Dead Man’s Wire Director Talks About Balancing Fact and Fiction With the Movie’s True Story

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The true crime story behind Dead Man’s Wire centers on Anthony George Kiritsis, a kidnapper from Indianapolis who believed he’d been cheated by his mortgage broker, Richard O. Hall. Kiritsis took Hall hostage and rigged a dangerous device – a homemade ‘dead man’s wire’ – to a shotgun, connecting both of them to the trigger. This meant if either man moved or was shot, the gun would fire, killing Hall.

I’m really excited about this movie’s cast! Bill Skarsgard plays the main character, Tony Kiritsis, and Dacre Montgomery is playing Richard ‘Dick’ Hall. Cary Elwes is also in it as Detective Michael Grable, one of the lead detectives investigating the case. Plus, you’ve got legends like Al Pacino as M. L. Hall, Colman Domingo as Fred Temple, and Myha’la as Linda Page – it’s a seriously impressive lineup!

At the premiere of Dead Man’s Wire at AFI Fest in Los Angeles, TopMob interviewed the cast and director. Actor Elwes explained that the true story was so compelling, they didn’t need to make many changes, and they stayed very close to the actual events.

Director Gus Van Sant noted that the core story was generally more compelling than any fictional elements they added. He also mentioned they had a good amount of information about the individuals involved, Anthony and Richard, but less reliable information about the police officers on the scene.

Here’s more from the interview. TopMob also spoke with several people involved in the project, including Cary Elwes, director Gus Van Sant, Myha’la, Daniel Hill, Kelly Lynch, and screenwriter Austin Kolodney.

The film Dead Man’s Wire will be shown in select theaters starting January 9, 2026, with more showings added on January 16. If you enjoy true crime, Peacock has also released Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, a new look at the notorious serial killer.

Balancing Fiction With the True Story for Dead Man’s Wire

“I Think the Most Absurd Thing of It All Is That It All Actually Happened…”

TopMob spoke with the creators of Dead Man’s Wire about how they blended fictional storytelling with the real events it portrays, and how they honored the true story while also making necessary changes for the film.

Cary Elwes explains that the story is so incredible, they didn’t need to change much. His character is based on a real person, and he spoke with those who experienced the kidnapping firsthand to get the details right. They stayed very true to what actually happened, only making small adjustments here and there. Essentially, the movie portrays events as they unfolded.

Gus Van Sant: It often works best when you’re not overly familiar with the source material. That allows you to create something new, though the original story was typically more compelling than anything we invented. For the actors, it was important to really understand the people they were portraying, and their real lives definitely influenced their performances.

The story focused heavily on the two main characters, with less detail about the police investigation. I’m comfortable with this approach, as all my films blend real events with dramatic interpretation. I typically draw inspiration from true stories and then shape them into a compelling narrative.

As a film fan, I’m really impressed with what Gus accomplished here. I love how he wove in actual footage from the original documentary – it’s so effective. And he’s done some clever things visually, recreating shots almost exactly. But for me, the editing is what truly makes this film his own. It’s way funnier than I anticipated, honestly. I wasn’t necessarily expecting that, but it totally works. Plus, even things like the costumes, and my character itself, feel like a creative choice he made, and I appreciate that.

Daniel Hill believes the power of this film lies in the fact that it’s based on a true story. While audiences at festivals have been surprised by the film’s events, a common reaction is how unbelievably bizarre the story is. And, Hill emphasizes, the most shocking part is that everything depicted actually happened.

The biggest challenge for me was finding the right balance of humor. I really focused on bringing a dark, comedic edge to my character, Jimmy Karitisis, Bill Skarsgard’s brother. I appear partway through the film, hoping to help him solve things, but honestly, neither of us has any idea what’s going on.

One of the best parts of this project was having so much real-life footage to work with. I was able to study recordings of Jimmy’s speaking style, expressions, and movements to make the portrayal accurate. Although Bill and I are both actually taller than the real Jimmy in real life, the fact that our heights are similar allowed us to convincingly play the roles.

I always loved history in school – it was my best subject. I really enjoyed the research process, finding interesting details about people and how they lived. Those little stories are what sparked my creativity.

A director once told me to focus less on strict facts and more on finding the truth of the story. That advice gave me the confidence to move beyond just presenting information and instead create a richly entertaining narrative, similar to a theatrical experience. I wanted to avoid simply reporting the facts, while still remaining true to the spirit of what actually happened.

All of the interviews from the red carpet can be seen below:

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2025-10-28 22:39