Filmmaker Charles Murray has a new film out this week with Lionsgate called The Devil You Know. Starring Omar Epps and Michael Ealy, who also serve as executive producers, the film tells the story of two brothers who have their loyalties tested when one is a murder suspect in a homicide. BGN had the opportunity to sit down with the film’s director Charles Murray via Zoom this past week to discuss crafting the story and working with such a strong ensemble cast.
Murray worked on the idea for The Devil You Know for nearly two decades. He reflects, “It was just kind of rolling in my head, and I would never put pen to paper.” Murray was also working on the hit TV series Sons of Anarchy at the time. He both wrote and directed for the popular F/X show. While working on the series, the concept of The Devil You Know started stirring around in his head, and started working on his original idea again.
In addition to Epps and Ealy, The Devil You Know also stars Vanessa Bell Calloway, Erica Tazel, Glynn Turman, Will Catlett, B.J. Britt, Theo Rossi, Curtiss Cook, Vaughn W. Hebron, Michael Beach, Keisha Epps, and Ashley A. Williams. With such an impressive roster of actors, Murray’s process of getting them all together had mostly to do with his previous relationships with them. Except for B.J. Britt — Murray has either worked with or personally knew all of the cast.
“I usually don’t write with actors in mind, as some writers will tell you they tend to envision someone for the role. I don’t because I think it allows the characters to kind of just be who they are,” he says.
Murray discusses how Omar Epps was cast in the role of Marcus Cowans, the lead protagonist in the film.
He adds, “but this one time I thought, Omar Epps would be great in this role. I went to my agent and told him I need to get in contact with Omar Epps. As it turned out, we were represented at the same agency. He set up a meeting, and I pitched it to him. I pitched a very unruly version.”
According to Murray, Epps agreed to take on the part as long as Murray was penning the script. The journey began with Epps as early as 2014. Once Murray could finance the film, he put his wish list together, which included most of the ensemble cast.
Michael Ealy, who also serves as an executive producer along with Epps was added to the cast after Murray collaborated with him on another project he is currently working on. Murray plans to adapt the Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith book Blood Brothers. Based on the Netflix documentary of the same name, Blood Brothers tells the story of the friendship between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X. Murray plans to have Ealy play Malcolm X in the film adaptation.
The film explores themes of brotherhood and family which is the focal point for The Devil You Know.
For Murray, this was a personal story for him. He has three brothers, and for him, he describes the dynamic of growing up with them as always theater for them as a foursome. He shares, “I’m always fascinated by beliefs within the family structure that sometimes work to the detriment of people.”
Murray added that the film’s title is a homage to the esteemed director and screenwriter Sidney Lumet. Lumet is best known for his work on films such as 12 Angry Men, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon. However, his 2007 film Before The Devil Knows Your Dead is the inspiration for his film The Devil You Know title.
“The movies he makes are about the internal drama that leaks out into the world when people have to be connected and they ultimately end up being connected against their will. Seeing that narrative play out with a family structure, that’s what really pushed me toward telling it this way,” he says.
The Devil You Know tackles an intriguing quagmire that often arises in a blood thicker than water situation. When a family member commits an atrocity, how far does one push the boundaries of loyalty based on the crime? The character Marcus Cowans (Omar Epps) has to face this conflict and decide what’s best for his brother Drew (Will Catlett) during a series of complicated events that ensue between both brothers. There are, however, times when family members choose to look the other way or are not willing to confront the “devils” among them. Murray addressed why there seems to be some trepidation in these challenges.
“Sometimes we live the stories that are lies. Sometimes we try to get to truths, but we don’t understand how fabricated the history is before us that makes that truth a lie,” he states.
The Devil You Know is currently playing in theaters.
Filmmaker Charles Murray has a new film out this week with Lionsgate called The Devil You Know. Starring Omar Epps and Michael Ealy, who also serve as executive producers, the film tells the story of two brothers who have their loyalties tested when one is a murder suspect in a homicide. BGN had the opportunity to sit down with the film’s director Charles Murray via Zoom this past week to discuss crafting the story and working with such a strong ensemble cast.
Murray worked on the idea for The Devil You Know for nearly two decades. He reflects, “It was just kind of rolling in my head, and I would never put pen to paper.” Murray was also working on the hit TV series Sons of Anarchy at the time. He both wrote and directed for the popular F/X show. While working on the series, the concept of The Devil You Know started stirring around in his head, and started working on his original idea again.
In addition to Epps and Ealy, The Devil You Know also stars Vanessa Bell Calloway, Erica Tazel, Glynn Turman, Will Catlett, B.J. Britt, Theo Rossi, Curtiss Cook, Vaughn W. Hebron, Michael Beach, Keisha Epps, and Ashley A. Williams. With such an impressive roster of actors, Murray’s process of getting them all together had mostly to do with his previous relationships with them. Except for B.J. Britt — Murray has either worked with or personally knew all of the cast.
“I usually don’t write with actors in mind, as some writers will tell you they tend to envision someone for the role. I don’t because I think it allows the characters to kind of just be who they are,” he says.
Murray discusses how Omar Epps was cast in the role of Marcus Cowans, the lead protagonist in the film.
He adds, “but this one time I thought, Omar Epps would be great in this role. I went to my agent and told him I need to get in contact with Omar Epps. As it turned out, we were represented at the same agency. He set up a meeting, and I pitched it to him. I pitched a very unruly version.”
According to Murray, Epps agreed to take on the part as long as Murray was penning the script. The journey began with Epps as early as 2014. Once Murray could finance the film, he put his wish list together, which included most of the ensemble cast.
