Image via Universal
When the idea of an NWA biopic was first mooted, there was only one real choice to direct it. F. Gary Gray made his name directing videos for Ice Cube and Dr Dre back in the day, and then made Cube a movie star with his first movie Friday. Since then he’s gone on to make films like Set It Off, The Negotiator and Law Abiding Citizen.
Straight Outta Compton ending up being, as we’re sure you’re aware, a critical and commercial smash. And it’s also landed him the sickest job in Hollywood: directing the next Fast and The Furious movie. Straight Outta Compton is out on DVD and Blu-ray now, and we caught up with Gray to talk about how the film has gone down.
Did you expect Straight Outta Compton to get such an amazing reaction?
We knew we had something special, but we didn’t think it would hit on this level. Whether the world would get it is a whole other thing. But a lot of people got it. They knew what we were going for, they had a good time, and they learned a lot. We’re happy with it, both critically and at the box office.
The film has also introduced NWA to a whole new generation…
Absolutely. I think a lot of the younger generation didn’t know a ton about NWA, and they certainly didn’t know that a lot of their favourite artists were inspired by them. There’s a history lesson there. Not just what was going on at the time, the backdrop, the politics, the music, but also that a lot of your favourite artists, inside and outside of music, were somehow connected or inspired by NWA.
Have you gotten a good reaction form the hip-hop community?
All day long! I get a lot of thank-yous. A lot of people were thankful for the way it was handled, that it wasn’t just a rap movie, or exploitative.
The LA riots scene in the film really seemed to get a lot of attention, what with everything that’s gone on in Ferguson and Baltimore…
It wasn’t a coincidence. I was in Los Angeles during the riots, I grew up in that environment. We just wanted to tell the truth about what was going on that day. And it coincided with a lot of what was going on in the headlines now. We’re happy that change is seeming to take place. It’s seems like we’re going in the right direction, y’know, and the attention is being put in the right place.
Partly due to the success of Straight Outta Compton, the long-rumoured Tupac biopic is now finally happening. Do you think it can live to the Tupac scene in Compton?
I hope so! I’m friends with Benny Boom, the director. I was friends with 2Pac, and I think his story was a profound one to tell. Yeah, I think it can, definitely!
Music biopics like Ray and Walk The Line tend to sweep up at the Golden Globes and Oscars, but Straight Outta Compton hasn’t really been in the awards conversation. Why do you think that is? [The interview took place the day before the Oscar nominations were announced]
Well, I’d beg to differ. We have Screen Actor’s Guild nominations, Producer’s Guild nominations, the American Film Institute… I think we’ve been recognised by a lot of people. You have to imagine with a movie like this, that’s about something so controversial, that not everyone is going to get it, and that’s par for the course. It’s art, and you can’t expect everyone to fall in love with your work. But we’re really happy with the attention we’ve got. If you dig a little deeper you’ll see that we’re being acknowledged quite a bit. But you might have to talk to me tomorrow afternoon, you never know! [Compton would pick one Oscar nom, for Best Original Screenplay]
Compton caps off a long career of you and Ice Cube working. Let’s take it back a bit—when did you first meet him, and what was your first impression of him?
I met him on the set of a music video, I believe in 1990, maybe ‘91. He was a great dude. He was at the beginning of his success as a solo artist. I loved his writing, I loved his music, I loved his honesty, and of course I was a fan of NWA. When I met him it was just two artists coming together and working with each other. I actually really admired him. He grew up a few miles away from me, and we were the same age. We were both pushy guys, very ambitious, take-no-prisoners personalities, and I got a lot of what he had to say, and where he was coming from.
Did you think you’d still be working with him 15 years later?
I guess you never know that, but I was hoping that I’d work with him again. And that came true. He was only a guest on that first video, we wasn’t the main artist, so it was brief. We came together on a few different videos, and they were really successful. That unfolded and turned into my first film Friday, and the rest is history. I don’t think you can ever really predict or know something like that’s going to happen, you just have to let it unfold. And it’s come full circle, he was at the beginning of my career, and now one of most important films is centred around where we come from.
What can you tell us about the new Fast and the Furious?
I’m at Universal right now, going through all the cars, and the pictures of my actors, and the locations. You can expect a lot, it’s gonna be great. I’m not at liberty to go into a lot of detail, but it’s be phenomenal. Where we are right now, I feel like a kid. With Straight Outta Compton, it was full of controversy, and emotion, and drama, and when you’re doing a biopic it’s set in reality, and the surviving members are involved, there’s a lot of stuff that goes on. But with Fast, it’s full-on fun! It’s like I’m a kid again—you open up your toy box, and there’s all the cool cars… I worked with a lot of the cast before, with The Rock [on Be Cool], with Jason Statham on The Italian Job, and Ludacris and Tyrsese. It’s kind of like [a mix of] a family reunion and a toy box!
What is F Gary Gray bringing to the film in particular?
I think that the franchise is a lot of fun. I’ll give you an example. I really love JJ Abrams’ approach to big summer action movies. He does a lot with the action and the spectacle. But he also pays a lot of attention to character, and story, and narrative. He really strikes a great balance. Hopefully what I learnt coming off of Straight Outta Compton, I can bring the edge from that movie to the franchise. Plus some of the experience I’ve had working with the actors. And y’know, I have a lot of fun with action, and I’m excited to try some new things. So I think you’ll get a little of a lot of things. I hate to be so vague, but again I’m not at liberty to get into detail. But I can’t wait to show you.
The series has been known for bringing lots of cool actors for the sequels—Ludacris, The Rock, Ronda Rousey, Jason Statham—are you looking to bring anyone new in?
It’s a secret! It’s a good question, but again I’m not a liberty to go into detail!
Any chance Ice Cube could be in it?
You never know!
You directed what I think is the funniest thing The Rock has ever done, the Bring it On ‘monologue’ in Be Cool. Are you going to get some more comedy out of him?
I can’t make a movie without comedy and humour, I don’t care how dramatic the movie is, or how much action is in it. Comedy is my first love, and you better believe something funny is going to happen involving him. And I glad you like that moment, that was the reason why I did that movie, for that scene!
Straight Outta Compton is out on DVD and Blu-ray now.
