{"id":1835185,"date":"2026-03-19T16:16:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T13:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1835185"},"modified":"2026-03-19T16:16:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T13:16:00","slug":"bill-skarsgard-and-gus-van-sant-on-their-scrappy-thriller-dead-mans-wire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1835185","title":{"rendered":"Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd and Gus Van Sant on their scrappy thriller Dead Man\u2019s Wire"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442047.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article longread\">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/film-tv\/article\/69939\/1\/dead-man-wire-interview-gus-van-sant-bill-skarsgard-luigi-mangione\" data-article-id=\"69939\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\" data-template=\"Longread Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442047.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-19T16:16:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">DateInMeta<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical vertical - film-tv\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\">Film &amp; TV<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd and Gus Van Sant on their scrappy thriller Dead <span class=\"nowrap\">Man\u2019s Wire<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>The actor and filmmaker talk to Dazed about the making of their new abduction thriller, its eerie parallels with Luigi Mangione, and a lost film with <span class=\"nowrap\">Harmony Korine<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-19T16:16:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - film-tv\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\">Film &amp; TV<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-19T16:16:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/NickChen\">Nick Chen<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-25-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Dead Man\u2019s <span class=\"nowrap\">Wire (2025)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/0\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442047.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/1\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442036.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/2\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442034.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/3\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442035.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/4\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442037.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/5\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442038.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 25 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/luigi-mangione\">Luigi Mangione<\/a> shot the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in December 2024, the cast and crew of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/gus-van-sant\">Gus Van Sant<\/a>\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/span><\/em><span> were a month away from principal photography. Asked about it now, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/bill-skarsgard\">Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/a>, the star of the film, denies it had much impact, yet the parallels are there: the crime-thriller is a dramatisation of a real-life incident from 1977 whereby a gun-wielding American, Tony Kiritsis, made international news by kidnapping a mortgage broker\u2019s son in what he claimed to be standing up for the little man.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Van Sant\u2019s first film in seven years, <\/span><em><span>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/span><\/em><span> is a scrappy, low-budget callback to the director\u2019s early indies like <\/span><em><span>Drugstore Cowboy<\/span><\/em><span> and <\/span><em><span>My Own Private Idaho<\/span><\/em><span>. In Indianapolis, Kiritsis \u2013 played with frenzied, frantic eyes by Skarsg\u00e5rd \u2013 arranges a meeting with super-rich businessman M.L. Hall (Al Pacino) only to instead encounter his son, Richard Hall (Dacre Montgomery). Improvising on the spot, Kiritsis takes Richard hostage by attaching a gun and wire to his neck (if he moves, it\u2019ll fire). In exchange for his release, Kiritsis demands money and an apology from M.L. Hall: the abductor claims Hall\u2019s company sabotaged his property deal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Van Sant, the 73-year-old director of <\/span><em><span>Elephant<\/span><\/em><span>, <\/span><em><span>My Own Private Idaho<\/span><\/em><span>, and <\/span><em><span>To Die For<\/span><\/em><span>, has been here before. After the Oscar success of <\/span><em><span>Good Will Hunting<\/span><\/em><span>, Van Sant cashed in his good will for a shot-by-shot remake of <\/span><em><span>Psycho<\/span><\/em><span>, a recreation of Hitchcock\u2019s classic but with colour and Vince Vaughn. Likewise, <\/span><em><span>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/span><\/em><span> builds upon newsreel footage of Kiritsis from 1977, but with Skarsg\u00e5rd physically and mentally unravelling as the crime reaches its inevitable conclusion. Despite looking nothing like the real Kiritsis, the 35-year-old star of <\/span><em><span>It <\/span><\/em><span>and <\/span><em><span>Nosferatu<\/span><\/em><span> fully disappears into the role and exposes the human behind the crime.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In two separate conversations, I spoke to Gus Van Sant and Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd about the topicality of <\/span><em><span>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/span><\/em><span>, filming it in the shadow of Luigi Mangione, and Van Sant\u2019s unreleased collaboration with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/harmony-korine\">Harmony Korine<\/a>. Below are some edited highlights.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"M_3iI_zFkNA\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"900\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M_3iI_zFkNA\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"1600\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Is there a connection between doing a shot-by-shot remake of <\/strong><strong><em>Psycho<\/em><\/strong><strong> and <\/strong><strong><em>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/em><\/strong><strong>? They\u2019re both recreating famous bits of footage but with new actors who look very different to their original counterparts.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: Gus is a genuine artist who goes, \u2018I want to make a frame-by-frame remake of <\/span><em><span>Psycho<\/span><\/em><span>,\u2019 when I\u2019m sure he had all the offers imaginable after the success of <\/span><em><span>Good Will Hunting<\/span><\/em><span>. That was his own artistic exercise. I never saw this as being parallel to that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Arnaud, our DP, bought these two Ikegami video cameras that were the same cameras used for newsreel footage in the 70s. We would shoot scenes with the regular cameras, and do a last take on the Ikegamis. And that just looked awesome. <\/span><span>What surprised me about the final cut was the comedic effect of the uncut footage of news anchors, where they go, \u2018I\u2019m going to say that again. Let\u2019s go.\u2019 Intercutting Myha\u2019la\u2019s reporter character with actual people was seamless and great.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: Here, our inspiration was the original event. I\u2019ve done films based on well-known people, like Harvey Milk, for instance. But he\u2019s not so well-known that he\u2019s burned in your consciousness, except for people who lived in San Francisco. I\u2019ve cast people that I thought were good actors for the part, rather than lookalikes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"0bc392ce-2663-4850-a016-b41200fe14d1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442039.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442039.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong><em>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/em><\/strong><strong> reminds me a lot of Gus\u2019s early films, like <\/strong><strong><em>Drugstore Cowboy<\/em><\/strong><strong> and <\/strong><strong><em>My Own Private Idaho<\/em><\/strong><strong>, especially how it will change camera formats several times within a single scene.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: There\u2019s an edgy youthfulness about this film that might come surprising when you know that the filmmaker is in his 70s. Great filmmakers never age out of it. There\u2019s a punky edginess that they can activate throughout their life. When <\/span><em><span>The Wolf of Wall Street<\/span><\/em><span> came out, Scorsese was in his mid-70s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s interesting because with <\/strong><strong><em>Nosferatu<\/em><\/strong><strong>, I wouldn\u2019t have guessed that Robert Eggers is only in his early 40s.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: [<\/span><em><span>laughs<\/span><\/em><span>] Yeah. He\u2019s in his early 40s, but also 350 years old.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cGreat filmmakers never age out of it\u201d \u2013 Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>In the film, Tony seems to be more scared about speaking to a radio DJ on the phone, than carrying out the actual kidnapping.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: Probably. His plan to abduct Richard was such an operation. He was rehearsed. But this call to the DJ was more of a surprise for him. I thought he was improvising a way to gather more attention to get Al\u2019s character, M.L. Hall, on the phone. It was a desperate move.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: Getting on the phone with his idol, makes him incredibly nervous. It\u2019s endearing. I\u2019ve gotten these silly questions, like, \u201cIs Tony a villain?\u201d The terminology of \u201cvillain\u201d and \u201chero\u201d doesn\u2019t apply to a movie like this. Tony\u2019s very human. He\u2019s definitely not a psychopath, even though he might be crazy. Arguably, he\u2019s someone with too much emotion, and he constantly feels guilt for what he\u2019s doing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Luigi Mangione shot the UnitedHealthcare CEO a month before you filmed <\/strong><strong><em>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/em><\/strong><strong>. In retrospect, did it affect your performance?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: I was very much in the process of prepping this film when it happened. Even before Mangione, I knew it was a current story. Even though it\u2019s set in the 70s, it feels very relevant, because this isn\u2019t something that we\u2019ve matured out of. There\u2019s parallels to the 70s with civil unrest, the cost of living skyrocketing, and inflation. Everybody believes that the government\u2019s corrupt, and institutions are not to be trusted \u2013 with good reason. If anything, Luigi Mangione validated my initial thought of the story being current.