Q&A with OFFICER DOWNE Writer Joe Casey

Crime can kill him, but it can't stop him from doing his job. Based on Joe Casey and Chris Burnham's cult graphic novel of the same name, Officer Downe follows a cop who is brought back to life—again and again—to protect his city against eclectic crime organizations that are armed to the teeth. Ahead of the film's November 18th release from Magnet Releasing, we caught up with Officer Downe screenwriter, producer, graphic novel writer and co-creator Joe Casey for our latest Q&A feature to discuss the movie's journey to the big screen, working with Slipknot's Shawn Crahan on his feature film directorial debut, and much more.

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Joe. When you and Chris Burnham created the Officer Downe graphic novel, did you ever imagine that you would get the opportunity to adapt it into a film?

Joe Casey: Absolutely not. Until it happened, of course. Then it seemed to make perfect sense.

How long did it take you to write the film version of Officer Downe? Was it particularly challenging to adapt this story for the screen?

Joe Casey: Not especially. Once I did the first pass, which was a straight adaptation, I realized there wasn't enough material in the original comic book to fill up the amount of screen time you need for a feature film. From there, it just came down to filling it out, adding some new characters, some new subplots, exploring the relationships a little more. I don't like to say it was "easy," because to write something that can translate to the screen with its initial vision intact is a pretty major accomplishment, any way you slice it. But it's also the kind of work I've been doing my entire career.

Honestly, it was more fun than challenging. The challenging part happened when we actually got the money to make the film. That's when the hard work really began and the tough decisions had to be made. We're actually reprinting the screenplay in the upcoming trade paperback edition of the graphic novel, out in January from the fine folks at Image Comics.

What was it like to have someone like Mark Neveldine, who co-created the amazingly visceral Crank movies, on board as a producer for Officer Downe?

Joe Casey: It was actually Mark Neveldine and Skip Williamson who originally found the comic and got in touch with me to make the film. Nev on set is a highly combustible personality... a human shot of adrenaline... which is exactly what you need on a film like this. He was the fire that makes the engine burn at the right temperature to always keep us moving forward. It's no exaggeration to say that this film wouldn't exist without him. In fact, in the final hours of finishing the film, he and I were like the Thelma & Louise of the post-production process... we held hands all the way down.

What were your impressions of Kim Coates’ performance as Officer Downe? When you knew that Coates was coming onto the project, did you tweak any of the dialogue, or did Downe stay mostly the same?

Joe Casey: After we cast Kim, he and I sat down and went through the script. He had a few minor suggestions that I implemented straight away. All in all, they were subtle manipulations of his character and how he would—or should—react in certain situations. It took things a little deeper, gave him a few more levels to play. I would expect no less from an actor like Kim, who knew exactly how to bring his righteous thunder to a role like this. Playing Officer Downe involved giving a real performance. And as you'll see, Kim delivered on every imaginable level.

What was it like to work with Shawn Crahan from Slipknot on his feature film directorial debut?

Joe Casey: It was a blast, as you'd probably expect. The head-on collision of two worlds—rock 'n' roll and action cinema—was something I was really looking forward to. I wanted Officer Downe to be ground zero for those two worlds slamming together. And it was. Lemme tell you, it was a joyful noise. There's definitely a certain energy to the film that exists solely because Clown was sitting in the director's chair.

Looking back at your time on the set of Officer Downe, is there a favorite or funny moment that stands out?

Joe Casey: From the moment I met up with Skip and Nev to have the initial conversation, it's been a goddamn roller coaster ride the entire way. The shoot itself was like fighting a small war, each day we had to take the fuckin' hill. In the end, I think we came out on the winning side. This film is exactly what we wanted it to be. I'm just psyched that come Nov. 18th, everyone will be able to see what the hell we were up to for the past two years.

What was your experience seeing Officer Downe tackling crime on the big screen for the first time? Was it a surreal moment for you?

Joe Casey: Well, when we screened at the L.A. Film Fest to a packed house, it was definitely a surreal experience watching other people watch the film on that kind of grand scale. But by then, I'd been living with it for several months leading up to that premiere, having been there for the entire shoot as well as all the post-production drama, from the first edit to the VFX to the final sound mix. I'd seen it all, soup to nuts. So I guess seeing the movie onscreen was a little like crossing the finish line. Except it wasn't. Then we had to find distribution and then coordinate the release. Now it feels more like we're in the home stretch.

With Officer Downe being released on November 18th, what projects do you have on deck that you can tease? Do you have any more Officer Downe stories in mind? Where can our readers find you on social media?

Joe Casey: I'm not much of a social media guy. My company, Man Of Action Entertainment, can be found at www.manofaction.tv and you can see all the various things we've done. As far as future Officer Downe stories, there's definitely more to tell... either as a comic book or as a film sequel. Making this kind of grindhouse art is all about throwing caution—and sometimes good taste—to the wind, so on that level I'm always interested in fucking more shit up.

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