Writer LEON CHILLS talks about SHADOW FORCE, collaborating with director Joe Carnahan, and the forces behind the inspiration for the story.
SYNOPSIS: In SHADOW FORCE, Kyrah (Washington) and Issac (Sy) were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. They broke the rules by falling in love, and in order to protect their son, they go underground. With a large bounty on their heads, and the vengeful Shadow Force hot on their trail, one family’s fight becomes all-out war.
Directed by Joe Carnahan and written by LEON CHILLS and Joe Carnahan, SHADOW FORCE stars Kerry Washington, Omar Sy, Mark Strong, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, and a scene-stealing turn by Jahleel Kamara.
It’s long been said to write about what you know, and that’s exactly what screenwriter LEON CHILLS does with SHADOW FORCE. It’s hard to believe that this is his first produced narrative feature. An action-packed film that has a strong emotional core, thanks to the loving black father-son relationship between Isaac and Ky, Leon was inspired by his own life with a very present black father figure.
Growing up with divorced parents, Leon often spent weekends watching action movies with his dad, which created an emotional connection to the (action) genre. But he also wanted to challenge the absent black father stereotype by portraying a loving, protective father-son relationship in SHADOW FORCE. The character of Ky is inspired by his own childhood, and Kyrah’s character is based on Leon’s working mom who always tried to provide while balancing family time. Leon’s own fear of parenting in a dangerous world also drove the narrative – writing the script was a way to process those anxieties. Ultimately, he aimed to bring emotional depth to an action film by drawing from his own family dynamics and personal experiences.”
Notable is that this loving father-son relationship is set within an action setpiece, with the relationship being the focus. For Leon, it’s important to add emotional depth to action films, making them more character-driven so that audiences care about the characters beyond just the spectacle of action sequences. His goal is to bring heart to the genre, ensuring that when action happens, viewers are deeply invested in the characters’ journeys and outcomes. And as you will see on watching the film, Leon succeeds on all counts.
As Leon discusses in our interview, while the villains and harrowing experiences were already present in the script, the action, armament, and exotic global locations really took shape once Joe Carnahan and Omar Sy became involved. Drawing inspiration subconsciously from various life experiences, for the bad guys and locations, it’s often about metaphorical tensions, like leaving a unit and having former colleagues come after you, which can represent broader relationship dynamics. Wanting to ground the story specifically, Leon was intentional about naming weaponry and creating detailed backstories. While much of the inspiration comes from personal experiences, like his relationship with his parents and understanding complex interpersonal conflicts, the locations, particularly the international settings, were expanded when Omar and Joe got involved, which added depth to the global nature of the story.
Long mentored by writer/director Reggie Hudlin, Leon describes now working with Joe Carnahan as a learning experience, but ultimately an “exciting collaboration” that helped refine the script and ultimately get SHADOW FORCE made. Along the way, he learned several key lessons by having a feature film script get produced and collaborating with Carnahan, among them:
- How to make a script more attractive to studios and actors by heightening character roles to appeal to big-name talent, like expanding Jack Cinder’s character to interest Mark Strong
- The importance of adding emotional depth to action movies, making characters more compelling so that audiences care about what happens during action sequences
- Learning practical strategies for getting a script produced, such as adding recognizable actors to supporting roles to increase the project’s chances of being greenlit
- Being open to collaborative writing and script development, which he found to be a positive experience working with Carnahan
- The value of grounding the script by being specific about details like weaponry and character backgrounds which helped make the story more believable.
For Leon Chills, writing is a deep passion that brings him joy. Despite facing rejection as all writers do, he feels compelled to tell stories because the characters and narratives come to him naturally. He describes it as something he “has to do” – writing is more torturous for him if he doesn’t get the stories out! Even if he doesn’t get paid, the storytelling itself is what drives him. Allowing him to explore and process his experiences and emotions through his characters, Leon is “always writing” and plans to continue creating action movies with heart. His goal is to maintain the character-driven approach that made SHADOW FORCE unique, focusing on “adding emotional depth to the action genre.”
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 05/06/2025
SHADOW FORCE is in theatres now!
