Dave Bautista Movies:
- ‘The Man with the Iron Fists‘ (2012)
- ‘Riddick‘ (2013)
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy‘ (2014)
- ‘Spectre‘ (2015)
- ‘Heist‘ (2015)
- ‘The Boss‘ (2016)
- ‘Marauders‘ (2016)
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘ (2017)
- ‘Blade Runner 2049‘ (2017)
- ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ (2018)
- ‘Hotel Artemis‘ (2018)
- ‘Escape Plan 2: Hades‘ (2018)
- ‘Avengers: Endgame‘ (2019)
- ‘Stuber‘ (2019)
- ‘Escape Plan: The Extractors‘ (2019)
- ‘My Spy‘ (2020)
- ‘Army of the Dead‘ (2021)
- ‘Dune‘ (2021)
- ‘Thor: Love and Thunder‘ (2022)
- ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery‘ (2022)
- ‘Knock at the Cabin‘ (2023)
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘ (2023)
- ‘The Boy and the Heron‘ (2023)
- ‘Dune: Part Two‘ (2024)
- ‘My Spy: The Eternal City‘ (2024)
- ‘The Killer’s Game‘ (2024)
- ‘Trap House‘ (2025)
