ACTION EXCITES ME!
…says filmmaker James McTeigue, as he talks to Aakanksha Naval-Shetye about taking his favourite genre to a different level with Ninja Assassin
Barely a film old, Australian filmmaker James McTeigue — who’s worked with The Wachowski Brothers on The Matrix trilogy, and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones as an assistant director, before making his directorial debut with V For Vendetta — is already a familiar name. And with his forthcoming martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin — presented by Warner Bros and starring Korean popstar Rain — McTeigue hopes to prove that he’s a director to reckon with too. Here he talks about his fascination for Ninjas and a passion for action Tell us about Ninja Assassin?
• The film revolves around a boy, played by Rain, who is trained by the Ninjas to be a killer. But, due to an incident during his training years, he has a change of heart and he eventually fights the very clan that trained him.
What prompted you to make a film about the Ninjas?
• I’ve always been fascinated by the Ninjas. Even as a child, I would diligently watch all Ninja animations and films and hoped that they would make films like that on a much larger scale. So, when I got a chance, I wanted to make my dream come true. Their world lends itself to a lot of mystique and intrigue that I wanted to explore.
Do you see Rain become the next big action star?
• Anyone who sees the film will agree that he’s the hottest new star on the martial arts block. I saw a lot of potential in him and I was right.
The film required him to undergo some really rigorous physical training. Was he expecting that?
• I don’t think so (laughs). But honestly, he surpassed expectations. He has incredible discipline, he trained for five or six months. The film has some very gory and violent scenes…
• Yes, the film’s definitely not for the faint-hearted. But though the violence does set the tone for the film, as it unravels, moviegoers will also be treated to an interwoven emotional story.
Is action your forte?
• Action excites. But I always want my audiences to feel for the characters. Till that doesn’t happen, it’s just another action film. The real hero has to be the emotions. But yes, drama or romantic film, I’d always have a dose of action in it.
What about a sequel to the Ninja Assassin?
• There’s scope for that. I would love to work on that someday.
MAKING A MARK: A still from Ninja Assasin and (left) James McTeigue
Barely a film old, Australian filmmaker James McTeigue — who’s worked with The Wachowski Brothers on The Matrix trilogy, and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones as an assistant director, before making his directorial debut with V For Vendetta — is already a familiar name. And with his forthcoming martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin — presented by Warner Bros and starring Korean popstar Rain — McTeigue hopes to prove that he’s a director to reckon with too. Here he talks about his fascination for Ninjas and a passion for action Tell us about Ninja Assassin?
• The film revolves around a boy, played by Rain, who is trained by the Ninjas to be a killer. But, due to an incident during his training years, he has a change of heart and he eventually fights the very clan that trained him.
What prompted you to make a film about the Ninjas?
• I’ve always been fascinated by the Ninjas. Even as a child, I would diligently watch all Ninja animations and films and hoped that they would make films like that on a much larger scale. So, when I got a chance, I wanted to make my dream come true. Their world lends itself to a lot of mystique and intrigue that I wanted to explore.
Do you see Rain become the next big action star?
• Anyone who sees the film will agree that he’s the hottest new star on the martial arts block. I saw a lot of potential in him and I was right.
The film required him to undergo some really rigorous physical training. Was he expecting that?
• I don’t think so (laughs). But honestly, he surpassed expectations. He has incredible discipline, he trained for five or six months. The film has some very gory and violent scenes…
• Yes, the film’s definitely not for the faint-hearted. But though the violence does set the tone for the film, as it unravels, moviegoers will also be treated to an interwoven emotional story.
Is action your forte?
• Action excites. But I always want my audiences to feel for the characters. Till that doesn’t happen, it’s just another action film. The real hero has to be the emotions. But yes, drama or romantic film, I’d always have a dose of action in it.
What about a sequel to the Ninja Assassin?
• There’s scope for that. I would love to work on that someday.
MAKING A MARK: A still from Ninja Assasin and (left) James McTeigue
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