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"8e580d0c-0b9d-4427-b090-b41200fe1b89\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442041.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442041.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Right. It\u2019s not as if you did the film because of Luigi Mangione.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: Things are happening so rapidly that Luigi Mangione feels like a thousand years ago. In some ways, who was that guy? I can\u2019t even remember it. We\u2019re talking about parallels to this movie \u2013 it\u2019s like, yeah, but did you read the news yesterday? Every week, there\u2019s a crazy, sensationalising thing of the world coming to an end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus, your cinematographer is Arnaud Potier, who would have just done <\/strong><strong><em>Aggro Dr1ft<\/em><\/strong><strong> with Harmony Korine. Were you looking for a collaborator with a playful camera style?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: Yeah. I had known about the <\/span><em><span>Aggro Dr1ft<\/span><\/em><span> project, and I had worked with him on a commercial. At first, Arnaud was busy, and we had Chris Doyle doing it. And then Chris Doyle couldn\u2019t come over because he didn\u2019t have a visa. And then Arnaud became available again. Switching them out was sort of last-minute.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"29e3bdf7-7ac0-4787-a542-b41200fe4405\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442051.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442051.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Is that a fun or scary thing to change your cinematographer so late?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: I\u2019ve had it happen before. On <\/span><em><span>Drugstore Cowboy<\/span><\/em><span>, [the cinematographer] left a couple of weeks before we were shooting. On a project, any part of it can be replaced. Your lead actor at the last minute can\u2019t be the lead, and you find a new actor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>In the dream sequence, Tony has a memorable line reading of: \u201cThe fruit falls off the tree. You don\u2019t shake it before it\u2019s ready.\u201d When I looked up that line on Google, it\u2019s actually a quote by Al Pacino from a book of interviews that came out in 2008.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: Interesting, interesting. That\u2019s funny. It\u2019s a line Al Pacino says to me on the phone, and I repeat it in the dream. Dacre really wanted a dream sequence where the focal point shifts, and you\u2019re with Dick Hall praying, and when he falls asleep, the dream happens. Gus puts a lot of trust in his collaborators. He has a Buddhist, Zen vibe where he accepts things, and lets it materialise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>So Dacre really wanted this dream sequence, and the last shot of it is me opening the door. I was like, \u201cIf you dream something from the perspective of Dick, what would I say? Maybe I\u2019m emphasising something his father said.\u201d And Austin Kolodney, the screenwriter, was like, \u201cBut what if you said the \u2018fruit falls of the tree\u2019 line?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Now that you\u2019ve brought it up \u2013 I know that Austin spent time with Al in writing it, and I know that Austin read that book. There\u2019s a conspiracy of Al and Austin putting that line in the movie! That whole Al Pacino speech \u2013 he wasn\u2019t supposed to speak to me. In the original version, I start talking and he hangs up the phone. But Al wanted to do more, so he and Austin rewrote that scene.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: Austin was kind of inspired by <\/span><em><span>Dog Day Afternoon<\/span><\/em><span>. He may have read that in a <\/span><em><span>Dog Day Afternoon<\/span><\/em><span> interview.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"ae816173-3a45-431e-96d0-b41200fe1f04\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442042.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442042.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>So many actors have done their best performance with Gus. What\u2019s his secret?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: He likes actors, which is a good thing. Not all directors do. It\u2019s his Zen approach. He read this script on a sun chair in Palm Springs at this hotel. Me and Dacre popped up in his head, and he went, \u201cThose are the two guys I want.\u201d And because he\u2019s Gus Van Sant, we said yes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>He really trusted me and Dacre, and he just let us run with it. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever worked on a movie where so much of the time spent on set was acting. The cameras were all handheld and there was a gritty, sort of \u201870s vibe of how it was shot. He invited us all to be his co-authors. We all felt like we were co-creating this thing with Gus, our fearless, Zen leader. That trust and respect is a good tool to get great performances.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>My dad [Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd] worked with him on <\/span><em><span>Good Will Hunting<\/span><\/em><span>. When this came up, he immediately said, \u201cDo it. He\u2019s fantastic. He doesn\u2019t direct you much.\u201d My dad loves that. If you\u2019re an experienced actor, you can go, \u201cOK, I feel like this filmmaker is trusting me, and I can explore different ways of doing it, and he\u2019s not interfering with what I\u2019m doing.