And it really shows. I can tell you captured some of those moments naturally. I saw bits of the rap battle sort of scenes and some improv captured on film.
Schwartz: Tyler and I storyboarded the whole movie, and our cast prepared really, really well. And when you’re really well-prepared, you can throw all the prep out the window, because everybody knows it intrinsically, and you can get improvisation within the characters. You’re not throwing lines that are funny just to be funny, but also work within the story. And it was really fun to do that, and we found lines. When Zack says, “Rule number one is party,” that was just Zack just throwing a curveball. I didn’t write that. Tyler didn’t write that. He just wanted to see what Shia was going to say. And that happened a handful of times throughout the script in ways that, immediately, Tyler would look at me and say, “That’s our movie. That’s our movie, that’s going to be in the trailer. That’s great.”
The flashback scenes with Jon Bernthal are tragic and really give a hint into Tyler’s past. And I understand that Bernthal worked on “Fury” With Shia. Can you explain how Jon’s involvement came to be?
Schwartz: For sure. Yeah. We were always reaching for truth and connection, and for stuff to feel real in the movie. So, when we brought on Mick Foley and Jake “The Snake,” we wanted the wrestling to feel real. Obviously, an actor playing Down Syndrome that actually has Down Syndrome, we wanted that to feel real. And when we talked to Shia, we hadn’t cast yet the brother, and we said, “Who would you want your brother to be? In real life, who do you feel is a brother?” And he said, “Oh, man. Jon Bernthal. In ‘Fury,’ we spent three months living in a tank together. I love that man.” And he says, “Do you mind if I call and ask him to come do that?” And I said, “Are you kidding? Yeah, he’s amazing.” So, again, on one of those things, back in the truck, you could see Shia on the phone, and he just held the thumb up and mouthed through the glass in the back of the truck, “Yes. Jon’s going to do it. He’ll be out in a week.” And we were just like, “Oh my god, this couldn’t get any better.” And Bernthal was so great. He showed up, he was there, I’ll say this for every member of the cast, but there to be of service to the story. Obviously, it takes a total lack of ego to come in and play a role like that for somebody as talented as Jon, and I’m really grateful.
Aside from classic literature, what are some of your other stylistic and thematic influences as directors and artists?
Nilson: I come from a commercial background. I was a professional hand model for a lot of years. They usually do a thing called tabletop where it’s a lot of the overhead shots. A lot of our shots overhead came from that. That was a really big deal for us. I really love overhead shots. I love still photography, I love old Bruce Brown films. And Jack Johnson used to make these really rad films with this company called The Moonshine Conspiracy. For me, it was old surf films and overheads. Mike’s a real audio guy. He loves podcasts and storytelling and literature.
I really enjoyed the ending. There’s a lot of condensed emotions. I just wish it was a bit longer.
Totally. Yeah. And I think that it’s a fine line, and I’m grateful you wish it was longer and don’t wish it was shorter. I like to leave the audience wanting just a little bit more.
Do you find yourself in a first-time narrative feature limited at all by budget?
Schwartz: As any writer looking to get something made, you’re aware of what you write. And Tyler and I didn’t write explosions or anything that was very expensive. Our actors were all working for minimums. Our whole crew was really working for a fraction of what they normally get paid. So, we got something that feels like a much bigger movie for a pretty independent film budget. It’s that same thing that was looking out for us that got the cast, found the right money. And Chris Lemole at Armory Films, he had a family connection to Down Syndrome – it was a personal connection for him – and he wanted to tell the story, and we’re really blessed. There was a couple things that were just like, “Hey, that thing that we were going to do at night? Do it during the day because it will save a day of shooting.” But it was all very reasonable. It was all healthy. I don’t think anything could’ve been better in the movie. I think everyone’s satisfied with it.
Nilson: Yeah. I’d agree with that.
With the success of this film, do you have any more narrative features planned for the future?
Schwartz: Yeah. We have some things we’re kicking around. But right now, it’s the final chapter of this five-year journey, and we’re really staying present to make sure that people go out and see “The Peanut Butter Falcon.” You say it’s a success, and to us, until it goes out in wide release and people read what you write and go to the theater, it’s not a success. And if we can go out and do three more interviews with people like you, or go out and introduce ourselves to people at word-of-mouth screenings, that’s our real focus right now.
“The Peanut Butter Falcon” opens theatrically in San Francisco, Denver, D.C., and Dallas on Friday before expanding wide on August 23.
