Alarum star Scott Eastwood talked to ComingSoon about his new spy thriller movie. The action star discussed acting alongside Sylvester Stallone and Willa Fitzgerald, his love of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and more. Lionsgate will release the action crime thriller in theaters, on demand, and on digital on January 17, 2025.
“Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone, Scott Eastwood, Mike Colter, and Willa Fitzgerald star in this explosive action-thriller about two married spies caught in the crosshairs of an international intelligence network that will stop at nothing to obtain a critical asset,” says the synopsis. “Joe (Scott Eastwood) and Lara (Fitzgerald) are agents living off the grid whose quiet retreat at a winter resort is blown to shreds when members of the old guard suspect the two may have joined an elite team of rogue spies, known as Alarum.”
Tyler Treese: Scott, this is a really fun film. Almost everybody you’re interacting with is a spy, or they’re part of some agency. Everybody has their own motives. Even your wife is a spy. You can’t really fully trust anybody. How is it bringing that element into your performance here?
Scott Eastwood: I think that’s the fun of it, right? I mean, that’s espionage at its core — “Who can you trust?” And there’s a lot of sneaking going on. And I think that’s what makes the genre interesting, right? It’s people’s mistrust for people.
Your wife in the film is played by Willa Fitzgerald. She’s just blown me away this past year with some really strong performances. She can bring a real intensity to the screen when she needs to. How is it both seeing the softer side of her – which we see with the couple moments at the beginning – then seeing how she can really go all out as well?
Yeah, I like that. I really like that. I thought that she handled that quite nicely. It’s like where you get to see her in a nice relationship, but then when she switches on, it’s like, “Don’t mess with me.”
Getting to kick with Sylvester Stallone had to be a bucket list moment for you, right?
A hundred percent.
His scenes are so electric. You’ve worked with a lot of titans of the industry before. But when you’re opposite a legend like that, can you kind of feel that gravitas that comes into the filming there?
Yeah, I mean, he’s just he’s so comfortable. You can feel how comfortable he is at just doing the bit and reacting and just being in the moment. What really struck me was his take on material and how he dissects it. He knows so well what’s good versus what’s not and what’s sort of the obvious choice versus what’s gonna make it more interesting. I think that’s what makes him him.
The director, Michael Polish, has done a ton of work over the years – decades of experience. He’s done a lot of different genres, too. How was seeing how he works, and what he brought to the project?
Yeah, Polish is great. He knows what he’s doing. It’s just a matter of him having the right tools for him to get to do what he needs to do ’cause he knows how to direct.
Alarum ends with a really interesting position for everybody. There are definitely a lot of ways this could continue. Would you like to explore more of this spy system in a sequel?
Well, let’s just see if people like it first. Let’s start with that.
Let’s briefly get away from movies. I see how you post on your socials a lot about Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and I’m a huge fan of grappling. I was just wondering how BJJ has really helped you, and how you’ve used that as an outlet? Because I’ve seen it improve so many lives.
I think it’s one of the most important… It’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.
I’ve been doing it for close to two decades, and it’s like one of the hardest things, but it’s also one of the most important things. Discipline in general, right? And martial arts in general, right, it’s all about discipline. It’s just all about showing up even when you don’t want to, and giving it your all.
And I think it’s really important for young men to do that because a lot of people are walking around with an ego and a sense of this warrior thing that men have sometimes. And to get that out and to understand you’re not a badass – that no matter where you are in life, there’s always someone who will choke you out or put you in your place.
I think it’s really important. I think it’s just important for humility, and it’s just been an important, integral, integral part of my life.
This has been such an exciting time for your family. Your father just released Juror No. 2, which was so celebrated. When you still see him doing stellar work in his nineties, how does that feel? Is it inspiring? Is it intimidating? How do you view that?
I think it’s all the things, but yeah, mostly inspiring. You know, just the fact that he’s still a force to be reckoned with. That’s a great thing.
You’ve done a lot of crime films and thrillers lately, which obviously you excel at. I really enjoyed seeing you in I Want You Back since that was very different from what we usually see you in. Are there any genres that you would like to do in the future that you haven’t really had opportunities to do?
I mean, look, I think we’re always looking for another good rom-com or something fun with another good picture. It’s hard to find ’em. The scripts aren’t just floating around. There’ll be ones that I’ll read, and I’ll be like, “Nah, this isn’t good enough.” But you try to find the good one.
You recently filmed Wind River: The Next Chapter. People are really excited for that. What can we expect from that?
You’d expect some of the same but completely shaken up, which I kinda like.
Thanks to Scott Eastwood for taking the time to talk about Alarum.
