Michael Keaton, one of the Hollywood veterans has ventured out to explore the world of a director once again. The Batman star made his directorial debut in 2009 with the romance thriller The Merry Gentleman. Starring himself alongside Kelly Macdonald, Tom Bastounes, and Bobby Cannavale, the movie received a mediocre response from critics, about 15 years later, Keaton is back with another project, Knox Goes Away starring Al Pacino and James Marsden.
Michael Keaton Was Comfortable Directing Al Pacino
Michael Keaton in Knox Goes Away. Image Credit: FilmNation Entertainment
Michael Keaton is all set to bring his latest flick Knox Goes Away to the big screen. The thriller starring himself alongside Al Pacino and X-Men star James Marsden as the primary characters. Keaton who also sits in the director’s chair in the movie revealed his experience directing the legendary actor. Appearing on the most recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Birdman actor he was comfortable telling Pacino what to do.
“I feel comfortable telling everyone what to do. No, you know, it was such a great, you know? I had known him a little, not a lot and, um, we kind of, we went back and forth on who was going to play this particular part. I did it with everyone, this is a tremendous cast by the way. So, I get on the phone with them and you know we had known each other and I talked to him and I will tell you this, we just started talking about, uh, I mean, I joke about the Ascot thing but actors get a little, uh uh, whatever I don’t know how to think any other way I didn’t think. Oh I’ll say sit in the audience thought, no no no no, Bruce Wayne has to sit in the audience so he thinks like that in Spades.”
In the trailer of Knox Goes Away, Keaton plays the title character John Knox while Pacino will appear as Xavier alongside Marsden’s Miles.
Al Pacino Gave Michael Keaton A Valuable Acting Lesson
Al Pacino in Knox Goes Away. Image Credit: FilmNation Entertainment
While speaking on the phone the Oscar winner, who has eight nominations to his credit, Keaton revealed that the 83-year-old gave him a valuable acting lesson that spanned for an hour. “So, we get on the phone I say how, you know, what do you think?” Keaton asked Pacino over the phone as he told Kimmel.
“He says, ‘Well, MK I want to do it you know, but I’m not sure about, you know.’ We’re talking about we go into detail and we have this conversation I thought it was going to be about 15 minutes it was it never got about the character the movie, it was never esoteric, it was never too cerebral, it was never too actory, it lasted about an hour it was the single greatest conversation I’ve ever had about acting in my life. When I hear myself talk about it, I bore myself to tears. I actually find it interesting to listen to others but for me I just don’t want to talk about. I don’t really know it was so great, I got so excited about it and he’s just the best, I mean he’s such a dream and uh, but the whole cast, I gotta say not just Al everybody’s great.”
It would be interesting to see what the veteran duo brings to the big screen. Keaton is hopeful that his movie goes well with the fans as he promised meticulous action sequences with an engrossing story of a protagonist’s dilemma. Made with a reported production budget of $70 million, Knox Goes Away will hit the theaters on 15 March 2024.
