In Rumble Through the Dark, Aaron Eckhart plays a gritty bare-knuckle cage fighter searching for redemption. The plot is rife with drama, emotional highs and lows, and plenty of twists. The story will undoubtedly stick with audiences, but it’s Eckhart’s commanding performance that will be the talk of this film. The Dark Knight and Sully alum completely transforms himself physically and emotionally, playing aging fighter Jack Boucher, who must consider one last set of fights in an effort to shift his fate.

The film, which was directed by Graham Phillips and Parker Phillips, also stars Bella Thorne (The DUFF, Scream: The TV Series), Ritchie Coster (The Dark Knight), Marianne Jean-Baptiste Without a Trace), Derek Russo (Loki), and a powerful ensemble cast. The filmmaking brothers shared more about the compelling and gritty drama, working alongside Aaron Eckhart, and much more in this exclusive MovieWeb interview.

Aaron Eckhart’s Transformation
Lionsgate

Graham and Parker Phillips’ previous works include the short film The Mediator and The Bygone. They were intrigued by award-winning writer Michael Farris Smith’s story here, which was originally titled The Fighter. Farris-Smith has been turning heads recently with another film adaption of his work, Desperation Road, starring Mel Gibson. For the brothers, it was a rare opportunity to work with Aaron Eckhart, who fully loses himself in the role of Jack, a beleaguered bare-knuckle cage fighter who is forced to step into the fighting pit one last time to redeem himself and his family.

“It was such a challenging role,” noted Graham Phillips of Eckhart’s portrayal, adding:

We wanted to make sure we were there for Eckhart. It’s weird because he’s playing someone who’s so isolated. Part of his process was to be isolated; you know, he didn’t engage with anyone. We had a discussion with him, and he’s like, ‘I have to kind of be left alone to some degree because I can’t feel certain emotions during this process.’

As such, the brothers were the only people Eckhart would speak to when he needed to. “The guy just brought an incredible work ethic and focus,” he added. “So, when every day he’s paired up with a new actor, a new person he’s fighting, they had to meet him at his level. And, you know, hats off to him and to the rest of our cast for doing that. But Aaron definitely led the way.”

How Aaron Eckhart Prepared for the Role
Lionsgate

The plot of Rumble Through the Dark finds Eckhart’s character, Jack, feeling the effects of decades of bare-knuckle fighting. He carries around a stash of illegal painkillers and a notebook of names that remind him who is a friend or foe. Challenges mount with his foster mother suddenly gone and the old house that meant so much escaping his grip. A chance to win it all back turns dark when a gambler robs Jack, setting up a story arc involving shady folks to whom he still owes money. Then along comes Annette (Bella Thorne), a carnival worker guided by the “church of coincidence.” Annette pushes Jack toward redemption. Drama ensues.

Related: Aaron Eckhart’s 6 Best Performances, Ranked

“About two weeks before we actually started filming, Aaron was in the gym, and he was boxing, he was training, and he was performing MMA [mixed martial arts] and jiu-jitsu to get into the character and learn the fight sequences,” said Parker Phillips, continuing:

“We do have those rehearsals, or at least that trust between him and the stunt coordinator, because we have four or five fight sequences throughout the film. And being an independent film, you have usually a half day to shoot those. And as the stunt department will tell you, unfortunately, stunts usually come at the end of the day. So, it’s the one thing you don’t want to rush.”

“Aaron was actually fighting a ‘real’ fighter, which was great,” he added. “I think that made him feel that he could really put everything he had into it and not have to worry about the dance you have to do a lot of times when you’re just fighting with another actor.”

On Shooting the Film

The brothers admit that the entire production was challenging, particularly on a technical level. “It was a bit of a baptism by fire between the Delta variant hitting right on day three of shooting,” Graham Phillips shared. “I’m sure you can imagine Mississippi was a bit of a hot spot for that. We had multiple hurricanes come through and most of our crew was based in New Orleans. So just getting the days put together was a bit of a fight in and of itself. So, it was kind of an emotional microcosm of what the whole film is about. It’s just like, you know, this just singular vision — you got to get it done. It’s ‘get there or burn.’”

Related: The Top 10 Very Best Modern Boxing Movies

The brothers are quick to praise Bella Thorne, who plays Annette here, noting that the on-screen chemistry between Eckhart and Thorne was visceral. “We’ve been massive fans of Aaron Eckhart for a really long time and there’s definitely a side of him that we hadn’t seen before,” Graham Phillips said.

When we were casting him, he said, ‘There’s a part of me that’s scared of this role because I don’t know what it’s going to be,’ which is such a great place to be as an artist because it’s him recognizing, ‘I’m not sure I’m going to be able to give you what is needed for this.’

Lionsgate

He went on to say that to give up that level of control and open up to something completely different, is cinematic “gold” when it comes to performance. “I think both he and Bella opened up that side of themselves in a way that was really special,” he noted. “There’s a scene where Aaron’s character really loses it in this motel room, and it’s just a side of him that I’d never seen. I was in there operating a B-cam and the whole energy of the room… it was so like pregnant with this. And it was personal. It was a joy to be there and see something so delicate and so precious coming out. We’re honored that they felt the level of trust to give that to us.”

Rumble Through the Dark has already fueled future projects for the brothers. They have two scripts in development with Michael Farris Smith. One is based on the author’s novel, Blackwood, a southern gothic horror story. The other one, which revolves around an assassin, is an “existential thriller” in the vein of Michael Mann. “Those are two avenues we’ve always wanted to explore, and we’re not sure which hits first,” Parker Phillips said. “In the meantime, we’re writing one film that involves Elvis Presley, and another one that involves an Arthurian legend.”

Busy brothers. In the meantime, Rumble Through the Dark will be available in select theaters November 3 and On Demand and Digital November 10 from Lionsgate.