News Analysis India

Tag: Joe Russo

  • Amazon CEO calls for budget analysis after Priyanka Chopra’s USD 300 mn ‘Citadel’ underperforms

    By Online Desk

    Amazon.com Inc. CEO Andy Jassy has demanded a detailed budget analysis after a number of recent shows including Priyanka Chopra starrer Citadel derailed in the market, a Bloomberg report said.

    He has been “scrutinizing the studio’s ballooning costs and mixed track record with audiences”, it said.

    The outlet reported that 27,000 people will be laid off from Amazon as part of cost-cutting and that nearly 37 “unnecessary” productions have been killed.

    In the past nine months, Amazon’s original shows such as Daisy Jones & the Six, The Power, Dead Ringers, and The Peripheral all cost more than USD 100 million to produce but failed to make it to Nielsen’s list of the 10 most-watched streaming programs in the US. 

    Citadel is a spy thriller series that was released on 28 April with a massive star cast including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden, and Stanley Cummings. 

    In the show, Richard and Priyanka play spies who are part of the independent global spy agency Citadel. It gets destroyed by the Manticore, a powerful syndicate, and the agents’ memories get wiped. They then embark on a mission around the world to stop Manticore.

    Josh Appelbaum (‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’), Bryan Oh, and David Weil created the series for Amazon Prime Video, with ‘Marvel’ films fame Russo brothers acting as executive producers.

    The series is a passion project of Jen Salke’s, who leads the studio, and who wanted “a global series that could take place in multiple locations and lead to country-specific spinoffs.” An Indian version of Citadel directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan is under production while an Italian adaptation is already ready.

    The first season of Citadel was intended to have a budget of USD 20 million per episode and run for eight episodes but the budget ballooned due to cost overruns caused by the pandemic as well as a creative overhaul (Russo Brothers Anthony and Joseph insisted on several reshoots.) Only six episodes were aired in the end. 

    However, the first season was produced with an estimated budget that was above USD 300 million (nearly Rs 2,500 crores), making it the second-most expensive show after The Rings of Power.

    Joe Russo has been appointed as the sole director of the second season of Citadel, reportedly receiving a payment of USD 25 million for it.

    Head of drama series Odetta Watkins admitted to Bloomberg: “Citadel needs time to grow in the US as the audience have become jaded.”

    Even The Rings of Power (budget: USD 400 million-plus) failed to hold on to most of its viewers over the course of the season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

    Last year, Amazon spent USD 7 billion on producing original shows, licensed programs, and sports content while Netflix and Disney spent more on streaming, Bloomberg said.

    Amazon escapes scrutiny as it doesn’t report detailed financial results for its studio or Prime, the report added.

    Amazon.com Inc. CEO Andy Jassy has demanded a detailed budget analysis after a number of recent shows including Priyanka Chopra starrer Citadel derailed in the market, a Bloomberg report said.

    He has been “scrutinizing the studio’s ballooning costs and mixed track record with audiences”, it said.

    The outlet reported that 27,000 people will be laid off from Amazon as part of cost-cutting and that nearly 37 “unnecessary” productions have been killed.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    In the past nine months, Amazon’s original shows such as Daisy Jones & the Six, The Power, Dead Ringers, and The Peripheral all cost more than USD 100 million to produce but failed to make it to Nielsen’s list of the 10 most-watched streaming programs in the US. 

    Citadel is a spy thriller series that was released on 28 April with a massive star cast including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden, and Stanley Cummings. 

    In the show, Richard and Priyanka play spies who are part of the independent global spy agency Citadel. It gets destroyed by the Manticore, a powerful syndicate, and the agents’ memories get wiped. They then embark on a mission around the world to stop Manticore.

    Josh Appelbaum (‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’), Bryan Oh, and David Weil created the series for Amazon Prime Video, with ‘Marvel’ films fame Russo brothers acting as executive producers.

    The series is a passion project of Jen Salke’s, who leads the studio, and who wanted “a global series that could take place in multiple locations and lead to country-specific spinoffs.” An Indian version of Citadel directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan is under production while an Italian adaptation is already ready.

    The first season of Citadel was intended to have a budget of USD 20 million per episode and run for eight episodes but the budget ballooned due to cost overruns caused by the pandemic as well as a creative overhaul (Russo Brothers Anthony and Joseph insisted on several reshoots.) Only six episodes were aired in the end. 

    However, the first season was produced with an estimated budget that was above USD 300 million (nearly Rs 2,500 crores), making it the second-most expensive show after The Rings of Power.

    Joe Russo has been appointed as the sole director of the second season of Citadel, reportedly receiving a payment of USD 25 million for it.

    Head of drama series Odetta Watkins admitted to Bloomberg: “Citadel needs time to grow in the US as the audience have become jaded.”

    Even The Rings of Power (budget: USD 400 million-plus) failed to hold on to most of its viewers over the course of the season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

    Last year, Amazon spent USD 7 billion on producing original shows, licensed programs, and sports content while Netflix and Disney spent more on streaming, Bloomberg said.

    Amazon escapes scrutiny as it doesn’t report detailed financial results for its studio or Prime, the report added.

