Wes Miller (A Day to Die) delivers an incredible BET+ original with his action thriller, Call Her King.
Written and directed by Wes, Call Her King follows Judge Jaeda King, who has just sentenced Sean Samuels to death when the courthouse is hijacked by Samuels’ brother Gabriel, also known as Black Caesar. The Judge must then rely on her wits, strength, and skill to find a way to end the standoff, save the hostages and fight her way out.
Call Her King stars Naturi Naughton (Power Book II: Ghost) and Lance Gross (House of Payne) alongside Jason Mitchell (Mudbound), Johnny Messner (A Day to Die), Nicholas Turturro (NYPD Blue), Tobias Truvillion (First Wives Club), Garrett Hendricks (FBI) and Shiobann Amisial (Bel-Air). This is the first production falling under Andrew van den Houten and Miller’s newly formed BLacklight Entertainment banner. BLacklight’s mission is providing quality opportunities for people of color and other traditionally disadvantaged people in front of and behind the camera. van den Houten and Miller produced the film for the company.
Check out our interview with Wes:
First off, how did you come to be the director for this film?
Wes: I was looking for a partner to make my next film with and my production partner reached out to BET+. We got on a call and I really got to know a little bit more about them– I’ve always known about them since I was a kid, BET has been a brand in the African American community forever,– but getting to know the nuances of the audience, the type of material that they’re looking for, the goal was to see if there was something that would spark me as a filmmaker that would also speak to their audience. And so, after learning a little bit more, I just kind of went back and was like, what kind of story would be cool to tell and that I could actually put a piece of me into it? I really wanted to do something female driven. I grew up with my mother, just me and my mother, so seeing strong women represented is something that’s always been important to me. So I came up with the concept and Jaeda King became like a real character. When we started working on the concept, we wanted something that we could, you know, do something that’s action, but also have a little bit more substance to it. And they liked it, so we were off to the races to create it and develop it and get it made.
When you say put a little bit of yourself into it. What exactly do you mean by that?
Wes: There are projects where you can come in and just, you know, yes you can shoot it, yes you can technically get it done, but I wanted a story that not only I could tell, but that specifically I could tell. I was a lawyer in my previous career, a civil rights and criminal lawyer and a trial lawyer. I knew that world. I’ve experienced representing people who I truly believe are innocent, and represented people who I truly felt were guilty. But as a jurist, you know, it wasn’t my job to make that judgment, it was my job to protect the Constitution. And bringing that experience and that emotional conflict, and just kind of having that understanding, I felt that was something unique that I could bring to the project. And it just kind of helped me lean in a little more, you know, when the days get tough, and so yeah, so that’s kind of what I mean by it.
That’s really cool that you were able to kind of use like your entire being when creating this.
Wes: It was really interesting. Yeah, you know, working with Naturi, I was able to put her in contact with actual African American female judges. So, when she was doing her research, she could really tap into that emotional arc that judges have to deal with when deciding these serious cases. So, yeah, I just thought it was really cool that I was actually able to use that experience and bring it to the project.
At its core, it’s an action thriller, but there is that very real emotional element to it. What was it like balancing both of those?
Wes: It was a difficult balance. The action falls flat if you’re not emotionally rooting for somebody. At the same time, if you stay too long in the dramatic beats, you lose that ticking clock, so to speak. And so finding that balance is always a nimble exercise. In the edit, you know, we found it and I kind of feel like, for me, when I watch it, I feel like it’s just enough and there are enough questions that when you’re spending time with these characters, you’re learning more about them and their emotional struggle and how that all kind of comes together. Plus it kind of keeps you guessing and, and just kind of helps bridge everything together.
And the film is being called “Die Hard in a courthouse.” How do you feel about this comparison and did Die Hard actually have any hand in your inspiration?
Wes: To have that comparison– Die Hard is a classic, you know, which stands the test of time, it was a film that really set Bruce Willis up for his multi-year Hollywood run as a leading man and I think it stands apart, you know, I don’t think there’s ever going to be another film that could really be a Die Hard. But to even be mentioned in the same sentence is a very strong honor. But no, Die Hard did not play into the development of Call Her King. They’re two totally different stories other than, you know, you’re contained to one building and you– I guess other similarity would be you know, you have a very smart quote unquote bad guy antagonist. So outside of that, no, you know, the story kind of took its own life but it does share those qualities. I feel like it’s its own being.
