The Old Guard
Charlize Theron and Kiki Layne virtuoso inThe Old Guard , a Netflix original film free-base on the pictorial novel by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez . Theron plays Andy , leader of asquad of immortal soldierswho have the inexplicable power to keep on fighting , even after sustaining mortal injuries . Together , the team fight in conflict around the globe , hoping to make a difference while maintaining their secret .
direct byGina Prince - Bythewood(The Secret Life of Bees , Beyond the Lights),The Old Guardprides itself on its telling activity sequences , good manners of fight coordinator Danny Hernandez , who is best known for staging the conflict in such mellow - visibility natural action cinema asAvengers : Endgame , Birds of Prey , andxXx : Return of Xander Cage .
Related : Screen Rant ’s The Old Guard Review
While promoting the debut ofThe Old Guard , Hernandez speak to Screen Rant about his work on the film , from thecreative freedom of an gas constant - ratingto amaze to work with such an athletic performing artist as Charlize Theron . He talks about put together the film ’s various fight sequences and working alongside director Prince - Bythewood to practice the excitement to propel the story forward . He also discusses the thrill of getting to play Thanos in Avengers : Endgame ’s extensive struggle sequence and shares some other taradiddle from his long vocation as a stuntman .
First of all , your motion-picture show is awesome . There ’s some sick action and John Wick - level headshots !
( Laughs ) I love it ! I ’m really well-chosen to hear that you enjoyed it , that makes me really happy . It ’s awing . We in spades put a deal of punishing work in there . And I go for everybody else will enjoy it . I recollect they will . I ’ve seen a twosome of things of it and I was really impressed . And to have , you know , an Oscar - get ahead actress to perform and do all those spectacular things is unbelievable . You do n’t get that often . And for the earth to watch it , I consider it ’s going to be a kickshaw !
Is Charlize as awesome of a physical performing artist as the legends say ?
Yes . She ’s gymnastic . She already had , I believe , a dance ballerina ground already , which is a really practiced groundwork for a circumstances of things , especially when it comes to martial arts and stage dancing . So , her ability to memorise moves is great ! She ’s a hard proletarian , for certain . The way I wish to do thing , I really drill them and really push the envelope for them to really labor hard . And her posture come in , her willingness to memorize the unlike kinds of movements … And a lot of dissimilar motion trend , too . It was n’t just one martial graphics she had to discover . She had to learn a multiple of dissimilar matter when deal with weaponry , with axes and sabre , it ’s not easy ! But her hard employment and determination really shines , for sure . But to respond your query , yes , she is a badass . ( Laughs ) For sure . Her vigor and her demeanor is amazing . During the breeding , she was dumbfound bumps and bruise here and there , but she would still come in , no matter what , and do it ! She was definitely a delicacy . One of my favorites to work with of any actor . I had such a cracking time .
And you ’ve been around the block , too ! You ’ve been stunt coordinator on a fate of unlike picture over the years . When you ’re doing something that ’s stag R , do you feel like you have more freedom ? Are you like , " Hell yeah , we ’re rive that guy rope ’s arm off in this scene , and it ’s gon na be nasty ! "
Oh , dead ! I ’m a lover of action mechanism . When it comes to rate roentgen , yes , the Word opens up and we ’re capable to do things I would n’t be capable to do for , like , The Avengers . I have to take for back on those a little flake . I would know to see Captain America get to thrust someone on the earth and perforate their face so you’re able to see the force of his punch to really demolish someone ’s typeface ! But we ca n’t do that . So we wanted to put some realness into this . And commence an R rating enables us to put the world of the cuts and the gunshots . I can tell the story well , of what ’s going on . I feel that way .
Do you function with the director on the fights ? Or do they say , " There ’s a big fight here , let me know when it ’s done ? "
No , it ’s a director ’s vision . There ’s always a manager ’s vision . It ’s her write up to distinguish . My job is to help her evidence that story . So Gina and I emphatically act hand - in - hired hand . We talked about what she was wait for , what she liked , and I ’d come back to her with different alternative . It ’s like a buffet of movements and activity succession . I ’d show her and she ’d beak what she like , what she does n’t care , and we can build forrard from there . Everything I do is greatly involved with the director , for sure . And also with worker as well . They are play these characters , and I wish to verbalise to them and get their gumption and feelings of how their type carry themselves . Some characters might be a little more slavish in a fighting , so I have to convey that with their motion .
Have you ever had an idea for a character in a conflict , and then once you ’re on site , you understand the thespian can do other things you did n’t anticipate , or maybe ca n’t do the things you wanted ?
I seek to estimate their attribute , and you have to cater to their strong-arm power , for sure . What makes them look proficient ? What can tell a floor ? What can I do to make them appear practiced ? I do n’t like using doubles . I cerebrate doubles should come in for sure matter when they ’re necessary , but for fight scenery and sealed things , I seek to use the player . They ’re the single on whom you’re able to hold the blastoff longer . There ’s no cheat affect . What you ’re seeing is what you ’re catch . You ’re getting Charlize doing everything . She did everything . There ’s no hiding , no tv camera tricks , or any of that . It ’s just her doing everything .
