Based on the best-selling John Grisham novel, “Runaway Jury” follows John Cusack and his partner Rachel Weisz as they manipulate the 12 men and women who make up the jury hearing a case against gun manufacturers. Dustin Hoffman co-stars as the prosecuting attorney, with Gene Hackman taking on the role of a high-powered jury consultant who plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Cusack and Weisz.
Catching up with some of the cast of “Runaway Jury,” I had the chance to find out what the stars thought about the film and about switching the topic from tobacco (in the novel) to guns:
JOHN CUSACK:
The book was about the tobacco industry; the film is about the gun industry. How did you feel about the change?
I thought it made it more dynamic. I thought it let the film live on its own a little bit more. I think a lot of the tobacco stuff has been settled and that was in "The Insider." I think it was a great move to make it about gun control.
Is playing an enigmatic character fun?
Yeah, that was kind of fun. It had an element of the con in it. That was a lot of fun.
What about the dynamics of the film with the big ensemble cast?
It was fun to be around all these great actors and get to work with them.
What’s the key thing about pulling off a good courtroom drama?
I don’t know, this one’s different. I think this one has a fresh perspective on it. I think it’s all story and writing because when you've seen the idea so many times, it’s hard to get excited if the story and the writing weren’t so great. It’s like baseball. They keep playing the same game, but some people play it really well.
RACHEL WEISZ:
You have to really hold your own against Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman and John Cusack in this movie.
Yes, my character is definitely a tough cookie. She’s a very tough cookie for a reason, not just for the hell of it. She has a kind of agenda. It was terrifying to try and hold my own next to these American screen legends. It was an honor and a privilege to work with them, but also it was very inspiring because they are three actors at the top of their game. They really don’t have anything to prove but they still really care about what they do, and they're still really passionate about their job. It was most of the most exciting experiences of my life.
Did director Gary Fleder allow the actors a lot of freedom with the script?
Dustin improvises the whole time. Dustin never sticks to the script. I always thought of him as being kind of 'rock and roll,' but actually jazz is more accurate because he improvises. He just throws in lines and makes things up. He's a fast guy.
And you're currently working on "Constantine" with Keanu Reeves. How is that film going?
Yes. We just started filming about two weeks ago in Los Angeles. I’m playing an LAPD homicide detective. She’s very guilty, very guilt-ridden.
DUSTIN HOFFMAN:
Rachel Weisz just said you kept her on her toes with a lot of improvisation.
Yeah, I like to improvise. I think it’s really an actor's way of messing with one another.
Can you talk about your big scene with your longtime friend, Gene Hackman?
We were both very nervous; we'd never worked together. We admitted later that we felt like we were in the first year acting school 35 years before when we had met. It was a painful experience for about a 1/2 hour then it was a great time.
ADDITIONAL "RUNAWAY JURY" PREMIERE INTERVIEWS:
Bruce Davison ('Defense Attorney Cable')
Cliff Curtis ('Frank Herrera')
Nora Dunn ('Stella Hullic')
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
In-Depth Interview with Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman
Rachel Weisz and John Cusack Press Junket Interview
