It has been a while since a great submarine movie appeared on the big screen. Last year, Hunter Killer has all the elements of the submarine movies of the past—great cast, brink of war, underwater tension and combat.

Hunter Killer is based off the novel Firing Point by George Wallace and Don Keith. It follows a newly appointed submarine captain who investigates a sunken submarine vessel and discovers a more nefarious attempt by a rogue general to cause World War III.

The film has an all-star cast with Gerard Butler, Common, Gary Oldman, Linda Cardellini, and Toby Stephens. The screenplay adaption is written by Arne Schmidt and Jamie Moss with Donovan Marsh in the director’s chair.

LRM Online had an exclusive interview through e-mail with director Donovan Marsh to discuss the production of Hunter Killer. We talked about his challenges and working with a wonderful cast.

Hunter Killer is out on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download today.

Read our exclusive interview below.

LRM: What initially attracted you to a project like Hunter Killer?

Donovan Marsh: I loved the good old fashioned storytelling, the great plot twists, the larger than life characters and the chance to depict modern submarine warfare.

LRM: It’s been years since we’ve had a submarine adventure. How did you want to approach this film similar or different from movies of the past?

Donovan Marsh: I wanted the film to authentically present submarine warfare as it is practiced today. Das Boot, Crimson Tide and Hunt for Red October set the bar but are dated in their use of submarines. With Hunter Killer I wanted to update the genre with the incredible technical advances of the Virginia Class.

LRM: For military movies, accuracy is key. I understand you’ve spent some time on the U.S.S. Houston. What did you learn and research on that vessel? How is this in relation to submarine warfare?

Donovan Marsh: The US Navy took us underway for 3 days and ran drills to replicate the scenes of the film. I learned the way they talk, the way they act, the way they conduct themselves when under attack. And we worked with Navy experts to realistically portray the action while keeping it dramatic (and not giving away anything classified!).

LRM: I’ve been on an actual submarine before with confined spaces. I’ve also seen photos of you online, in which you seem to be a very tall person. How did you re-create the confined space and claustrophobic atmosphere of the submarine?

Donovan Marsh: At 6’5”, I am NOT made for submarines. Still I hotbunked in a room with 18 men for 3 days straight and developed a healthy respect for people who work in these confined conditions. But it also creates a comraderie that I have never seen before. There are no cell phones, no iPads, no contact with the outside world so the crew form bonds I hadn’t seen since boarding school! We built our sets to match exactly with the stuff I shot in a real submarine and even though the sets had fly walls it felt the same as being under. To make it even more real we had the whole set on a gimble so we could pitch and roll it.

LRM: Gerard Butler always has a strong presence as an action star on screen. His role as Glass is very different. Talk about working with him and directing him in more of a non-action leadership role.

Donovan Marsh: Gerard was totally up for doing something where he wasn’t the guy throwing the punches, though he handles the sub through treacherous situations. We both agreed the film needed to grip like a vice and that was going to come from his quiet and intense performance. We agreed to play those scenes slow and focused, just as they would be in real life.

LRM: Let’s talk about your cast. The film production has several known talents with Gary Oldman, Common, Toby Stephens, Linda Cardenelli and even Michael Nyqvist. How did you want to use and balance everyone’s screentime for the film?

Donovan Marsh: This was something I had to do in the edit and it was tremendously tricky balancing all the characters and storylines. But at the same time that is what made the film special – the parallel worlds of the sub, Russia, the special forces team and the Pentagon.

LRM: Can you discuss about any projects after Hunter Killer?

Donovan Marsh: I am currently directly a cop thriller set in the world of child sex trafficking called I AM ALL GIRLS.

Hunter Killer is out on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download today.

Source: LRM Exclusive Interview