MOVIE NEWS: The Losers - Cast & Crew Talk About The Production Part 1

Anyone else would be dead by now.

“The Losers have fun while they kick butt.” Director Sylvain White succinctly sums up the appeal of the ex-special forces unit that comes to the big screen from the pages of the popular DC/Vertigo comic book series, by the team of writer Andy Diggle and artist Jock.




As a fan of the original comics, White wanted to capture the same irreverent style in the film “The Losers.” He relates, “When I read the comics, the first thing that really struck me was the sense of humor Diggle and Jock were able to inject into a very action driven story. It was such good source material, and I wanted to stay true to it by reflecting that tone in the movie.”


ZOË SALDANA as Aisha, CHRIS EVANS as Jensen, JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN as Clay, COLUMBUS SHORT as
Pooch, IDRIS ELBA as Roque and OSCAR JAENADA as Cougar in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Dark Castle
Entertainment’s action thriller “The Losers,” released by Warner Bros. Pictures.
TM & © DC Comics Photo by John Bramley
Producer Joel Silver agrees. “The great thing about ‘The Losers’ is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which originated with the comics, of course. But much of that attitude also came from the screenwriters, Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt, who brought so much to the table, and a lot came from Sylvain, who delivered a strong, visual cinematic style that I think feels fresh and hip and cool.”


L-r: IDRIS ELBA as Roque, OSCAR JAENADA as Cougar, JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN as Clay, CHRIS EVANS as Jensen,
COLUMBUS SHORT as Pooch and ZOË SALDANA as Aisha in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Dark Castle
Entertainment’s thriller “The Losers,” released by Warner Bros. Pictures.
TM & © DC Comics Photo by John Bramley
Producer Akiva Goldsman was already familiar with Sylvain White’s work from the director’s feature film debut, “Stomp the Yard,” a drama centered around a stepdancing competition. “And yet,” Goldsman says, “there was a construct to the dancing in it that made it very much like martial arts, which spoke to the style he wanted to bring to this movie. Sylvain has a really good eye and a terrific sense of character and action.

When he showed us what he wanted to do with ‘The Losers,’ we were all impressed.” Employing his graphic arts background, White had created a full storyboard for the film that told the producers all they needed to know. “Sylvain came in and gave us a dazzling presentation,” recalls producer Kerry Foster. “He was so passionate and had such a clear vision for the movie that we knew he was the perfect choice to direct it.”


L-r: IDRIS ELBA as Roque, CHRIS EVANS as Jensen, JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN as Clay, COLUMBUS SHORT as
Pooch and OSCAR JAENADA as Cougar in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Dark Castle Entertainment’s action
thriller “The Losers,” released by Warner Bros. Pictures.
TM & © DC Comics Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
White says he not only drew inspiration from the original comic books but also from the screenplay. “It had a light tone paired with very gritty, visceral action. That can be a very difficult balance to maintain, but Peter and Jamie did it perfectly.”

James Vanderbilt, who collaborated with Peter Berg on the screenplay for “The Losers,” notes, “I was raised on Joel Silver movies like ‘Die Hard,’ ‘Lethal Weapon’ and ‘48 Hrs.,’ and that is my favorite type of action film—where there are real emotions, but not everything is so dire all of the time. The stakes are high, but the characters seem to be having a good time…and we have a good time with them.”


ZOË SALDANA as Aisha and JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN as Clay in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Dark Castle
Entertainment’s action thriller “The Losers,” released by Warner Bros. Pictures.
TM & © DC Comics Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
“The Losers are fun; you want to hang out with them,” White affirms. “They are not superheroes, they are real guys; in fact they’re underdogs who find themselves in what I would say is an extreme situation.”