"When we started the process, we were convinced the audience would be more engrossed if they started out rooting for one side, then found themselves rooting for the other," continues Duff.
"So we began on the side of the police who are supposed to stop crime. Then it turns out that the other side is so cool, so hip, and so much fun, that we enjoy being with them. But they are on a collision course and that’s really the tension of the movie."
The completed script is part high-concept crime caper, part character study and non-stop action. "The script is fun because it’s so full," says Luessenhop.
"It is an action picture but, at the same time, there’s a great deal of emotion. All good pictures, whatever the genre, should be able to tie into the humanity of the characters."
That forced Luessenhop to divide his time between working with actors in dramatic settings and creating the more visceral spectacle of the film, a combination of tasks he relished. "It’s packed with intimate personal stories mixed with tremendous action, set against the huge canvas of Los Angeles," says the director.
"I loved dealing both with the people, and these tremendous stunts and great camera work. It’s thrilling when it happens in front of you, and you can say, ‘Yes, we got that!’ And I got just as excited when someone like Matt Dillon hit a home run in a scene. I wanted to just jump up and hug him at the end of it."
As a writer, Luessenhop made sure to give each of his leading actors a moment worth cheering for. "Every character has a heightened moment in the film, where they achieve something or resolve something. That’s one of the things I’m most proud about the story and I think that’s what attracted a lot of our actors."
Filling the dual roles of writer and director gave Luessenhop a distinct advantage with the cast, says producer Will Packer. "John was able to truly articulate who these characters are," says the producer.
"He has a great way with actors. On a show like this, we had a lot of testosterone eight main male actors. So it was good to have somebody like John, who has a very calming spirit. He’s even-tempered and very clear about what he wants.
"He talks to everybody with respect and I think they respect him because of that. And he’s an extremely hard worker the first one on set every day, the last one to leave."
Luessenhop credits Packer with giving him both the freedom and the support he needed to make the film he envisioned. "Will Packer added so much to this movie," says Luessenhop. "I don’t believe we ever would have achieved the cast we have without him.
"I was in charge of directing, and I made my own decisions, but he was always available to bounce ideas off or suggest improvements. He was always there in the trenches, trying to make the hottest movie possible."
Packer has a long history with Screen Gems, serving as producer for films including Stomp the Yard, Obsessed and This Christmas for the studio. But he says Takers represented a new opportunity.
"As a producer, this is my first full-blown action movie. We had a lot of set pieces that had to be carefully prepared for and thought out and designed. I enjoyed overseeing a project of this size and scope for the first time.
"The audience is going to fall in love with our crew," says Packer. "And I think they’ll take this journey with them. Through triumph and failure and love gained and lost, we’re with them every step of the way as they’re trying to pull of this one last impossible job."
Luessenhop hopes audiences will walk away with an experience that transcends genre. "The thing I would be most proud of is for people to see more than karate or cars or explosions," he says. "I hope it has some emotional resonance after the visceral component fades away."
Takers is released 1st October.