The Russos discuss why starting filming Doomsday without a script was no problem, plus how a famous Western influenced the film. The siblings are of course working on both post-production on Avengers: Doomsday and pre-production on Avengers: Secret Wars. Rumors are that Secret Wars will begin filming in October, but the Russos took time to speak to AP recently. Though, busy as they are they spoke separately.
“When you’re doing one of these movies it’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done,” Joe says. “When you’re doing two of them, it’s almost inconceivable. But it’s the second time around we’re doing two back to back.”
The last minute nature of the Russos coming on board meant they were starting without a completed script.
“We always view the script as a living organism,” says Joe. “We’re improvisation-based, rehearsal-based directors. We like to see what the actors bring to the characters, and sometimes you don’t get the actors until a few days or few weeks before you shoot them. And a lot of the time, that’s when the magic happens.”
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The brothers also cited a classic Western film as an influence, the phenomenal Once Upon A Time In The West.
‘If there’s a guiding template for the Russos for the kind of movie they want to make — one with grand scale and moments of emotional intimacy — it’s the Western. Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West” was a particular inspiration for “Doomsday.”’
“Joe and I grew up fans of all types of cinema, but Westerns have always been very special to us. Throughout cinema history, the Western has been declared dead for decades, and then you can still make one of the greatest examples of the genre.”
Not my favourite Leone Western, but still a great film. Leone certainly knew how to make charismatic villains in his films, and I guess Doom should be a charismatic villain.
Check out the link above for everything the Russos had to say, some of which looking into their past and not just their present and future. As always, leave any thoughts below on the Russo comments.