  • Prime Video announces season two of ‘Citadel’, Joe Russo to direct all episodes

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden-led spy series “Citadel” has been officially renewed for a second season, streamer Prime Video announced on Thursday.

    Filmmaker Joe Russo, who executive produced the show’s first season with brother Anthony, will direct all the episodes of the sophomore chapter.

    David Weil will return as the showrunner.

    In a statement, Prime Video said “Citadel” enjoyed breakout success in countries around the world, including India, Italy, Brazil, South Africa, the UK and the US.

    Since its debut on April 28, the show has established itself as Prime Video’s second most-watched new original series outside the US, and fourth most-watched worldwide.

    Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios, said “Citadel” has turned out to be a “global phenomenon”.

    “Our goal was always to create a new franchise rooted in original IP that would grow Prime Video’s international audience. This show has drawn an outsize number of new international customers to Prime Video. Its massive worldwide debut audience is a testament to Joe and Anthony Russo’s remarkable vision, the incredible talents of Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Lesley Manville and Stanley Tucci, and the tireless work of the creative teams, cast, and crew,” she said.

    Joe and Anthony Russo, known for directing Marvel blockbusters “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”, said they are excited to continue the association between their banner AGBO and Prime Video with “Citadel”.

    “AGBO is thrilled to embark on this next phase of the spyverse with Jen, Vernon, and the entire team at Amazon. The innovative storytelling of Citadel has paved the way for an incredible, worldwide collaboration with creatives in front of and behind the camera,” they said.

    Your first look at the next chapter in #TheCitadelSpyverse. Citadel: Diana starring Matilda De Angelis will debut exclusively on Prime Video in 2024. #CitadelDiana. pic.twitter.com/5v9SNqp51s
    — Citadel (@CitadelonPrime) May 26, 2023
    “Citadel” follows elite agents Mason Kane (Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Chopra Jonas), who had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives after independent global spy agency Citadel’s fall.

    The show sees Mason and Nadia building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts.

    Until one night, Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague who desperately needs his help to prevent rival agency Manticore from establishing a new world order.

    It also stars Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville in pivotal roles.

    “Citadel” will act as the flagship show that will blend with local shows already under production in India and Italy, starring Varun Dhawan-Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Matilda De Angelis, respectively.

    “Farzi” creators Raj & DK are on board as directors and showrunners for the Indian installment.

    MUMBAI: Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden-led spy series “Citadel” has been officially renewed for a second season, streamer Prime Video announced on Thursday.

    Filmmaker Joe Russo, who executive produced the show’s first season with brother Anthony, will direct all the episodes of the sophomore chapter.

    David Weil will return as the showrunner.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    In a statement, Prime Video said “Citadel” enjoyed breakout success in countries around the world, including India, Italy, Brazil, South Africa, the UK and the US.

    Since its debut on April 28, the show has established itself as Prime Video’s second most-watched new original series outside the US, and fourth most-watched worldwide.

    Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios, said “Citadel” has turned out to be a “global phenomenon”.

    “Our goal was always to create a new franchise rooted in original IP that would grow Prime Video’s international audience. This show has drawn an outsize number of new international customers to Prime Video. Its massive worldwide debut audience is a testament to Joe and Anthony Russo’s remarkable vision, the incredible talents of Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Lesley Manville and Stanley Tucci, and the tireless work of the creative teams, cast, and crew,” she said.

    Joe and Anthony Russo, known for directing Marvel blockbusters “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”, said they are excited to continue the association between their banner AGBO and Prime Video with “Citadel”.

    “AGBO is thrilled to embark on this next phase of the spyverse with Jen, Vernon, and the entire team at Amazon. The innovative storytelling of Citadel has paved the way for an incredible, worldwide collaboration with creatives in front of and behind the camera,” they said.

    Your first look at the next chapter in #TheCitadelSpyverse. Citadel: Diana starring Matilda De Angelis will debut exclusively on Prime Video in 2024. #CitadelDiana. pic.twitter.com/5v9SNqp51s
    — Citadel (@CitadelonPrime) May 26, 2023
    “Citadel” follows elite agents Mason Kane (Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Chopra Jonas), who had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives after independent global spy agency Citadel’s fall.

    The show sees Mason and Nadia building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts.

    Until one night, Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague who desperately needs his help to prevent rival agency Manticore from establishing a new world order.

    It also stars Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville in pivotal roles.

    “Citadel” will act as the flagship show that will blend with local shows already under production in India and Italy, starring Varun Dhawan-Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Matilda De Angelis, respectively.

    “Farzi” creators Raj & DK are on board as directors and showrunners for the Indian installment.

  • ‘Protagonist of The Gray Man is an anti-thesis of Bond’: Dhanush, Russo Brothers on Netflix’s new release

    By Express News Service

    The man of the moment, Dhanush, and the Russo Brothers, speak about the themes and creative choices that went into making the new Netflix espionage action extravaganza, The Gray Man

    At the end of Polladhavan (2007)—the first of many future collaborations with director Vetrimaran—Dhanush rips off his shirt and faces off against an adversary insistent on murdering him. For an actor whose wiry frame was the topic of some unpleasant criticism around an earlier film, Pudhupettai (2006), being bare-bodied in a climax fight was a rather courageous move—and one that fetched a lot of adulation. It even drew comparisons with—hold your breath—Bruce Lee, with eager fans branding him our version of the Hollywood actor. And now, 15 years later, after winning multiple National Awards and drawing the fascination of an entire country, Hollywood has come calling for Dhanush.

    His latest film, a Netflix release, The Gray Man, is a grand globe-trotting Hollywood action film directed by the Russo Brothers. Here are Dhanush and the Russo Brothers in conversation about a collaboration that has got the entire country excited:

    Excerpts:

    From Bruce Lee comparisons to a huge Hollywood film… dreams do come true, no? Would you call this your biggest dream realised?

    Dhanush: (Laughs) It’s not the biggest dream; I have bigger ones. You have to dream in the biggest possible way… I’d rather call it hunger. The fire in me is still raging. The Russo Brothers have found me from India and provided me with a beautiful opening. I have to see where God takes me from here.

    Anthony Russo: It’s funny you mention the comparison with Bruce Lee because the first time we learned of Dhanush, someone actually said that to us. It’s amazing.

    Dhanush’s character, Avik San, is referred to as the ‘sexy Tamil friend’ in this film, and I think there’s great utility in defining the character by his Tamil identity, considering that successful artists from across India have previously been brushed under the generic label of Bollywood. Dhanush, did you make this distinction clear to them?

    Joe Russo: Yes, it was Dhanush that made the difference clear to us. I think it adds great context and flavour to the character. We always believe in opting for the specific rather than the generic.

    Dhanush: I’m grateful that they were receptive to my suggestion and agreed. They were generous enough to find it an interesting detail.

    Joe, you spoke in the press conference about how you like your films to have a bit of everything, including comedy, action, sentiment… Dhanush, did you tell them that our cinema specialises in this formula?

    Dhanush: (Laughs) Not really. A lot of the conversations we had was when the pandemic was raging across the world. There were too many restrictions, and we were connecting over video calls with masks on. The world is now healing and it’s a better place. I think I’ll tell them about our cinema in our future conversations.

    The protagonist of The Gray Man (played by Ryan Gosling) is an anti-thesis of Bond. The film even makes a reference to 007 and the theme track also seems drawn from the Bond films.

    Joe: We are self-aware filmmakers, and we like to pay homage… and also make fun of older films. It’s hard for us to take anything particularly seriously. As you said, the protagonist is the anti-Bond. We liked that he is a proletariat hero. He doesn’t enjoy being a spy and doesn’t care about the glamour. It’s this modern interpretation of a spy that drew us to this project.

    And he’s a rogue agent too, isn’t he? I think it’s useful at a time when some oppressive governments across the world are demanding unquestioned loyalty and patriotism.

    Joe: Yes, especially when the system is as corrupt as it is in our film. Our film, for this reason, also speaks up against patriarchy… The protagonist has an abusive father, and he has another father figure at the CIA. We reject patriarchy through this film.

    Anthony: We also show that the problem for the protagonist isn’t the other. It’s within his system. I think that’s a better way for us to examine who we really are.

    Speaking of patriarchy, I loved that Ana de Armas doesn’t need to be rescued by Ryan Gosling in this film. In fact, it’s the other way round.

    Joe: We wanted a strong, independent woman character, someone whose story isn’t exactly dependent on the protagonist’s. That’s why she does most of the saving. We like fighting against conventions, and we thought adding some Bondesque cues would come in handy. You know, mix it all up into making an entertainer…

    Dhanush, from tentative beginnings as an actor, you have turned into a natural. And yet, when you get a grand opportunity such as this, how do you make sure your eagerness to impress doesn’t get in the way of your natural flair?

    That’s why I was careful about never approaching it like that. I just told myself I should do a convincing job of the brief given to me. Yes, it’s a big opportunity and it offers plenty of scope, but impress? Not really. The big responsibility was justifying their faith in me. The West is watching India and I knew that if I did a good job, it could pave the way for more Indian talents to get picked up.

    There’s plenty of humour in this film, especially drawn from the antics of Chris Evans. Do you feel that this genre—globe-trotting action with self-aware humour—doesn’t quite get its due?

    Joe: We appreciate it! (Laughs) We have a career built on not caring about what people think. Our focus is on making stories that entertain us, and that hopefully entertain others too. We find conventions to be constricting, to be boring. Certain tropes have been abused for years. We would rather embrace our challenges being aware of these pitfalls and try and have fun with them while also giving the audience something to chew on.

    Anthony: We are trying to give people a meaningful experience in the theatre—

    Joe: Or Netflix… (Everyone laughs)

    Anthony: Yes! The idea is to create an experience that can speak meaningfully to everyone.

    Any plans of returning to the Marvel universe? This new phase could perhaps do with the Russo touch.

    Joe: (After a pause) There are no plans, no. If the audience enjoys The Gray Man a lot, we hope to work on the sequel. As for Marvel, look, they can’t do what they did in the first phase. They are now taking risks, and they are becoming more diverse. All the volume is a product of the success. I think the audience too has to embrace the content for what it is, and not for what it was. Perhaps Marvel can take us through surprising, new directions? Let’s see.

    Dhanush, how do you see your experience of being part of Hollywood stunt sequences transforming the fight scenes in our films?

    Dhanush: I think I can make the process easier for stunt choreographers. For The Gray Man, I was trained meticulously. They made me understand the basics and took me from there. They made me look like a pro. I think I now approach stunt choreography differently. I just hope that I can make it easier for our stunt choreographers to work with me.

    As a last question, why do you think your Indian fans need to watch this film?

    Dhanush: It’s a big treat for fans of the action genre. And so many of us grew up watching such films, no? Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Fifth Element, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Predator… I can go on and on.

    And this time, there’s also the added pleasure of knowing there’s one of our own in such a film.

    Dhanush: All gratitude to the grace of god.

    (This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

    The man of the moment, Dhanush, and the Russo Brothers, speak about the themes and creative choices that went into making the new Netflix espionage action extravaganza, The Gray Man

    At the end of Polladhavan (2007)—the first of many future collaborations with director Vetrimaran—Dhanush rips off his shirt and faces off against an adversary insistent on murdering him. For an actor whose wiry frame was the topic of some unpleasant criticism around an earlier film, Pudhupettai (2006), being bare-bodied in a climax fight was a rather courageous move—and one that fetched a lot of adulation. It even drew comparisons with—hold your breath—Bruce Lee, with eager fans branding him our version of the Hollywood actor. And now, 15 years later, after winning multiple National Awards and drawing the fascination of an entire country, Hollywood has come calling for Dhanush.

    His latest film, a Netflix release, The Gray Man, is a grand globe-trotting Hollywood action film directed by the Russo Brothers. Here are Dhanush and the Russo Brothers in conversation about a collaboration that has got the entire country excited:

    Excerpts:

    From Bruce Lee comparisons to a huge Hollywood film… dreams do come true, no? Would you call this your biggest dream realised?

    Dhanush: (Laughs) It’s not the biggest dream; I have bigger ones. You have to dream in the biggest possible way… I’d rather call it hunger. The fire in me is still raging. The Russo Brothers have found me from India and provided me with a beautiful opening. I have to see where God takes me from here.

    Anthony Russo: It’s funny you mention the comparison with Bruce Lee because the first time we learned of Dhanush, someone actually said that to us. It’s amazing.

    Dhanush’s character, Avik San, is referred to as the ‘sexy Tamil friend’ in this film, and I think there’s great utility in defining the character by his Tamil identity, considering that successful artists from across India have previously been brushed under the generic label of Bollywood. Dhanush, did you make this distinction clear to them?

    Joe Russo: Yes, it was Dhanush that made the difference clear to us. I think it adds great context and flavour to the character. We always believe in opting for the specific rather than the generic.

    Dhanush: I’m grateful that they were receptive to my suggestion and agreed. They were generous enough to find it an interesting detail.

    Joe, you spoke in the press conference about how you like your films to have a bit of everything, including comedy, action, sentiment… Dhanush, did you tell them that our cinema specialises in this formula?

    Dhanush: (Laughs) Not really. A lot of the conversations we had was when the pandemic was raging across the world. There were too many restrictions, and we were connecting over video calls with masks on. The world is now healing and it’s a better place. I think I’ll tell them about our cinema in our future conversations.

    The protagonist of The Gray Man (played by Ryan Gosling) is an anti-thesis of Bond. The film even makes a reference to 007 and the theme track also seems drawn from the Bond films.

    Joe: We are self-aware filmmakers, and we like to pay homage… and also make fun of older films. It’s hard for us to take anything particularly seriously. As you said, the protagonist is the anti-Bond. We liked that he is a proletariat hero. He doesn’t enjoy being a spy and doesn’t care about the glamour. It’s this modern interpretation of a spy that drew us to this project.

    And he’s a rogue agent too, isn’t he? I think it’s useful at a time when some oppressive governments across the world are demanding unquestioned loyalty and patriotism.

    Joe: Yes, especially when the system is as corrupt as it is in our film. Our film, for this reason, also speaks up against patriarchy… The protagonist has an abusive father, and he has another father figure at the CIA. We reject patriarchy through this film.

    Anthony: We also show that the problem for the protagonist isn’t the other. It’s within his system. I think that’s a better way for us to examine who we really are.

    Speaking of patriarchy, I loved that Ana de Armas doesn’t need to be rescued by Ryan Gosling in this film. In fact, it’s the other way round.

    Joe: We wanted a strong, independent woman character, someone whose story isn’t exactly dependent on the protagonist’s. That’s why she does most of the saving. We like fighting against conventions, and we thought adding some Bondesque cues would come in handy. You know, mix it all up into making an entertainer…

    Dhanush, from tentative beginnings as an actor, you have turned into a natural. And yet, when you get a grand opportunity such as this, how do you make sure your eagerness to impress doesn’t get in the way of your natural flair?

    That’s why I was careful about never approaching it like that. I just told myself I should do a convincing job of the brief given to me. Yes, it’s a big opportunity and it offers plenty of scope, but impress? Not really. The big responsibility was justifying their faith in me. The West is watching India and I knew that if I did a good job, it could pave the way for more Indian talents to get picked up.

    There’s plenty of humour in this film, especially drawn from the antics of Chris Evans. Do you feel that this genre—globe-trotting action with self-aware humour—doesn’t quite get its due?

