RUNNER director Scott Waugh and star Rodrigo Santoro are sharing their thoughts on the movie’s villain — and why viewers might come away relating to RUNNER’s bad guy.
“I’ve been in action films before…but I was never really involved doing big stunts like that,” Santoro, who played cartel leader Damian, told Movieguide®.
In RUNNER, “a former soldier and his unlikely partner become the targets of a ruthless cartel while racing to complete a critical medical delivery and save the life of a little girl,” per IMDb.
Santoro and co-star Alan Ritchson took part in many action scenes together, and the actor said it was important to juggle those moments with the movie’s emotional moments.
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“I think the job was to balance the emotional core that was there with the technical aspects of it,” he said. “So they [mine and Ritchson’s characters] were fighting, but there was something really important at stake.”
Waugh, who directed RUNNER, agreed with Santoro’s take. He explained that the movie is “important to me because I feel like…popcorn culture has gotten really kind of superficial.”
“To have grounded character work in an action comedy that really actually grounds the whole movie and motivates the whole movie in a way that people can relate and justify the action — that’s kind of huge and [a] spectacle,” he said. “But really, [the movie’s heroes are] fighting to save a 7-year-old girl from dying.”
Waugh pointed out that Ritchson’s character has a “redemptive story” but also wants viewers to relate to Damian’s motivations.
“Our goal was, ‘I want the audience to love to hate Damian.’ They understand him, but they don’t agree with what he’s doing,” he said, adding, “But would they do the same thing?”
In a statement made before the movie’s production, Waugh shared, “RUNNER with the driving force of an actor like Alan Ritchson reminds me of the Tony Scott action films I grew up on in the 90’s when character and story were pivotal and the action was a spectacle. I couldn’t be more excited to direct this super entertaining script and bring the thrilling world of RUNNER to life.”
“RUNNER is the exact type of film that audiences across the globe crave- a high octane, entertaining film that also has heart and levity,” said Jeffrey Greenstein of A Higher Standard, the movie’s production company. “Alan Ritchson is tailor-made for this role and he, his action team and Scott Waugh together will keep you on the edge of your seats on this full throttle ride.”
RUNNER premieres in theaters Sept. 11.
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