(AllHipHop News) Director Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones) will deliver 21 Bridges in 11 days. The STXfilms motion picture stars Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) as New York Police Department Detective Andre Davis.
The movie centers around Davis leading a citywide search for a pair of cop killers. He eventually directs the authorities to close all 21 bridges in Manhattan to prevent any entry or exit from the island.
“The idea of locking down Manhattan for a manhunt was incredibly compelling and cinematic,” says Chadwick Boseman. “We haven’t seen that before.”
Boseman adds, “Andre’s father, a policeman, was killed in the line of duty when Andre was just 13, so he has grown up with this unsettled murder of his dad. Over the years, Andre has become determined to not only avenge his father’s death, but those of any cops he has served with.”
In addition to the murder investigation, the lines get blurred in 21 Bridges when a massive conspiracy is uncovered. The film also explores the complexities of police officers and the suspects they are pursuing.
“I have an abiding fascination with manhunt movies and the moral journeys they present. This is a thriller with the energy of a massive chase. There’s a conceptual purity, visceral realism and heightened scale and spectacle that comes with the idea of locking down Manhattan overnight,” states Kirk.
The filmmaker continues, “It’s almost like a military invasion. It has an archetypal clarity you associate with classic myths and with the tradition of New York crime movies. 21 Bridges is a modern story that exists within that tradition.”
Chadwick Boseman and Logan Coles are credited as producers for 21 Bridges. Marvel Cinematic Universe regulars Anthony Russo and Joe Russo are part of the production team as well.
“Joe and Anthony godfathered me through the numerous challenges of making a film of this scale,” says Kirk. “They helped me create an environment where the best idea always wins. I drew inspiration from them throughout the film’s development, production and, especially, during post-production.”
The Russo Brothers worked closely with both Kirk and Boseman. The creative minds behind the MCU’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame offer praise for the Northern Ireland-born director and the Howard University-educated actor.
“We grew up on genre films, especially elevated genre pictures with a particularly sophisticated execution of that type of material,” expresses Joe Russo. “Brian Kirk was someone at the top of our list of artists we wanted to work with. He understands the film’s themes and twists and turns, as well as the social potency of some of the issues it examines.”
Anthony Russo adds, “Chadwick is an incredible artist who always brings that same level of execution to his work as a producer. He understands not only the intricacies of his character, but how to step back and look at the bigger picture.”
Besides Chadwick Boseman, the cast of 21 Bridges features J. K. Simmons, Sienna Miller, Stephan James, Taylor Kitsch, Keith David, Alexander Siddig, Louis Cancelmi, and Victoria Cartagena. The film arrives in North American theaters on November 22.
Videos and photos courtesy of STXfilms
