James Hawes is returning to the espionage genre with Rami Malek along for the ride inThe Amateur. Hawes is a BAFTA-nominated director better known for his work on the small screen in Britain, having directed multiple episodes of Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant’sDoctor Whoeras as well as multiple episodes ofMerlin, Penny Dreadful, Black MirrorandApple TV+‘sSlow Horses. Malek is an Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy-winning star known for everything from his early work in theNight at the Museumfranchise to his acclaimed roles inMr. RobotandBohemian RhapsodyandNo Time to Die.
Based on Robert Littel’s novel of the same name, which was previously adapted to film in 1981, Malek leadsThe Amateuras Charlie Heller, a reserved CIA cryptographer whose world is rocked when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. Initially seeking help from a senior field agent in order to be trained to track those responsible down, Charlie elects to go rogue when his bosses begin using internal red tape to hinder his efforts. Using the skill set he knows best, Charlie will stop at nothing to bring those responsible to justice, or kill them for good.
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Alongside Malek, the ensembleAmateurcast includesupcomingSupermanstar Rachel Brosnahan,John Wick’s Laurence Fishburne,Mindhunter’s Holt McCallany,Outlander’s Caitríona Balfe,Stumptown’s Adrian Martinez,Mare of Easttown’s Julianne Nicholson andShōgun’s Takehiro Hira. With a script fromBlack Hawk Down’s Ken Nolan andAmerican Made’s Gary Spinelli, the movie looks to bring a thrilling twist to the spy genre.
In honor of the first trailer being released for the film,Screen Rantinterviewed James Hawes and Rami Malek to discussThe Amateur, what drew them both to want to be part of the spy thriller adaptation, how the movie was something of a full-circle “evolution” for Malek from his prior roles, and how Hawes pulled from both his experience onSlow Horsesand a variety of other genre inspirations to create the look and feel of the movie.
The AmateurIs The Kind Of Movie Malek & Hawes Both Want To Watch
“That’s where I’m going to be sitting with my popcorn…”
Screen Rant: It’s great to chat with you both forThe Amateurtrailer, it looks like it’s gonna be an absolute blast. James, I will start with you first. What about this story and this project really drew you to want to get into the director’s chair for a feature on it, especially given you already have some experience in the espionage world with Slow Horses?
James Hawes: Well, it’s a very simple answer, it’s the sort of movie I want to go and watch. For a director, therefore, to be crafting something that you think, “That’s where I’m going to be sitting with my popcorn,” is perfect. It moves the genre on in some way. I’m not suggesting it’s reinvented the wheel, but it takes some of the things that are the familiar tropes, and it puts a special spin on them. And at its heart, it has a really well-drawn, three-dimensional, sympathetic character. A hero you want to be with, you want to follow, who’s clever and cool and fun to pursue. That’s him. [points to Rami Malek next to him]
So Rami, did you find that was really what drew you in? Was it, as James said, the three-dimensional, sympathetic character that we follow in this film?
Rami Malek: To James’s exact point, I look at films or scripts and I ask myself, “Do I want to watch that movie?” And this is ticked that box for me. I’ve never seen anything like it, I’ve never felt anything like it. I grew up loving films like — I don’t know if this age is me — Three Days of the Condor, all the ’70s espionage films, but The Fugitive is also one I love. Even though he has certain skills in that, there’s still something unexpected about what he can do. Now take that to the extreme with Charlie Heller, who you would never expect to be capable of doing some things he pulls off in this film.
I just kind of found myself mesmerized by that character, the ingenuity, the strength that lies within the ability to overcome such grief. Not only to find some sense of resolution, but also do something about it when others are not. There was a message there that went beyond making a massive motion picture event, there’s something that I appreciate, and I want to go to bat for. Not only just to share with the world, but it’s something I’ll look back on and feel quite proud of, because there’s a Charlie Heller that exists, a sense of him, in all of us.
Malek Recognizes The Parallels Between Charlie &Mr. Robot’s Elliot
He Also Points To Another Surprise Project From His Past
I wanted to also ask you really quickly, Rami, did you feel a sort of full-circleness to this film,both fromMr. Robotand even24, as you’re now sort of on the other side of the cyberterrorism world?
Rami Malek: It’s odd. I went from doing a miniseries, The Pacific that was produced by Hanks and Spielberg, and doing Marine boot camp. I, oddly, can probably still shoot an M1 Garand from the ’40s, or fire off a 60mm mortar. And those are all the things that Charlie Heller cannot, so you learn something from every film. It’s the greatest job in the world, sometimes, because you’re taught lessons that you never would have been privy to otherwise. But you take something from every aspect.