The action sequences were incredible, especially the ones like the hand to hand combat with Naturi. Did you shoot all of that in an actual courthouse? How did all of it work?
Wes: Yeah, no, we did actually. That made the shoot, you know, logistically tough because we were actually in a real government building and in a real courthouse. So everything in that courtroom was a real historic courtroom that we shot in Gloucester County in New Jersey, and everything, like when you’re running around the building, I think all of it was shot in downtown Camden City Hall. So you have the logistical elements of multiple personalities, multiple departments that have to be put on notice and times where you can and can’t film because we actually used blank firing weapons, so yeah, we had a lot of red tape. But they were wonderful, I mean, but there still was a lot of logistics that we had to work through and then the courtroom, you know, we had to destroy it without destroying it. And so, you know, 95% of everything that you see happening in that courtroom is actually practically happening. So they were wonderful, they trusted us and, you know, we definitely earned it and didn’t make them regret it. But yeah, we were actually in these government buildings.
That’s so cool because I’m looking at like, in the tight spaces, especially when they were in the tunnel toward the end, and I’m just thinking like, how does that work?
Wes: Yeah, you know, so what happens is, you write the script and you kind of have an idea of what you’re looking for. And then you scout the location, and then thankfully that city building had everything we needed, so I just kind of tweaked the script a little bit based on what we saw, you know, like with the interior tunnel, we found it and thought it was a great tunnel, so I just changed the script to include it. But yeah, that city building has so much character and so many different layers and levels that it allowed us to make it feel like a couple of different worlds so you don’t feel so claustrophobic being in the same building for an hour and a half.
Do you have a favorite line or a favorite scene from the movie?
Wes: I don’t have a favorite line. Of course, you know, the line when Jaeda announces who she is always gives me goosebumps. That character is finally claiming the fullness of who she is and Naturi delivers it with such precision and passion that I love it. There’s a scene between Sean and Jaeda, where I think Jason Mitchell and Naturi do like very subtle but amazing work that if that scene doesn’t work, I don’t think the film works because that is kind of the central relationship of the film. And they really both pull you into who they are as people so that when we finish up this ride and the questions that are asked, we’re leaning in and really wanting to know really what’s happening. And then, you know, I love all the fight scenes, but the one between Salima and Jaeda in the file room is one that I can watch all the time. You just have these two strong women facing off and doing things that you don’t normally get to see women, especially African American women, do in film and doing it very well. And just watching them go at it was really cool.
Oh for sure. I think that was my favorite fight scene, too.
Wes: Yeah, you know, I mean, the ending fight is really good, but there’s just something special about those two ladies. Like, you just kind of lean into it. And yeah, it’s my favorite, too.
Is there anything that you hope people take away from watching this movie?
Wes: I think there are a few things. One, I would just say that African American women can lead action movies, and they can do really good. African American men can be strong antagonists in action movies and do it really well. We don’t have to have the same cookie cutter cast to tell really good stories and engaging action films. That’s one and then two, I really just want them to enjoy it, you know, enjoy the ride. And maybe just ask questions, like, how accurate is this to what the real statistics are? If I ever get called to be a juror, would I really be open to listening to both sides of the story or would I have my mind already made up based on the allegations? You know, in today’s society, people are normally guilty until proven innocent. I mean, it’s always been that way, but our justice system needs judges, and needs jurors who are open minded and willing to always consider all the facts, because the justice system goes the way that they go. If they don’t work, the justice system fails. And it fails a lot of people a lot of times.
Before I let you go, what’s up next for you? Is there anything coming out soon?
Wes: I actually just shot a film that I can’t really talk about yet because it hasn’t been announced, but it will be announced soon. It’s another dramatic action movie and we’re actually in post on that. I think it will be announced in the next couple of weeks. So, we got that one and just got a couple other things cooking in the oven, so to speak.
