Entertainment

Gus Van Sant on Making ‘Dead Man’s Wire,’ Wanting to Cast Tom Waits in ‘Drugstore Cowboy’ and Robin Williams Ad-Libbing on ‘Good Will Hunting’

December 11, 2025

Dec 11, 2025 9:55am PT Gus Van Sant on Making ‘Dead Man’s Wire,’ Wanting to Cast Tom Waits in ‘Drugstore Cowboy’ and Robin Williams Ad-Libbing on ‘Good Will Hunting’ By Jazz Tangcay Plus Icon Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor @jazzt Latest Gus Van Sant on Making ‘Dead Man’s Wire,’ Wanting to Cast Tom Waits in ‘Drugstore Cowboy’ and Robin Williams Ad-Libbing on ‘Good Will Hunting’ 8 minutes ago ‘Jay Kelly’ Composer Nicholas Britell on Using a Felt Piano and Analog Tape to Record the Film’s Score 22 hours ago How ‘Frankenstein’ Composer Alexandre Desplat Used a Silver Violin to Unlock the Creature’s Theme 1 day ago See All After a six-year hiatus, Gus Van Sant returns to feature filmmaking with “Dead Man’s Wire.” In between, he worked on a TV show “(Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”) and made a few videos for Gucci. Van Sant credits producer Cassian Elwes with stopping him at Soho House in Hollywood to discuss a screenplay.

Gus Van Sant

Credit: Variety

Key Highlights

“Dead Man’s Wire” was based on the story of Tony Kiritsis, the man who broke into the office of Richard Hall, the president of a mortgage company, and took him hostage.
What followed was a 63-hour standoff with the police, during which he wired the muzzle of a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun to the back of the broker’s head.
The event became a media sensation as viewers tuned in to watch whether Kiritsis would pull the trigger and how police would handle the situation.
Related Stories 'Remake' Review: Ross McElwee's Exquisite Reflection on a Lost Son and the Filmed Life That Remains ‘100 Nights of Hero’ Review: A Mischievous Fairytale Laid Low by Its Withheld Approach Van Sant wasn’t just drawn to Austin Kolodney’s screenplay; he was attracted to the character.
“He was a rebel and an antihero and a man who did a lot of talking,” Van Sant said of Kiritsis.

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Gus Van Sant on Making ‘Dead Man’s Wire,’ Wanting to Cast Tom Waits in ‘Drugstore Cowboy’ and Robin Williams Ad-Libbing on ‘Good Will Hunting’

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Gus Van Sant on Making ‘Dead Man’s Wire,’ Wanting to Cast Tom Waits in ‘Drugstore Cowboy’ and Robin Williams Ad-Libbing on ‘Good Will Hunting’

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