A Walk Among the Tombstones

Based on ‘s best-selling series of mystery novels, A Walk Among the Tombstones stars as , an ex-NYPD cop who now works as an unlicensed private investigator operating just outside the law.

When it came to the role of ex-NYPD officer Matt Scudder, the filmmakers knew that there was only one man for the job: Liam Neeson. In turn, Neeson was drawn to exploring the loneliness of Scudder's character, as he found the screenplay reflected the bleakness of Scandinavian crime writers whose work he was reading at the time he was approached.

When it came to the role of ex-NYPD officer Matt Scudder, the filmmakers knew that there was only one man for the job: Liam Neeson. In turn, Neeson was drawn to exploring the loneliness of Scudder’s character, as he found the screenplay reflected the bleakness of Scandinavian crime writers whose work he was reading at the time he was approached.

In the early ’90s, novelist Lawrence Block wrote “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” the 10th book in his best-selling series that follows the cases of troubled private detective Matthew Scudder in his quest for redemption. The four-time Edgar Awardwinning writer readily admits that the ex-cop remains a character who simply will not leave his mind: “I started writing about Matthew Scudder in the mid-’70s. There have been moments over the years where it’s seemed as though the series was done, but there always seemed to be more I had to say about him.

More than a decade ago, the novel was brought to the attention of Jersey Films by Scott Frank, an accomplished screenwriter with whom the production company had frequently collaborated. Frank was certain that Block’s signature book would translate into a harrowing suspense thriller, and knew that the filmmakers would be intrigued by its premise. Indeed, they were moved by the story’s tortured soul who sought redemption for past transgressions, as well as the page-turning nature of the intimately documented crimes. Producer Stacey Sher reflects: “There are two things always going on in Lawrence’s novels: Scudder’s internal struggle and whatever mystery or intense situation that he is going through in each book. The character’s under extreme pressure, and the situations are extremely tense.

Sher’s faith in the development process was buoyed by her trust that “there is no expiration date on a good story.” She explains this dogmatic belief: “The universe protected the movie for 12 years and everything finally fell into place, which allowed Scott to write and direct it and Liam to star in it.

Another performer who was keen to explore darkness in his character was Dan Stevens, who plays Tombstones’ Kenny Kristo, a man who loses everything when he finds his beloved wife brutally
murdered.

Playing the role of the aspiring junior detective is rapper Brian “Astro” Bradley, who first skyrocketed to audiences’ attention as one of the finalists on the inaugural season of The X Factor. Since that time, he has ventured into the world of film. Astro shares a bit about his character: “Matt Scudder comes into the library and ‘s sitting there; he sleeps in the library because he’s homeless. TJ and Matt get into a conversation and he finds out that Matt is a private eye, and TJ wants to be just like him. So he follows Matt around the whole movie, and eventually helps him solve a case.

For Lawrence Block, New York City serves as a distinctive presence within his novels, and so the decision to shoot the film primarily in Brooklyn seemed obvious. Other key New York City and outer borough locations for A Walk Among the Tombstones included Hell’s Kitchen, Red Hook, Bushwick and the Lower East Side.

Related content

MoreMovieDetails

All Posts
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Share this article: A Walk Among the Tombstones

Facebook
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Email

MORE TOPICS

Love the Coopers

Charlotte Cooper (DIANE KEATON) has one simple holiday wish…for her family to have the memory of a perfect Christmas. But four generations of the Cooper clan gathering under the same roof is anything but perfect.

Hacksaw Ridge

HACKSAW RIDGE is the extraordinary true story of Desmond Doss [Andrew Garfield] who, in Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of WWII, saved 75 men without firing or carrying a gun. He was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon, as he believed that while the war was justified, killing was nevertheless wrong.

Alpha and Omega's key animation was done at Crest's animation studio in India. Pre-production and post-production took place in Los Angeles.

Alpha and Omega

Alpha and Omega is a 2010 3-D computer animated film produced by Crest Animation Productions and Richard Rich. The film is directed by Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck, starring the voices of Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere, Dennis Hopper, Danny Glover and Christina Ricci.

Spring Breakers

From visionary writer/director Harmony Korine, comes a bold new vision of the seasonal American ritual known as spring break — the bacchanalia of bikinis, beach parties and beer bongs that draws hordes of college students to the Florida coast and elsewhere each year.

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis, is a German-born American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s. He is well known for the role of John McClane in the Die Hard series.