Walter Hill, cult classic director warriorsReflecting on actor Thomas G. Waiters’ dismissal from the film, he said he regretted killing off his character too early. Although the film was poorly received when it was released in 1979, its plot, lines and style still influence the film today, making it one of the most popular cultural films of the time.Hill went on to direct many other action films throughout his career, including streets of fire, hotand 48 hoursand the pilot episode of HBO deadwood.
warriors It tells the story of a street gang who, after being falsely accused of murdering a rival gang leader, drives 30 miles back to his hometown in New York City, encountering other gangs and police officers along the way. One of the main characters, Fox (played by Weitz), meets an untimely end halfway through the film, when he is thrown onto the tracks and hit by a train during an encounter with the police. His gang members subsequently fled the scene, and the character was never mentioned again.
during an interview hollywood reporterHill acknowledged Fox’s death was because Waiters was fired due to some personal issues. Hill regretted no efforts to resolve their differences and said Waits had apologized for his disruptive behavior on set.Hill also said he rewrote warriors Waits’ unfilmed footage was quickly given to Michael Baker’s character Swan. Read his quote below:
I feel very sad about the whole thing. We don’t get along very well. I’m totally prepared to think some of this is my fault. He did have a problem – he had some problems in his life and it wasn’t working. So I took him out of the movie and did a quick rewrite and gave the Michael Baker character a lot of material. I’m not proud of it at all. I think if I were a better director, I might understand him better. But we think he’s starting to become a destructive force. He has apologized. He wrote me several letters.
How the Warriors would be different without Fox’s death
Foxx is the character accused of murdering a rival gang leader early in the film, suggesting that Hill could have had a bigger role if he and Waits had gotten along better. Although it’s impossible to say for sure, it’s possible that Fox will have the climactic duel with his antagonist Luthor at the end of the film instead of Swann. However, Hill’s regrets seem to stem more from his relationship with Waits than what Weitz could have added to the film.
Hill’s career is so long that it’s impossible not to look back and think about what could have been done differently.Still, with endless whispers warriors When remaking it, it’s important to remember how influential this movie was and how much effort went into it.It’s good that Hill and Waits finally reconciled, though the question of how will always linger warriors How the film might have ended had it not been for such a chaotic production, and whether those rough edges made the film what it is.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter