March 1 will see the release of the new western “Outlaw Posse” from writer-director Mario Van Peebles (“New Jack City,” “Posse”), starring Van Peebles, his son Mandela Van Peebles (“Jigsaw”), John Carroll Lynch (“The Founder”), William Mapother (“In the Bedroom”), Jake Manley (“A Dog’s Journey”), Amber Reign Smith (“Open”), Allen Payne (“New Jack City”), Cedric the Entertainer (“Barbershop”), Edward James Olmos (“Blade Runner”) and Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg (“Ghost”).
(From left to right) Mario Van Peebles and Mandela Van Peebles in “Outlaw Posse. “Photo: Carquois Distribution.
Moviefone recently had the excitement of talking to Mario Van Peebles and Mandela Van Peebles about their new western, how to develop the script, return to the genre, whether it’s a sequel to Van Peebles’ 1993 film “Posse,” betting father and son. screen, running together on set, gathering the fantastic actors, preparing their roles and whether Allen Payne’s last line is an Easter egg from “New Jack City”.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Mario and Mandela Van Peebles, as well as John Carroll Lynch, William Mapother, Jake Manley, and Amber Reign Smith.
(From left to right) Mario Van Peebles and Melvin Van Peebles in 1993’s “Posse. Photo: Carquois Distribution.
Moviefone: First of all, Mario, can you tell us about a return to the Western genre with “Outlaw Posse”?Do you see it simply as a couple or an unofficial sequel to 1993’s “Posse”?
Mario Van Peebles: I would say mate. As you may have noticed Clint Eastwood in several spaghetti westerns, this one has its own thing. Now, let me tell you this, when I did “Posse” 30 years ago, my first western, my dad (Melvin Van Peebles) was there and my son wasn’t born yet. When I did “Outlaw Posse” recently, my father wasn’t there, and this is Mandela. When I wrote the script, I thought of this Johnny Cash song, “A Boy Named Sue. “” about a boy who has a complicated relationship with his father. I thought, “Who better than Mandela to play my son on screen?So here we are again.
(From left to right) Mario Van Peebles and Mandela Van Peebles in “Outlaw Posse. “Photo: Carquois Distribution.
MF: Mandela, how does it feel for you to be guided through your father?
Mandela Van Peebles: It’s a lot of fun. We have a relationship where we can wear many other hats, and this time we were allowed to wear cowboy hats, ride horses, and enjoy life in Montana. So it was a wonderful experience. We’ve already been father and son on set, where they direct it. We were father and son and we acted as actors. This is one of the scenarios where we were able to do it in combination, and it’s a lot of fun. The stunts were also wonderful, because it’s an independent film. So a lot of the effects, a lot of the things that you see on the screen were as practical as possible. “Outlaw Posse” is a western, but the genre is still applicable to what’s happening today, in terms of the issues we face in the film.
Mario Van Peebles in “Outlaw Posse. ” Photo: Carquois Distribution.
MF: Mario, can you tell us about the progression of the script and the themes you were looking to explore as a director?
Mario Van Peebles: One in 3 cowboys was black. The same so-called cowboy, they gave the other blacks a kind of derogatory term, and they gave them the dirty jobs. They said, “Take care of the horses, boy. Take care of the cow, boy. Where have those jeans gone? The other white people liked to be called Rough Riders, which is a cool name. But once Hollywood started glorifying cowboys, it cast white actors to play them and even to play Native Americans. So the Westerns we grew up with were more whitewashed than the truth of what the West was. Before women could vote, there was Stagecoach Mary, who is a badass sister with a gun, a stagecoach, and a deal with the United States Postal Service. She is played by Whoopi Goldberg and she is well directed. At the end you say, “Wow, she looks like the real Stagecoach Mary. ” So not only do you see the true diversity of the West, but you also see the photographs of the genuine people that we painted at the end. I like that, reality is stranger than fiction, rarely is it? When I did “Heartbreak Ridge” with Clint Eastwood, he talked about the incredible diversity, so in “Unforgiven” he put Morgan Freeman right there, because that was the ratio of cowboys. It’s fun to put it out there and say, “This is more true than we’ve seen, and we can learn from it. ” » As the French say, the more it changes, the more it is the same.