Did you read the pictorial novel ? Did it have any influence on the fights ?
Of naturally I did ! I definitely say the graphic novel . When I ’m depict Gina the buffet of activity , what I do is , I do a pre - viz , a pre - conceptual . We ’ll get two-baser and stunt participant , and I ’ll talk to the director about what she wants . Then we ’ll put our spin on it , what we think is really cool and tells a story . We shoot it , acquaint it to her so she can see it and how it work from point A to target B. We pick film from the graphic novel and then incorporated them into the stage dancing . read the graphic novel was emphatically a bountiful matter . We wanted to stay reliable to it for all the rooter out there .
I need to step back a petty bit . You ’ve been doing stunts for over 20 years . Have you ever injure yourself on set ? Anything where you had to call it an early twenty-four hours , or even had to go to the infirmary ?
Yeah . I got knocked out on Ninja Assassin . I had to go to the hospital there . But fortunately , it was just a concussion . I was in a show , The Unit , where I blew my human knee out , but I was able-bodied to cease the day . It put me down for a while , though . What else ? In The Expendables , I got knocked out in a fight scene with Jet Li , but I ended up delicately . I did n’t have to go to the hospital or anything , they just kind of sat me down for a short second . It kind of fall with the territory , you know ? A mint of times , being a stunt player , you sort of push through the injuries , you know what I mean ? For me , I always wanted to just stop the day , finish the laugh , or just do the stunt again , you know ? It ’s what they say , " celluloid is forever , " so you want to make certain they got the shot . It ’s just one of those things that we kind of do . We puzzle out our injury and then go back out there so we can meet severely again . ( Laughs )
Do you still do stunts yourself , or are you more of a behind the camera guy these days ?
I ’m more behind the tv camera now . I do some thing , though . On Avengers : Endgame , I actually put on the motion capture suit and played Thanos for , like , the last three months of that shoot , which was fun ! ( Laughs ) That was really nerveless . I got to do all the fight scene and the action parts of the Thanos clobber . That was really nerveless . That ’s one thing that was , like , the highlight of my career , growing up a comical playscript fan .
Every year or so , the conversation keep coming back around , the idea of a Best Stunts Oscar . Do you have an opinion on that ? Do you feel your oeuvre should be recognized by the highbrow Academy , or are you like , " Whatever , world , who cares ? "
It ’s a weird situation . Stunt players are always known for playing a confidential part . We ’re behind the scenes , the secluded matter of Hollywood , which is kinda nerveless , in my legal opinion . But I think it should go to maybe the stunt coordinator or mayhap even the conflict coordinator and stuff . To actually total up and develop these sequences of storytelling , they work hired hand - in - hand with the manager and the actors . There ’s a lot more than just fancy out how to do a muzzle . They actually come up with the ideas and the imagination to put out there in the picture . I think that ’s something the Academy should recognize . I believe that . But that ’s just my thought , for me , it ’s cool to be the secret part of Hollywood . But I think the stunt coordinator , you fuck , have a much bigger role than people know about . That ’s my opinion about it .
awe-inspiring .
expect , can I ask you a question now ?
Sure !
Which action sequence did you enjoy the most in the movie ?
I think it was the one fairly betimes on in the aeroplane , where it ’s just the two of them in what was basically a really intense , extempore sparring session . I also liked the very first fight , where they all have their weapon system , because it introduce you to everyone and it has fate of really cool takedowns . But I really like how all of them serve a design in the story beyond , " Okay , here ’s a really coolheaded fight , then we ’ll get back to the picture show later . " I ’ll give it to the one on the carpenter’s plane , that was my favourite . And the whole thing with the hardening moving back and off , that must have been crazy , right ? Or was it just tv camera fast one ?
We had a little rock when the plane was flying , but when it did the bit movement when the airplane pilot got shot and the aeroplane really tilted , that was on a gimbal . And they were doing the succession as the gimbal was being pull and advertize . It was on a go gimbal that they were doing the fight panorama on . And it was all KiKi and Charlize doing the engagement . That , for me , was exciting , to do that . Having those two actresses go at it and make it look believable and strong . They worked really hard . specially KiKi , not get along from any form of action . She just came in and worked her ass off ! She really came through . She had done no stunts when she came in . No boxing , no nothing . And then , all of a sudden , she became , like , the MMA hero we wanted her to be . In the story , she is a marine , and they use closemouthed fourth combat with MMA and stuff like that .
I desire she gets to do more action flick , even aside from a sequel to this , which I go for gets announced at some point in the close time to come !
Yeah , dude ! For sure , gentleman ! We ’re just hanging tight powerful now in this whole Covid thing . I ’m going to do some fight clobber for Doctor Strange 2 , but we ’ll see . Originally , how it was hypothesise to fall out , I coordinate Shadow and Bone , and then I was function to come back home , hop on a sheet , go back to London , and do Doctor Strange 2 . But then the whole Covid affair happened , so everything close down . Who hump , now ? Nothing is really for sure until I bless that contract . We ’ll see !
Next : Chiwetel Ejiofor & Harry Melling Interview : The Old Guard