Leitch and McCormick turn bank robbery into an action drama

Filmmaking couple David Leitch and Kelly McCormick say their new film, How to Rob a Bank, combines action and comedy with an exploration of its characters. The pair spoke to mbl.is while visiting Iceland as guests of honour at RIFF.

Leitch, a director, and McCormick, a producer, work together through their company, 87North. Their credits include John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train and The Fall Guy. How to Rob a Bank is due in cinemas in mid-November.

The film follows a group of bank robbers who post videos of their heists on social media and become internet stars. Their actions attract the attention of police and federal agents, setting off a pursuit. The film also examines the robbers’ motives and the injustice they believe exists in the banking system.

“I love making films for audiences,” Leitch said. He described blending action and comedy as the company’s hallmark, adding that the films also focus on creating compelling characters for viewers to follow.

McCormick said they work closely with screenwriters to develop layered but entertaining scripts. “We care more about finding truth in fiction than fiction in truth,” she said, adding that this helps make the characters feel real and relatable.

McCormick said audience reactions to How to Rob a Bank had moved between tears and laughter during a screening. The robbers, she said, do not want to be known simply as bank robbers. They want to draw attention to what they see as injustice in the banking system and build a mass movement by educating people through their YouTube channels.

Leitch said the film is not a typical bank-robbery story, but instead explores the characters and why they resort to robbing banks.