(From left to right) Mandela Van Peebles, Mario Van Peebles and Amber Reign Smith in “Outlaw Posse. “Photo: Carquois Distribution.
MF: Mario, can you tell us what it means to you to have had this opportunity to paint with your son, as well as being part of the rest of the talented cast?
Mario Van Peebles: Well, running with him is fun. It is a dream come true. We fight, we play, we laugh, sometimes we agree, sometimes we disagree, but I think when I guide him, he knows it’s coming from a place of love. Because when you’re starting out, you want to make sure everyone knows the role of it. Well, one thing I know is that he knows how to play my son and I know how to play his father. I’ve been doing this for a few years. But also, what I try to do as a director is give the foot massage that I want to receive. What does that mean? That means John Carroll Lynch will have a wonderful arrival as the big guy with the little bird. No animal has lied to him yet. Whoopi Goldberg is doing great, as are Mr. Emmett Walsh and Neal McDonough. So you’ll have some wonderful actors, even in cameos, appearing. I love watching an actor and knowing that they know so much more than they want to about this character, that there’s an intelligence that I get from it. I think when you’re that kind of filmmaker and you say, “My own ego can get out of the way, because I don’t care. ” I hope the movie is wonderful. If you can bring a little clever secret sauce and together we can bring generosity, let’s do it and let’s take the initiative and make it happen. »
Mandela Van Peebles in “Outlaw Posse”. Photo: Carquois Distribution.
MF: Mandela, can you tell us about this role?
Mandela Van Peebles: Yes, the preparation looks fun. We spent, it seems, about two months, just being in that environment, being in the closet, seeing that landscape and that puts you in the area to do a western. The fighters who helped us were wonderful and professional. We’ve had a lot of time, basically, for what I like to call relaxed strolling, but also for training. I was able to ride everything I wanted, and that’s a win for me. I had a wonderful time. The stunts were fun. We did our own stunts. They were all kinds of wonderful things. Shooting a lot of old guns is very different than shooting modern guns.
(Center) Allen Payne in “New Jack City. ” Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
MF: Finally, Mario, actor Allen Payne’s last line in “Outlaw Posse” is a reminder of his famous “New Jack City” line, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”Was this word originally in the script or was it an improvisation?The Easter egg from “New Jack City” on set?
Mario Van Peebles: Nobody’s figured it out yet, yet there’s a lot that, if you look at this movie, there’s layers, even of the Native American brothers and sisters that are in this movie. But yes, when I brought Allen in and we talked about it, I thought, because what we were saying was, in that tunnel, when we all threw peyote, and in westerns you don’t see that regularly, but I was like, “Oh, I enjoyed that scene in ‘Easy Rider,’ where they get high and you see this other aspect of them. “So Allen Payne’s character sees his mother alive, and his mother told him when he was a child, “A black man will never get any respect, unless he has money, unless he has gold. “So, he has all of that, and yet the Chief has the respect of a multiracial organization of people, which is kind of mind-boggling to him. Then he said, “But you must be my guardian. ” So Allen and I were unpacking this character and saying, “Let’s bring those levels. “”So, I’m glad you noticed.
Outlaw Posse: “When the unrighteous are, the righteous are out. “R1 h 48 minMar 1, 2024Timings & TicketsWatch Outlaw Posse Online
In 1908, the leader (Mario Van Peebles) returns after years in hiding in Mexico to reclaim the stolen gold hidden in the hills of Montana. On his quest, he assembles a collection of new and familiar faces who, combined, battle Angel (William Mapother). ), whose claim to gold leaves a trail of deception and corpses.
“Outlaw Posse” hits theaters March 1. Photo: Carquois Distribution.