(L-R) David Oyelowo as Amos Boone and Rosario Dawson as Mary Boone in the adventure/drama film, 'The ... [+]
Having worked with acclaimed filmmakers including Steven Spielberg, Lee Daniels, Ava DuVernay and George Clooney, among others, throughout his career, U.K. actor David Oyelowo is hoping some of that magic has rubbed off as he stepped behind the camera lens to make his feature directorial debut with the family fantasy drama The Water Man. It’s also a film in which he stars in and is a producer on, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2020, and is slated to arrive in theaters May 7.
The Oxford-born theater-trained actor says the opportunity presented itself when the film lost its original director before production was set to begin, and it seemed as good a time as any for him to step up, especially because he connected viscerally to the Emma Needell-penned script. The Water Man tells the story of Gunner (Lonnie Chavis, This Is Us) an artistic and imaginative adolescent boy who will do whatever it takes, including risking his life to find a local mythical being known as The Water Man, to save his mother, Mary (Rosario Dawson, The Mandalorian) who is dying of cancer and struggles to build a relationship with father, Amos (Oyelowo), who recently has returned from being posted abroad. The film also stars Alfred Molina (Spiderman 2), Maria Bello (A History Of Violence) and Amiah Miller (War For The Planet Of The Apes).
Oyelowo, who is married to British actress Jessica Watson Oyelowo with whom he has four children, says he is pleased that his feature film directorial debut is one of the rare family friendly films he has made that he feels comfortable as a parent showing them. He is noted mostly for his roles in dramas (Lincoln, The Butler, Selma) that are geared toward adult audiences. He also will play the villain character in the kid-friendly live action/CGI animated sequel Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, due in U.S. theaters June 18.
He spoke by phone from London, where he currently is on location filming The Girl Before, based on the J.P. Delaney bestselling novel, for HBO Max and the BBC.
Angela Dawson: What was it about The Water Man script that appealed to you?
David Oyelowo: It was evocative of the films I loved while growing up, like E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial and The Goonies. I loved that they didn’t talk down to you. I loved that they were magical and fantastical but also had a grounded element to them. I love watching movies with my kids and to find these kinds of narratives I usually have to go back two or three decades to find them. So, when The Water Man found its way onto The Black List (the most-liked un-produced Hollywood scripts) and, thankfully, crossed paths with me, it was something I desperately wanted to see in the world.
Initially, my intent was to be involved as a producer and as an actor, but with time, as we developed it, we lost our director. We had the financing and a start date, and anyone who knows movies knows that when you have those things in place, you’ve got to go. Emma Needell, who wrote the script, turned to me and said, “David, I think you’re the one to direct this movie,” and that’s what made me jump into the director’s chair.
Dawson: You’ve worked with some remarkable directors over the years. Did they influence you in making your feature directorial debut?
Oyelowo: Yes. Steven Spielberg, of course, is a huge inspiration because of films like E.T., and I did get to work with him on Lincoln—obviously, a different kind of film. Also, there’s Ava DuVernay, whom I’ve worked with, in terms of how she interacts with story. I’ve worked enough with her now to really glean from her directorial style. Lee Daniels, whom I’ve also worked with (on The Butler), and Will Gluck, who I did Peter Rabbit 2 with, just prior to me directing The Water Man, in terms of just watching someone direct a family film. So, I definitely borrowed from these directors. I like to think at the end of the day I took all of those experiences and they amounted to something that is uniquely me because there is so much of me in this film, what I believe in, how I interact with my kids, what I believe about love, what I love about adventure and all the things I value deeply. I like to think all of that worked its way into the film.
Dawson: This film is both a story about a son’s love for his dying mother and his willingness to risk his own life to help her, as well as a father-son story. Did that resonate with you on a personal level?
Oyelowo: Yes. During the course of this film, my mother became ill and eventually passed away, so that was definitely folded into the film, so I was definitely able to identify very much with Gunner as a son who was willing to do everything he could to save his mother, and this inevitability—not just with my mother but the finite nature of life, generally—that you can’t keep holding on forever. One of the things that makes life beautiful is its finite nature. That’s part of maturation as well—the realization of that and the acceptance of that.
