Anthony Michael Hall on Netflix Film Trigger Warning and the Brat Pack

Anthony Michael Hall is a Hollywood legend with an astounding four-film run by 17-years-old that most actors would kill for. From 1983 to 1985, Hall starred in Vacation, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science, with the latter three being directed by John Hughes, while the filmmaker wrote the screenplay for Vacation. Their relationship and bond together is something Hall will never forget, but more on that later.

For now, Hall stars in Trigger Warning for Netflix, opposite Jessica Alba’s lead character. In the movie, Alba plays a Special Forces soldier who returns to her hometown to take ownership of her father’s bar after he unexpectedly passes away. However, this small town is up to a few things, and none are good. Hall plays Ezekiel, a politician who is also the leader of a gang specializing in arms deals. We won’t say too much here to avoid spoilers, but it’s safe to say that Alba’s character will do everything she can to stop his plan. Hall recently spoke with MovieWeb, discussing his upcoming Netflix film, the Brat Pack, his character in Reacher Season 3, and an old theory from The Dark Knight and the story behind it.

Playing a Villian in Trigger Warning

Right off the bat, Trigger Warning‘s fight scenes are fantastic. From the first brawl to the last, the choreography and camera work will remind audiences of John Wick or another Netflix franchise, Extraction. “Working with Thunder Road was a thrill, man. I love the John Wick series. I met Keanu actually, years ago, and he’s a great guy,” Hall explains. “But I love this trend. And it started out when I was a kid where they would have stunt guys direct second unit. And I’ve worked with a lot of great stunt guys, but to see the rise of Chad [Stahelski] and David Leitch is great. So I’m glad you picked up on the quality of the stunts.”

Alba’s character handles most of the stunts, but that doesn’t mean Hall is missing out on all the action. “It’s a lot of fun. There’s just no limits. You can kind of go to weird places… So I enjoyed it, and I really had fun as Ezekiel.” Even though Ezekiel and Parker (Alba) are at odds with each other in Trigger Warning, Hall has tremendous respect for the actress off-camera. “Working with her, she’s very serious, very focused, very serious minded. It was important for her to get all the stuff right. It was like having another stunt coordinator on set. She has a lot of experience and knows her stuff.”

Of course, audiences will have to watch Trigger Warning to see how Ezekiel’s character arc ends, but if it were up to Hall, he would return for another film in the franchise, in whatever form that may be.

Anthony Michael Hall on John Hughes and the Brat Pack

It’s been 40 years since Sixteen Candles was released, hitting theaters in 1984. The film, starring Hall alongside Molly Ringwald and Justin Henry, was yet another movie that cemented the legacy of the Brat Pack. Now, in 2024, the group is making headlines once again as Hulu recently released its documentary, Brats, which caught up with some of those actors who starred in several hit John Hughes films.

“I wouldn’t be here speaking to you without John Hughes… He was like my best friend… You know, he really gave me my career,” Hall said. Indeed, one of his first major roles was Vacation, written by Hughes, where he plays Rusty Griswold, son of Clark Griswold, brought to life by Chevy Chase. “I think his great gift, not only was his writing and directing, but his allowance. His ability to let things happen. What he did for me and Molly [Ringwald], he did for all of us. In other words, we would do two or three takes as scripted, and then we would digress and have fun with it and try things. So he was just wonderful. I can’t say enough about him.”

However, once Weird Science rolled around in 1985, Hall starred in three films directed by Hughes in a row. When asked whether he, at the time, wanted to branch away from the Brat Pack, Hall was very honest.

“For many years, I kind of kept this under the rug. But that’s what happened. We had done these three films together, and then [Hughes] had moved to LA, and he wanted me to do
Pretty in Pink
and
Ferris Bueller
, which he had kind of written for me.”

