Jesse Eisenberg stars in another action-comedy

MANILA, Philippines - Jesse Eisenberg plays an under-achieving guy who has to put aside his epic falling out with an ex-best friend in order to rob a bank, in Columbia Pictures’ new action-comedy 30 Minutes or Less.

In the film, Nick (Eisenberg) is a small-town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wannabe criminal masterminds (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson). They kidnap Nick and strap a time bomb to him — with the promise that they’ll blow him up unless he robs a bank. With only a few hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet (Ansari). As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flame-throwers and their own tumultuous relationship.

“Nick is a pizza delivery guy who dropped out of college a few years back and now feels a bit stuck,” says Jesse of his character. “It takes a bomb getting strapped on him to light a fire under him, so to speak.”

“The movie has an interesting plot and a clever premise, but what really sets it apart are the characters,” says Jesse. “When I look for a project, that is the most relevant thing to me — the concept is less important than the characters. The story is told through the characters’ perspectives, and there was a lot for the actors to do. The great premise is almost a bonus.”

For that reason, Jesse says, he was happy to have the opportunity to re-team with his Zombieland director, Ruben Fleischer. “Ruben puts an emphasis on caring about the characters even when they’re doing something despicable,” he says. “He always accounts for the emotional experience of the character, even if a scene is supposed to be an action scene or comedic, and that maintains an honesty for the characters, even set against the backdrop of a very broad movie. That’s the common thread between this movie and Zombieland — Ruben never compromises character.

“Jesse is really, really funny, but he’s also an amazing actor — he can add to the gravity of the situation, walking a fine line between showing his fear but also allowing the comedy to play,” says Ruben.

30 Minutes or Less is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.