Imagine this for a movie: take three actors, place them inside a small aircraft, and ensure that one is dangerously unstable and intends to harm the others. Keep this high-stakes situation confined to the plane throughout the film.

This is the premise of “Flight Risk” (hitting theaters on Friday), a suspenseful thriller directed by Mel Gibson and starring Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace, with little else happening until the very end.

The script, praised in 2020 on the Hollywood script site known as The Black List, has a theatrical feel, prompting Wahlberg to tap into his acting roots.

“The only stage role I’ve had was as an Oompa Loompa in ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ back in fourth grade,” Wahlberg recalls, noting that the energetic pace of theater was a refreshing change. “I’m not a fan of sets where there’s downtime, so the quick and intense nature of this shoot with just the three of us was fantastic.”

Is Wahlberg open to doing a Broadway show?

“That’s quite a commitment with eight performances a week. But if an opportunity came along for a one-time act and it was right, I wouldn’t decline,” he mentions. “For me, it always comes back to the performance. That’s when I feel the most satisfied.”

Focusing on acting is crucial in “Flight Risk,” given its limited setting. In brief, the story features Dockery as Madolyn, an air marshal responsible for transporting a Mafia trial witness named Winston (played by Grace) from a remote Alaskan town to Anchorage. Her journey involves an old propeller plane piloted by Daryl (Wahlberg), who is revealed to be a hitman.

“I really enjoy films that keep things contained, like ‘Con Air’ and ‘Speed,'” Dockery, known for her role in “Downton Abbey,” comments. “You find it hard to trust anyone’s true identity until the film concludes.”

To build suspense during their four-week shoot, Wahlberg chose not to socialize with his co-stars outside of character interactions. “We initially met on Day 1, but after that, I focused on provoking them to elicit genuine reactions,” he explains. “We stayed in character most of the time. When we wrapped, I thanked them and apologized if I went a bit overboard.”

Mark Wahlberg fully immersed himself in his role as the psychotic pilot Daryl, even bringing a razor to the set

The three leads have noted that Gibson encouraged improvisation, resulting in Wahlberg spitting his gum at Dockery and unleashing a barrage of threats during shooting. When it came to fight scenes with Grace’s character, things got physically intense.

“Wahlberg was very professional and asked me if I was okay before we started the scene, and I assured him I’d be fine,” Grace recounted. “I had padding on, but I got home that night covered in welts. We’re talking about Mark Wahlberg here.”

Wahlberg also added a unique twist to his character’s look: his hair. Rather than wearing a bald cap for his role as a pilot, he opted to shave his head daily on set.

“I brought up the idea of the haircut to Mel, and he asked if I was serious,” Wahlberg shares. “I told him I was, as I didn’t want a wig. I thought of classic roles like Jack Nicholson’s in ‘The Shining’—that’s the vibe I aimed for. Mel is an actor first, so it felt safe to take the risk of looking a bit silly.”

He humorously admits that his wife, Rhea Durham, was not pleased with the shaved head. “Yeah, she was pretty scared,” he jokes.

The filming environment was also nerve-wracking—the actors worked inside a real plane positioned three stories above ground, which could pivot and lift as required by the script. Massive screens surrounded the plane, projecting stunning visuals of the lonely Alaskan landscape.

“I was just grateful I wasn’t prone to motion sickness,” Grace noted. “There wasn’t much acting necessary; the sensation of diving was completely real with your stomach dropping.”

Another challenge was performing fight sequences while the plane shook. Close-up cameramen were often right by the actors during these action scenes. “You had to be careful not to accidentally hit a cameraman while performing,” Dockery admitted.

For Mark Wahlberg, working on ‘Flight Risk’ was a long-awaited opportunity to collaborate with Mel Gibson

For Wahlberg, “Flight Risk” was a chance to achieve a personal goal: collaborating with Mel Gibson.

“He’s directed some of the most compelling films of my lifetime, including ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ ‘Hacksaw Ridge,’ ‘Braveheart,’ and my favorite, ‘Apocalypto.’ I would always tell him, ‘You need to create a movie where I can be involved,’ ” Wahlberg recounted.

While filming the 2017 comedy “Daddy’s Home 2,” which featured Wahlberg, Gibson, Will Ferrell, and Linda Cardellini, Wahlberg often entertained Gibson by showcasing various accents and voices.

“Mel told me, ‘I had no idea you could do that!’ and mentioned including me in a future project where I’d play an Aussie, but that fell through,” he reflected.

Then came “Flight Risk,” where Wahlberg not only took center stage but also had the opportunity to showcase one of his personas. When we first encounter Daryl, he appears as a charming Southern gentleman eager to assist the air marshal, only for the plot to take a dark turn as he reveals his true, dangerous nature.

“I’ve done plenty of projects over the years that my family can watch,” he remarked. “But I do enjoy exploring more varied roles.”