Margot Robbie says police had to shut down ‘Amsterdam’ filming because the director never called ‘cut’
- Margot Robbie told “The Tonight Show” that director David O. Russell refused to stop filming.
- The Pasadena police department was forced to shut down production.
“Amsterdam” has one of the most star-studded ensemble casts of the year, with director David O. Russell assembling Margot Robbie, Christian Bale, and John David Washington to lead his 1930s-set mystery comedy.
But it seems the director wanted to get the most out of the cast because police officers had to shut down production when Russell refused to stop filming, says Robbie.
The actor discussed the situation on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” explaining that the production’s permit had expired, saying: “You get a permit to shoot somewhere. We were in Pasadena and the time was up. We were meant to clear out, but we wouldn’t.”
The “Birds of Prey” star added that Bale was still acting when the police shut things down. “And the producers were freaking out and David’s still going and Christian is still acting,” she said.
The police didn’t appreciate that the production kept going once the permit had run out, as Robbie added: “And then, eventually, the Pasadena police literally were in the set with us all being like, ‘Stop. You have to stop. Like, you guys have to stop. Please.'”
In fact, the officers were the ones who actually wrapped the film because the crew would’ve just kept working.
Robbie explained: “Honestly, everyone heard the word ‘wrap’ and put down the equipment and started packing up. I was like, ‘Wow. A policewoman from Pasadena just wrapped this film.’ It was incredible.”
It sounds like “Amsterdam” was an interesting production, as Robbie said the director “doesn’t want to stop. Like, he could go on forever.”
Bale’s recently said that he had to distance himself from his costar, Chris Rock, because the comedian was making him laugh too much.
This was incredibly distracting for the former Batman actor, who’s famous for using a method approach to deliver a better performance.
But Robbie had plenty of praise for Bale’s work in “Amsterdam,” saying he “plays this incredible character and is also a very, very incredible actor.”
“Amsterdam” follows three friends who make a pact to look out for each other in World War I, before being accused of murder in the 1930s. Robbie plays Valerie Voze alongside Bale as Burt Berendsen, and John David Washington as Harold Woodsman.
The trio of stars are joined by a wealth of talent in the film, with the likes of Zoe Saldaña, Michael Shannon, Robert De Niro, Rami Malek, Andrea Riseborough, and Timothy Olyphant rounding out the supporting cast.
“Amsterdam” arrives in theaters on October 7.
