Jack Bryan, a 29-year-old writer/director, is going to make me a movie star. My fellow Buckley School alum is about to film his newest feature, Private Kingdom, which is a stylish after-hours journey into the hidden, decadent world of New York nightlife. I can already smell the Cristal bubbles and Parliament Light fumes. Bryan’s most recent movie, The Living, got him a New York Times Styles profile, and his next film will be populated with characters ranging from glam socialites to grifters. It starts shooting this spring. I am so ready for my close up(s).
Jack and I had breakfast near his apartment in Williamsburg to talk moviemaking…
The Living was about a brother who puts a hit on his sister’s husband. Heavy, dark stuff. What is the plot of Private Kingdom?
The film follows personal concierge and aspiring deal maker, Nick Hopper, through one day as he navigates New York’s nightlife and high-end service industry in hopes of joining the ranks of those he serves. I wanted to have a main character who had to deal with a wide cross section of New York, from business magnates to small time hustlers, cops to paparazzi so as to achieve a kind of holistic view of the city.
You’re a native New Yorker. The Living took place in rural Pennsylvania. Are you excited to film in Manhattan?
There’s a lot I want to say about the inner workings of New York with this film, but it’s also a fast passed insane journey into a shamelessly debauched world. I mean, some crazy stuff goes down in this town after dark.
P.S. I like to say that the best things happen after midnight. The movie sounds great. Now I better go learn my lines.
