Jeremy Saulnier is one of the most exciting filmmakers working today. Unfortunately, it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen some of his work. Thankfully, that’s about to change as Netflix readies the release of his latest feature, “Rebel Ridge.” But it wasn’t smooth sailing to get to this point. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talk to Saulnier about the long journey it took for “Rebel Ridge” to get released.
For those who aren’t familiar with Jeremy Saulnier’s work, the filmmaker is probably best known for two of his earlier films, “Blue Ruin” and “Green Room.” Both of those films, as well as his last project, “Hold the Dark,” explore what happens when people are put in extreme and brutal circumstances. Saulnier is a filmmaker who is not afraid of showing the worst aspects of humanity.
However, things are a bit different with “Rebel Ridge.” This film, while still including some brutal action, tells a story about a man who finds himself on the wrong side of a corrupt police squad in a small Louisiana town. The film stars Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, and AnnaSophia Robb.
Over the course of our discussion, we talk about the long journey it took for “Rebel Ridge” to arrive on Netflix. This is a film that Saulnier started writing in 2018 and was originally set to film in 2021, after Hollywood came back from the pandemic. That version of the film had John Boyega involved as the lead character, Terry Richmond. But Boyega ended up leaving during the early part of filming, putting “Rebel Ridge” in a bit of peril. Luckily, it didn’t take long for Saulnier to find Pierre and get the film back on track.
“We were grateful to restart the project the next year [after the pandemic],” said Saulnier. “That didn’t work out. There’s no bad blood. There’s no ill will. It was really about it wasn’t meant to be. Out of respect to everyone involved, it ended up being the right and only path for the film. That same year, I was able to cast Aaron Pierre.”
We also discussed how “Rebel Ridge” shines a light on the idea of corrupt police and civil asset forfeiture, which plays a vital role in the film. The latter bit is the idea that police officers can seize cash and never return it, even if there is no crime or arrest.
“I said, ‘Wow, this is going to get everyone behind our guy!’” said Saulnier about asset forfeiture. “And if you research the injustice, it’s infuriating. To tap into that, it’s sort of an easy way to get everybody behind Terry Richmond.”
In addition to that story, we talk about the “Green Room” which is close to celebrating its 10-year anniversary. And we also talk about what Saulnier has coming up next.
“I’m currently writing something that’s a little more in the ‘Green Room’ universe,” he said. “Because with ‘Rebel Ridge,’ I was exploring a new side. I was just tired of everything I do being oppressive. But I’ve kinda gone back. It has to do with music and Halloween and fun shit.”
“Rebel Ridge” arrives on Netflix on September 6. You can hear the full discussion below:
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