Dillon, Fishburne lead the guys in The "Armored" truck

CEBU, Philippines - Each of the diverse characters in Columbia Pictures’ new action-thriller “Armored” has a different motive for taking part in the heist, but all have one thing in common: none of them are heroes, and none are villains. That complexity sent the filmmakers looking for actors who could straddle the line between good and evil.

Industry veterans Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne and Jean Reno helped shape the story by bringing unique insights to their characters.

Matt Dillon plays Bill Cochran, the senior officer on the truck. “Cochrane is definitely the big dog in the room,” says screenwriter James V. Simpson. Everybody respects and trusts him. But in private, he always felt there were great opportunities that lay just beyond his grasp. He worked hard all his life. He always followed the rules. And now he feels like life is about to pass him by. “The robbery is his idea and his plan is elegantly simple. It doesn’t involve a lot of pyrotechnics: just take the money, hide it, and stage a false robbery.”

Dillon was attracted by the film’s unique premise, as well as his character’s complexity and contradictions. “This film has a lot of action in it, but it’s essentially character-driven,” Dillon says. “Each of the characters is very specific, with a distinct personality and way of reacting under pressure. When I saw the dynamic coming together, it felt like a classic crime picture.”

Fishburne took his character, Baines, in a direction the screenwriter says he never anticipated. “Baines is more than just a generic loose cannon,” says Simpson. “He’s a guy who enjoys getting his hands dirty. Had it not been for his connections to Cochrane, he could easily have already robbed an armored car. He’s a criminal at heart who found his way into the company of good men and became a good man, but he’s the guy who will take things a little too far.”

“Every heist movie needs a character like Baines,” says Fishburne. “You have to have a guy who’s not quite right. That’s the guy I get to play in this movie. Baines does a good job at pretending to be normal, but he’s definitely not.”

Reno plays the third veteran guard, Quinn. “Quinn is a follower,” says Simpson. “Quinn wants to please. Jean Reno brought a tremendous accessibility to the character. I think a lot of people are going to relate to him and be surprised by what he does with the character.”

“I very much liked the idea of working with this cast,” says Reno . “When you have a good group of professional actors, then you do not have to explain what you’re going to do. When you dance with somebody who knows how to dance, you do not have to explain where you put your foot. They are aware of you. We each learned something every day about talent or about generosity.” 

Opening soon across the Philippines , “Armored” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.