Michael Ealy, who also serves as an executive producer along with Epps was added to the cast after Murray collaborated with him on another project he is currently working on. Murray plans to adapt the Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith book Blood Brothers. Based on the Netflix documentary of the same name, Blood Brothers tells the story of the friendship between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X. Murray plans to have Ealy play Malcolm X in the film adaptation.
The film explores themes of brotherhood and family which is the focal point for The Devil You Know.
For Murray, this was a personal story for him. He has three brothers, and for him, he describes the dynamic of growing up with them as always theater for them as a foursome. He shares, “I’m always fascinated by beliefs within the family structure that sometimes work to the detriment of people.”
Murray added that the film’s title is a homage to the esteemed director and screenwriter Sidney Lumet. Lumet is best known for his work on films such as 12 Angry Men, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon. However, his 2007 film Before The Devil Knows Your Dead is the inspiration for his film The Devil You Know title.
“The movies he makes are about the internal drama that leaks out into the world when people have to be connected and they ultimately end up being connected against their will. Seeing that narrative play out with a family structure, that’s what really pushed me toward telling it this way,” he says.
The Devil You Know tackles an intriguing quagmire that often arises in a blood thicker than water situation. When a family member commits an atrocity, how far does one push the boundaries of loyalty based on the crime? The character Marcus Cowans (Omar Epps) has to face this conflict and decide what’s best for his brother Drew (Will Catlett) during a series of complicated events that ensue between both brothers. There are, however, times when family members choose to look the other way or are not willing to confront the “devils” among them. Murray addressed why there seems to be some trepidation in these challenges.
“Sometimes we live the stories that are lies. Sometimes we try to get to truths, but we don’t understand how fabricated the history is before us that makes that truth a lie,” he states.
The Devil You Know is currently playing in theaters.
Afronerd Radio can now be heard LIVE courtesy of Apple Music/Itunes
Due to time constraints, let's just get into the matter at hand, shall we? You know the drill....Afronerd Radio's Mid Week in Review airs every Wednesday at 8 p.m. eastern on BTalk 100 internet broadcasting platform. Join your highly favored AFROnerdist hosts as they unpack the following (mid) weekly topics: HBCUs rejoice (well Morehouse and Spellman Colleges, specifically), famed designer Ralph Lauren is partnering up with the two aforementioned schools for a clothing line harkening back to 20s through the 50s; a new opera based on the Emmett Till lynching has raised the ire of activists due to the centering of the White author (and White guilt) over the actual African-American tragedy; our thoughts about the current box office battle between superhero films, The Batman and Spiderman: No Way Home and why Spidey is apparently outpacing "Bats." Also....why exactly haven't audiences been allowed to get a sufficient Robin story from any recent Batman movie iterations;
If time permits, a brief discussion on the Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings for SCOTUS;
A few months ago we at Afronerd radio spoke about the tragic passing of musician and music/pop culture critic, Greg Tate but a recent MSN.com article posits who should (or could) inherit Tate's rather large Black culturally introspective mantle; picking up where we left off a few shows ago (sorry for the preemption), Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, the father of popular actress, Zendaya Coleman, made some recent remarks about how Black fathers of successful children are conspicuously removed from the media as it relates to being architects of their scions' accomplishments; Dburt noticed something about The Simpsons that's worthy of discussion, especially the recent "A Serious Flanders" episode
Lastly, the return of Afro Samurai in a relaunch under Titan Comics....is there more to this announcement? Let's discuss.
One thing that Dburt is doing (finally) is investing in cryptocurrency, courtesy of Roundlyx. We would implore our followers to investigate, discern and then explore by using our referral code: afro-87A4BF
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Writer: Si Spurrier / Artist: Matias Bergara / Colorist: Matheus Lopes / Image
The comic book experiment that is Step By Bloody Step continues on, and the latest addition of the story holds fast to the expectations set in the first book. This is a story that is being predominantly communicated through its wonderful illustrations about a child and her gargantuan guardian navigating an alien world. There is no exposition and what little dialog that comes up is in a bizarre alien script that is all but inscrutable, if not for the vivid facial expressions.
At the tail end of last issue, the duo mounted what can be best described as an alarmingly large bird like creature and as such, the duo traveled an untold distance. In Step by Bloody Step #2, they find themselves in a new land. It’s a harrowed landscape, that by all appearance seems to be in the midst of an active conflict, and the duo is just minding their own business and doing their own.
By their nature, comics are a visual medium first. The artistry of the book does a significant amount of the heavy lifting and much like dialog should make sense without tags. By that, comic pages should make sense with dialog and Step By Bloody Step works brilliantly. Spurrier’s narrative is conveyed perfectly and even though we don’t know the exact specifics, the broad strokes of the plot are given to us in such a way that we can understand the emotions of the different actors. From there, we slowly begin to discern the more sinister plot, and then we can also get super sweet moments juxtaposed against subtly violent acts that constantly keep us in a state of curiosity.
Bergara and Lopes do such a phenomenal job conveying the different biomes and states of mind of the different characters. Without any discernable dialog to distract, we get to relish in the beautiful details and make our own conjectures about Spurrier’s grand plot.
It’s a surreal experience to be sure, but one that I’m utterly enthralled in. While I don’t think I want every comic to go this route, Step by Bloody Step is a breath of fresh air that plays with the medium in an exciting ways, and I can’t wait for the next issue.
9.6 “Skirmishes” out of 10
Enjoying Step by Bloody Step? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.
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