Interview: ‘Dope Thief’ Editor (and Philly Native) Eric Litman, ACE Can Attest to the New Series’ Authenticity

Editor Eric Litman, ACE cut three episodes of Apple TV+’s brand new crime series Dope Thief, picking up the high-strung saga of Ray (Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny (Wagner Moura) in episode 3 “Run, Die, or Relapse” and upping the tension across both episode 4 “Philadelphia Lawyer” and episode 7 “Mussolini.” But as a native of the Delaware Valley, Litman’s connection to the Philadelphia-set series extends well beyond his work in the cutting room.

“Editing a series shot in a city you have personal ties to adds an extra layer of connection,” says Litman. “You instinctively understand the rhythms, the character of the streets, and the nuances of its atmosphere.”

Litman’s intimate understanding of Philadelphia allowed him to pay particular attention to the setting throughout his work on the show. Indeed, Philly emerges as its own character in Dope Thief, which often mirrors the city’s raw blue-collar sensibility. That tone is established from the onset, with legendary director (and Dope Thief executive producer) Ridley Scott directing the first episode and even enlisting Oscar-winning cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt (interviewed here and here by Joey) to shoot it. Naturally, Scott and Messerschmidt’s gritty vision for Dope Thief endures throughout the series.

“My directors, Marcela Said and Jonathan van Tulleken, took the tone Ridley set and ran with it, pushing it even further,” says Litman. “They embraced the grit, the urgency, and the psychological depth, bringing their own unique sensibilities to the storytelling. In the edit, that meant staying true to the grounded realism Ridley infused into the pilot while also leaning into the heightened tension and emotional stakes that Marcela and Jonathan captured so well.”

Scott may be the flashiest name in the series’ opening credits, but Litman can attest to the excellence of the show’s entire creative team, including Oscar-nominated showrunner Peter Craig, whose script for the 2011 film The Town proved a vital source of inspiration for Litman on Dope Thief.

“The way that film builds tension with moments of silence, followed by sudden bursts of intensity, really resonated with me. I drew from that to craft a rhythm in my edits, making sure that we allowed the tension to simmer before it reached a boiling point, always keeping the audience on edge.”

With prior credits ranging from Netflix’s live-action One Piece to Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Litman has already established himself as a stalwart of sci-fi and genre storytelling, but his grounded return to his roots with Dope Thief just might signal an exciting new direction for the accomplished editor.

“While I’ll always have a love for sci-fi and high-concept storytelling, I’d love to explore more grounded dramas, thrillers, or even a Western,” says Litman. “But ultimately, what matters most is the team—the best projects are the ones where talented, passionate people push each other to create something meaningful, and that’s what I always look for in any new opportunity.”

Check out my full interview with Eric Litman below. We discuss his reaction to Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura’s Philly accents, and dive even deeper into his many creative influences on Dope Thief.

New episodes of the series drop every Friday on Apple TV+.

Hey Eric! As a native of the Philadelphia area yourself, could you describe the experience of cutting together episodes of Dope Thief, which was shot on-location in Philly?

Eric Litman: Cutting Dope Thief was a unique and deeply rewarding experience, especially with its on-location shoot in Philadelphia. Editing a series shot in a city you have personal ties to adds an extra layer of connection—you instinctively understand the rhythms, the character of the streets, and the nuances of its atmosphere.

From an editorial standpoint, Philly itself became a key player in the storytelling. The cinematography leaned into naturalistic lighting and dynamic handheld camerawork, which gave the series an immediacy that I wanted to preserve in the cut. One of the biggest challenges—and joys—was shaping the pacing to reflect the energy of the city. Philly has this raw, kinetic feel, and the edit had to match that, especially in scenes where the characters are on the move through recognizable locations.

Since Dope Thief is a crime thriller that also thrives on its buddy-comedy dynamic and dark humor, balancing those tones in the edit was crucial. The chemistry between Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura drives the show, so timing became everything—whether it was cutting a rapid-fire exchange to maximize a sharp, cynical joke or letting a beat linger just long enough to let the absurdity of a situation land. Some of the funniest moments come from the sheer chaos of their schemes going sideways, and making those comedic beats work while keeping the stakes high was a challenge I really enjoyed.

At the same time, the show has intense, emotionally charged sequences that required a different editorial approach—letting a scene breathe to fully capture the weight of a decision or the fallout of a job gone wrong. The contrast between these moments and the humor makes both aspects hit harder, keeping the audience engaged and off-balance in the best way possible.

One of the most rewarding aspects was crafting montages that seamlessly wove together different parts of the city. Philly has a distinct visual identity, and we wanted to ensure that each transition felt intentional and immersive. The interplay of tension, humor, and character-driven storytelling made this a particularly exciting project to cut, and it was a blast to help shape the show’s unique tone in post.

