From executive producer Snoop Dogg, 1992 is a tense crime-thriller that follows Mercer (Tyrese Gibson) as he desperately tries to rebuild his life and his relationship with his son (Christopher A'mmanuel) amidst the turbulent 1992 L.A. uprising following the Rodney King verdict.
Across town, another father and son (Ray Liotta and Scott Eastwood) put their own strained relationship to the test as they plot a dangerous heist from the factory where Mercer works. As tensions rise in Los Angeles and chaos erupts, both families reach their boiling points when they collide in this action-packed new movie from filmmaker Ariel Vromen (The Iceman).
Earlier this month, we had the good fortune to sit down with Eastwood to learn how he approached playing a character who operates in shades of grey and what he enjoyed about exploring the complicated family dynamic of the crooks who embark on this heist.
The actor also reflects on working with the late Ray Liotta, his reunion with Gibson, and the significance of having this story play out during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Finally, Eastwood talks about DC fans wanting Warner Bros. to #ReleaseTheAyerCut of 2016's Suicide Squad and the chances of him playing another Marvel or DC Comics character down the line.
You can check out the full interview below.
When it came to approaching this project, what excited you most about exploring this criminal heist with such a meaningful historical event playing out in the background at the same time?
That's a good question. I've always been drawn to movies like The Town or Den of Thieves and I put this in that category. These are movies that I like to watch. The historical [side] of the riot was an interesting backdrop to set a heist. I was alive during that. I remember my parents watching the news and it being a big deal and a seminal moment for Los Angeles and the country. All eyes were glued to that. I thought it was a really unique and original idea.
Your character is part of a family with a very complicated dynamic. What was the fun of exploring that and finding his place in this dysfunctional unit during such crazy circumstances?
I liked the character. When I read the script, I remember thinking, 'I know guys like this.' I've seen guys like this out of Riverside, California who are kinda hardened, tatted up, who might have been into some shady shit. I thought that was an interesting character to play and a gritty character. The dynamic was very complicated, as you said, with his father and his family, and I thought that would be something interesting to play.
Your character's father is played by the late, great Ray Liotta so what are some of your favourite memories from working with him?
I thought it was really great to get to work with Ray. We shot this down in Bulgaria two summers ago and getting to chat with him were some of the fondest memories I have with him. He was cracking jokes, we were talking about Goodfellas and what it was like to work with Martin Scorsese. He was just a really lovely guy and he went too [soon] but I'm blessed I got to know him.
This isn't a straight-up bad guy or a cliched crook with a heart of gold. He operates in a grey area. What are the challenges of a role like this and what do you like about this type of character?
I like it because that's humans, right? No one person is all good or all bad. Even people I might not want to hang out with; they have great qualities too, you know? Everybody has shades of grey, good days, bad days, good intentions, bad intentions, and everything in between. Those are complex characters and those are typically associated with good writing when there's a lot of grey.
Suicide Squad recently celebrated its 8th anniversary and David [Ayer] remains keen for the world to see his vision. Would you ever return to that role or play another superhero character do you think?
I would. It's all, sort of, script-driven and director-driven. Look, I have a relationship with David Ayer; I shot Fury with him years prior to doing that and that was one of those things where I knew he was a visionary. He's a real artist. When he said, 'Hey, come and do this thing with me,' I said, 'No questions asked. Whatever you want, let's go.' I didn't even really read the script, so I want to see his cut too, to be honest. We can push for that, right? Let's push for the David Ayer Cut.
Some of my favourite scenes in 1992 feature you and Tyrese Gibson. It's great to see him in a role like this after the Fast & Furious movies, a franchise you've also been part of, but what was it like reuniting with him here?
I've always had a great time with Tyrese. He's a real bright light. He's always fun, always makes it so everyone remembers how lucky we are to do this job and tell stories. He always brings a smile to my face. Any chance I get to work with him, I always say 'yes.'
1992 arrives in theaters nationwide on August 30, 2024!