Director Justin Tipping Reveals How His Teen Experience Influenced Marlon Wayans' Casting

The Journey of a Director and the Making of 'HIM'

Justin Tipping's journey as a filmmaker began with a traumatic event that would later shape his creative vision. At the turn of the 21st century, while on his way to a movie theater, he was attacked by ten kids for his Nike sneakers. This incident, rooted in his Bay Area-based adolescence, became the inspiration for his directorial debut, Kicks (2016). The film caught the attention of Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions, leading to a meeting between Tipping and Peele following the latter's 2018 Oscar win for Get Out's screenplay. Their conversation ended with the hope of collaborating on a future project.

In 2022, Monkeypaw purchased a spec script by Skip Bronkie and Zack Akers, which was later retitled from GOAT to HIM. Tipping was invited to pitch his take on the material, resulting in a film that shares some DNA with Kicks, but blends pro football with psychological horror. In Kicks, an undersized teenager acquires retro Air Jordans only to be beaten and robbed. Similarly, HIM follows Cameron "Cam" Cade (Tyriq Withers), a generational quarterback prospect who is blindsided by an attacker, leaving him with brain trauma and an uncertain future in professional football.

Cam's football idol, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), offers him a lifeline by inviting him to train at his private compound. White, considered the GOAT among quarterbacks with eight championship rings, represents a figure of greatness that Cam seeks to emulate. Tipping, who had previously been a contender for Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, was coming off a steady output of television when he pitched HIM. His eventual hiring led him to confront his post-Kicks life through rewrites of the script.

"My first TV show was my first actual paid directing gig after Kicks, and on the first day, I got a call that my father died unexpectedly. It changed everything," Tipping recalls. "But I was back on set in two weeks. I didn't stop working. So I was physically burnt out [around 2022]. It inspired my take on the HIM story, and I saw the correlation between filmmakers and quarterbacks. There's that question of, ‘How much do you sacrifice until you no longer recognize yourself?’"

Exploring the Cost of Greatness

HIM delves into the cost of greatness and whether it's too high in athletics or any walk of life. Cam, who hasn't fully recovered from the loss of his football-obsessive father, realizes that the quarterback they both admired is not what has been advertised. Marlon Wayans effortlessly sells the sinister side of the veteran QB's nature, and it's easily the actor's finest dramatic outing since 2000's Requiem for a Dream.

A few months before the release of Darren Aronofsky's revered psychological drama, Wayans starred in the horror parody Scary Movie, which happened to be the very film that teenage Tipping was on his way to see when he was pounced for his shoes. Tipping then relayed his traumatic story in a letter to Wayans during his efforts to woo him into accepting the role of Isaiah White.

"He absolutely said the most Marlon Wayans thing ever. It was something along the lines of, ‘Welp, I'm glad you got your ass beat because here we are.’ So I am glad too," Tipping says mid-laugh.

The Influence of Personal Experiences

Tipping also discusses the manner in which he captured the downside and risk of professional football, comparing the pursuit of greatness among athletes and actors. He reflects on the disturbing imagery in HIM and how it lingered with him. "I'm alright now. It was an interesting development process, that's for sure. I definitely went to some dark places."

When pitching HIM, Tipping emphasized the connection between the two main characters and their dynamic as binary stars feeding off each other. He referenced films like Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now to illustrate the emotional arcs of the characters. "It had nothing to do with horror, but that's what I wanted to do with the characters."

The film explores the psychology of an athlete and the rigidity required to reach elite levels. Tipping connected this to his own experience of burnout after Kicks and years of television work. "The alarm has already been sounded. The game is the game. It can be joyful and beautiful and all those things."

A Deeper Conversation on Greatness

Tipping also reflects on the incongruity between how Timothée Chalamet's statement about pursuing greatness was received compared to similar sentiments from athletes. "It's more about how you personally define greatness, and competing against yourself is probably the healthier way."

He also touches on the idea of never meeting your heroes, sharing his personal encounters with his own heroes. "I don't have one that would make me say, 'Don't do it.' But something timely right now is the parasocial relationship with celebrity and the difference between supporting somebody and worshiping somebody."

Collaboration with Jordan Peele

Jordan Peele's involvement as a producer was instrumental in the making of HIM. "He was the right amount of hands," Tipping says. "As a filmmaker himself, there was definitely a lot of room to be free and push it as far as I can."

Peele's guidance during the development process allowed Tipping to explore creative ideas without constraints. "We'd get into these rallies where it was like, 'Yes, and …' or, 'Ooh, I've got this crazy idea.' Those were some of the most fruitful discussions because they always led to something better."

A Unique Connection with Marlon Wayans

Tipping's history with Marlon Wayans adds another layer to the film. "I actually wrote him a letter that told him the story, and he absolutely said the most Marlon Wayans thing ever." The story of being attacked on the way to see Scary Movie was a pivotal moment in Tipping's life, and it ultimately led to his collaboration with Wayans.

Wayans, known for his comedy work, delivered a powerful dramatic performance in HIM. "He really transformed the movie. He brought something special to the role."

Final Thoughts

HIM opens in movie theaters on September 19, offering a unique blend of sports and horror that challenges viewers to reflect on the cost of greatness. The film, produced by Jordan Peele, showcases Tipping's growth as a filmmaker and his ability to tackle complex themes with nuance and depth.