Posted in: Exclusive, Interview, Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: Alan Ritchson, Dave Matthews, exclusive, hilary swank, interview, jon berg, lionsgate, Ordinary Angels, Tamala Jones

Ordinary Angels Producer Jon Berg on Dave Matthews, Casting & More

Producer Jon Berg spoke to Bleeding Cool about Lionsgate's inspirational drama Ordinary Angels, Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson, and more.

Producer Jon Berg has been a part of some of the biggest blockbusters in Warner Bros history, which includes the holiday classic Elf (2003), DCU films Wonder Woman (2017), Aquaman (2018), and Justice League (2017), and Doctor Sleep (2019. Since leaving, he stumbled upon the much-grounded story of Ordinary Angels, based on a true story centering on Sharon (Hilary Swank), a fierce but struggling hairdresser in small-town Kentucky who discovers a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed (Alan Ritchson), a widower working hard to make ends meet for his two daughters. With his youngest daughter waiting for a liver transplant, Sharon sets her mind to helping the family and will move mountains to do it. What unfolds is the inspiring tale of faith, everyday miracles, and ordinary angels. Berg spoke to Bleeding Cool about collaborating with actor and musician Dave Matthews, who introduced him to the story, working with writers Meg Tilly, Kelly Fremon-Craig, and director Jon Berg, and assembling the cast.

Ordinary Angels: Jon Berg on Bringing Sharon Stevens and & Schmitt Family Tale to Life

Bleeding Cool: How did you get involved with Ordinary Angels?
Berg: I had an amazing meeting with Dave Matthews, and he is hilarious, gregarious, and talented. He told me about the story he had encountered a few years before and had worked on a script with Meg Tilly, and I was blown away by the true story and all the aspects of it. I couldn't believe it; it was so compelling and cinematic. He followed it up with the script, which I read and fell in love with. I developed a passion for it and wanted to help tell that story. Then, in 2018, Dave brought me on board to help produce the movie and get it made, and I sold the script to Lionsgate to Nathan Kahane and Erin Westerman over there, who fell in love with it, had an equal passion for it, and were dying to see it as a film. We started the process there, and they're the ones who introduced me to the Kingdom [Story Company] guys to Jon and Andy Erwin, Kevin Downes, and [director] Jon Gunn, and I'm so glad they did because those guys are total pros. We had such a fun time making this movie and a couple of drafts of the script; Kelly Fremon Craig and then John Gunn polished the script. We got the green light and went away to make the film.

What made Jon perfect to direct this film?
He's got a huge heart, number one, and he's a talented filmmaker. The balance of the tone in the movie is special. There's sadness, and you become emotional, and I cried watching the film. It's not unique to me; there's also a lightness, humor, humanity, great casting, and performances. That's all Jon Gunn, and the locations look great. The snowstorm at the end looks fantastic, well-shot and well-orchestrated. The Schmitt family home… Jon's a stickler and pays great attention to detail. He's also a lovely and generous man to work with, so I would do it all over again. He's top-notch.

How did Meg and Kelly's script work to capture characters and set the scene for the story on the screen?
Meg Tilly and then Kelly Fremon-Craig came in and did a pass on the script, which ended up great. It accurately and authentically told the story of both Sharon Stevens and the Schmitt family. We were blessed with a good script already, and then again, it kept getting better until we started to shoot the movie. It allowed us to cast great actors, including Tamala Jones, Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson, Nancy Travis, and Skywalker Hughes. We got lucky, up and down, allowing us to make a pretty good movie.

When it came to casting. Why did Alan and Hilary work out so well? Can you also speak about the contributions from Amy [Acker], Nancy, and the other supporting cast?
Alan coming off 'Reacher' was sort of exploding onto the scene. He's compelling in that action material. When I met with him, I felt an instant connection with him. He's a family man, a father, and a husband. He's got three children and a Christian. He has a lot of depth, substance, and spirituality. He's a lovely human being, and I intended to talk to him about some action stuff. We will make an action movie later this year that I'm excited about. But in this case, in our first meeting, hearing about his humanity and who he is as a soulful husband and father, I immediately pitched him 'Ordinary Angels' to see if it would resonate with him, and it did. I'm so glad because of what he brings to Ed, playing him accurately. Ed was stoic, a man of few words, and also a man who lost his wife and struggled emotionally and psychologically. He was struggling as his father and lost his faith and hope. His hopefulness had been taken away from him. Alan played that brilliantly.

What can you say about the two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank that hasn't already been said? She's extraordinary. Whether it's 'Boys Don't Cry,' 'Million Dollar Baby,' or any of the extraordinary work that she's done, I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her. She is an incredible Sharon Stevens from the accent to the look, hair to the attitude. She's got a swagger, fun, and a brokenness that she brings to life in an incredible way. She's a remarkable actor, and we're so lucky to have her and the two of them together. While it's not romantic energy because it wasn't the case, they have this great partnership, teamwork, and reliance upon one another. They play it so well that Ed is initially resistant, which overwhelms him. She doesn't take "No" for an answer and throws herself in there.

They're great, and talking about a few others, there are so many others to talk about. Drew Powell, first, just talk about him as Pastor Dave [Stone]. The real Pastor Dave is a tall order, and if Drew Powell played it in that role with humanity, grace, and humor. Nancy Travis is amazing. She came in a week before she was scheduled to shoot and filled in for someone who had to drop out because of Covid. Nancy was awesome, came in, was a total pro, got up to speed quickly, and became a part of the Schmitt family. She's beautiful in the movie. Tamala Jones, as Rose, had such dignity and played the role of the friend and the person who was intervening and concerned about what was going on with her colleague, business partner, and friend. She pulls it with great humor. One of my favorite parts of the movie is when she's reacting to the helicopter news at the end of the film, where she is with her family and has this big, joyous reaction. It's so cool.

What is the most invaluable lesson from your time at Warner Bros?
I loved being at Warner Brothers and making the movies I had the opportunity to make there. As an executive, I had an opportunity to work on many different types of film. I loved the filmmakers I got to work with, and, most importantly, my boss for the first five years that I was there is, hands down, unquestionably, the top-of-the-top studio execs and chairmen, people who ran studios. His name is Alan Horn, and he's since retired. He then went over to Disney, and now he's retired. He was a mentor and an unbelievable person to work for.

Ordinary Angels, which also stars Emily Mitchell, is in theaters.

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