UB Preview + Spotlight: Director F. Gary Gray Talks ‘Lift’

“Lift” arrives on Netflix on January 12, 2024.

In the new film from director F. Gary Gray, a band of expert criminals led by Cyrus Whitaker (Kevin Hart) is recruited to do what they do best — lift $500 million in gold from a passenger plane.

In order to accomplish, they must do it mid-flight at 40,000 feet.

Starring Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, with Jean Reno and Sam Worthington.

“Taking on the role of an action hero and heist boss like Cyrus has been a non-stop thrill ride for me, Teaming up with F. Gary Gray, who’s directed some of my all-time favorite action movies, and working with this unbelievable ensemble cast in the most incredible locations elevated the whole experience to another level,” states Kevin Hart.

In “Lift,” Cyrus Whitaker is a polished, clever thief. Cyrus and his loyal crew specialize in stealing art from people who don’t deserve to own it.

When their bravura heist of an NFT at a Venice auction results in one tiny potentially career-ending mistake, Cyrus agrees to help Interpol agent Abby Gladwell intercept ten tons of gold intended as a terrorist payoff in exchange for full immunity for himself and his cohorts.

Director F. Gary Gray Talks “Lift!”

How did you come to direct Lift?
One of the reasons I became involved in directing LIFT is Bryan Smiley, the president of Kevin Hart’s company, Hartbeat. His persistent efforts led me to take the call, ultimately influencing my decision to reach out to a director I’m cool with, Tim Story, who directed the Ride Along films starring Kevin and Ice Cube. Tim praised Kevin as one of the nicest and most professional actors to work with in the industry, highlighting how positive and collaborative he was. When I met Kevin, he was exactly what Tim described. During our sitdown, Kevin expressed his excitement to transition from comedic roles to more grounded action characters. He was very persuasive and convinced me to take the challenge. After that, I had a productive meeting with Netflix’s Kira Goldberg and the movie’s producers Simon Kinberg, Adam Kassan, and Audrey Chon. Shortly after, my co-producer Charley McLeod and I flew to London and immediately went into pre-production.

What was it like working with Kevin, who, while still funny, leans a little more into his dramatic side here?
Working with Kevin is like getting paid to hang out with your favorite cousin who has your back. We’re all about the thrill of taking on challenges together and enjoying every step of the journey. When you’ve got a great partner like Kevin, there’s no limit to what you can do.

F. Gary Gray on Sam Worthington…
Apart from Kevin, Sam was the actor who I shared the most laughs with. I admired his unique process of putting on his AirPods and listening to motivational music to hype himself up before his next scene. Right before I called ‘action,’ he would ditch the headphones and morph into the scene like magic. His work ethic is downright inspiring.

F. Gary Gray on Jean Reno…
Although he plays the heavy, I really enjoyed collaborating with him due to his creative intuition and his genuine kindness, which really contributed to the positive and enjoyable atmosphere throughout the process of shooting. I have a special appreciation for working with Jean Reno because he starred in one of my favorite films, the French version of La Femme Nikita. He may not know it but that film served as one of my inspirations for Set It Off.

Given the various settings, it’s wonderful that you were able to have a truly international cast. Why was that important to you?
In today’s global climate, I find real value in anything that brings people together. Delivering an international cast in a movie working together might not solve all the world’s problems, but it’s a step in the right direction. I believe it truly allows us to highlight our commonalities.

Was there a scene that was particularly challenging to pull off?
There were two, honestly. First, envisioning, engineering, and shooting the fast-paced boat chase in Venice was more complex than the challenges we faced in Los Angeles on the Italian Job or in Cuba on Fast 8.

Directed by F. Gary Gray, written by Daniel Kunka and produced by Kevin Hart and Bryan Smiley for Hartbeat; Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon for Kinberg Genre Films; Matt Reeves and Adam Kassan for 6th & Idaho Motion Picture Company.

Check Out The “Lift” UB Preview!

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