\u201d <\/span><span>Of course, he would direct you if there was something that was off. But in general, he would say, \u201cGreat. Let\u2019s do another one.\u201d He created this beautiful, collaborative vibe and energy where everyone wanted to be at their very best, because we love Gus, and we love the film. Everybody really loved being part of this film. It\u2019s very rare.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"486361d6-5b33-49ac-b9a4-b41200fe5800\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442056.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442056.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Gus, you made a film called <\/strong><strong><em>Easter<\/em><\/strong><strong> with Harmony Korine in 2000. Will it ever be released?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: It hasn\u2019t been released because it was a company that had gone out of business. Also, it was something that I think was a nice idea, but I have played it occasionally at festivals, and it didn\u2019t really play so well. I think my interpretation was a little bit stiff for Harmony\u2019s craziness. It wasn\u2019t necessarily a good match.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Completists would like to see it, regardless of what you consider to be its quality.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: Maybe we can find a home for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Have Arnaud and Harmony convinced you to experiment with AI? You do like to experiment with cameras and new technology.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: I have heard from&#8230; not Harmony, but from some other people about AI that sounded interesting. I saw some footage. It seems pretty advanced. I\u2019m not sure. I don\u2019t really know where to go until I work with AI.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Maybe an AI remake of <\/strong><strong><em>Easter<\/em><\/strong><strong>, to make it the way you want it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: That would be good.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Dead Man\u2019s Wire <em>is out in UK cinemas on March 20<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-series header article-series tags\"><span class=\"heading\">More on these topics:<\/span><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\">Film &amp; TV<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/bill-skarsgard\">Bill Skarsgard<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/gus-van-sant\">Gus Van Sant<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image-navigation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/news\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img one\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">News<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img two\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Fashion<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img three\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Music<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img four\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Film &amp; TV<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69939\/1\/dead-man-wire-interview-gus-van-sant-bill-skarsgard-luigi-mangione#features\" class=\"image-navigation__img five\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Features<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img six\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Beauty<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img seven\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Life &amp; Culture<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/\" class=\"image-navigation__img eight\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-navigation__wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"image-navigation__title\">Art &amp; Photography<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-25-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Dead Man\u2019s <span class=\"nowrap\">Wire (2025)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/0\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442047.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/1\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442036.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/2\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442034.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/3\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442035.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/4\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442037.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36865\/5\/dead-man-s-wire-2025\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442038.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 25 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/luigi-mangione\">Luigi Mangione<\/a> shot the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in December 2024, the cast and crew of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/gus-van-sant\">Gus Van Sant<\/a>\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/span><\/em><span> were a month away from principal photography. Asked about it now, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/bill-skarsgard\">Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/a>, the star of the film, denies it had much impact, yet the parallels are there: the crime-thriller is a dramatisation of a real-life incident from 1977 whereby a gun-wielding American, Tony Kiritsis, made international news by kidnapping a mortgage broker\u2019s son in what he claimed to be standing up for the little man.