    Joe: We appreciate it! (Laughs) We have a career built on not caring about what people think. Our focus is on making stories that entertain us, and that hopefully entertain others too. We find conventions to be constricting, to be boring. Certain tropes have been abused for years. We would rather embrace our challenges being aware of these pitfalls and try and have fun with them while also giving the audience something to chew on.

    Anthony: We are trying to give people a meaningful experience in the theatre—

    Joe: Or Netflix… (Everyone laughs)

    Anthony: Yes! The idea is to create an experience that can speak meaningfully to everyone.

    Any plans of returning to the Marvel universe? This new phase could perhaps do with the Russo touch.

    Joe: (After a pause) There are no plans, no. If the audience enjoys The Gray Man a lot, we hope to work on the sequel. As for Marvel, look, they can’t do what they did in the first phase. They are now taking risks, and they are becoming more diverse. All the volume is a product of the success. I think the audience too has to embrace the content for what it is, and not for what it was. Perhaps Marvel can take us through surprising, new directions? Let’s see.

    Dhanush, how do you see your experience of being part of Hollywood stunt sequences transforming the fight scenes in our films?

    Dhanush: I think I can make the process easier for stunt choreographers. For The Gray Man, I was trained meticulously. They made me understand the basics and took me from there. They made me look like a pro. I think I now approach stunt choreography differently. I just hope that I can make it easier for our stunt choreographers to work with me.

    As a last question, why do you think your Indian fans need to watch this film?

    Dhanush: It’s a big treat for fans of the action genre. And so many of us grew up watching such films, no? Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Fifth Element, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Predator… I can go on and on.

    And this time, there’s also the added pleasure of knowing there’s one of our own in such a film.

    Dhanush: All gratitude to the grace of god.

    (This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

  • INTERVIEW | ‘Protagonist of The Gray Man is an anti-thesis of Bond’: Dhanush, Russo Brothers

    Express News Service

    The man of the moment, Dhanush, and the Russo Brothers, speak about the themes and creative choices that went into making the new Netflix espionage action extravaganza, The Gray Man

    At the end of Polladhavan (2007)—the first of many future collaborations with director Vetrimaran—Dhanush rips off his shirt and faces off against an adversary insistent on murdering him. For an actor whose wiry frame was the topic of some unpleasant criticism around an earlier film, Pudhupettai (2006), being bare-bodied in a climax fight was a rather courageous move—and one that fetched a lot of adulation. It even drew comparisons with—hold your breath—Bruce Lee, with eager fans branding him our version of the Hollywood actor. And now, 15 years later, after winning multiple National Awards and drawing the fascination of an entire country, Hollywood has come calling for Dhanush.

    His latest film, a Netflix release, The Gray Man, is a grand globe-trotting Hollywood action film directed by the Russo Brothers. Here are Dhanush and the Russo Brothers in conversation about a collaboration that has got the entire country excited:

    Excerpts:

    From Bruce Lee comparisons to a huge Hollywood film… dreams do come true, no? Would you call this your biggest dream realised?

    Dhanush: (Laughs) It’s not the biggest dream; I have bigger ones. You have to dream in the biggest possible way… I’d rather call it hunger. The fire in me is still raging. The Russo Brothers have found me from India and provided me with a beautiful opening. I have to see where God takes me from here.

    Anthony Russo: It’s funny you mention the comparison with Bruce Lee because the first time we learned of Dhanush, someone actually said that to us. It’s amazing.

    Dhanush’s character, Avik San, is referred to as the ‘sexy Tamil friend’ in this film, and I think there’s great utility in defining the character by his Tamil identity, considering that successful artists from across India have previously been brushed under the generic label of Bollywood. Dhanush, did you make this distinction clear to them?

    Joe Russo: Yes, it was Dhanush that made the difference clear to us. I think it adds great context and flavour to the character. We always believe in opting for the specific rather than the generic.

    Dhanush: I’m grateful that they were receptive to my suggestion and agreed. They were generous enough to find it an interesting detail.

    Joe, you spoke in the press conference about how you like your films to have a bit of everything, including comedy, action, sentiment… Dhanush, did you tell them that our cinema specialises in this formula?

    Dhanush: (Laughs) Not really. A lot of the conversations we had was when the pandemic was raging across the world. There were too many restrictions, and we were connecting over video calls with masks on. The world is now healing and it’s a better place. I think I’ll tell them about our cinema in our future conversations.

    The protagonist of The Gray Man (played by Ryan Gosling) is an anti-thesis of Bond. The film even makes a reference to 007 and the theme track also seems drawn from the Bond films.

    Joe: We are self-aware filmmakers, and we like to pay homage… and also make fun of older films. It’s hard for us to take anything particularly seriously. As you said, the protagonist is the anti-Bond. We liked that he is a proletariat hero. He doesn’t enjoy being a spy and doesn’t care about the glamour. It’s this modern interpretation of a spy that drew us to this project.

    And he’s a rogue agent too, isn’t he? I think it’s useful at a time when some oppressive governments across the world are demanding unquestioned loyalty and patriotism.

