Ethan Hawke & Russell Crowe in THE WEIGHT | Director Interview

THE WEIGHT director Padraic McKinley joins INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE to discuss Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, and the making of his gripping Depression-era wilderness thriller. Set in Oregon in 1933, THE WEIGHT stars Hawke as Samuel Murphy, a father separated from his daughter and sentenced to a brutal work camp. When Warden Clancy, played by Crowe, offers him early release in exchange for transporting stolen gold across treacherous wilderness, Murphy accepts—but suspicion, betrayal, and desperation soon begin to fracture the group. McKinley traces the unusual path that led to his feature directorial debut. After years as an editor and television director, he formed a creative partnership with Hawke while making THE GOOD LORD BIRD. That relationship helped transform THE WEIGHT into a deeply personal story about a father determined to return to his daughter. He also takes us inside the film’s creative DNA, from SORCERER, DELIVERANCE, THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, and SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION to the patient, character-driven American filmmaking of the 1970s. McKinley explains how editing shaped his approach to directing and how vintage lenses, restrained coverage, long takes, and an episodic structure created the film’s distinctive rhythm. The director also recounts the punishing production in the Bavarian forest—including freezing water, unforgiving terrain, heavy packs, ticks, temperamental period automobiles, and an injury sustained by Hawke. Finally, he shares what it was like directing Hawke and Crowe together—and why, when two actors of that caliber sit across from one another, sometimes the director’s most important job is simply to make sure the camera is running. THE WEIGHT also stars Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Alec Newman, and Sam Hazeldine. The film premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, and opens in U.S. theaters September 18 from Vertical. Hosted by Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge. Please follow INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE and share the episode with someone who loves independent cinema. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen. 00:00 Directing Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe 00:22 Introducing THE WEIGHT 01:51 Director Padraic McKinley joins the show 02:12 From editing to directing 04:43 Meeting Ethan Hawke 08:02 The origins of THE WEIGHT 10:19 Rebuilding the screenplay 12:35 THE WEIGHT trailer 14:51 The classic films that inspired THE WEIGHT 18:42 Returning to patient, character-driven storytelling 21:27 Creating the look of a 1970s thriller 22:55 Filmmaking in an age of shrinking attention spans 27:10 The emotional meaning of the teddy bear 28:25 Surviving the Bavarian forest 31:19 Shooting in unforgiving terrain 33:15 Working with Ethan Hawke 34:48 Directing Russell Crowe 37:24 Two great actors face one another 40:14 Why THE WEIGHT belongs in theaters 41:26 Closing If you value the work we do and would like to help us continue supporting independent cinema, visit:https://buymeacoffee.com/insidethearthouse.com The people, films, and ideas keeping independent cinema alive. #TheWeight #EthanHawke #RussellCrowe #PadraicMcKinley #IndependentFilm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices