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Now playing in limited release is director Richard Linklater’s fantastic new film Last Flag Flying. Based on the novel of the same name by Darryl Poniscan, the film takes place in 2003 and follows three Vietnam War veterans played by Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, and Laurence Fishburne who reunite under unfortunate circumstances. The son of Carell’s character has just been killed serving in the Iraq War, and instead of burying him at Arlington Cemetery, he enlists his veteran buddies to help bring the casket up the east coast to suburban New Hampshire.

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Image via Amazon

The other day I got to sit down with Laurence Fishburne to talk about the making of the film. He talked about why Richard Linklater is such a special director, the benefits of having a two-week rehearsal process and what that did for all the actors, what it’s like revisiting the Vietnam War after making Apocalypse Now, and how that film was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In addition, he talked about getting to be part of Ant-Man and the Wasp, how the film will be “as fun and cool and smart as the first one”, that he’s working on a secret project at Marvel, being part of Linklater’s next film Where’d You Go Bernadette, and more.

Check out what he had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about and the official synopsis. You can also read Chris Cabin’s Last Flag Flying review here.

Laurence Fishburne:

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    Image via Amazon Studios
    What it was like working with Richard Linklater?
  • How did the rehearsal process help shape his character and the film?
  • When was the last time he had such a long rehearsal process?
  • What is it like revisiting the Vietnam War after making Apocalypse Now in the 70s?
  • How making Apocalypse Now was a once in a lifetime experience.
  • How did he get himself into Ant-Man and the Wasp?
  • Talks about wanting to be in the Marvel universe.
  • Says the Ant-Man sequel will be “as fun and cool and smart as the first one.”
  • Reveals he’s working on a secret project at Marvel.
  • Being part of Richard Linklater’s next film Where’d You Go Bernadette.

Here’s the official synopsis for Last Flag Flying:

In 2003, 30 years after they served together in the Vietnam War, former Navy Corps medic Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carell) re-unites with ex-Marine Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) and Reverend Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) on a different type of mission: to bury Doc’s son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War. Doc decides to forgo burial at Arlington Cemetery and, with the help of his old buddies, takes the casket on a bittersweet trip up the East Coast to his home in suburban New Hampshire. Along the way, Doc, Sal and Mueller reminisce and come to terms with shared memories of the war that continues to shape their lives. Amazon Studios presents, a Detour film production, a Zenzero Pictures/Cinetic Media production, a Richard Linklater film.

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Image via Amazon Studios
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Image via Amazon
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Image via Amazon
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Image via Amazon Studios/Lionsgate