Andrew Davis Discusses His Latest Novel Disturbing the Bones, Remembers Gene Hackman, and Shares Insights on the Challenges of Filmmaking Today.

      We truly enjoy our conversations with filmmaker Andrew Davis. In late 2023, the director of The Fugitive appeared on our podcast, The B-Side, to discuss several hidden treasures along with the 4K release of his blockbuster starring Harrison Ford.

      Davis is back to talk about his novel, Disturbing the Bones, a political thriller that serves as an entertaining, expanded version of some of his finest films. The narrative revolves around an archaeological dig in Illinois where a body is uncovered, prompting a murder investigation amid a global crisis triggered by a catastrophic nuclear error.

      The Film Stage had a conversation with Davis about the book, his Arnold Schwarzenegger action film Collateral Damage, his future projects, and the current state of the film industry and the nation.

      You’ll gain some insightful information if you read/listen to this interview. Enjoy!

      The Film Stage: Andrew Davis, welcome back! Today, we’re discussing your novel, Disturbing the Bones. To start, this is a fun book. You’re an accomplished filmmaker, and I understand it was developed during COVID. A couple of years ago, we talked with John Sayles, who is both a fantastic novelist and a brilliant filmmaker, and he recently released a book titled Jamie MacGillivray: The Renegade’s Journey––

      Andrew Davis: It’s quite thick!

      It is a lengthy book! Sayles mentioned, “I knew I would never secure funding to make [the movie], and I wanted to see how it turned out, so I wrote the book.” I’m curious, did your and Jeff Biggers' book start as a screenplay before evolving into a book?

      It was an idea I had for years that was developing, and upon meeting Jeff, I discovered he had a deep understanding of the southern Illinois area where the story takes place, close to Cairo. We began working on the screenplay, but I grew frustrated trying to condense all the information and characters into 120 pages. I didn’t want to be restricted, so I suggested, “Let's turn this into a book, and now we're working on adapting it back into screenplay form.”

      I noticed you mentioned actors like Emma Stone, Denzel Washington, and Tommy Lee Jones as ideal for these roles. One aspect that stands out in Disturbing the Bones is its thorough research. Were you two visiting Cairo? Maybe not during COVID. Does Jeff have an intimate knowledge of that world? And you’re familiar with Chicago?

      [Jeff] knows that world well because he hails from that area, as well as near Kentucky, where his family was involved in coal mining many years ago. They relocated to Chicago, which resembles “Little Appalachia.” My connections to that world date back to my youth in ‘68, influenced by Medium Cool and Haskell Wexler. I also have a friend near Carbondale, and we drove down there together. The history of Cairo has stayed with me since the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. I recall the difficulties in that region and was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, creating a personal connection. The idea for the book, for which I owe thanks to my friend John Weir, was sparked years ago when he introduced me to the Koster Dig. He was a mentor at the University of Illinois, later working for the state of Illinois in the Department of Transportation and became aware of this significant archaeological dig.

      I pondered: “What will we be remembered for? What will our civilization's legacy be?” Likely our nuclear missile systems and bunkers, I thought. The book metaphorically addresses current events. We combined the Civil Rights struggle and the history of slavery and the Civil War with modern life’s complexities. Interestingly, we developed a Michelle Obama-like character [Senator Elaine Adams] amid the writing process, and then Kamala Harris emerged as a candidate, which eerily mirrored our narrative. It's haunting.

      There's a lot happening in the book, yet it feels very authentic. As a creative individual, do you find it challenging to conceptualize this now that the book is out? Are you realizing, “I couldn’t have foreseen this”? Or perhaps you kind of did?

      The ongoing tensions—or lack thereof—between Russia and the United States concerning hypersonic missiles are a longstanding issue that won’t be resolved unless we eliminate them. There has always been a desire to abolish nuclear weapons. My journalism background informs my perspective; initially, I aspired to be a filmmaker to tell the truth about global issues, similar to Walter Cronkite. Determining the truth today is complex. My films attempt to blend action or exploitation elements with real issues like Iran-Contra or police misconduct. By embedding these topics in entertaining films, I hoped to spark discussions about them.

      I understand you're now pivoting back towards adapting this into a film, which is logically cinematic, given the material. You mentioned The Package earlier, and as we record this, Gene Hackman