    Joe: Yes, especially when the system is as corrupt as it is in our film. Our film, for this reason, also speaks up against patriarchy… The protagonist has an abusive father, and he has another father figure at the CIA. We reject patriarchy through this film.

    Anthony: We also show that the problem for the protagonist isn’t the other. It’s within his system. I think that’s a better way for us to examine who we really are.

    Speaking of patriarchy, I loved that Ana de Armas doesn’t need to be rescued by Ryan Gosling in this film. In fact, it’s the other way round.

    Joe: We wanted a strong, independent woman character, someone whose story isn’t exactly dependent on the protagonist’s. That’s why she does most of the saving. We like fighting against conventions, and we thought adding some Bondesque cues would come in handy. You know, mix it all up into making an entertainer…

    Dhanush, from tentative beginnings as an actor, you have turned into a natural. And yet, when you get a grand opportunity such as this, how do you make sure your eagerness to impress doesn’t get in the way of your natural flair?

    That’s why I was careful about never approaching it like that. I just told myself I should do a convincing job of the brief given to me. Yes, it’s a big opportunity and it offers plenty of scope, but impress? Not really. The big responsibility was justifying their faith in me. The West is watching India and I knew that if I did a good job, it could pave the way for more Indian talents to get picked up.

    There’s plenty of humour in this film, especially drawn from the antics of Chris Evans. Do you feel that this genre—globe-trotting action with self-aware humour—doesn’t quite get its due?

    Joe: We appreciate it! (Laughs) We have a career built on not caring about what people think. Our focus is on making stories that entertain us, and that hopefully entertain others too. We find conventions to be constricting, to be boring. Certain tropes have been abused for years. We would rather embrace our challenges being aware of these pitfalls and try and have fun with them while also giving the audience something to chew on.

    Anthony: We are trying to give people a meaningful experience in the theatre—

    Joe: Or Netflix… (Everyone laughs)

    Anthony: Yes! The idea is to create an experience that can speak meaningfully to everyone.

    Any plans of returning to the Marvel universe? This new phase could perhaps do with the Russo touch.

    Joe: (After a pause) There are no plans, no. If the audience enjoys The Gray Man a lot, we hope to work on the sequel. As for Marvel, look, they can’t do what they did in the first phase. They are now taking risks, and they are becoming more diverse. All the volume is a product of the success. I think the audience too has to embrace the content for what it is, and not for what it was. Perhaps Marvel can take us through surprising, new directions? Let’s see.

    Dhanush, how do you see your experience of being part of Hollywood stunt sequences transforming the fight scenes in our films?

    Dhanush: I think I can make the process easier for stunt choreographers. For The Gray Man, I was trained meticulously. They made me understand the basics and took me from there. They made me look like a pro. I think I now approach stunt choreography differently. I just hope that I can make it easier for our stunt choreographers to work with me.

    As a last question, why do you think your Indian fans need to watch this film?

    Dhanush: It’s a big treat for fans of the action genre. And so many of us grew up watching such films, no? Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Fifth Element, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Predator… I can go on and on.

    And this time, there’s also the added pleasure of knowing there’s one of our own in such a film.

    Dhanush: All gratitude to the grace of god.

    (This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

    The man of the moment, Dhanush, and the Russo Brothers, speak about the themes and creative choices that went into making the new Netflix espionage action extravaganza, The Gray Man

    At the end of Polladhavan (2007)—the first of many future collaborations with director Vetrimaran—Dhanush rips off his shirt and faces off against an adversary insistent on murdering him. For an actor whose wiry frame was the topic of some unpleasant criticism around an earlier film, Pudhupettai (2006), being bare-bodied in a climax fight was a rather courageous move—and one that fetched a lot of adulation. It even drew comparisons with—hold your breath—Bruce Lee, with eager fans branding him our version of the Hollywood actor. And now, 15 years later, after winning multiple National Awards and drawing the fascination of an entire country, Hollywood has come calling for Dhanush.

    His latest film, a Netflix release, The Gray Man, is a grand globe-trotting Hollywood action film directed by the Russo Brothers. Here are Dhanush and the Russo Brothers in conversation about a collaboration that has got the entire country excited:

    Excerpts:

    From Bruce Lee comparisons to a huge Hollywood film… dreams do come true, no? Would you call this your biggest dream realised?

    Dhanush: (Laughs) It’s not the biggest dream; I have bigger ones. You have to dream in the biggest possible way… I’d rather call it hunger. The fire in me is still raging. The Russo Brothers have found me from India and provided me with a beautiful opening. I have to see where God takes me from here.

    Anthony Russo: It’s funny you mention the comparison with Bruce Lee because the first time we learned of Dhanush, someone actually said that to us. It’s amazing.

    Dhanush’s character, Avik San, is referred to as the ‘sexy Tamil friend’ in this film, and I think there’s great utility in defining the character by his Tamil identity, considering that successful artists from across India have previously been brushed under the generic label of Bollywood. Dhanush, did you make this distinction clear to them?

    Joe Russo: Yes, it was Dhanush that made the difference clear to us. I think it adds great context and flavour to the character. We always believe in opting for the specific rather than the generic.

    Dhanush: I’m grateful that they were receptive to my suggestion and agreed. They were generous enough to find it an interesting detail.

