'Bullet Train' Producer Kelly McCormick Talks Making Emotional Action Movies

"Bullet Train" producer and 87North co-founder Kelly McCormick's guiding principle in filmmaking has been to "find truth in fiction," a response to earlier documentary work, where "there is no It was not uncommon to twist stories to make them more entertaining". .” So she turned to producing content that packs a different kind of emotional and physical punch.

McCormick's latest film, 'Bullet Train,' directed by her husband and 87North partner David Leitch, stars Brad Pitt as a hitman who finds himself in a pickpocket job that ends up complicated from minute to minute. Pitt leads an ensemble cast, including Sandra Bullock, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry and Bad Bunny, in a wild ride that showcases the company's signature mix of hyper-violence and heartthrob.

"I think of action as melodrama," says McCormick. "It's about punctuating the higher highs and lower lows with the physical as well as the dialogue."

Variety caught up with the producer by phone earlier this month as she rushed to the airport after a fan screening in Berlin, Germany, with the film's stars and Leitch. The filmmakers have been firing on all cylinders lately, starting from a scout in Sydney, Australia, on "The Fall Guy" - the next big-screen version of the 1980s TV show, starring Ryan Gosling - to kick off their world tour promoting "Bullet Get Trained."

"I'm definitely the kind of person who likes to be head down and work towards the next one and I'm learning to enjoy the experience of coming out," McCormick says.

Although it was an adjustment from the daily routine of packaging and prepping an idea for production, McCormick embraced the defining moment for 87North, the dual production company and first studio of training and stunt design with a brand-new workspace in Hollywood.

“I got a DM from a fan in Paris today who just came out of the movie, loved it and was supposed to write to me. It was so cute,” she shares. as a producer, you don't often benefit from this direct approach."

McCormick and Leitch's filmography includes hits such as 'Nobody', 'Atomic Blonde', 'Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw' and 'Deadpool 2', which have grossed over $2 billion in the world. As part of 87North's first deal with Universal, "Violent Night," a holiday action-thriller starring David Harbor and directed by Tommy Wirkola, and "The Fall Guy" are up next.

Married since 2014 and professionally bonded years before (McCormick previously managed Leitch and fellow stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski), the pair split the chores on their projects: Leitch focuses on the creative aspects, while McCormick handles story development, casting packaging and other overall image elements.

"My brain is wired to story and packaging, but I really like to go out there and work out any scheduling or budgeting issues as they arise," observes McCormick.

It's a skill set she's honed during the "zigzag trajectory" of her career. McCormick also served as Executive Vice President of Production and Acquisitions at Sierra Affinity, an overseas sales and finance company, where she packaged and produced Oscar-winning and nominated films including "Hell or High Water ", "Whiplash", "Nightcrawler" and "Manchester". by the Sea,” plus the 2021 comedy “Poms.” This fusion of professional experiences, she explains, "helped me to incubate all aspects of production, which can affect the needs of a project at any given time".

In addition, the projects are served by her point of view as a woman.

"I tend to really relate to female characters," McCormick says. "There's just this safety, or this ability, to make sure they're also heard and treated in a way that feels really strong and powerful, but also emotional."

She also credits 'Bullet Train' editor Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir - who has worked on nearly every McCormick and Leitch film since "John Wick" - for teaching her "what women can do [as filmmakers action] and sensibilities and how to focus on all the good emotional stuff that doesn't get too sweet and sugary, so it feels real in the genre."

87North's upcoming film slate also includes 'Dakar Rally', the life story of Jutta Kleinschmidt, the only woman to win the brutal off-road endurance race at Amblin; and “Ruby,” a female assassin action feature written by Kat Wood for Amazon.

“It has always been a priority for us to grow and mentor the next generation of filmmakers and stunt performers, with a view to recruiting more women and people of color,” notes McCormick. "The action is generally known to be a white...