This is the second time you've worked with Frears, I believe.

Yes, almost ten years ago on "The Grifters".

And both tremendously successful projects. Presumably this is a partnership which you will return to?

I think Stephen wants to go and do movies in England again. I think he likes to come to America every five years or so, so we'll see what happens in five or ten years.

Apart from maybe "Con Air", you haven't really gone for the all-out big blockbuster roles. Do they just hold no interest for you, or is [it] that you don't get offered the parts?

Probably a combination of both. The really, really good big action films, I don't know if there are that many of those really, but you know, if there's a really good action film that's a big commercial film, it probably goes to someone who does those kind of movies, you know. And the rest of them I'm just not that interested in.

Is there a problem there in Hollywood? I mean, are there not the kind of films being made that you would normally want to make?

No, I think there are, but they're just a lot of them are smaller budgets, you know, a little lower budget films. "Being John Malkovitch" came out and that's a really fun film, but that'll probably make worldwide what "Con Air" made in its opening weekend, you know. So it all depends on what your definition of success is. I think that film is really cool, but maybe if you don't make a lot of money you're not a movie star.

And the next project for you, John?

The next thing I'm going to do is something called "Serendipity", which is much more like a "Con Air" film. It's a romantic comedy.

But big and...

Yes, it's commercial and that kind of thing.

John Cusack discusses his latest film, "High Fidelity", with Jonathan Ross.