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Van Sant\u2019s first film in seven years, <\/span><em><span>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/span><\/em><span> is a scrappy, low-budget callback to the director\u2019s early indies like <\/span><em><span>Drugstore Cowboy<\/span><\/em><span> and <\/span><em><span>My Own Private Idaho<\/span><\/em><span>. In Indianapolis, Kiritsis \u2013 played with frenzied, frantic eyes by Skarsg\u00e5rd \u2013 arranges a meeting with super-rich businessman M.L. Hall (Al Pacino) only to instead encounter his son, Richard Hall (Dacre Montgomery). Improvising on the spot, Kiritsis takes Richard hostage by attaching a gun and wire to his neck (if he moves, it\u2019ll fire). In exchange for his release, Kiritsis demands money and an apology from M.L. Hall: the abductor claims Hall\u2019s company sabotaged his property deal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Van Sant, the 73-year-old director of <\/span><em><span>Elephant<\/span><\/em><span>, <\/span><em><span>My Own Private Idaho<\/span><\/em><span>, and <\/span><em><span>To Die For<\/span><\/em><span>, has been here before. After the Oscar success of <\/span><em><span>Good Will Hunting<\/span><\/em><span>, Van Sant cashed in his good will for a shot-by-shot remake of <\/span><em><span>Psycho<\/span><\/em><span>, a recreation of Hitchcock\u2019s classic but with colour and Vince Vaughn. Likewise, <\/span><em><span>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/span><\/em><span> builds upon newsreel footage of Kiritsis from 1977, but with Skarsg\u00e5rd physically and mentally unravelling as the crime reaches its inevitable conclusion. Despite looking nothing like the real Kiritsis, the 35-year-old star of <\/span><em><span>It <\/span><\/em><span>and <\/span><em><span>Nosferatu<\/span><\/em><span> fully disappears into the role and exposes the human behind the crime.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In two separate conversations, I spoke to Gus Van Sant and Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd about the topicality of <\/span><em><span>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/span><\/em><span>, filming it in the shadow of Luigi Mangione, and Van Sant\u2019s unreleased collaboration with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/harmony-korine\">Harmony Korine<\/a>. Below are some edited highlights.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"M_3iI_zFkNA\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"900\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M_3iI_zFkNA\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"1600\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Is there a connection between doing a shot-by-shot remake of <\/strong><strong><em>Psycho<\/em><\/strong><strong> and <\/strong><strong><em>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/em><\/strong><strong>? They\u2019re both recreating famous bits of footage but with new actors who look very different to their original counterparts.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: Gus is a genuine artist who goes, \u2018I want to make a frame-by-frame remake of <\/span><em><span>Psycho<\/span><\/em><span>,\u2019 when I\u2019m sure he had all the offers imaginable after the success of <\/span><em><span>Good Will Hunting<\/span><\/em><span>. That was his own artistic exercise. I never saw this as being parallel to that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Arnaud, our DP, bought these two Ikegami video cameras that were the same cameras used for newsreel footage in the 70s. We would shoot scenes with the regular cameras, and do a last take on the Ikegamis. And that just looked awesome. <\/span><span>What surprised me about the final cut was the comedic effect of the uncut footage of news anchors, where they go, \u2018I\u2019m going to say that again. Let\u2019s go.\u2019 Intercutting Myha\u2019la\u2019s reporter character with actual people was seamless and great.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: Here, our inspiration was the original event. I\u2019ve done films based on well-known people, like Harvey Milk, for instance. But he\u2019s not so well-known that he\u2019s burned in your consciousness, except for people who lived in San Francisco. I\u2019ve cast people that I thought were good actors for the part, rather than lookalikes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"0bc392ce-2663-4850-a016-b41200fe14d1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442039.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442039.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong><em>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/em><\/strong><strong> reminds me a lot of Gus\u2019s early films, like <\/strong><strong><em>Drugstore Cowboy<\/em><\/strong><strong> and <\/strong><strong><em>My Own Private Idaho<\/em><\/strong><strong>, especially how it will change camera formats several times within a single scene.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: There\u2019s an edgy youthfulness about this film that might come surprising when you know that the filmmaker is in his 70s. Great filmmakers never age out of it. There\u2019s a punky edginess that they can activate throughout their life. When <\/span><em><span>The Wolf of Wall Street<\/span><\/em><span> came out, Scorsese was in his mid-70s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s interesting because with <\/strong><strong><em>Nosferatu<\/em><\/strong><strong>, I wouldn\u2019t have guessed that Robert Eggers is only in his early 40s.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: [<\/span><em><span>laughs<\/span><\/em><span>] Yeah. He\u2019s in his early 40s, but also 350 years old.