"I wanted to do a film in the real world and a social-issue driven": David Yates opens up about his upcoming Pain Hustlers

Pain Hustlers may be one of the most anticipated Netflix shows this month, coming from the man behind the iconic Harry Potter franchise, who has worked on many of the original films and the critically acclaimed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. However, it seems that David Yates is not entirely into all that magic anymore, and is slowly trying to shift his focus to some more real-world issues.

Ahead of the release of Pain Hustlers, which premieres on Netflix on September 11, 2023, David Yates opened up about his desire to do more real-life-driven dramas at the Toronto Film Festival, as reported by Variety. He spoke about his desire to do this film and opened up about why it was important.

"Having spent such a long time making films about wizards, I wanted to do a film in the real world and a social-issue driven, but one that wasn’t too earnest and serious...I wanted to tell a story that was entertaining and funny in a subversive kind of way."

He further explained:

"I’m moving from a heightened world of J.K. Rowling, but I’m not going straight to kitchen-sink drama. The characters here are so heightened and crazy and the world is so intense."

He also expanded on how he wanted the upcoming film to feel.

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"I needed to show that there are consequences": David Yates on what effect he wants from Pain Hustlers

Pain Hustlers is a gritty tale about the rise and fall of an ethically compromised saleswoman named Liza Drake (played by Emily Blunt). It also addresses a crucial issue in the present world--the use of painkillers. The story follows the desperate attempt of the pharmaceutical startup to push a drug into the market that would cause much more harm than good in the community.

David Yates wanted this ethically ambiguous approach to hit the people and make them think about many such things that require moral compromise, and how easily people actually do it. Speaking about Pain Hustlers, David Yates said:

"I wanted people to feel culpable...I wanted to allow them to be drawn into the same sort of whirligig of desire and ambition and then to take the fall with our key protagonists. I needed to show that there are consequences to what they are doing. Tonally, it was a tightrope walk."

Interestingly, Yates also revealed that there were other versions of Pain Hustlers, which were a tad bit more bizarre than the already high-octane film that is about to hit the streaming service.

He added:

"There were variations of the film in which it was more wildly funny...We had to tame that. If it’s too entertaining and funny in the first half or two-thirds of the people feel a little cheated when they get to the final third and we want them to be moved and shocked by all this. It’s a careful calibration."

Irrespective of that, Pain Hustlers is set to comment on some of the very important issues plaguing society right now, and it would also give Yates the chance to delve into more serious drama in the future.

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Pain Hustlers will stream on Netflix from September 11, 2023.