Sylvester Stallone and Scott Eastwood are setting out on a dangerous mission to defy the chaos that has been unleashed upon an international intelligence network. The duo’s actions, which are putting the network’s security at risk, will be showcased in the new action thriller, ‘Alarum.’

‘Force of Nature’ helmer Michael Polish directed the upcoming film, which was written by Alexander Vesha. In addition to Eastwood and Stallone, the drama also stars Willa Fitzgerald, Mike Colter, Isis Valverde and Joel Cohen.

‘Alarum’ follows two spies caught in the crosshairs of an international intelligence network that will stop at nothing to obtain a critical asset. The agents, Joe (Eastwood) and Lara (Fitzgerald), are married and living off the grid. Their quiet retreat at a winter resort is blown to shreds when members of their old guard suspect the two may have joined the titular elite team of rogue spies.

Lionsgate will release ‘Alarum’ in theaters, On Digital and On Demand this Friday, January 17, 2025. In honor of the movie’s official distribution, Polish generously took the time recently to talk about helming the project during an exclusive interview over Zoom.

The conversation began with the filmmaker explaining why he was inspired to direct the project. “I love the spy thriller genre, as well as the action pieces, because you’re able to play with some toys. Also, it’s a genre that Scott and Stallone are familiar with, so I thought, these guys together would be great. I also thought adding Willa Fitzgerald and Mike Colter would be a lot of fun. With all those pieces together, it’s hard to deny a movie,” he explained.

Following up on the casting process, Polish further delved into how the main actors were brought onto the thriller. “They almost came on simultaneously,” he divulged.

“I knew Scott only briefly – for about a year – before the shoot. This was something that he was attached to first, so we talked about doing it together, and then they officially brought it to me,” the filmmaker revealed.

“I’ve also known Stallone for about 20 years. So he was always waiting in the wings,” Polish also shared. “So the pieces of the puzzle came together.”

The helmer then followed up on the fact that ‘Alarum’ features action sequences that he enjoys. He further delved into how he and the cast and crew appreciated having the opportunity to create the stunts for the film.

“You get to understand that the professional side of safety and understanding of what you’re doing by blowing things up. We’re also audience members, so it’s a lot of fun to see things, like guns and bullets and airplane explosions. As long as you’re safe, it’s a lot of fun to do. So it’s a joy to do these movies,” Polish noted.

Besides working on the stunts with the actors, the filmmaker also appreciated having the opportunity to work with the cast on building their characters’ connections. “The idea is that these movies, while they’re fun and entertaining in action, it’s also nice to see chemistry. I felt it was important to make sure that Scott, Stallone and Willa all had chemistry.

“It was a real surprise how fast Scott and Willa connected. They just really went after it. I really enjoy working with them; they’re just pros,” Polish added.

Creating costumes that also helped the actors get into character, especially during their action sequences, was a process that the director appreciated during the shoot, as well. “I was able to talk to Stallone about it. He’s great to talk to because he’s very specific. He’s been doing it for about five, six decades, but I don’t want to age him too much. But the fact that he’s so specific on the costumes was great. Scott and Willa are, too,” he shared.

“So you spend a lot of time understanding what they want to wear as their characters. If there’s going to be a lot of action in a scene, they think about if their costumes are going to work, in terms of if they can move in them. They really think about the functionality of the design, which is great,” Polish added.

Another major component to crafting ‘Alarum’ was its location. The director shared how the setting also played a major part in building the story.

“When things are set primarily in one location, you really want that to be the character. So we found this place in Ohio that was just fantastic. It felt like it was a different country; it felt very European. So having that set allowed us to really base the story inside of it. Then it kind of took care of itself at that point,” Polish noted.

To help bring the location to life on screen, Polish worked with the drama’s cinematographer, Jayson Crothers. The helmer delved into how he collaborated with the cinematographer to visually bring the story to the screen.

“Jayson Crothers and I have done quite a few projects together. So it’s a real gem to work with him. We understand each other,” Polish admirably said of his collaborator.

“He’s just a really great guy in general. He’s really super talented. He really goes the distance because he really helps produce the movie at the same time. He’s looking out for the interest of everybody on set,” the director added.

Further speaking about collaborating with the producers, Polish also praised the team’s work on ‘Alarum.’ “It was great. I’ve worked with them before. They’re a team and have a specific way of working, so you jump on the board and go for the ride,” he divulged.

While the visuals told a large portion of the movie’s story, the score also helped drive the story. The filmmaker then explained how he choose which music to include in the feature.

“We’re looking at movies in the action genre, and those seem to have a specific feel to them. So working out those beats is always fun,” the Polish noted. “But you really know what genre you’re in with this film, so the score wasn’t going to be something that was going to be experimental.”

Once the thriller finished shooting, Polish enjoyed the process of editing the final version of the story. He felt that the film “just has to move and be entertaining. There were a lot of things left on the floor, as we say, because the story has to be a certain way; it has to move and be quick, and the action has to speak,” he explained.

“So we don‘t have a lot of time to spend on big dialogue scenes. When we get to do those types of scenes, they’re fun. But for the most part, you’re looking to move the story,” the helmer added.

With ‘Alarum’ being released in theaters and digitally later this week, Polish also shared his appreciation for the distribution the feature has secured. “Lionsgate and Grindstone are the ones that are putting this film out. They put another movie of mine out a few years ago. They just have a great way of knowing the genre and the audience. They’re also fun to work with; they’re a good group of people,” he noted.

“I also have to say thank you to the PR team – the whole team is great!,” the filmmaker concluded.