“And to be very honest, it was a very sad thing. When I chose not to do that, it kind of led to a rupture in our friendship. I didn’t anticipate that. It wasn’t intentional to insult him in any way… But it was challenging, and it was saddening in a way, too, because then I wound up not seeing him ever again, actually. So it’s very sad for me.”

However, Hall did have one last story with Hughes, which was far more positive. “He called me in 1988 with John Candy on the phone; it was so cool because we just hung out for a couple of hours telling stories. It was so much fun… It was my last call with him. And what I can tell you is that he was playing with the idea of doing a sequel to The Breakfast Club. Like a ‘Where would we find them if they’re now all young professionals in their 30s or whatever.’ So, that was interesting to have that last conversation with him. It was something he was thinking about.”

Joining the Cast of Reacher Season 3

Trigger Warning isn’t the only project Hall has in the pipeline. The actor will debut alongside Alan Ritchson in the upcoming third season of Reacher, the hit Prime Video series based on the novels by Lee Child. In our interview, he shared a bit about his character and the upcoming season, which he believes will wrap filming next month.

“So it’s based on the book
Persuader
. My character is Zachary Beck, and I can’t say much about it, but if you’re fans of the novel and books, you’ll kind of know this character. There is a very interesting dynamic with my son…
The season kicks off with something involving Reacher and my son
, and he kind of saves my son and protects him, and it leads to us meeting. It was a phenomenal season.”

After the success of Reacher Seasons 1 and 2, the pressure is now on to live up to and exceed the series’ established standards. Hall thinks fans will be very happy with what’s in store. “They’ve continued to step it up,” he explains. “They want to continue to step it up and make sure the action continues to engage people and is really fun and exciting, with great performances and great writing.” Fans can expect to see the third season of Reacher hit Prime Video sometime in 2025.

Related: Anthony Michael Hall: The Most Underappreciated Comedic Actor of Our Time? Yes He Is.

A 16-Year-Old Dark Knight Theory

The Dark Knight trilogy remains today, nearly 20 years since it began, as possibly the best comic book trilogy of all time and arguably one of the greatest trilogies ever made. Christopher Nolan, who recently won Best Director at the Oscars for his work on Oppenheimer, blew audiences away with the second film, The Dark Knight, which has gone down in history thanks in no small part to Heath Ledger’s iconic performance as the Joker.

However, another role was perhaps a bit more unappreciated in the movie. In The Dark Knight, Hall plays Mike Engel, a Gotham City News reporter who has a run-in with Ledger’s Joker. As it turns out, the character was a reporter and nothing more. However, before the film’s release, theories were running rampant, and one involved Hall’s character and the iconic Batman villain, the Riddler. “So we’re doing the sequence in Chicago back in 2007 where we are running into the high rise, and it’s me. First of all, I’m doing this scene with Gary Oldman, so I’m already over the moon. So what happened was I had to wear these suits because I’m a news anchor, and I have to be standing outside,” Hall explains.

“And I’m standing next to one of Christian [Bale’s] Lamborghini’s. It was supposed to be Bruce Wayne’s Lambo. Which, by the way, Chris Nolan designed the Batmobile. When I got to his office in London on the first day, there were drawings of the Batmobile behind it, and somebody told me. But I’m standing in downtown Chicago, and I’m admiring the car, and that’s where this rumor that I’m playing the Riddler started. I was standing outside, just waiting for the shot. But I love that, and we can perpetuate this theory if you want.”

Although Hall was unfortunately not the Riddler, that doesn’t mean he isn’t down to join the DCU, led by James Gunn, or the new Batman movies, led by Matt Reeves. “We’re gonna formalize this and get this going. Matt Reeves, if you’re reading MovieWeb, I’m available. Also, I think [Alan Ritchson] is available to play Batman, so I would be honored.” But for now, viewers can watch Trigger Warning, starring Anthony Michael Hall alongside Jessica Alba, Mark Webber, Alejandro De Hoyos, Tone Bell, Jake Weary, and Gabriel Basso, directed by Mouly Surya on Netflix.