With the debut of his first feature film starring Josh Hartnett, filmmaker Anthony Jerjen: is looking forward to the release. Inherit The Viper is a a film about family just as much as it is about the perils of the illegal drug world. Check out the synopsis and the interview with director Anthony Jerjen below!
“For siblings Kip (Josh Hartnett) and Josie (Margarita Levieva), dealing opioids isn’t just their family business – it’s their only means of survival. When a deal goes fatally wrong, Kip decides he wants out. But Kip’s attempt to escape his family’s legacy ignites a powder keg of violence and betrayal, imperiling Kip, Josie, and their younger brother, Boots (Owen Teague), in this searing crime-thriller that builds to a shattering conclusion”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3efHQgUw68Q
LRM: What was the process like making this film, Inherit the Viper?
Jerjen: I mean it was quite a straight forward production and I think what felt different is it was the first feature film for me. There was quite a bit more network as far as to acquire funding to make it and to keep the financing and all that stuff. I think we were very lucky to have a movie about a subject that was really, really relevant to the time.
LRM: Awesome. It looks like you’re working with Josh Hartnett for this project?
Jerjen: Yeah, of course, yeah.
LRM: What was that like?
Jerjen: I mean Josh is really a great actor. He’s a very generous actor. We auditioned him and he really made the movie because he found the story to be really interesting and the subject to be important. He thought it was something we should talk about and it was super fortunate. He’s a really great collaborator and he definitely has taken the story to the next level. The movie is what it is thanks to him as well. As well as the other actors obviously.
LRM: Looks like you worked with quite the stable of talent there from veteran Hollywood actors to some newcomers and definitely handled that great.
Jerjen: Yeah, I was very fortunate to have a competent casting director. The script was fantastic. We worked on it for a while. It really was an epic with these actors. It was more like something they could sink their teeth into. It was just a really, really great experience on it.
LRM: Great, it sounds like a wonderful experience. When can folks see Inherit the Viper?
Jerjen: So Inherit the Viper is coming out January the tenth in selected theaters and on digital platform.
LRM: Okay, great. We’ll definitely put that in the article so that folks reading can know when to check it out. Let me ask you, are you on social media or any social media you’d like the fans to connect with you on?
Jerjen: No, I don’t do much social media. I have Facebook that I post on occasionally.
LRM: Oh, interesting.
Jerjen: So yeah. I’m really old fashioned.
LRM: All right, let me ask you. This seems like a passion project, what drew you to this project and why’d you make it your directorial debut?
Jerjen: Well, I was this kind of fell on my lap in the way that I discovered the screenplay and I didn’t know anything about the subject. It was back in late 2016 and so I was so amazed, like shocked by it. No one in Europe was talking about drugs and I said it’s like a lot of Europeans, they’re quite fanatic when it comes to the American noir and I felt that this was a topic that was worth my time and effort to talk about and make a movie about. It was set in a village type in rural America. The siblings were also what brought me to the project. That’s why I said, I should definitely make this movie and take the start to direct.
LRM: Nice, well congratulations again on the final project, Inherit the Viper.
Jerjen: Thank you so much.
LRM: It’s been a pleasure speaking with you today, Anthony. Again on behalf of the folks at LRM thank you. We wish you the best and we hope to talk to you again in the future for another project.
Jerjen: Yeah, sounds good. Thank you for having me.
LRM: Thank you. Have a good day.
Inherit The Viper is available in select theaters, On Demand, and Digital January 10, 2020.
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