The father and son relationship in Max Allan Collins' graphic novel 'Road to Perdition' struck a chord with the father and son producers Dean Zanuck and Richard D. Zanuck, and was eventually fleshed out even more in the screenplay by David Self.

"Road to Perdition" is a title with a dual meaning. In literal terms, Perdition is the name of the town to which Michael Sullivan and his only surviving son, Michael Sullivan, Jr., are headed. But Perdition is also a euphemism for Hell, and in that regard, the road is one Michael Sullivan prays he can keep his son from travelling.

"The message from Michael the father to Michael the son is that you get to choose the road you're on in this life, but don't choose what I have chosen…the road I've been on all my life. Somewhere in my past, I made the choice to go in a certain direction, and it leads right to perdition," says Tom Hanks, who stars as Michael Sullivan.

Director/producer Sam Mendes agrees, observing, "Michael Sullivan considers himself to have been put on the road to Hell. Now he is in a battle for the soul of his son. Can a man who has led a bad life achieve redemption through his child? That is one of the central questions asked by the movie."

The first step on the movie "Road to Perdition" was taken by producer Dean Zanuck when he received the graphic novel, written by Max Allan Collins, as part of a pitch. Having never even seen a graphic novel, let alone read one, he began flipping through it and was hooked. "I just loved it," he recalls. "The father and son story had a powerful emotional impact on me, and the illustrations by Richard Piers Rayner provided a great visual of the period. That, combined with the action in the piece, made it very appealing. When I finished it, I said to my wife, 'I think something special is going to happen with this.'"

The younger Zanuck immediately sent the book to his father, producer Richard D. Zanuck, who was on location in Morocco. Richard Zanuck picks up the story with, "I read it and was instantly attracted to it. It had wonderful action and colorful characters, and just had all the elements of being a very entertaining, provocative picture. But it was the relationship between the father and son that develops through the course of the story that really got me. I called Dean and asked him to send a copy over to Steven Spielberg at DreamWorks. To my amazement, two days later the phone rang in my humble little room in Morocco and it was Steven. He said, 'I love this. Let's do it.' And that's how it happened."

Richard Zanuck says, "Everyone responded very strongly and very positively to the script. The graphic novel was told in pictures and images, but the screenplay evolved into a much deeper, more complex story. It delves more into the personal side of this father and son and has more heart…more human emotions."

One of those who responded positively was director Sam Mendes, who chose "Road to Perdition" as his follow-up to his Oscar®-winning film directorial debut, "American Beauty." The Zanucks knew Mendes was perfect to helm "Road to Perdition" from their very first meeting with him. "The way he spoke about the story and his plans for the film, we felt the movie elevating before our very eyes," Dean Zanuck states. "He had an extraordinary grasp of the material."

Mendes offers that there were several elements that attracted him to the project, beginning with the script. "David Self had made some clever additions to the graphic novel, but it remained an incredibly simple, powerful story. At its heart, there was the father/son relationship, but it was also a serious gangster movie set in what I consider to be the last mythic American landscape--the 1930s, the Depression era, when there was still space to lose yourself in the vastness of America…when there were mystical golden cities rising up, like Chicago. So there was this amazingly varied and enormous canvas on which to tell the story. And, as a narrative, it had a very clear linear drive. It didn't stop; it moved relentlessly forward, and it had this fascinating central character who is morally ambivalent. As an audience, we don't know if this is somebody who--without wanting to be too simplistic--is a good man or a bad man from the beginning of the story to the end."

The central character of "Road to Perdition" is Michael Sullivan, played by two-time Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks. Hanks had learned of the project early on when Steven Spielberg gave him the graphic novel even before there was a screenplay, telling him it was a great read.

Hanks agreed and asked to see a script when it was done. Hanks  comments that one of the things that initially intrigued him about the story was its unpredictability. "I thought this would be the kind of genre movie that would be very familiar to me, but three pages into it, I didn't know where I was or what was going to happen next. I remember thinking that here is this movie that should be predictable but is utterly unpredictable. That, coupled with the realities of what it was going to take to make this period piece…I wondered who they could get to do it justice. It turned out to be Sam Mendes. Chatting with him, I knew we would be in the hands of someone who could tell the story the way it needed to be told."

Mendes has no less admiration for the actor, noting, "How can you not admire Tom Hanks? He's an amazing actor, but what's even better than having a great actor is having a great actor who's never before done what the part is asking of him. Michael Sullivan is a very dark, very mysterious man, and not at all accessible to the audience, at least initially. He is someone who carries with him a sense of guilt and regret for the life he has led, but this regret is never stated; it is just felt and seen. What Tom is able to convey in silence is extraordinary, but then, that would be my definition of a great screen actor."

