Glen Powell and his “Hit Man” co-writer and director Richard Linklater stopped by the Variety Studio presented by Audible at the Sundance Film Festival, where Powell celebrated his role in reviving the romantic-comedy genre. “Anyone But You,” his Sony-backed rom-com with Sydney Sweeney, has earned $64 million at the domestic box office and crossed the $100 million mark worldwide. It’s a huge win for the $25 million movie at a time when many people were writing off the genre as dead.
“At least for me, I’ve always been a fan of movies in general and I always find it silly when certain actors diminish certain genres,” Powell told Variety’s Angelique Jackson. “At its best execution, it gives an audience such joy and such fun, and as an actor you do get to play a lot of gears. To kind of scoff at a genre and look down on it is kind of silly.”
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“For me, ‘Anyone But You’ was such a treat to see audiences dance out of the theater and feel so happy after watching a movie,” he continued. “To see the box office not just stick but grow has been such a cool lesson that sometimes the genres that have been forgotten are the ones audiences are craving the most.”
“Hit Man” is another Powell-led spin on the romantic comedy. Based on a true story, it stars Powell as a Houston police officer who poses as a hitman to arrest people trying to hire him. Things get complicated when he has to save a woman in need and ends up falling for her. Adria Arjona stars as Powell’s foil in the movie.
“She’s a crazy hard worker and talented,” Powell said of his “Hit Man” co-star. “I remember we were looking at who to play the role…we didn’t have anyone in mind when we were writing it but we knew it was the lynchpin of everything. If you didn’t buy her humanity and vulnerability…you have to have some special magic and Adria really has it.”
“She’s awesome,” Linklater added. “She’s so smart and funny. She contributed so much of that character and the believability between them.”
For Powell and Linklater, “Hit Man” marks the latest collaboration between them after their beloved work on “Everybody Wants Some.”
“There’s a great B.S. checker between us,” the actor said about why he keeps coming back to Linklater. “I can kind of go for things and if it’s too much or too weird [he’ll tell me]…there’s so much trust between us.”
News broke ahead of the Sundance Film Festival that Paramount is developing a third “Top Gun” movie, which will reunite Powell with Tom Cruise and Miles Teller. Powell said that when news of the third movie’s development broke online, he started getting a lot of text messages with question marks.
“People looked at me like I knew what was going on,” Powell said before offering a “Top Gun 3” tease: “There is going to be some fun stuff being announced soon…but it was confidential to me. I talk to [Joseph] Kosinski, Cruise and Jerry [Bruckheimer] all the time. There is stuff happening and it sounds very exciting. I don’t know when I’ll be going back…I’m sure there is a jet waiting for me sometime in the future.”
“Hit Man” will debut on Netflix this year.
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Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
