Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg are teaming up for their fourth collaborating since Lone Survivor this weekend when Mile 22 debuts in theaters. The action thriller (their first original story together) looks like one of the more intense films of the summer, and that was apparently very much by design. In fact, I recently sat down with Wahlberg to ask him about Mile 22's hard R rating, and he explained that it was necessary to capture the intensity of these characters and the jobs that they do. Wahlberg said:
We just tried to make it as real as possible. These guys are out there, and they really perform these duties and with a guy like Jimmy Silva, which we love, initially it was just supposed to be like a secondary villain and then all of the sudden we started falling in love with this character and just ended up becoming the focus of the film. Here's a guy who's very unapologetic, relentless, super intense, very opinionated and not one of those man of few words brooding anti-heroes. We just loved the character and then so saying, 'Okay how do we create a really smart character-driven action movie, but then once we step on the gas we just don't let off. It's just non-stop with the action.'
Some things just can't be done on a PG-13 rating. As Mark Wahlberg explained in our chat, this movie is based on the experiences of real-life special forces and intelligence officers, which means the hard R rating was required to showcase how they handle themselves in the field. That means bloody violence and some less than savory language.
Another interesting thing to note about Mark Wahlberg's remark about the hard-R rating of Mile 22 is the fact that Jimmy Silva was apparently supposed to be a secondary antagonist, rather than the full-blown hero of the story. Not only would this have positioned him in a far different manner than in his roles in Peter Berg films like Patriots Day and Deepwater Horizon, but it also would've changed the focus. It's impossible to know what that version of the film would've looked like, but one may assume that The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan and The Fate of the Furious' Ronda Rousey may have had different rules in that take on the tale.
For those of you who are looking for a closer glimpse at my chat with Mark Wahlberg about Mile 22, you can check out a clip of the interview, below!
If Mark Wahlberg's particularly brand of non-stop action is your forte, then make sure to catch Mile 22 when it debuts in theaters this weekend on August 17. Keep it here for more updates related to the film, and head over to our movie premiere guide to learn more about the rest of the films that are set to hit theaters this year!
