James Hawes is returning to the spy genre with Rami Malek along for the ride The Amateur. Hawes is a BAFTA-nominated director best known for his work on the British small screen, having directed several episodes of Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. Doctor Who eras, as well as several episodes of Merlin, Penny Dreadful, Black Mirror and Apple TV+ slow horses. Malek is an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Emmy-winning star known for everything from his early work in Night at the Museum franchise for his acclaimed roles in Mister Robot and Bohemian Rhapsody and There’s no time to die.
Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Littel, which was previously adapted for film in 1981, Malek leads The Amateur as Charlie Heller, a secretive CIA cryptographer whose world is rocked when his wife is killed in a terrorist attack in London. Initially seeking help from a senior field agent to be trained to track down those responsible, Charlie chooses to go rogue when his bosses begin using internal bureaucracy to hinder his efforts. Using the skill set he knows best, Charlie will stop at nothing to bring those responsible to justice or kill them for good.
Alongside Malek, the group Amateur cast includes upcoming Superman star Rachel Brosnahan, John WickLaurence Fishburne, MindhunterHolt McCallany, OutlanderCaitriona Balfe, Toco CityAdrian Martinez, Easttown mareJulianne Nicholson and ShogunIt’s Takehiro Hira. With a script Black Hawk downKen Nolan and Made in AmericaFrom Gary Spinelli, the film looks to bring an exciting twist to the spy genre.
In honor of the release of the film’s first trailer, Screen speech interviewed James Hawes and Rami Malek to discuss The Amateurwhich led them both to want to be part of the spy thriller adaptation, as the film was something of a full circle.”evolution” to Malek from his previous roles, and how Hawes took advantage of his experience in slow horses and a variety of other genre inspirations to create the look of the film.
The Amateur It’s the kind of movie Malek and Hawes want to watch
“That’s where I’ll sit with my popcorn…”
Screen Rant: It’s great to talk to you two for The Amateur trailer, it looks like it’s going to be an absolute blast. James, I’ll start with you first. And did this story and this project really make you want to sit in the director’s chair for a feature film about him, especially since you already have some experience in the world of espionage with Slow Horses?
James Hawes: Well, it’s a very simple answer, it’s the kind of movie I want to watch. For a director, therefore, to create something that you think: “That’s where I’m going to sit with my popcorn” is perfect. This moves the genre forward in some way. I’m not suggesting it reinvented the wheel, but it takes some of the things that are familiar tropes and puts a twist on them. And deep down, it has a very well designed, three-dimensional and friendly character. A hero you want to be with, want to follow, who is smart, cool, and fun to chase. It’s him. [points to Rami Malek next to him]
So Rami, did you find that this is what really attracted you? Was it, as James said, the three-dimensional, likable character we followed in this film?
Rami Malek: Exactly to James’ point, I look at movies or scripts and ask myself, “Do I want to watch this movie?” And that’s marked for me. I’ve never seen anything like it, I’ve never felt anything like it. I grew up loving movies like – I don’t know if that age is me – Three Days of the Condor, all the spy movies from the 70s, but The Fugitive is also one that I love. Even though he has certain skills in this, there is still something unexpected about what he can do. Now take this to the extreme with Charlie Heller, who you would never expect to be able to do some of the things he does in this film.
I was simply mesmerized by that character, by the ingenuity, by the strength that lies in the ability to overcome such pain. Not only to find some sense of resolution, but also to do something about it when others won’t. There was a message there that went beyond making a big cinematic event, there’s something I appreciate and want to fight for. Not just to share with the world, but it’s something I will look back on and be very proud of, because there is a Charlie Heller, a sense of him, in all of us.
Malek recognizes the parallels between Charlie and Mister RobotElliot
He also points to another surprise project from his past
I also wanted to quickly ask, Rami, did you feel a kind of full circle in this film, both of Mister Robot and even 24since you are now on the other side of the world of cyberterrorism?
Rami Malek: It’s weird. I stopped doing a miniseries, The Pacific, produced by Hanks and Spielberg, and did Navy training. Strangely, I can probably still shoot a 1940s M1 Garand or fire a 60mm mortar. And these are all things that Charlie Heller can’t do, so you learn something from each film. It’s the best job in the world, sometimes, because you learn lessons you otherwise would never have known. But you get something out of every aspect.