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cGreat filmmakers never age out of it\u201d \u2013 Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>In the film, Tony seems to be more scared about speaking to a radio DJ on the phone, than carrying out the actual kidnapping.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: Probably. His plan to abduct Richard was such an operation. He was rehearsed. But this call to the DJ was more of a surprise for him. I thought he was improvising a way to gather more attention to get Al\u2019s character, M.L. Hall, on the phone. It was a desperate move.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: Getting on the phone with his idol, makes him incredibly nervous. It\u2019s endearing. I\u2019ve gotten these silly questions, like, \u201cIs Tony a villain?\u201d The terminology of \u201cvillain\u201d and \u201chero\u201d doesn\u2019t apply to a movie like this. Tony\u2019s very human. He\u2019s definitely not a psychopath, even though he might be crazy. Arguably, he\u2019s someone with too much emotion, and he constantly feels guilt for what he\u2019s doing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Luigi Mangione shot the UnitedHealthcare CEO a month before you filmed <\/strong><strong><em>Dead Man\u2019s Wire<\/em><\/strong><strong>. In retrospect, did it affect your performance?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: I was very much in the process of prepping this film when it happened. Even before Mangione, I knew it was a current story. Even though it\u2019s set in the 70s, it feels very relevant, because this isn\u2019t something that we\u2019ve matured out of. There\u2019s parallels to the 70s with civil unrest, the cost of living skyrocketing, and inflation. Everybody believes that the government\u2019s corrupt, and institutions are not to be trusted \u2013 with good reason. If anything, Luigi Mangione validated my initial thought of the story being current.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"8e580d0c-0b9d-4427-b090-b41200fe1b89\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442041.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442041.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Right. It\u2019s not as if you did the film because of Luigi Mangione.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: Things are happening so rapidly that Luigi Mangione feels like a thousand years ago. In some ways, who was that guy? I can\u2019t even remember it. We\u2019re talking about parallels to this movie \u2013 it\u2019s like, yeah, but did you read the news yesterday? Every week, there\u2019s a crazy, sensationalising thing of the world coming to an end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus, your cinematographer is Arnaud Potier, who would have just done <\/strong><strong><em>Aggro Dr1ft<\/em><\/strong><strong> with Harmony Korine. Were you looking for a collaborator with a playful camera style?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: Yeah. I had known about the <\/span><em><span>Aggro Dr1ft<\/span><\/em><span> project, and I had worked with him on a commercial. At first, Arnaud was busy, and we had Chris Doyle doing it. And then Chris Doyle couldn\u2019t come over because he didn\u2019t have a visa. And then Arnaud became available again. Switching them out was sort of last-minute.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"29e3bdf7-7ac0-4787-a542-b41200fe4405\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442051.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442051.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Is that a fun or scary thing to change your cinematographer so late?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: I\u2019ve had it happen before. On <\/span><em><span>Drugstore Cowboy<\/span><\/em><span>, [the cinematographer] left a couple of weeks before we were shooting. On a project, any part of it can be replaced. Your lead actor at the last minute can\u2019t be the lead, and you find a new actor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>In the dream sequence, Tony has a memorable line reading of: \u201cThe fruit falls off the tree. You don\u2019t shake it before it\u2019s ready.\u201d When I looked up that line on Google, it\u2019s actually a quote by Al Pacino from a book of interviews that came out in 2008.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: Interesting, interesting. That\u2019s funny. It\u2019s a line Al Pacino says to me on the phone, and I repeat it in the dream. Dacre really wanted a dream sequence where the focal point shifts, and you\u2019re with Dick Hall praying, and when he falls asleep, the dream happens. Gus puts a lot of trust in his collaborators. He has a Buddhist, Zen vibe where he accepts things, and lets it materialise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>So Dacre really wanted this dream sequence, and the last shot of it is me opening the door. I was like, \u201cIf you dream something from the perspective of Dick, what would I say? Maybe I\u2019m emphasising something his father said.\u201d And Austin Kolodney, the screenwriter, was like, \u201cBut what if you said the \u2018fruit falls of the tree\u2019 line?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Now that you\u2019ve brought it up \u2013 I know that Austin spent time with Al in writing it, and I know that Austin read that book. There\u2019s a conspiracy of Al and Austin putting that line in the movie! That whole Al Pacino speech \u2013 he wasn\u2019t supposed to speak to me. In the original version, I start talking and he hangs up the phone. But Al wanted to do more, so he and Austin rewrote that scene.