Producer Charles Roven may be better known for his major blockbusters like Batman Begins and Get Smart, but he has a little movie he's proud of coming out next month. The Bank Job is a true story of one of England's most daring bank robberies. Of course, the movie takes a little dramatic license.
Chuck Roven Plans The Bank Job
"The thing was, we certainly may have moved around the actual timing of some events," said Roven. "Like for example the robbery was over a four week period of time in reality. We made it over a weekend. And we maybe compressed some characters or expanded some characters. But the events of the robbery and the events of what was going on criminally, culturally in the UK and particularly in London at that time, that's really what we found."
Starring Jason Statham, the film includes one trademark fight scene for his fans. "Those events and the culmination of everything happening at the train station at the end, that was definitely part of Roger's work in converting it into a thriller. But it wasn't really designed for Jason. It was more narrative based."
History buffs can revel in some authentic locations from the actual scenes of the crime. "Those shots that you see looking across the street, that's the real bank in Marlibone today. We did the production design to make it look period and have the busses there but that's really a real location. That's exactly where it happened."
Actually shooting in those locations required some of Roven's special wheeling and dealing. "It is difficult to get around in London. What you really want to limit is how many times you move during the course of the day. But other than that, I would say that's the biggest. Anything else having to do with that, I think filmmaking in London is really great."
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