    Joe, you spoke in the press conference about how you like your films to have a bit of everything, including comedy, action, sentiment… Dhanush, did you tell them that our cinema specialises in this formula?

    Dhanush: (Laughs) Not really. A lot of the conversations we had was when the pandemic was raging across the world. There were too many restrictions, and we were connecting over video calls with masks on. The world is now healing and it’s a better place. I think I’ll tell them about our cinema in our future conversations.

    The protagonist of The Gray Man (played by Ryan Gosling) is an anti-thesis of Bond. The film even makes a reference to 007 and the theme track also seems drawn from the Bond films.

    Joe: We are self-aware filmmakers, and we like to pay homage… and also make fun of older films. It’s hard for us to take anything particularly seriously. As you said, the protagonist is the anti-Bond. We liked that he is a proletariat hero. He doesn’t enjoy being a spy and doesn’t care about the glamour. It’s this modern interpretation of a spy that drew us to this project.

    And he’s a rogue agent too, isn’t he? I think it’s useful at a time when some oppressive governments across the world are demanding unquestioned loyalty and patriotism.

    Joe: Yes, especially when the system is as corrupt as it is in our film. Our film, for this reason, also speaks up against patriarchy… The protagonist has an abusive father, and he has another father figure at the CIA. We reject patriarchy through this film.

    Anthony: We also show that the problem for the protagonist isn’t the other. It’s within his system. I think that’s a better way for us to examine who we really are.

    Speaking of patriarchy, I loved that Ana de Armas doesn’t need to be rescued by Ryan Gosling in this film. In fact, it’s the other way round.

    Joe: We wanted a strong, independent woman character, someone whose story isn’t exactly dependent on the protagonist’s. That’s why she does most of the saving. We like fighting against conventions, and we thought adding some Bondesque cues would come in handy. You know, mix it all up into making an entertainer…

    Dhanush, from tentative beginnings as an actor, you have turned into a natural. And yet, when you get a grand opportunity such as this, how do you make sure your eagerness to impress doesn’t get in the way of your natural flair?

    That’s why I was careful about never approaching it like that. I just told myself I should do a convincing job of the brief given to me. Yes, it’s a big opportunity and it offers plenty of scope, but impress? Not really. The big responsibility was justifying their faith in me. The West is watching India and I knew that if I did a good job, it could pave the way for more Indian talents to get picked up.

    There’s plenty of humour in this film, especially drawn from the antics of Chris Evans. Do you feel that this genre—globe-trotting action with self-aware humour—doesn’t quite get its due?

    Joe: We appreciate it! (Laughs) We have a career built on not caring about what people think. Our focus is on making stories that entertain us, and that hopefully entertain others too. We find conventions to be constricting, to be boring. Certain tropes have been abused for years. We would rather embrace our challenges being aware of these pitfalls and try and have fun with them while also giving the audience something to chew on.

    Anthony: We are trying to give people a meaningful experience in the theatre—

    Joe: Or Netflix… (Everyone laughs)

    Anthony: Yes! The idea is to create an experience that can speak meaningfully to everyone.

    Any plans of returning to the Marvel universe? This new phase could perhaps do with the Russo touch.

    Joe: (After a pause) There are no plans, no. If the audience enjoys The Gray Man a lot, we hope to work on the sequel. As for Marvel, look, they can’t do what they did in the first phase. They are now taking risks, and they are becoming more diverse. All the volume is a product of the success. I think the audience too has to embrace the content for what it is, and not for what it was. Perhaps Marvel can take us through surprising, new directions? Let’s see.

    Dhanush, how do you see your experience of being part of Hollywood stunt sequences transforming the fight scenes in our films?

    Dhanush: I think I can make the process easier for stunt choreographers. For The Gray Man, I was trained meticulously. They made me understand the basics and took me from there. They made me look like a pro. I think I now approach stunt choreography differently. I just hope that I can make it easier for our stunt choreographers to work with me.

    As a last question, why do you think your Indian fans need to watch this film?

    Dhanush: It’s a big treat for fans of the action genre. And so many of us grew up watching such films, no? Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Fifth Element, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Predator… I can go on and on.

    And this time, there’s also the added pleasure of knowing there’s one of our own in such a film.

    Dhanush: All gratitude to the grace of god.

    (This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

  • Would love to find more projects to work with Indian talent: ‘The Gray Man’ director Joe Russo

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Hollywood director Joe Russo on Thursday said he and his brother Anthony Russo would like to collaborate with more Indian talent, including “The Gray Man” actor Dhanush, in a potential sequel to the Netflix film.

    Joe, who is in the city with Anthony for the India premiere of the upcoming movie, praised the “vibrant” film community of the country.

    “We love India, we love the vibrant film community here. There’s so much talent in India and the fan base is so passionate. We would love to find as many projects as possible with Indian talents – producers, actors, and directors. It is exciting to us,” Joe said during the press conference of “The Gray Man” here.

    Based on Mark Greaney’s 2009 novel of the same name, the spy action entertainer revolves around a freelance assassin and former CIA operative Court Gentry aka Sierra Six (Ryan Gosling) who is hunted across the world by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) and other international assassins.

