Opening in theaters on November 6th is the new political comedy ‘Wild Horse Nine‘, which was written and directed by Martin McDonagh (‘The Banshees of Inisherin‘) and is already earning Oscar buzz.
“Sometimes you’ve got to do a terrible thing for the greater good.”
Release Nov 6, 2026Runtime 1h 57m
The film stars John Malkovich (‘Con Air‘), Sam Rockwell (‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’), Steve Buscemi (‘The Big Lebowski‘), Tom Waits (‘Seven Psychopaths‘), and Parker Posey (‘The White Lotus‘).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Martin McDonagh about his work on ‘Wild Horse Nine’, developing the screenplay, working with John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, their characters, how he directs actors, and shooting on location on Easter Island.
Related Article: John Malkovich Joins Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine’
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about developing the screenplay and the themes you wanted to explore as a filmmaker?
Martin McDonagh: I wanted to set it on Easter Island, Rapa Nui as it’s also known. I wanted that place to be a character in the film. I wanted it to be about two CIA guys in 1973, because that was when they were down there trying to destabilize an elected government of Salvador Allende, and that’s what precipitated the military coup. But it’s a story about these two CIA guys and one’s nearing the end of his life and looking back on it with regret, I guess, in this beautiful place. His friend is trying to take care of him and it’s very funny. There’s lots of joy between the two of them. But I’m fascinated by the journey they go on.
MF: Can you talk about Chris and Lee’s unusual friendship and did John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell fall into that rhythm right away?
MM: Pretty much, without the bickering. They have so much love and affection for each other as actors, and that’s what I really wanted to tap into. I wanted every scene to have the underlying tone of the affection and the love that they have for each other.
MF: Do you think of actors while you are writing? Were you thinking of John and Sam while you were creating their characters?
MM: I was thinking of Sam for this one. This was written for Sam. I didn’t write John’s for him. But I honestly think there’s no one else in the world who could have done this in the same way that John does.
MF: What was it like working with John and Sam on set?
MM: It’s beautiful. They’re committed actors. We had a couple of weeks rehearsal before we started, and that was just to get closer to each other, I think, a little bit. But every day it was joyful, actually, because they would just be talking about past theater work or favorite films. But they love getting into the meat of this. I’d come back from a scout and I’d see them at the hotel. I’d see them rehearsing the next week’s scenes just on their own. So their commitment was second to none.
MF: Do you give actors notes on set or do you just try to cast the right performers and then let them go and create?
MM: It’s pretty much that. John’s so insightful. He knew the history of the CIA stuff and the Kennedy stuff even more than I did. So you’re never giving notes or helping hold his hand about that stuff. In the filming of it, it’s just like getting tones. It can be this angry or this angry. The comedy scenes kind of take care of themselves because they’re always grounded in truth when it’s those guys. But also in the quieter scenes, I think that’s when you have to leave room for the reflective moments with John especially, because in a scene where he’s just smoking a cigarette, you can see an acres of sorrow and regret, even when he’s seemingly doing nothing, yet he’s doing everything.
MF: Finally, what was it like shooting on location on Easter Island?
MM: On Easter Island there was no infrastructure to make a film. So we brought in the cameras, brought in the period cars, all of that kind of stuff, and brought in the crew. But my main memory of it was how beautiful it was down there and how spiritual a place it was. We all just came away in awe of the gentleness of the people and of the land. So it wasn’t even about problems, it was about joy.
What is the plot of ‘ Wild Horse Nine’?
Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup d’etat, CIA bureau chief MJ (Steve Buscemi) dispatches officers Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) from Santiago to Easter Island. Among the island’s iconic statues, the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, while Chris’s newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas) threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways.
Who is in the cast of ‘ Wild Horse Nine’?
- John Malkovich as Chris Carlisle
- Sam Rockwell as Lee Chesterfield
- Steve Buscemi as MJ
- Tom Waits as Jim
- Parker Posey as Marge
- Mariana di Girolamo as Monica
- Ailín Salas as Alicia
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