The new action film Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt is heading to Philippine cinemas this week!

Bullet Train follows Pitt’s Ladybug, an unlucky assassin waiting to catch a break and finish his job in peace. However, he soon finds himself inside the world’s fastest train where he gets on a collision course with other assassins whose missions are not unrelated to his.

Watch the trailer for Bullet Train below:

Excited to see Bullet Train on the big screen? On this list, we’ve rounded up some interesting facts that you might want to know about the new film!

1. Brad Pitt’s former stunt double is directing.

This is not the first time that director David Leitch and Brad Pitt worked together. In fact, Leitch used to be the actor’s stunt double in films such as Fight Club, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Troy, and more.

“It was a little funny to me, watching Brad play a stuntman in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” shared Leitch. “I can tell you that the relationship between actor and stuntman that was part of that movie is real. You develop a close and collaborative relationship. We went in different directions for a while, but fate wasn’t done with us, and I’m so glad it’s brought us back together.”

2. It is based on a Japanese novel.

The film is based on the book Maria Beetle by Kotaro Isaka published in 2010, with its English-translated version published just last year. Another popular title from Isaka is Three Assassins, which like its predecessor, follows intertwining stories between quirky hired killers.

3. Lady Gaga was supposed to play Maria Beetle.

It was Lady Gaga who was set to play Ladybug’s mysterious handler. However, due to scheduling conflicts with Lady Gaga starring in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci, the actress had to turn down the role.

“It really all came down to her schedule with the Ridley Scott film, House Of Gucci,” director Leitch told Entertainment Weekly. “There were short discussions and then, this isn’t going to work because she was preparing for the Ridley movie. They shot right before us and overlapped with us and it really didn’t work.”

4. One of the assassins pulls their inspiration from Thomas the Tank Engine.

Brian Tyree Henry who plays Lemon– the partner-in-crime of Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Tangerine– shared that he had shaped his character in the film with Thomas the Tank Engine in mind.

““He knows how to tell his marks based on certain characteristics of Thomas The Tank Engine,” Henry told Empire in an interview. “He can tell if there’s somebody that’s reliable, something that needs to be killed right away, or somebody that is actually up to little schemes.”

5. ‘Bullet Train’ got Brad Pitt into another film.

Before Bullet Train, Brad Pitt also appeared in this year’s The Lost City headlined by Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. According to The Lost City directors Aaron and Adam Nee, they didn’t expect to have Pitt on board, but thanks to Bullock and Bullet Train (and the hairdresser), the actor was happy to join!

“Brad Pitt’s name came up early for this. But the role isn’t a cameo, he’s in a good chunk of the movie. We were like, ‘We’re never going to get Brad Pitt to do this,'” said Adam in an interview with Total Film. “And then Sandy did Bullet Train [with Pitt], she was pitching him the role and she and Brad share a hairdresser, Janine [Thompson]. Janine was saying to Brad, ‘How would you do your hair if you played this part? What would you do about this?’ It felt like she just started getting him excited about it. And it then suddenly became real – and we were sitting on a Zoom, and talking to him about the movie. Before we knew it, he was in the jungle.”

Bullet Train opens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, August 10, 2022. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.