J.D. Dillard Talks ‘Devotion,’ The Greatness Of Jonathan Majors, Franchise Filmmaking & More [The Playlist Podcast]

When people talk about fighter pilot movies from the past year, many will probably think about “Top Gun: Maverick.” And though that film is great, there’s another fighter pilot film out now that might actually be, dare I say, better? That movie is “Devotion,” directed by J.D. Dillard. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I got the chance to talk to Dillard about his new film and working with breakout superstar Jonathan Majors. 

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For those unaware, “Devotion” stars Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell and tells the inspiring true story of Jesse Brown, a Black fighter pilot in the ’50s at the onset of the Korean War. Of course, this is a time when Black men were rarely seen in naval aviation, so Dillard’s film is not only a beautifully shot war film, but it’s also full of incredible emotion, thanks in no small part to the performance of Majors in the lead role. 

Dillard previously worked on two genre films, “Sleight” and “Sweetheart.” Both films were well-received upon their release, but it’s with “Devotion” where we see the filmmaker fully spread his wings, so to speak, and tackle his biggest project to date. 

In our interview, we talk about the transition from making smaller-scale genre pictures to then crafting an emotional war epic. 

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“I think ‘Devotion’ will be a bit of an anomaly for me, in that I just love genre,” Dillard said. “And if it wasn’t for my connection to the world of naval aviation, that was the thing that drew me in. Telling that story in the way that I thought we should tell it required that sort of scope and scale. “

We also chat about the greatness of Jonathan Majors and how the actor is on the cusp of world domination. 

“He is, and will be, one of our greats,” the filmmaker said about Majors. “He feels like he’s been around forever, in a classic way, but the rise he’s been on, for literally three years, is kind of boggling… He commands such a presence, but he fully embodies and evolves into what he is playing. To watch an actor disappear like that is just one of my favorite things to witness.”

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And we end by discussing a bit of those project that got away from Dillard, as he was attached to a “Star Wars” film, as well as other high-profile features such as a remake of “The Fly” and a sequel to “The Rocketeer.” And even with all those false starts, Dillard isn’t afraid to tackle a big IP-driven franchise film.

“If the story is right and it lives in a big IP universe, absolutely,” he said. “If a Marvel or ‘Star Wars’ or DC character I love lets me explore something, but it takes five years to make, then cool. Let’s rock and roll.”

“Devotion” is available now on Paramount+ and to purchase digitally. You can hear our complete discussion below: