[WATCH] Joe and Anthony Russo talk ‘Cherry’ and their careers – behind the lens – deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Joe Russo and Anthony Russo helped me launch the new season of my Deadline video series, Behind The Lens, as we give you a first look at their new epic film, Cherry and discusses the waterfront on a number of different topics, including the future of films themselves.

Come from a spectacular run in the Marvel Universe from Captain America after the Avengers, the latter’s final Avengers: Endgame The Russo Brothers become the best earners of all time and go back to their indie roots with a beautiful new epic drama. It is very timely about opioid addiction, war, the power of love and much more aimed at a title character who plays Tom Holland on a wild journey through life while fighting with his own demons in search of meaning and purpose. Holland, in a complicated role, unlike what he has done before, is sensational and is linked by Ciara Bravo as his true love in a complicated relationship that challenges both. The film is reminiscent of ambitious types of epic studio dramas common in the more adventurous cinemas of the 70’s, and became a personal mission to appear on screen by the Russians, who financed it independently and now in theaters on 26 February will reveal and then be able to stream. Appeal. It’s exactly about to be eligible for the Oscars this long season, and this film is likely to get attention in many possible ways, including the performance of its two stars. It comes from Nico Walker’s novel, with some resemblance to the author’s own life experiences, but still a fictional work. It is unique in six different chapters, ranging from Cherry’s own love story, to his time as a doctor in the war in Afghanistan, to a period of robbing banks, doing time and becoming particularly addicted to drugs, especially heroin in scenes that gut -wrenchingly authentic.

In this issue of Behind the Lens, the Russians talk about why they thought it would be a timely and important film to make now, especially in a world of September 11th. Having had the film world at their fingertips after the success of their MCU films, they tell me why they wanted to return to their indie roots with this, referring to mentor Steven Soderbergh’s philosophy of filmmaking that ‘you make one for me and you make one for them. “It’s also very personal, because the story is based in Cleveland, where they grew up, and they know people close to them who died of addiction. They praise the work of their stars, including Holland, who worked as Spiderman are several Russo films, but are in a whole new landscape with this film.They talk about an iconic romantic epic that served as inspiration for the love story between Holland and Bravo here, and the particular challenges of ‘ a film divided into six different chapters, each shot in a different style and period, different relationships and looks, they also discuss the variety of many different projects to which they are attracted, from blockbusters to indies, comedy to drama, TV, movies to commercials and on and on. Nothing is off the table. They also give opinions on the future of the theater exhibition and how it is the template for release Cherry in theaters and on Apple is a clue to the future.

AppleTV + unveils the film tonight with a special virtual screening followed by a question and answer led by Robert Downey Jr. We open this edition of Behind the Lens with the first glance at a scene from the film itself, followed by my conversation with the Russo brothers. To view, click on the link above.