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: Austin was kind of inspired by <\/span><em><span>Dog Day Afternoon<\/span><\/em><span>. He may have read that in a <\/span><em><span>Dog Day Afternoon<\/span><\/em><span> interview.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"ae816173-3a45-431e-96d0-b41200fe1f04\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442042.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442042.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>So many actors have done their best performance with Gus. What\u2019s his secret?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong><span>: He likes actors, which is a good thing. Not all directors do. It\u2019s his Zen approach. He read this script on a sun chair in Palm Springs at this hotel. Me and Dacre popped up in his head, and he went, \u201cThose are the two guys I want.\u201d And because he\u2019s Gus Van Sant, we said yes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>He really trusted me and Dacre, and he just let us run with it. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever worked on a movie where so much of the time spent on set was acting. The cameras were all handheld and there was a gritty, sort of \u201870s vibe of how it was shot. He invited us all to be his co-authors. We all felt like we were co-creating this thing with Gus, our fearless, Zen leader. That trust and respect is a good tool to get great performances.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>My dad [Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd] worked with him on <\/span><em><span>Good Will Hunting<\/span><\/em><span>. When this came up, he immediately said, \u201cDo it. He\u2019s fantastic. He doesn\u2019t direct you much.\u201d My dad loves that. If you\u2019re an experienced actor, you can go, \u201cOK, I feel like this filmmaker is trusting me, and I can explore different ways of doing it, and he\u2019s not interfering with what I\u2019m doing.\u201d <\/span><span>Of course, he would direct you if there was something that was off. But in general, he would say, \u201cGreat. Let\u2019s do another one.\u201d He created this beautiful, collaborative vibe and energy where everyone wanted to be at their very best, because we love Gus, and we love the film. Everybody really loved being part of this film. It\u2019s very rare.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"486361d6-5b33-49ac-b9a4-b41200fe5800\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442056.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dead Man\u2019s Wire (2025)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442056.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Vertigo Releasing<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Gus, you made a film called <\/strong><strong><em>Easter<\/em><\/strong><strong> with Harmony Korine in 2000. Will it ever be released?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: It hasn\u2019t been released because it was a company that had gone out of business. Also, it was something that I think was a nice idea, but I have played it occasionally at festivals, and it didn\u2019t really play so well. I think my interpretation was a little bit stiff for Harmony\u2019s craziness. It wasn\u2019t necessarily a good match.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Completists would like to see it, regardless of what you consider to be its quality.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: Maybe we can find a home for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Have Arnaud and Harmony convinced you to experiment with AI? You do like to experiment with cameras and new technology.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: I have heard from&#8230; not Harmony, but from some other people about AI that sounded interesting. I saw some footage. It seems pretty advanced. I\u2019m not sure. I don\u2019t really know where to go until I work with AI.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Maybe an AI remake of <\/strong><strong><em>Easter<\/em><\/strong><strong>, to make it the way you want it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gus Van Sant<\/strong><span>: That would be good.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Dead Man\u2019s Wire <em>is out in UK cinemas on March 20<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-series header article-series tags\"><span class=\"heading\">More on these topics:<\/span><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\">Film &amp; TV<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/bill-skarsgard\">Bill Skarsgard<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/gus-van-sant\">Gus Van Sant<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69939\/1\/dead-man-wire-interview-gus-van-sant-bill-skarsgard-luigi-mangione&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442047.jpg&#8221;] Vertigo Releasing DateInMeta\u00a0 19,\u00a0 2026 Film &amp; TV \/ Q+A Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd and Gus Van Sant on their scrappy thriller Dead Man\u2019s Wire The actor and filmmaker talk to Dazed about the making of their new abduction thriller, its eerie parallels with Luigi Mangione, and a lost film with Harmony Korine March\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1835185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1835185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1835185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1835185\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1835185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1835185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1835185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}