Yeah, there were things I learned from Mr. Robot. It’s an evolution from that character. Here is someone who has found a soulmate in Sarah, who’s played by Rachel Brosnahan, who is so gregarious, and what I refer to as a supernova, and the fact that she would find herself tethered to a guy like Charlie is an explanation of worth that he seems to have to discover after the loss of her. Which is sad, but he does, and he does it in a very impactful, explosive manner.
I can’t wait to see you and Rachel on the screen together, because I get the feeling there are going to be some very powerful scenes throughout this film.
Rami Malek: There’s chemistry with everyone, I must say. Jon Bernthal I did The Pacific with. Laurence Fishburne I’ve been wanting to work with for a long time. Rachel, we’ve talked about working together, same with Caitríona Balfe. It was just like, “Get on the phone and call the best of the best.” We assembled some magnificent characters, some magnificent actors, and designers, as well.
Brosnahan & Fishburne Were Equally Important Castings For The Film
“That is part of the treat of the movie.”
So, James, I would love to turn to you for the casting question, because obviously, Rachel is a big part of Charlie’s journey, but so is Laurence. I’d love to hear who you found was the most impactful casting choice after Rami for this film.
James Hawes: I’m not going to single either one out, but it was really important at the top of the film that you understand Charlie’s relationship, and why that marriage works, and what a future those two soulmates have together, so that when he loses her, you understand what the damage is, what the cost is, and what the fire is that’s just been lit there. You needed somebody with the quirkiness and the intelligence that Rachel brings to any role to explain how this couple functions. I think you get that in a single scene, you just know what these two people are, and what that relationship is.
Then, on the flip side, he’s thrown into braining, and he has to meet somebody who’s trusted by senior CIA guys, with a real natural authority, and a sense of presence, and you believe this guy is a killer, and has killed. And up rocks Laurence Fishburne, and you just have no doubt with that man’s presence. You also know — and you’ll see this in the scene where these two first meet — that you’re in for some fun, some friction, some danger, some laughs. They really invest a relationship there. That is part of the treat of the movie.
Rami Malek: I will say — I probably shouldn’t say — there are elements that we shot that we wish we could incorporate into the film, because the dynamic is on a different level.
James Hawes: But that wouldn’t have been a 13.
Rami Malek: Oh.
“It’s something I argued about quite strongly in the start of Slow Horses.”
James, I’ll turn back to you, what was it like crafting the look of this film? Because obviously, there are so many different forms of espionage and spy action thrillers out there. How did you land on what you wanted this film to look and feel like?
James Hawes: There is a mood of paranoia and conspiracy about this movie. So, we grounded ourselves in some of the heritage of those movies right back from the ’70s. We were aware of, whether it’s All the President’s Men, or Three Days of the Condor. That’s deep back in our roots. But it’s a very 2025 movie, so we’re also aware of Jason Bourne, and the things that Paul Greengrass has made, and some of the pace and urgency that comes to those films.
Rami Malek: And Doug Liman.
James Hawes: Yeah, totally. And it was important that it felt rooted. It’s never beige, but it has a life and a fizz to it. So, we took the CIA and Langley as it really exists, and then we put a little bit of tech and ‘25 spin on that to make it just feel that little bit sexy. And we chose our locations very carefully so that Charlie is thrown into a world that’s been exhausted on the screen.
Rami Malek: We don’t have St. Paul’s Cathedral as a backdrop, or are not going to the Eiffel Tower, you know, elements that people recognize immediately.
James Hawes: We didn’t want tourist travel. It’s something I argued about quite strongly in the start of Slow Horses. I didn’t want to do London that you see on the tour bus. I wanted a London we lived in, and where spies inhabit, and that’s what we felt we could give with the Paris and the Marseille and the Istanbul of this adventure.
Rami Malek: And that gives you a sense of insecurity and fragility. You can’t tether yourself to a place you know, or an iconic place that you want to visit. You don’t want to go to some of these places, you have to go to some of these places.
AboutThe Amateur
Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.
The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne. “The Amateur” is directed by James Hawes. The screenplay is by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, based on the novel by Robert Littell. The film is produced by Hutch Parker, p.g.a., Dan Wilson, p.g.a., Rami Malek, Joel B. Michaels, with JJ Hook serving as executive producer.
The Amateur
Cast
The Amateur follows a brilliant yet introverted CIA decoder whose life is upended when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. Defying his supervisors’ inaction, he embarks on a personal mission to seek justice.
