Wyatt Russell watched a lot of Mormon documentaries to prepare for Under The Banner of Heaven
gamesradar.comWyatt Russell knew he wanted to be involved in the adaptation of Under The Banner of Heaven ever since he read the book a decade ago. Written by Jon Krakauer, the non-fiction opus delves into the 1984 murder of a young Mormon mother called Brenda Lafferty and her baby daughter, and its connections to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).
Adapted into a series for FX – and now available on Disney Plus in the UK – Russell got his wish, joining the all-star cast as Brenda’s brother-in-law Dan Lafferty. First introduced as an ally to the young woman in the eccentric family, Dan's true colors soon start to show in this tense adaptation.
Total Film spoke to Russell about playing the real-life figure, his research into Mormonism, and taking a deep dive into Lafferty’s psyche. This interview was part of a roundtable and has been edited for length and clarity.
Total Film: What attracted you initially to get involved in this project – did you know a little bit about the real case beforehand, or were you fresh to the story?
Wyatt Russell: I read the book about 10 years ago before I heard that they were making a new movie maybe seven or eight years ago. I drive on that route through St. George, Utah, two or three times a year so I've been through Colorado City quite a bit. There you can go canyoneering, they do a lot of day trips through Colorado City, and it was just an interesting place. It always was fascinating because you'd see kids in traditional garments in this city where every house has super high walls and cameras. It’s very odd.
So, it was always a little fascinating. Then looking at the people [involved] and looking at the characters, sometimes you think, 'I could hopefully do a good job with this, I'll
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