I made a big conscious decision in my life when I was writing all these big action movies and doing different kind of fare but very proud of it, I was finding myself less and less passionate about doing it.
I don't want to be one of these filmmakers that hit you over the head with my agenda or my opinion. I just want to take you down the 50-yard line and let you form your own opinion of what this controversy is about.
When it's real world rules, it will not matter how big you are? When a bullet hits you in the head, you die. It all becomes about how much heart you have when you go into a world that is so scary, that assesses you and finds you either as an asset or full of crap.
For me, it [moviemaking] is about social relevance. I want to make a movie that has some type of relevance where as the audience can't help but relate it in some way, and to continue that conversation outside the theater. I want people saying "this happened to my father" or "this happened to me." That's what I want.
I had a very blessed journey with the upbringing I had. When you're working on sets as a stuntman, you have a firsthand account of the dynamics between actors and directors, because you're working hand in hand with them. You're not sitting outside the process watching. You become part of the process. You also see your tradecraft and see how movies are made.
I want my movies to be commercial, fun thrill rides but I also want them to have substance to them. The fun part is knowing how to roll up your sleeves and get it done.
