Richard Linklater’s newest movie Hit Man is based on the true story of Gary Johnson who was a psychology professor posing as a hitman to help law enforcement catch contract killers. Soon to be an upcoming Netflix movie, fans of Glen Powell will get to see him don the real-life fake hitman sporting many disguises and happily eating pie. But the black comedy film’s director reveals just how much of his new movie happened in real life.
Hit Man was based on a Texas Monthly article written by Richard Linklater’s Bernie co-writer Skip Hollandsworth. As the article’s true story of Gary Johnson got the film adaptation treatment directed, co-written, and co-produced by Linklater, the 2024 Netflix movie follows a fake hitman who becomes romantically entangled with a woman who wants him to kill her husband. But how much of what happened in Hit Man truly happened in real life? The indie filmmaker answered this question to ComicBook:
Oh, that’s a good question. You know, I got to know him a little bit. I just think this movie is so much his point of view, not only of her but just kind of the world, everything. So yeah, it influenced it a lot. You know, what I knew of him personally and what we gather from his life and everything. He had that view. But I think he’d be bemused by this movie where we took it is far beyond his own life. I mean, the article about him ends when he lets her off. So everything from then on is this little thrill ride we take you on. So I don’t know, it’s pretty funny. But yeah, we’re all here for him in a way, you know.
Based on Richard Linklater’s vague answer, it looks like a mix of fact and fiction. This article adaptation is almost similar to Hollandsworth’s 1998 article about a 38-year-old man who murdered an elderly millionaire which ended up being adapted for Bernie starring Jack Black. When you hear about true stories you can’t even believe happened in real life, you can’t help but want to bring them to life on the big screen.
I’m sure the basis of Skip Hollandsworth’s article of an undercover hitman assisting in over 60 arrests is the truth. As for how the beginning-to-end journey goes as well as the film’s plot of his complicated romantic entanglement, it appears the true story will take a more comedic and quirky approach to it. It makes sense as creative liberties need to be taken in order to keep audiences engaged and entertained. Plus, the story of Gary Johnson is very unique and out of the norm already. So I can imagine how fun it was to put this outlandish true story together.
Another interesting fact to learn about Hit Man is that Richard Linklater knew about Skip Hollandsworth’s article for years, but had issues adapting it since the true crime saga article just follows Gary Johnson catching people. But it wasn’t until he spoke to his Fast Food Nation actor Glen Powell about “loosening up the facts” that he saw his vision of adapting Johnson’s story could become a reality. It wasn’t an easy decision for the Boyhood director to make as he said he’s been a big believer in telling true stories as they are. After “loosening up the facts,” he saw he was capable of having fun with this outrageous true story.
If you’re curious how much of the events of Hit Man happened in real life, Richard Linklater’s answer gave off the vibe that there’s a blend of fact and fiction. The backbone of Gary Johnson being an undercover hitman may be the truth, but Linklater probably stretched the facts beyond the events of the article to create fun and hilarity in this already unconventional true tale. Hitman will be available to watch on your Netflix subscription on June 7th.