Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy of “The Killer” discuss John Woo’s obsession with pigeons

The big picture

• Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks to
  The Killer
  Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy.
• John Woo returns as co-writer and director for the 2024 remake of his action classic.
• Emmanuel and Sy talk about demanding action sequences, the intense training, their favorite John Woo films and future projects, including Francis Ford Coppola’s
  Big city
  .

Chun Yow Fat iconically jumped through the room and unloaded two full magazines at the same time – and director John Woo became an instant film legend. The same legend that Pit Nicholas Cage against John Travolta and somehow made Tom Cruise an even larger Star. The master of the genre, John Woo, is back in action, shooting a remake of his own beloved, brutal film The Killer, into the ever-growing world of streaming.

This new version of the classic film brings forth a notorious Parisian murderer named Zee, played by Emmy-nominated Nathalie Emmanuel from The Fast Saga and game of ThronesAfter deliberately breaking the rules on her mission, Zee finds herself on the run from dangerous former allies and an experienced police detective named Sey, played by Golden Globe-nominated Omar Sy from the Jurassic World series and lupine.

Colliders Steve Weintraub had the chance to sit down with Emmanuel and Sy to discuss their non-stop action scenes, the surprisingly short shooting time and whether they ever discussed slow motion birds with their famous director. They also give a sneak peek of upcoming projects like Francis Ford Coppola‘S Big city And Joe Carnahan‘S Shadow PowerYou can watch the full interview in the video above or read the transcript below.

Omar Sy and Nathalie Emmanuel are impressed by director John Woos

COLLIDER: I have to start with the most important question. If someone has never seen another John Woo film besides this one, which film do you think they should start with?

OMAR SY: The Killerthe original.

NATHALIE EMMANUEL: Yes. The murderer, the original is pretty spectacular and just iconic. But I think my other favorite is Face off. I just think the movie is so great.

Oh, I totally agree. Face-Off is phenomenal. No missteps, no grades, A+. You know what I mean?

Emmanuel: 10 out of 10!

When you worked together, did Woo ever tell you why he was obsessed with pigeons?

EMMANUEL: No!

SY:: No, I never asked!

EMMANUEL: I didn’t even ask. We’re terrible! We should have!

I always wondered that because in many of his films –

SY: All the time! But actually it’s a part of him that I don’t question. Because he’s just him, you know? It’s like asking about the color of his hair. It’s just him. Maybe that’s why we never asked, because this genre is all about pigeons all the time.

EMMANUEL: Yes, I think birds in general are just very elegant creatures. They have a certain mystique and romance to them that I think John brings to his films. They have a certain elegance and a way – it’s almost like ballet. I think that’s something that John has in his directing style and his way of filming, so it almost symbolizes that to me. And in slow motion they look great.

“The Killer” stars explain what it takes to create huge action scenes

“Training was key and we were well trained.”

This isn’t a huge budget film where you have all the time in the world, and yet there’s plenty of action here. brutally Action. I want to talk specifically about the hospital scene and the church scene. There are actually a lot of set pieces. What was it like for both of you, knowing how physical it would be and that you wouldn’t have 10 days to shoot it?

EMMANUEL: Preparation is key. And the process of learning this choreography, Perfecting this choreography really helped us shoot the film much more efficiently and fast. And if you really know what you are doing, where your body needs to be and where your arm needs to land, you have a lot of freedom. You can repeat it many, many times, and it is So in your body that you don’t have to think about it so much. That means you get more successful shots, you can move on faster and you get to the finish line sooner. So that preparation was essential and I feel much more confident when I really know what I’m doing. Because Ultimately, it is also about safety.

I know stunt performers get paid to put their bodies on the line and they get hit and hurt all the time. I’m sure not in a serious way, but they’re used to being thrown around a little bit. But I don’t want to be the person that does that to you. I want us to really know what we’re doing so we can get it done and everyone gets home safe.

SY: We were also mentally prepared. If you say yes to a John Woo film, you know what it takes. You have to be physically ready and have the stamina to do the whole shoot. Yes, training was key and we were well trained. We were also surrounded by a fantastic stunt team. And during the shoot we trained and trained and trained and that actually made the whole thing a lot of fun. It was really fun to do all of that.

Which shot or sequence in the film was the one that made you say the following: how the hell are we supposed to do that? What was the hardest thing for each of you?

EMMANUEL: I think the last church scene. It has so many parts. There were so many pieces. There was just a lot! There are outside parts, inside parts, There is tightrope work, there are bicycles and explosions and squibs and bullets. There was so much to do and a lot of shooting. I think it was maybe a good two weeks. As you said earlier, if we had four weeks to shoot it all, it would probably be Despite it would have been a challenge. So they had to be really organized and clear about what they were going to do and how they were going to shoot it. We just had to show up and be ready and get it done. I just remember the last day we were shooting in the church and just thinking, “I can’t believe we did that. We did it. It’s crazy. It’s unbelievable.” And I was just really proud of it when I saw the film.

SY: The same. The church was a big piece. The big piece because, as she said, it was outside, inside, before, after and the pieces were chopped up like this. IIt was like a simultaneous action. I was here fighting and Zee was there fighting. To combine everything, even in your mind, was very special. And it’s one of the rare moments in the film where you have stunts and action and acting scenes at the same time. Sometimes acting and action scenes were separate and in the church we have both. To switch modes on the same day was also a challenge.

Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” “breaks down barriers and crosses boundaries”

Sy also talks about working with Joe Carnahan on Shadow forces.

I am a huge fan of Joe Carnahan and wanted to know what (Omar) thought about Shadow Power and to work with him. And for (Nathalie) I have Coppola’s Big city. OOne of the things about it is that it’s unique and original and pushes narrative filmmaking forward. Tell us a little bit about what you’re keen to show audiences and what a privilege it is to work with them.

EMMANUEL: I think it’s very, very difficult to categorize this film in terms of genre. Francis said very clearly: “Okay, I see what everyone is doing, what’s hot right now, or what filmmaking or cinema has become. I’m just doing my own thing.” I was very proud to be part of something that felt like It was about breaking barriers and crossing borders. It was just a unique experience. Working with such an acclaimed filmmaker and seeing how he works is just – there was so much to learn and I soaked up as much of it as I could.

SY: I’m also a huge fan of Joe Carnahan. He’s an incredible director. It was a lot of fun Shadow Power with Kerry Washington. It’s coming! It’s another action movie and a lot of fun to shoot.

The Killer can be streamed on Peacock in the US

Watch on Peacock