Emmy winner Jason Bateman of “Ozark” chatted about directing, executive producing, and starring in the new series “Black Rabbit” on Netflix.
The synopsis is: Set against the backdrop of New York City’s high-pressure nightlife scene, “Black Rabbit” centers around two brothers who learn just how far family, and the pursuit of success, can push them to the edge.
Jake Friedkin (Jude Law) is the charismatic owner of The Black Rabbit, a restaurant and VIP lounge, poised to become the hottest spot in New York.
When his brother, Vince (Jason Bateman), returns to the business unexpectedly, trouble soon follows; opening the door to old traumas and new dangers that threaten to bring down everything they’ve built.
Bateman on getting involved with ‘Black Rabbit’ and what drew him to the series
On his involvement with “Black Rabbit” and what drew him to the series, Bateman remarked, “I originally got involved with Black Rabbit through Kate and Zach, our two head writers.”
“They sent it my way, and they said, would you want to act in this and direct it, and do what I did on ‘Ozark,’ which is executive produce and oversee the production,” he said.
“With the first two episodes, from those two scripts, I knew it was the kind of thing I really love to do directorially. It was moody and dangerous, but it wasn’t so out there and outrageous that folks at home watching can’t relate to it,” he explained.
“It was tangible for us normal folks who like to stay out of jail! And Kate and
Zach’s plan for the remaining six episodes was really cool. It was really tight, really propulsive and I loved it,” Bateman expressed.
Bateman on starring in the series ‘Black Rabbit’
On starring in “Black Rabbit,” he said, “There was an evergreen relatability to the story, even though we’re in this grimy subset of society you don’t get to see often.”
“At the heart of it, it’s really about two brothers who love each other but don’t match — one’s a screwup, and the other is much more buttoned up, or is better at hiding his
dysfunction. Everybody can relate to that,” he explained.
“Everybody’s either got a sibling or a friendship where you love being with one another, but it’s kind of dangerous; where that person usually gets you in trouble,
but they’re really exciting to be around,” he said.
“So these two-handers where there’s conflict built into a relationship with an undeniable bond is what captured me. Also, not to mention the fact that
it’s Jude Law, who is playing my brother,” he noted.
“I’m an enormous fan of Jude’s: his career, the choices he’s made, and the people he’s chosen to work with both in front of and behind the camera,” he added.
Bateman on playing his character Vince
On playing his character (Vince), Bateman said, “Vince is kind of a f**kup. He makes a bunch of mistakes and is risky to have around, but he’s a well-meaning guy. He just doesn’t have the coping skills to keep it on the straight and narrow.”
Bateman continued, “When Jude and I were first talking about our roles, there wasn’t a decision yet about who was going to play which part.”
” Neither Jude nor I can really remember the specifics, but we do remember that there was a casual, unofficial conversation over multiple Zooms, about, ‘Well, who do you wanna play?’ We both agreed that I usually play the character that he’s playing: the one who doesn’t make bad decisions all the time,” he explained.
“I forgot why and how we landed on me playing this character, other than what was probably obvious which was, wouldn’t it be interesting if I didn’t play that character this time? So, I vetted it a bit,” he elaborated.
“I eventually felt like it was just the right amount of what I naturally exude versus what I would need to communicate to really pull this off,” he said.
“It was exciting to play Vince,” he admitted. He’s a problem, but he’s super lovable because he’s just not that bright. You have empathy for a guy who you can see is trying to make the right decision, but just can’t get out of his own way. It’s a little heartbreaking, but at the same time, it’s kind of exciting.”
Working with Jude Law
On working with Jude Law, who plays his on-screen brother, Bateman said, “Jude Law has proven for a very long time that he is an incredible actor who has incredible
taste in the projects he chooses.”
“Jude has got that necessary component that all good actors have, where they’re able to be fully inside the scene, but also have an eye and an ear just outside the scene to be able to self-police if they’re doing too much or too little,” Bateman said.
“Jude is so collaborative, open to being directed even if he doesn’t need any direction, and is one of the most professional people I’ve ever worked with,” he noted.
“When you’re working together for months and months, you have to like who you’re with and it’s shocking to me that it’s rare to have a good set in that way. With Jude, I knew I had a great partner to set that vibe with everyone,” he elaborated.
Bateman on working with Laura Linney
On working with Laura Linney, Bateman said, “Well, fortunately for us I had a ringer up my sleeve who lives very close by named Laura Linney, who directed one of the best episodes ever on ‘Ozark.’ Until ‘Black Rabbit,’ it was the only thing she had ever directed.”
“Laura did an incredible job on it and since then I had said to her, ‘You’ve gotta do this more, lady.’ So when the opportunity came up, I took her out to dinner and I said, ‘I don’t want to ambush you, but think about it,’ and I’m really, really proud that she said ‘yes.’ She put her stamp on the show,” he elaborated.
“Laura came in and just killed it. She’s just so good at directing. I hope this encourages her even more to keep on going,” he added.
Closing thoughts on ‘Black Rabbit’
For fans and viewers, he expressed, “One of the themes that drives this show is the idea of ambition. Sometimes it’s legit and understandable, and then there’s also some ambition that’s a little forced, a little inappropriate for what certain people can or should take on.”
“If you really listen to who you are as an individual and where you are at a certain point in your life, right decisions and wrong decisions should become apparent and
self-evident,” he said.
“If you choose to ignore those and put your head in the sand, and start sprinting away from reality and live in denial, after a while you have to pay a price,” he noted.
“So, perhaps there are some lessons to be learned there, but at the end of the day, we’re just trying to make an entertaining show that has some pretty intelligent thematics under it,” he concluded.
To learn more about Jason Bateman, follow him on Instagram.
For more information on the show “Black Rabbit,” visit its Netflix homepage.
