"State of Play" Ended Hollywood's Wasteful Era, Says Director Kevin Macdonald

Behind-the-Scenes Stories from a Filmmaker’s Journey

Scottish filmmaker Kevin Macdonald recently shared an insightful behind-the-scenes story about the making of his 2009 film State of Play during a keynote Q&A session at the Edinburgh Film Festival. The event, which also featured his brother and producer Andrew Macdonald, provided a unique glimpse into the creative process and challenges faced during the production.

During the session, chaired by Edinburgh TV Festival head Rowan Woods, Kevin was asked about his experiences working in Hollywood. He focused on State of Play, a film that he now views as a significant moment in both his career and the industry.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back, that was a pivotal film in Hollywood, as well as for me,” Kevin said. “It was sort of the end of an era.” The film, which starred Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck, was initially seen by Universal as an all-star, intelligent thriller for adults with a budget of $100 million. “Can you imagine that today?” Kevin added.

He explained that the film was originally conceived as a star vehicle for Brad Pitt, and he was tasked with tightening up the screenplay. To do so, he reached out to Tony Gilroy, who had recently gained recognition for his work on the Bourne films. “We spent two months in his apartment, rewriting the script, spending untold amounts of money, and then showed it to Brad Pitt, and he hated it.”

This led to a long and complicated process that Kevin described as the tail end of a certain kind of wasteful Hollywood filmmaking. Eventually, Pitt was replaced by Crowe, and the film went on to feature a stellar cast including Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, and Helen Mirren.

The film follows the story of Cal McAffrey, a fictional journalist investigating the suspicious death of the assistant and mistress of a Congressman. Kevin noted that the entire film was shot on a sound stage in Hollywood. “We knocked down the wall between two huge sound stages,” he said. “We had to build a big enough set for an office, even though we could have just gone to Washington, D.C. But because Brad had a young family at the time and didn’t want to travel, we built this set that in the end he didn’t end up being able to use.”

A Legacy of Collaboration and Innovation

The session between Kevin and Andrew was a highlight of this year’s Industry section at the Edinburgh Film Festival. Andrew, who serves as the Chair of the festival, shared some of their early experiences. Before the session, the pair screened one of their early shorts, shot in Edinburgh in the early 90s.

The short features the brothers trying to sell the screenplay for Shallow Grave to a producer. Although they were unsuccessful in raising funds for the film, Andrew explained that it helped launch their careers. “It screened on the last day of the festival in ’92,” he said. “From that, we met this amazing woman who was the commissioning editor at Scottish television called Maxine Baker, and she then commissioned us to make a series called Shadowing.”

Andrew later added that while making Shadowing in Edinburgh, they got the script for Shallow Grave to someone at Channel Four. This eventually led to the film being directed by Danny Boyle, marking his first collaboration with Andrew. The pair went on to create Trainspotting and several other notable films, including The Beach.

A Celebration of Film and Creativity

This year’s Edinburgh Film Festival has been a vibrant celebration of cinema, featuring a wide range of guests, films, and events. As the festival concludes on August 20, it continues to provide a platform for emerging talent and established filmmakers alike.

Throughout the event, audiences have had the opportunity to engage with some of the most exciting voices in the industry. From provocative new films to thought-provoking discussions, the festival has once again proven its significance in the global cinematic landscape.