Yes, I learned things from Mr. Robot. It’s an evolution of this character. Here’s someone who found a soulmate in Sarah, played by Rachel Brosnahan, who is so gregarious, and what I call a supernova, and the fact that she would find herself tied to a guy like Charlie is a worthwhile explanation that he seems having to find out after her loss. Which is sad, but he does it, and he does it in a very impactful and explosive way.
I can’t wait to see you and Rachel together on screen, because I have a feeling there are going to be some very powerful scenes throughout this film.
Rami Malek: There is chemistry with everyone, I must say. Jon Bernthal with whom I did The Pacific. I have wanted to work with Laurence Fishburne for a long time. Rachel, we’ve already talked about working together, as has Caitríona Balfe. It was like, “Pick up the phone and call the best of the best.” We’ve brought together some magnificent characters, some magnificent actors and designers too.
Brosnahan and Fishburne were equally important castings for the film
“This is part of the delight of the film.”
So, James, I’d love to turn to you on the casting question, because obviously Rachel is a big part of Charlie’s journey, but so is Laurence. I’d love to know who you thought was the most impactful casting choice after Rami for this film.
James Hawes: I’m not going to single out any of them, but it was really important at the beginning of the film that you understand Charlie’s relationship, and why this marriage works, and what future these two soulmates have together, so that when he loses her, you understands what the damage is, what the cost is and what the fire was that was just lit there. You needed someone with the quirk and intelligence that Rachel brings to any role to explain how this couple works. I think you get that in a single scene, you just know what these two people are and what this relationship is.
Then on the other hand, he’s confused and he has to find someone that the senior CIA guys trust, with real natural authority and a sense of presence, and you believe this guy is a killer and he killed. And up, Laurence Fishburne, and you simply have no doubt about that man’s presence. You also know – and you’ll see this in the scene where these two meet – that you’re in for some fun, some friction, some danger, some laughs. They really invest a relationship there. This is part of the delight of the film.
Rami Malek: I will say – I probably shouldn’t say – that there are elements that we shot that we would like to incorporate into the film, because the dynamics are on a different level.
James Hawes: But it wouldn’t have been 13.
Rami Malek: PG-13?
James Hawes: Yes.
Rami Malek: Oh.
Hawes had one main rule for construction The AmateurThe look
“It’s something I argued strongly at the beginning of Slow Horses.”
James, I’ll get back to you, what was it like creating the look of this film? Because obviously there are many different forms of espionage and spy action thrillers out there. How did you arrive at the look and feel you wanted this film to have?
James Hawes: There is a sense of paranoia and conspiracy in this film. So we drew on some of the legacies of those ’70s films. We were aware of, whether it was All the President’s Men or Three Days of the Condor. This is deeply embedded in our roots. But it’s a very 2025 movie, so we’re also aware of Jason Bourne, the things that Paul Greengrass did, and some of the pacing and urgency that comes with those movies.
Rami Malek: And Doug Liman.
James Hawes: Yes, totally. And it was important that it felt rooted. It’s never beige, but it has life and effervescence. So we took the CIA and Langley as they really exist, and then we put a little technology and a 25 twist on it to make it look a little sexy. And we chose our locations very carefully so that Charlie was thrown into a world that was played out on screen.
Rami Malek: We don’t have St. Paul’s Cathedral as a backdrop, or we don’t go to the Eiffel Tower, you know, elements that people recognize immediately.
James Hawes: We didn’t want tourist trips. It’s something I argued strongly at the beginning of Slow Horses. I didn’t want to visit the London you see on the tour bus. I wanted a London where we lived and where spies lived, and that’s what we felt we could offer with the Paris, Marseille and Istanbul of this adventure.
Rami Malek: And that gives a feeling of insecurity and fragility. You can’t stick to a place you know or an iconic place you want to visit. You don’t want to go to some of these places, you have to go to some of these places.
On The Amateur
Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant but deeply introverted CIA codebreaker who works in a basement office at the Langley headquarters, whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a terrorist attack in London. When his supervisors refuse to act, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous journey across the world to locate those responsible, using his intelligence as the best weapon to escape his pursuers and achieve his revenge.
The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani and Laurence Fishburne. “The Amateur” is directed by James Hawes. The screenplay is by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, based on the novel by Robert Littell. The film is produced by Hutch Parker, pga, Dan Wilson, pga, Rami Malek, Joel B. Michaels, with JJ Hook serving as executive producer.