Hollywood Popular Artists

Nov 21st 2012, 17:00

Though it may not seem like it, "Flight" is a rare bird. It's essentially a character study, put out by a major studio, and given a budget of $30 million. That doesn't happen anymore.

But hopefully, it will continue to happen. At least, that's what director Robert Zemeckis told us were his aspirations.

"These are the kinds of films that I grew up on," he said. I was in film school in the 70s, and these were the types of films that were being made. They were just edgy, and they were great. They were about things that you couldn't see anywhere else. It would be great to continue to see those on the big screen. There are movies that I would like to make. There are movies that I would like to see. Hopefully it will continue. "

So much of the weight of "Flight" depends on the intimacy of Denzel Washington's critically acclaimed performance, but as it turns out, Zemeckis and the actor had never met before the project brought them together.

"We had only met each other casually, socially," he said. "We never knew each other well until this screenplay came along."

Zemeckis has worked with many of this generation's best actors, but he told Josh Horowitz that each experience has been different. "I've been very lucky. I've worked with really, really, the greatest actors of my generation," he said. "Obviously, the caliber of their talent is off the scale, but everybody has their own process. Denzel's unique process is very, very focused and very intense and very prepared."

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