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You always hear about frustrated filmmakers who did not have enough time or money to make the film they wanted. You rarely hear the opposite: a studio that gives filmmakers more time and more money to make an even better film than it was already. But that’s what happened with Ballerina,, The last film of John Wick franchise.
Ballerina (which is officially titled Of the world of John Wick: Ballerina) was planned for the first time for theaters last year. But after The success of John Wick: Chapter 4 said clearly It was a complete franchisethe team returned and added more action In the film to make it feel online with the rest of the series. This meant that the public should wait until an additional year to see Ana de Armas as the last killer assassin, but I hope it would be worth it.
Whether it is worth it or not, you will discover when it opens on Friday. Until then, here is our conversation with the director of the film, Len Wiseman. Wiseman knows the exaggerated genre action films well, having co-created and produced Films in the Underworld series. Here however, we talked about returning to the film with more money and time, what role the co-creator of the Chad Stahelski franchise had in this, what it takes to develop a completely unique Wick-Acture style, and if the reshoots added Keanu Reeves in the film, or if he had been there from the start.
Germain Lussier, io9: so this film was originally to be released last year, but Lionsgate was so excited about it, they wanted to give you More time to add more action and stuff. Can you guide me a little through this process? What’s it to make a film and make a studio say: “Oh no, here is more money, do more.” Because I don’t have the impression that it does not happen too often.
Len Wiseman: I mean, it doesn’t happen too often. Of course, it’s great. You say: “Okay, there are sequences that I really wanted to do that we did not have the opportunity to do in terms of failures and the budget.” And so it was exciting. In addition, having a little break and then gathering with the whole team on the mapping of these sequences. Like a director is good. I think they should make all the movies like that. Where you have a good break where you can simply focus on building other sequences. But no, guy, I felt the support of Lionsgate to say: “Look, we know that it is a first of this character, but we love it. We really believe in it. And let’s shoot more. ” It’s great. It was a kind of gift.
Io9: What was the role of Chad Stahelski in this area? Because, obviously, he is in a way the godfather of this franchise. How did he take what the film was and did it shape it?
Wiseman: We have a lot of conversations on Wick world. The tone. And he is one of the most creative action directors and how his mind works. And one of the [reasons] Why I wanted to do Ballerina It is because I share the same level of detail and I simply seek intelligence and mind in action. I think you can shoot a sequence that contains a lot of action, but if it does not have an intelligent idea behind, it’s just action. It goes, and you say: “Yeah, it’s noisy. It’s pretty cool. It’s entertaining.” But this is where I really respond to what Chad and his team develop at 87eleven. They are looking for: what is the intelligence of choreography? The mind, the kind of pleasure. It is a level of action where it is so violent and so brutal and you smile through it and laughing because it is strangely a charm with brutality and violence.
Io9: And there are so many in this film. So tell me a little more about this process. I want to ask questions specifically on the flame throwers in a second, but what is the process to reach a scene where it is a flame fight where we will simply use grenades? Is it in the script intrinsically or does it come later with more action meetings?
Wiseman: For me, my process, I am really developing these sequences. This is something I like to do. I started in accessories. I was an accessories manufacturer. I always have to create and build it and see it. So I will build these sets in my garage. As with the pomegranate sequence, looking at what could be done in a grenades fight near the quarters. We have seen grenades, but what would a grenade fight look like if it was essentially like a snowball fight? How cool would it be? And even using ice skates. It could be cheesy! So I leave, I buy ice skates, I get blood, I put the blood on it, I pull it in slow motion. Well, how could it bind me to my hand? How could you really use it? Enter it like these two gauntlets? And I’m going to shoot these videos and I will say: “Okay, it’s cool. It looks cool.” And it’s different. And then I’m going to start building a sequence according to this. So for me, if I can, I will build as much as proof of concept for me. This is how I’m going.
Io9: It’s great. I love how tactile is it. But obviously, you can’t do that with flame throwers. I don’t want to spoil the flame throwers too much because it is a kind of grand finale, but how real it is and how much is CGI? Because everything is incredible. And I’m sure it was real because it’s a bit of DNA of this franchise. But this is only one of the craziest things I have seen for so long.
Wiseman: No, it’s. It is essentially practical. There have been improvements that we have made in certain areas, but it is practical. It’s really hot. It is potentially incredibly dangerous. Thus, all security measures and everything are extreme. But the same thing there. We have seen flame throwers here and there in the movies [but] I don’t think you can name a film where there is a flame thrower against the battle of flames, like a shooting. And that’s what I’m always looking for, and why I really liked what Chad has built in this world, it is the idea that if it seems ridiculous, but that it is done practically and brutal and feels as violently entertaining as you can do it, then you have a really cool sequence. I discovered that if the initial pitch of an idea, like when I launched the ice skates, I said to myself: “Okay, she will fight with ice skates on her hands.” It could be really stupid. It could be really stupid. And then I have to see it and build it. But if you remove it correctly, the execution is a bit everything. So, if something seems silly, but it’s done well, then you have something that is, I think it appears. It’s unique.
Io9: Yes, it makes sense. Was Keanu as John Wick still part of the film at the start or was his role added or extended to additional photography?
Wiseman: Additional photography was nothing with Keanu. It was just that they did more action. I turned all Keanu’s stuff on the first step. It was like about eight days with Keanu. Is he part of the project from the start? No. Because we developed what it would be. It was also, because it has been in preparation for a while, I did not know what had happened at the end of John Wick 4. So, a lot of what, and I had discussions with Keanu, it was the deadline. He was therefore largely involved in terms of the way he corresponds to an experience parallel to [John Wick: Chapter 3] Parabellum Rather than being more a kind of character in a row.
Io9: one of the reasons John Wick The films worked and we love them, it is because they are real and they are brutal, but they must have a certain suspension of disbelief. You are in a way on tiptoe the line of reality. So what is it to make sure these characters are super heroic, but not superheroes?
Wiseman: This is a very good question and it is something to pay so much to. I love action movies. I also think there are certain traps in which people can fall. For me, I think you can say “over the top”, but I think it is “an increased action that seems real”. So I think it’s also in vulnerability. In the pain you see the actors pass. I think that one of the great things that prevents him from being linked to the superhero is that they are kicked out the asses and you feel the pain. There is no pose after having made an action sequence. It really bothers me if you see a character who makes an incredible action sequence and at the end, if they have the impression: “Yeah, I’m a little hard to cook”, so I don’t think you are a hard to cook. I think you are a kind of tool. You show yourself. And so it’s very important too. It’s not Posey.
It’s just, even with it like looking John WickWhat I really liked, I think so intrinsically with Keanu, after having crossed this incredible sequence and removing these guys, there is no spectacle on his face on: “Yeah, it was cool.” He’s just exhausted. On the following thing, picking up the pistol, out of breath. And I think it’s engaging in a strange way. And so, I mean, there are a lot of levels. I could continue again and again because it is so important for me in the tone. The tone of action, even if it is increased, if it is increased, but one, practical, two, what is the performance and what do you see your actor?
See what Ana de Arams, Keanu Reeves and more pass on Friday when Ballerina knocks on theaters.
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