Director Edward Berger, known for "All Quiet on the Western Front," shared details regarding his upcoming A24 film "The Riders" starring Brad Pitt. Speaking at Evolution Mallorca while receiving the Evolution Vision Award, Berger confirmed that filming is complete. He described the project as a "singular perspective story told through the eyes of Brad Pitt."
The story is adapted from a novel by Tim Winton. Berger explained that it follows a man renovating a cottage in Ireland during the '80s while waiting for his wife and daughter. According to the director, only the daughter shows up, prompting the man to go on a "European Odyssey" to find his wife, visiting locations including Greece, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Berger declined to reveal the outcome of the search, laughing when asked if the man finds her.
The screenplay was written by David Kajganich, a frequent collaborator of Luca Guadagnino. The production involved producers from Ridley Scott’s Scott Free, Berger’s Nine Hours, Pitt’s Plan B, and Kajganich. The cast includes Julianne Nicholson, Danny Huston, Camille Cottin, Michael Smiley, and Lara Pulver.
Berger noted that "The Riders" features seven-year-old Coco Greenstone as Pitt’s on-screen daughter. He compared the experience to filming his earlier breakout film "Jack," which starred 12-year-old Ivo Pietzcker. Berger recalled the stress of working with a child star for "Jack," noting that he had an exemption to shoot for six hours instead of five. He said he "literally got the shot one minute before the six hours" every day because the child required a tutor and school prep. He stated that "The Riders" followed a similar pattern where he had to "get it just before they take them."
During the festival, Berger also discussed his Oscar-winning war drama "All Quiet on the Western Front." He admitted he initially had a negative reaction to the project because he wanted to make an English-language film and "Conclave" was already "percolating." However, he felt he could not escape the project. He noted that the film was inspired by a time when international institutions were being questioned and nationalism was on the rise. As a German-born filmmaker, he wanted to bring the "feeling of weight" regarding the country's history of war to an international audience.
Berger described the process of moving on to "Conclave" as "almost traumatic," stating it took him "two, three months to wash off" the stress of "All Quiet." He sought "order" after the "chaos" of the previous film. He noted that "Conclave" was inspired by 1970s political conspiracy thrillers such as "All the President’s Men," "Klute," and "The Parallax View," specifically citing their editing rhythm and framing of people within architecture. To ensure the film remained engaging, Berger showed weekly cuts to friends who "tear it apart" to provide feedback on the pacing.
