Gus Van Sant on Making ‘Dead Man’s Wire,’ Wanting to Cast Tom Waits in ‘Drugstore Cowboy’ and Robin Williams Ad-Libbing on ‘Good Will Hunting’

In between, he worked on a TV show “(Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”) and made a few videos for Gucci. Van Sant credits producer Cassian Elwes with stopping him at Soho House in Hollywood to discuss a screenplay.

“Dead Man’s Wire” was based on the story of Tony Kiritsis, the man who broke into the office of Richard Hall, the president of a mortgage company, and took him hostage. What followed was a 63-hour standoff with the police, during which he wired the muzzle of a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun to the back of the broker’s head. The event became a media sensation as viewers tuned in to watch whether Kiritsis would pull the trigger and how police would handle the situation.

Van Sant wasn’t just drawn to Austin Kolodney’s screenplay; he was attracted to the character.