*By Amanda Weston* The twins Josh and Jonathan Baker's evident passion helped them land established stars and newcomers with big potential for their first major film project. The film ["Kin"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac5wrM2uYbk) is marketed as "a pulse-pounding crime thriller with a sci-fi twist," that tells the story of two brothers on the run from criminals and "otherworldly soldiers" armed with a mysterious weapon. The cast includes Hollywood veterans Dennis Quaid, James Franco, and Zoë Kravitz, and the young actor Myles Truitt in his first feature film role. "If you've got something cool, people want to work on something cool," Josh said an interview Friday on Cheddar. "So I think we had something that felt a little fresh and a little different, and it was amazing that you put it in front of these people and they are interested." The co-directors said the film was a collaborative process ー with each other and the actors. Though they didn't have as much feature-film experience as their cast, the brothers had no problem giving direction. "I'd also say the more professional the actor is, the more they're kind of like 'look, just tell me what you guys want and we'll figure it out together,'" said Josh. "So someone like Dennis? Easy to work with." Finding new faces was a process. For one of the main characters of the film, Eli, producers considered about 200 young actors before casting Truitt. He had an emotional maturity that is hard to find in child actors, Josh said, adding they were "lucky" to find him. "He had a real subtlety about him, and a lot of it is observed through his eyes without dialogue, which he was great at," said Jonathan. As streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix become more popular destinations for features than movie screens, Jonathan said he was honored their film would play in a cinema. "Kin" will be in theaters Aug. 31, including some IMAX theaters. Josh said he felt lucky "Kin" would get a theatrical release because so many small and medium films are being phased out of theaters for big-budget blockbuster fare. "This is built for people that love sophisticated, character-driven storytelling," said Jonathan. "This is a sci-fi, but it's also a lot of other things. There's a real intimacy to that. It's not a giant blockbuster. I think people that are dying for something a little more unique, a little different, will love this." For full interview, [click here] (https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMjIyNjM=).

Share:
More In Culture
EdTech Platform Multiverse Raises $220M to Expand Professional Apprenticeships
Tech apprenticeship platform Multiverse became a unicorn with a $1.7 billion valuation, after raising $220 million in a Series D round. As companies across the country face challenges in hiring and retaining tech talent, Multiverse says it's trying to offer a solution with a new way to train and hire workers that can serve as an alternative to college and corporate training. Sophie Ruddock, VP and GM North America of Multiverse, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Shaq on Stephen Curry: 'Greatest Shooter of All Time'
Cheddar's Kristen Scholer caught up with all-time NBA great Shaquille O'Neal in his hometown of Newark, NJ, working with Icy Hot to repair rundown basketball courts around the country. The Hall of Famer also spoke about the current NBA finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors and had a lot of praise for the Warrior's guard Stephen Curry. "He's the greatest shooter of all time. I had a conversation with Stephen A. [Smith], where does he rank? He's a special player. He has his own category," Shaq said.
Ways to Improve Employee Engagement; Data-Driven Approach to Mental Wellness
On this episode of On The Job presented by ADP: Gemma Burgess, CEO of Ferguson Partners, explains what people are looking for in an employer, and how to convey positive work culture to potential employees; Amy Leschke-Kahle, Vice President of Performance Acceleration at The Marcus Buckingham Company, an ADP company, breaks down how encouraging employee engagement and empowering employee voices can benefit every workplace and busts a myth about employee engagement while working from home; Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice, discusses Hyperice's new employee mental health initiative, known as the Workplace Alliance, with 100-plus companies to combat the ongoing mental health crisis and how they're taking a hands-on, data-driven approach to the mental health crisis.
A Data-Driven Approach to Workplace Mental Wellness
Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice, joins Cheddar to discuss Hyperice's new employee mental health initiative, known as the Workplace Alliance, with 100-plus companies to combat the ongoing mental health crisis and how they're taking a hands-on, data-driven approach to the mental health crisis.
Load More