Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed brought their crime-comedy caper “Deep Cover” to life through genuine friendship and collaborative improvisation, the trio revealed during a post-screening Q&A following the film’s world premiere as the Centrepiece Headliner at SXSW London on Wednesday night.
The action-comedy, directed by “Stath Lets Flats” helmer Tom Kingsley and produced by Colin Trevorrow via his Metronome Film Co., follows three improv actors recruited by an undercover cop to infiltrate London’s criminal underworld by impersonating dangerous gangsters.
“Deep Cover” had its world premiere as the inaugural SXSW London Screen Festival’s Centrepiece Headliner, with the film set to stream on Prime Video starting June 12.
Trevorrow revealed the project’s unusual genesis, explaining that the concept began in 2010 when he and co-writer Derek Connolly heard about New York City police using actors as decoys. The film is based on an original script by “Jurassic World” collaborators Connolly and Trevorrow, with British improv duo Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen setting the script in London.
Director Kingsley described how the project evolved from its comedic roots. “I think maybe it started more as a comedy. Straight up, as we went on, bigger and bigger stars joined us,” he said, noting that increased ambition and financing allowed for more elaborate action sequences.
The on-screen chemistry between the three leads stems from genuine connection, according to Howard. “I mean, honestly, it’s the nature of the script and the vibe… and we all just genuinely get along,” she explained. “I think we’re all kind of at similar stages in our lives, and we’ve got kids, and so we connect over that.”
For Bloom, known primarily for dramatic and action roles rather than comedy, the experience represented new territory. “I’m not known for comedy,” he acknowledged, praising the supportive writing and direction that helped him find the humor through his character’s seriousness.
Mohammed, the most comedy-experienced of the trio through his work on “Ted Lasso,” found himself in unfamiliar action territory. “Overwhelming. I mean, I’m such a fan of action films and big blockbuster hits,” he said of working with “Hollywood certified movie stars.”
The film was produced entirely independently in London, a point of pride for the filmmakers. “It’s not easy. We’re at a time when getting films financed, it’s harder and harder,” Trevorrow explained, crediting Amazon’s distribution partnership and the dedication of the British film crew for making the ambitious project possible at a competitive budget.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work with British film crews for many years now,” Trevorrow added, expressing gratitude to the local film community for welcoming the production.
Kingsley emphasized the importance of authentic London locations in grounding the comedy in reality. “We wanted the movie to feel real. I think like the comedy is funnier when you really believe in the stakes,” he said, describing how they filmed in genuine locations from Shoreditch to Barking rather than studio sets.
“We need London to look like a little dangerous, not too picture postcard,” the director explained, noting that some night shoots in industrial areas required extra security precautions for the cast.
Despite being a film about improvisation, the production relied heavily on the script. “It’s a really tightly worked out script, like it goes a mile a minute – it’s really intricately constructed,” Kingsley noted, explaining that while improvisation occurred on set, much of it didn’t make the final cut due to pacing concerns.
Howard praised the collaborative process: “We were never treated like puppets… It was a very collaborative, organic process. And so improv was used as a way for us to sort of get into the scene.”
Trevorrow closed the evening by reflecting on the rarity of comedy in theaters. “We live in a day and age where we rarely get to see comedy at a theater, a packed theater full of people who are laughing -something that I used to love all the time when I was a kid,” he said. “This film is going to be on Amazon, and we’re so grateful for that, but tonight is very special.
The cast also includes British icons Paddy Considine, Ian McShane and Sean Bean.