HELL OR HIGH WATER (2016): Director And Screenwriter Talk About Western

David Mackenzie And Taylor Sheridan Discuss Hell Or High Water

Hell or High Water director David Mackenzie and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan opened up about the revisionist Western movie in an interview with Deadline.

The film, which tells the story of an aging Texas Ranger, stars Academy Award-winning Crazy Heart actor Jeff Bridges, and was nominated for three Golden Globe awards:

Tell us about getting Hell or High Water mounted.

Taylor Sheridan: I wrote Sicario first. I sent Hell or High Water to Peter Berg, asking if he’d like to be involved. He did a phenomenal job with [West Texas fare] like Friday Night Lights, both the film and the TV series. He really responded and took to scouting locations. His schedule didn’t permit him to direct. We found ourselves in a competitive situation with a bunch of finance companies bidding for it. It was Sidney Kimmel who said he’d shoot my first draft. It was a decision that was made alarmingly fast.

What took a long time was finding the right director, and ultimately we found David. I’d seen his film Starred Up and he had an authenticity. That movie follows a father and son who wind up in the same prison together. He’s an unsentimental director, and he’s patient with the camera in a way that doesn’t feel slow.

Leave your thoughts on David Mackenzie and Taylor Sheridan talking about working on their upcoming film Hell or High Water (via Deadline) in the comments section below. Readers seeking more movie news can visit our Movie News Page, our Movie News Twitter Page, our Movie News Facebook Page, and our Movie News Google+ Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Facebook. Hell or High Water is currently available on Blu-ray and DVD.