Actors Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura have spoken about refining their Philadelphia accents for Dope Thief. How do you tend to evaluate performance in the editing room, and what was your reaction to their accent work, considering your own Philadelphia roots?

EL: Evaluating performance in the cutting room is always about serving the story first. A great performance isn’t just about an actor delivering a line well—it’s about whether that delivery enhances the emotional truth of the scene and fits within the overall tone of the show. With Dope Thief, Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura brought a nuanced, layered chemistry to their roles, balancing the show’s tension, dark humor, and emotional depth. Their performances needed to feel authentic not just in action and reaction, but also in how they inhabited the world of Philadelphia.

When it comes to accent work, especially in a city as distinct as Philly, there’s always a fine line between authenticity and accessibility. Having roots in Philadelphia, I’m naturally attuned to the subtle cadences and unique inflections of the local dialect. In the cut, the question wasn’t just, “Does this sound like an exact replication of a Philly accent?” It was, “Does this feel natural for this character in this moment?” What mattered most was whether their speech patterns felt lived-in rather than performed.

Both Henry and Moura put clear effort into capturing the Philly sound, and I appreciated how they avoided exaggeration—accents can easily become distractions if they’re overworked. Their choices felt grounded, particularly in how they modulated their speech depending on the intensity of a scene. In moments of high tension, their delivery naturally sharpened, while in quieter, more introspective beats, there was a softness that felt earned.

Marin Ireland had to play Mina without a voice for most of the series, which meant we had to find creative ways to express her despair and frustration in an increasingly hopeless situation. Sometimes, we leaned into technology—putting text messages on screen or using her iPad to speak for her. The iPad, in particular, became an unexpected storytelling tool; depending on what Mina “said,” it could add moments of comedic relief to otherwise tense scenes. Other times, silence was our most powerful device—we’d hold on her longer than usual, letting her eyes do the talking. Every choice was about preserving her strength and intelligence, ensuring that even without words, her presence remained commanding.

In post, we’re constantly shaping performance—moving lines around can make a line land more naturally, or a reaction shot can add authenticity to a conversational rhythm. The key was always ensuring that nothing pulled the audience out of the moment.

Ultimately, their performances transcended the technical aspects of accent work. Brian Tyree Henry’s charismatic presence was magnetic—you couldn’t help but be drawn into his emotional arc—while Wagner Moura delivered a performance imbued with deep remorse and fear that resonated throughout every scene. Both actors built characters who felt real—flawed, compelling, and deeply entrenched in their environment. That’s what made their work resonate, and why every choice in the cutting room was made to ensure that performance always served the story.

I also appreciated Peter Craig’s attention to detail in ensuring that the word “jawn” was used properly as a noun, a verb, and an adjective—a clever nod to Philly’s linguistic flair that underscores the authenticity of the storytelling.

Dope Thief is most notably executive produced by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott. How was Scott’s influence felt throughout the post-production process?

EL: Ridley Scott directing the pilot set the tone for Dope Thief in a way that was both bold and precise. His signature style—grounded yet visceral storytelling, dynamic compositions, and attention to detail—established the show’s visual and narrative language right from the start. That foundation carried through every aspect of post-production. His influence wasn’t just in the way the show looked but also in how it felt—the pacing, the tension, the raw intensity of the characters’ journeys.

My directors, Marcela Said and Jonathan van Tulleken, took the tone Ridley set and ran with it, pushing it even further. They embraced the grit, the urgency, and the psychological depth, bringing their own unique sensibilities to the storytelling. In the edit, that meant staying true to the grounded realism Ridley infused into the pilot while also leaning into the heightened tension and emotional stakes that Marcela and Jonathan captured so well.

From a post-production perspective, we worked hard to maintain the sense of immersion Ridley created. That meant keeping the pacing tight but intentional—letting moments breathe when needed and ramping up the energy when the story demanded it. It also extended to sound design, where we used naturalistic yet heightened audio to draw the audience deeper into the world. His influence was always present, not just in specific stylistic choices but in the overall approach to crafting a cinematic, character-driven crime story.

Having someone like Ridley Scott attached to the project set a high bar, and everyone in post was motivated to meet that standard. His legacy is built on meticulous craftsmanship and storytelling that grips you from start to finish, and Dope Thief was no exception.

Dope Thief features an even further array of talent off-camera, including Academy Award-winning cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Peter Craig. How did the award-winning pedigree of the show’s crew shape the overall vision and tone for the series?

EL: Having talent like Erik Messerschmidt shoot the pilot with Ridley Scott set a visual standard that carried through the entire series. Erik’s cinematography established a grounded yet striking aesthetic—gritty, textured, and immersive. His work with Ridley laid the foundation for how Dope Thief should feel: raw, intense, and cinematic.

After the pilot, my episodes were shot by Yaron Orbach and Eduardo Mayén, who both embraced and expanded on the visual language Erik established. They maintained that same level of precision while bringing their own unique perspectives, finding ways to deepen the show’s atmosphere and tension. Whether it was framing characters in isolation to highlight their paranoia or using handheld energy to amplify the chaos, their work gave me incredible material to shape in the edit.

And, of course, Peter Craig’s writing was the backbone of it all. His ability to craft layered, morally complex characters made my job both challenging and rewarding. Every scene was loaded with subtext, and his pacing on the page naturally informed the rhythm of the edit. The show had to feel propulsive but still give weight to the emotional moments, which meant finding the right balance between action and reflection.

With a team operating at such a high level, the expectations were huge. But that level of talent also meant that everyone—directors, cinematographers, editors, sound designers—was working toward the same goal: making Dope Thief as cinematic and gripping as possible. The collaboration and trust across the board allowed us to push the storytelling in ways that felt bold and authentic, making for a show that I’m really proud to have been a part of.

You received acclaim for your work on Netflix’s One Piece adaptation in 2023. How did that experience differ from your work on Dope Thief for Apple TV+?

EL: While One Piece and Dope Thief exist in very different genres—one a big-budget, VFX-heavy adventure and the other a grounded, character-driven crime drama—there are actually a lot of similarities when it comes to editing. At the core of both, my job is to make sure the story tracks, no matter how ambitious the scope or how many moving pieces there are.

With One Piece, the challenge was balancing a sprawling ensemble, intricate action sequences, and extensive visual effects while maintaining emotional clarity. Every scene had to stay rooted in character, ensuring that amid all the spectacle, the audience remained invested in Luffy and his crew. Action editing in a VFX-heavy show also required a lot of precision—often cutting based on previsualization or placeholder effects and anticipating how the final shots would play.

On Dope Thief, the complexity came from weaving multiple crime storylines, balancing dark humor with tension, and shaping the dynamic between Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura. In some ways, tracking interwoven narratives in a crime drama isn’t so different from managing multiple character arcs in a high-concept fantasy world. In both cases, pacing is crucial—whether it’s knowing when to let a dramatic moment breathe or when to tighten the rhythm to keep the energy up.

Another key similarity was ensuring geography and continuity were clear. In One Piece, that meant keeping action spatially coherent within elaborate fight sequences and ship-based set pieces. In Dope Thief, it was about maintaining a sense of place across Philadelphia’s distinct locations—ensuring the movement between neighborhoods and key events felt seamless.

Ultimately, whether it’s a swashbuckling adventure or a gritty crime thriller, the goal is the same: keep the audience emotionally engaged and the storytelling sharp. The tools and techniques may differ, but making sure every cut supports character, tension, and momentum is what ties both experiences together.

What was your biggest creative challenge cutting together your episodes of Dope Thief?

EL: One of the biggest creative challenges in cutting Dope Thief was balancing the incredible footage directed by Marcela Said with the tight, propulsive storytelling laid out by Peter Craig. Marcela captured some truly stunning and emotionally rich material, and the performances were fantastic across the board. The first cuts were coming in between 70 to 90 minutes, packed with great moments, but our job was to shape those into episodes that felt both gripping and accessible for the audience.

Marcela gave me such incredible, dynamic footage that was very unconventional at times. Finding ways to use that footage so that it served the story rather than stand out was key in making the episode shine. She also had a great eye and would instinctively grab shots in the moment that she felt could be used for dramatic effect. One example was before a big shootout where Ray looks up and sees a flock of vultures. Marcela run-and-gunned like an indie filmmaker, getting me 20 takes of vultures flying. Later that day, she called me and said, “Make sure to use the vultures.” And she was absolutely right—it really helped put us into Ray’s headspace, making the moment feel even more visceral and foreboding.

We also had a number of montages to show many different character arcs and the passage of time, all interwoven to reflect how our main characters have grown. These were tricky to shape, as they had to blend seamlessly with the narrative while still highlighting the emotional evolution of the characters. Some scenes were absolute gems—very poetic in their own right—but they had to be worked so that they made cohesive sense for the overall story.

My episodes were also very Mina-heavy, showing that she was really a strong-minded agent who got mixed up in a bad situation. We needed to make sure to show her trajectory while keeping her strong. We would linger on her for a bit longer than usual to show that she was thinking about all the angles, not trusting anyone, and was on a mission to solve the mystery.

It was a challenge to preserve all the nuanced character work while maintaining the urgency and tension that Peter’s script demanded. Every cut had to serve the pacing, making sure that we hit all the story beats without losing the depth of the performances. It was about finding that perfect balance—letting the best moments breathe while keeping the energy tight and immersive.

Did you take inspiration from any particular crime series or films as you established the pacing and tone for your three episodes of Dope Thief?

EL: Absolutely, the pacing and tone for my episodes of Dope Thief were very much influenced by the rhythm and structure of crime films that I hold in high regard—one key reference was The Town, which just happened to be written by Peter Craig. The way that film builds tension with moments of silence, followed by sudden bursts of intensity, really resonated with me. I drew from that to craft a rhythm in my edits, making sure that we allowed the tension to simmer before it reached a boiling point, always keeping the audience on edge.

Another massive influence was The Godfather. I’ve always been captivated by the use of sound design in that film, particularly the moment when Michael Corleone shoots Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey. The rising sound of the subway crescendoing into the gunfire is such a powerful moment. It heightens the tension, almost making you feel the impending violence before it happens. I try to replicate this feeling in my work, focusing on sound design as much as the visuals. The smallest sounds—footsteps, a distant siren, the creak of a door—can add layers of tension and make a scene feel even more immersive.

I also drew from Michael Mann’s Heat, specifically the big shootout in downtown LA. The way they used naturalistic sound design to make the gunfire feel visceral and immediate was something I wanted to bring into Dope Thief. For a massive shootout in a quarry in one of my episodes, I leaned into that same approach, letting the raw, echoing gunfire create a sense of chaos and realism. I also made a conscious choice to keep the point of view locked to Ray and Manny, emphasizing the horror of the situation rather than placing them directly in the action. Instead of making them active participants, I framed them as unwilling spectators, which really heightened the intensity and made the scene feel even more unsettling.

As I worked through Dope Thief, I found that after cutting a number of montages, using a temp score by Trent Reznor was incredibly helpful. The way his music builds tension and complements the visual rhythm was a great guide for me. When I was editing, it became a kind of litmus test for pacing—if the temp score hit the right emotional notes and rhythm, I knew I was on track. It helped reinforce that my pacing and rhythm were in sync with the emotional beats of the story, ensuring that everything from the quieter, introspective moments to the intense action sequences flowed smoothly.

How did your strong background in sci-fi and genre storytelling prepare you for your work on Dope Thief? Do you have any other genres in which you would like to work moving forward?

EL: Peter Craig’s collaborative approach was infectious, and the support from the team at Scott Free and Apple was invaluable. They trusted us to take creative risks while always keeping the heart of the story in focus. That trust made the entire process feel incredibly rewarding, creating an environment where we could refine every detail—whether it was shaping the tension in a key sequence or finding the perfect rhythm for a montage. Peter understands how to build complex, layered characters, and his openness to ideas in post made the edit feel like a true creative partnership.

Technology has made collaboration easier than ever, no matter where you are in the world. Marcela Said would FaceTime me from set in Philadelphia while I was cutting in Los Angeles to discuss what she shot that day, and later, we cut together using Evercast while she was in Paris. Being able to get immediate feedback in real time ensured we were always aligned creatively. That instant connection made the entire process feel seamless, even across different time zones. It’s amazing how technology has removed so many barriers, allowing directors, editors, and producers to stay engaged and shape a project together, no matter where they are.

Dope Thief was an incredible experience because of the people involved—everyone was invested in telling a gripping, character-driven story. That energy made the process exciting, and it reinforced why I love what I do. There’s something truly special about working with a team that is just as passionate about the craft. When every department is pushing to elevate the project, that dedication translates to the screen.

My background in sci-fi and genre storytelling has always been about world-building, pacing, and crafting tension—all of which were crucial in editing Dope Thief. Regardless of genre, the goal is the same: to immerse the audience in a compelling story with dynamic characters. Genre storytelling has taught me how to balance exposition with action, when to let a moment breathe, and how to shape tension so that each beat lands with maximum impact.

At the heart of it all, the best experiences come from working with great people who love collaboration. Dope Thief was an incredible experience because of the team, and that energy made every step of the process exciting. I’ve learned that it’s less about the project itself and more about the people you collaborate with. That advice came from a great editor I worked with early in my career, and it has stuck with me ever since.

As for what’s next, I’m currently working on One Piece season two. All I can say is, it won’t disappoint! However, I’m always open to new challenges. While I’ll always have a love for sci-fi and high-concept storytelling, I’d love to explore more grounded dramas, thrillers, or even a Western. But ultimately, what matters most is the team—the best projects are the ones where talented, passionate people push each other to create something meaningful, and that’s what I always look for in any new opportunity.