From top Hollywood actors to globetrotting adventures, high octane action and even some streak of comedy, Red Notice, a Netflix original, has all the ingredients to be a big blockbuster. News18.com recently got into a chat with Rawson Marshall Thurber, the writer and director of the film, who talks about getting Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot together, how it is difficult to get an original idea for an action-comedy and why he isn’t concerned about the critics.
You were midway into shooting Red Notice when the pandemic started. How was it to resume shooting amidst all the restrictions and protocols?
Red Notice was a very challenging movie to make, probably the most challenging of my career. I also think it’s the best movie I’ve ever made. The global pandemic that struck about halfway through our shoot was incredibly challenging. We had shut down for six months, and we had to come back in and figure out how to make this movie during a pandemic, where there’s no vaccine and no protocols in place, but also creatively how to address issues where we couldn’t go around the world to shoot and had to figure out how to shoot it all in Atlanta. It was unprecedented.
How did you decide on the casting of the film?
There is so much to like about each of them. Dwayne (Johsnon) and I have collaborated a couple of times earlier and I thought he’d fit this role perfectly. For Gal (Gadot’s) character, I needed someone who had beauty and class and mystery and mischief, all in one and to have that in one actor was a very short list and Gal tops that list. And then there is Ryan (Renolyds). There’s just nothing that guy can’t do. He’s funny, dashing. He can handle action and comedy at the same time. All three of them were my first choices for the roles and I was very fortunate to get them.
Read: Gal Gadot on Equal Pay as Male Stars in Red Notice: I’m a Feminist, Need to Walk the Walk Too | Exclusive
We have seen a lot of action comedies, especially the cop buddy films being done in Hollywood right from Bad Boys to Rush Hour and many others. How do you make sure that your film is fresh and different from what has been attempted earlier?
That’s a great question. It’s always a challenge to try and do something with a new spin or a new angle, or something surprising that hasn’t been done before. Because action comedy is a worn genre. But I think the trick, if there is one, is the balance between action and comedy. You want to keep both of those plates spinning at the same time, but not just that at the same frequency so that they resonate more harmoniously. So you want your action to be thrilling and exciting, but not too scary, edgy because that will end up making people uncomfortable and they won’t laugh. And you don’t want your comedy to be too broad, too silly, too jokey, otherwise, the action and the jeopardy won’t feel real. So it’s about balancing those two, two tones and balancing them both together at and separately, and keeping those dishes spinning at the same time.
Red Notice is a tentpole film which isn’t a sequel or doesn’t have any superheroes. In the current climate, is it rare to come across original scripts that don’t belong to a franchise or aren’t a part of a superhero universe?
I think you are right. Unfortunately it is vanishingly rare to have an original idea at this sort of scale. It just doesn’t happen very often anymore. And there is a good reason for that. It’s a large investment and it’s scary for people who are putting in the money as they don’t know whether the audience will like it. So I feel really deeply, truly grateful for this opportunity and for the faith that Netflix put in me and my three lead actors, Dwayne Ryan and Gal. I’m very proud of the finished product.
Read: EXCLUSIVE | Ryan Reynolds: I am Taking a Sabbatical from Films to Get Creative Again
Are you worried about the critical appreciation of the film?
Not really. This is a movie made for the people who love to pay and watch movies. It is a film designed to be entertaining for everyone. From an eight-year-old to an eighty-year-old and whether you are on the left or the right side of the political spectrum. So it’s always nice when you get nice reviews. But I’m not really concerned with what critics say about the film. I’m really concerned about how the film plays for an audience.
In Red Notice, you take the audience to some of the most excotic destinations across the globe. Would India be considered as a destination, if you plan to make a sequel to the film?
I’ve never been to India, I’ve always wanted to know how beautiful the country is. And it’s certainly on my short list of places to visit and potentially, you know, if we’re lucky enough to make another one (sequel), India could be one of these places to take the story ahead.
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