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Ethan Hawke Critiques Cruise-Era Stunt Expectations as 'The Weight' Bows at Sundance

The director says he completed nearly every stunt to keep the action human-scale.

Overview

  • Hawke said Tom Cruise "has totally changed what’s expected for actors," adding he feels frustrated that using stunt teams can be seen as a shortcoming.
  • Director Padraic McKinley stated Hawke did virtually all the stunts in The Weight, with only one wide shot completed after a near–hamstring tear.
  • Hawke emphasized that the film’s action avoids spectacle in favor of realistic, achievable sequences rather than superhero-style set pieces.
  • The Weight, a Depression-era action drama premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, follows a father’s perilous bid for freedom to reunite with his child.
  • Multiple outlets amplified Hawke’s comments from Variety’s Sundance Studio, as he also shared brief post–Stranger Things advice to his daughter Maya to move forward.