I also lost my father last September but he had been able to come to visit the set, and he was so proud of me directing a film. It sort of blew his mind. So, as you say, it’s as much a father and son story as it is a mother and son story. It’s a celebration of family, really. I’ve had a lot of love in my life and a lot of love from my parents, so it’s very much a reflection of that.
A behind the scenes still of director/star David Oyelowo (right) and Lonnie Chavis from RLJE Films' ... [+]
Dawson: Could you talk about casting The Water Man?
Oyelowo: It goes without saying that having Alfred Molina, Maria Bello and Rosario Dawson is just amazing in any movie anywhere, but to have them in your directorial debut is kind of showing off, to be perfectly honest. (He laughs.) I have a great friendship with Alfred; we’ve done four films together. I directed him in a short film called Big Guy about 10 years ago that also starred Kata Mara and Josh Gad. We’d met on As You Like It, that Kenneth Branagh directed. He also did a film I produced and starred in called Don’t Let Go.
Fred found out that I was directing this movie, rang me up and said, “If you need a large Italian to stand in the doorway, I’m there.” And I said, “There are no large Italians in the script but I think I have something for you.” I ran into Maria Bello at the Sundance Film Festival and she said, “I hear you’re making a movie; I want to be in it.” I said, “I don’t have a role for you,” but she insisted she wanted to be in it. So, I changed the gender of the role of the sheriff, which originally was to be played by a man, because if Maria Bello wants to be in your movie, you’d better put her in your movie.
And with Rosario, she always had those qualities that I’d been looking for in the role of Mary. She is the heart of the movie. You have to understand why this kid is willing to risk everything to save his mother, and Rosario had that quality in spades. The real treasure in the film was finding Lonnie and Amiah—these two young people who turn in these emotionally packed performances in the nature that they do in the film.
Dawson: Your film is going to have the best of both worlds because it’s coming out in theaters in the U.S., and on Netflix
Oyelowo: I couldn’t be more grateful if I tried because, trust me, there were moments during this pandemic uncertainty where we didn’t know if this film would even see the light of day. We made it before the pandemic and we had to do post (production) during the pandemic, which was incredibly challenging when no one’s allowed to be in rooms with each other, like when you’re trying to do the score and trying to do the visual effects, the sound mix and the film footage as well—the color mix. It was completely challenging. And movie theaters were completely inoperable.
Every streaming service is having every film that was meant to be in a movie theater thrown at them, so you’re dealing with huge amounts of competition. But it all seemed to shake out in a miraculous way. We were just going to be VOD and then the theaters started bouncing back. AMC Theaters was actually the first ones to come to us to see the film. They’re very confident in family films helping them with a comeback. They’re the reason why we’re having this theatrical run before the VOD now. They and other major (theater) chains are now taking the film. Eventually, it will be on VOD, and internationally it will be on Netflix. So, yeah, there’s a good chance now that a few people are going to see it. That, at the end of the day, is what you really want as a filmmaker.
Dawson: Oprah Winfrey is your film’s executive producer. How hands-on was she?
Oyelowo: She wasn’t with us on set every day; she is one of the busiest people on the planet but Carla Gardini, who is her EVP at Harpo Films, was on set with us every day and reporting back to Oprah. Oprah is more of a mother-figure in my life. She’s a huge advocate and encourager of mine. She did watch cuts of the movie and gave me notes. But, above and beyond that, she’s just someone who beautifully and wonderfully wants to see me win and she continues to do everything she can to help me do that. Her being my in-built cheerleader on the film is a huge huge asset as well.
Dawson: What can you tell me about your HBO Max and BBC project that you’re currently filming?
Oyelowo: It’s called The Girl Before, and it’s based on the (J.P. Delaney) bestselling novel. I’m starring with Gugu Mbatha-Raw and a bunch of other wonderful actors. Lisa Brullman (Killing Eve, Servant) is directing it. It’s a twisty-turny psychological thriller.
Dawson: And you have Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway coming to theaters in June, right?
Oyelowo: Yeah. I play a dastardly publisher. It’s another film that I had my kids in mind. I’ve made so many films that they can’t watch, or shouldn’t watch, so it was time to do a couple for the kids.
