A product of the Spielberg era, Anthony Jerjen directed shorts like ‘The End,’ ‘Trained’ and ‘Immersion,’ before he stumbled upon a script called ‘Inherit the Viper.’
As a European, Jerjen wasn’t particularly familiar with the opioid crisis, but he saw a universal connection with the story.
Andrew Crabtree’s script for ‘Inherit the Viper’ is a crime thriller about three siblings in the Appalachian Mountains who get by as local opioid dealers. Somewhat forced into the family business, the kids try not to get lost in the spiral of violence from the business.
This is essentially the debut film for the screenwriter and director. The movie stars Josh Hartnett, Bruce Dern, Owen Teague, Margarita Levieva, and Chandler Riggs.
In this interview, Jerjen discusses his jump from shorts to a full feature, what attracted him to the story for ‘Viper,’ how large crews mean compromise, why we romanticize films, and why he shoots in a traditional manner.
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