While Michael Sullivan is something of an enigma to the audience, Hanks' insight into his character began before he ever stepped into the role. "While I was reading this, I actually thought of the verse from The Bible that says, 'He who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind.' That's what happens to Sullivan: He's married, the father of two, and has one of the bigger houses in town…and it's been paid for with fear, intimidation, violence and blood. Now he's in the midst of something he should have known was coming, but somehow he was able to block out the reality of his world and believe it would have no consequences, and, of course, finally it does. At the moment we're dropped into the story, it is literally the last day of that false perspective."

That being said, Hanks is clear that, despite any illusions Sullivan might have held, "I think he very much understands the times in which he lives and how he ended up doing what he does for a living: working for Mr. Rooney, the man who saved his life, probably before he was even conscious that his life needed saving. Therein lies the examination of our fathers, which is no small part of this story. Mr. Rooney is a father figure to Sullivan. Sullivan wants to emulate him, while at the same time, he fears him. Young Michael, Jr. feels the same about his father. This movie is about that moment when the truth is revealed, when you see the flaw in the man you considered to be your father. How do you deal with it? Is it the shattering of your world, or the beginning of a new understanding of the failures we as human beings all have? Does it draw you closer to the man you viewed as the reason you're in the world, or does it drive you away from that person who is responsible for who you are? It's fascinating stuff."

The father and son aspect of the story was also compelling to the man who portrays Mr. John Rooney, Oscar®-winning screen legend Paul Newman. However, as the patriarch of the family, Newman's perspective was that of a father whose loyalties are tested by his surrogate son, Michael Sullivan, and his real son, Connor Rooney. "Rooney's son Connor is a bad guy, and his 'adopted' son Michael is kind of a good bad guy. Rooney is forced to protect one at the expense of the other, so it's an intriguing conflict," he offers.

Newman also appreciated the arc of his character. "He goes through an interesting progression in the film. He starts out robust and powerful and full of vinegar, and becomes a man beaten down by tragedy. It's a marvellous part."

Not surprisingly, Paul Newman was the filmmakers' unanimous choice for the role of Mr. Rooney. Richard Zanuck confirms, "We all agreed there was only one actor who could play Rooney. There was no second choice." The producer, whose professional history with Newman includes such films as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting" and "The Verdict," goes on to say, "Particularly at this stage of his career, Paul is very careful about the roles he chooses, so we were so thrilled that he loved this role. He really is a pro's pro. He makes it look easy, but he works very hard. He puts a lot of thought and preparation into everything he does."

Mendes agrees. "Paul was always honing his performance. He would come in having spent hours in his trailer going over the tiniest little pivotal moments, which is really amazing when you think about it. I mean, considering the career he's had, to care that much and not leave anything to chance, was inspiring to everyone. Everybody respects him to such a great degree, and it was just incredible for all of us to have Paul Newman on the set."

While Michael Sullivan's father figure is played by the iconic Paul Newman, his son, Michael Sullivan, Jr., is played by newcomer Tyler Hoechlin. Hoechlin won the plum role over a field of more than 2,000 young actors, who were screened by casting director Debra Zane in open calls held in cities across the United States.

Dean Zanuck recalls, "We were looking at tape after tape and no one was hitting the mark. Then Sam called me into his office and said, 'Dean, I want to show you something. I think we've found our kid.'"

Mendes says, "It's what you hope for--that you will turn on a tape and within two seconds know this is the one. Then you just pray that when you actually meet the actor, he's everything you hoped he would be. The moment Tyler walked in the room, it was clear he had something special, and I defy anyone not to notice it the minute he appears on the screen. He's a very skilled young actor with a wisdom in his eyes that belies his years."

Only 13 years old when he landed the role of Michael Sullivan, Jr., Hoechlin showed remarkable insight into his character and his relationship with his father. "Michael loves his dad dearly and desperately wants to be close to him. He tries--he keeps going after it--but he doesn't really get anything back. Then suddenly they're the only two left, and they begin to develop a stronger relationship as his dad starts to realize that Michael is all he has now and how much he's been missing. I think the journey is of a father and son getting to know each other, and also finding out who they themselves are."

Though he could understand the character, Hoechlin could barely grasp it when Mendes informed him that he had gotten the part. "It didn't really sink in for about two weeks until I was leaving for location," he remembers. "Finally it hit me, 'Oh my gosh, I'm going to work with Tom Hanks and Paul Newman and Jude Law.' It was almost beyond comprehension."
Dean Zanuck found it interesting to note that, together with those three actors Hoechlin so greatly admires, the young actor was an important facet of a cast that mirrors the generational aspects of the story. "We had four generations of great actors, starting with the iconic Paul Newman; then Tom Hanks, who is arguably the biggest actor of today; to Jude Law, who is a fast-rising star; and finally Tyler Hoechlin, a newcomer, who amazed us all."
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