    Dhanush plays Avik San, the “lethal force” who can stop Six from revealing a dark agency secret.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Gray Man’ was a great opportunity to work with Dhanush: Director Joe Russo

    If “The Gray Man” universe expands, Joe promised fans will get to see more of Dhanush’s character.

    “It (film) is based on a book series, so there’s an opportunity to expand this into future movies. We love to keep going with the world because we love our characters. If we continue, we guarantee you that Dhanush’s character will be part of the world,” he said.

    Anthony said they hope to tell more of Avik San’s story in future.

    “I keep getting texts from people I know and they say they want more of Dhanush. We hope we get to tell more stories with this character and we would like to keep our options open,” he added.

    ALSO READ | Dhanush never made mistakes: Ryan Gosling on ‘The Gray Man’ co-star

    Besides Dhanush, the Russo Brothers have also collaborated with Randeep Hooda for their Chris Hemsworth-led production “Extraction” (2020), and with Priyanka Chopra Jonas on the forthcoming Amazon Studio series “Citadel”.

    Dhanush said the directors gave him a detailed back story to develop his character.

    “Russo Brothers gave me a back story of what he can be, where he can be from, how he could be, and so on. That was very helpful. I remember telling them that it itself is a film. It was very interesting,” he added.

    “The Gray Man” also stars Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Rege Jean-Page and Jessica Henwick.

    It is produced by the Russos and Mike Larocca via AGBO and Roth Kirschenbaum’s Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Chris Castaldi. The film is slated to premiere on Netflix on Friday.

    MUMBAI: Hollywood director Joe Russo on Thursday said he and his brother Anthony Russo would like to collaborate with more Indian talent, including “The Gray Man” actor Dhanush, in a potential sequel to the Netflix film.

    Joe, who is in the city with Anthony for the India premiere of the upcoming movie, praised the “vibrant” film community of the country.

    “We love India, we love the vibrant film community here. There’s so much talent in India and the fan base is so passionate. We would love to find as many projects as possible with Indian talents – producers, actors, and directors. It is exciting to us,” Joe said during the press conference of “The Gray Man” here.

    Based on Mark Greaney’s 2009 novel of the same name, the spy action entertainer revolves around a freelance assassin and former CIA operative Court Gentry aka Sierra Six (Ryan Gosling) who is hunted across the world by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) and other international assassins.

    Dhanush plays Avik San, the “lethal force” who can stop Six from revealing a dark agency secret.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Gray Man’ was a great opportunity to work with Dhanush: Director Joe Russo

    If “The Gray Man” universe expands, Joe promised fans will get to see more of Dhanush’s character.

    “It (film) is based on a book series, so there’s an opportunity to expand this into future movies. We love to keep going with the world because we love our characters. If we continue, we guarantee you that Dhanush’s character will be part of the world,” he said.

    Anthony said they hope to tell more of Avik San’s story in future.

    “I keep getting texts from people I know and they say they want more of Dhanush. We hope we get to tell more stories with this character and we would like to keep our options open,” he added.

    ALSO READ | Dhanush never made mistakes: Ryan Gosling on ‘The Gray Man’ co-star

    Besides Dhanush, the Russo Brothers have also collaborated with Randeep Hooda for their Chris Hemsworth-led production “Extraction” (2020), and with Priyanka Chopra Jonas on the forthcoming Amazon Studio series “Citadel”.

    Dhanush said the directors gave him a detailed back story to develop his character.

    “Russo Brothers gave me a back story of what he can be, where he can be from, how he could be, and so on. That was very helpful. I remember telling them that it itself is a film. It was very interesting,” he added.

    “The Gray Man” also stars Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Rege Jean-Page and Jessica Henwick.

    It is produced by the Russos and Mike Larocca via AGBO and Roth Kirschenbaum’s Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Chris Castaldi. The film is slated to premiere on Netflix on Friday.

  • Dhanush never made mistake: Ryan Gosling on ‘The Gray Man’ co-star

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Tamil star Dhanush may be playing a cold-blooded assassin out to get Ryan Gosling’s character in “The Gray Man”, which starts streaming on Netflix from July 22, but the Hollywood star is impressed.

    “He just has an incredible screen presence and he’s such a lovely person to be around,” Gosling says about Dhanush. And adds that Dhanush is charming and he would love to work with him again.

    In a roundtable with global media, the Golden Globe winner said: “It was hard to pretend that I didn’t like him because he is so charming. I have so much respect for his work ethics and he is so precise.”

    Gosling continued: “He never made a mistake. He’s just a very special actor and I hope one day I get to work with him where we are not trying to kill each other, and hopefully in India, so if anyone can hook that up I am in.”

    Talking about India’s film industry, Gosling said: “Yes, India has such a rich film history … an incredible industry. I would love to experience it, you know.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Gray Man’ was a great opportunity to work with Dhanush: Director Joe Russo

    “If there are any filmmakers who want to make a film with me, please reach out. I would love to work with Dhanush again. Maybe the Russo brothers could make a film out there, But it is definitely something on my to-do list and I hope I can make that happen.”

    Gosling has upped his own game in the upcoming high-octane actioner, which come loaded with nine death-defying fight sequences.

    The actor agreed everything about the movie was tough, but said that it was something he wanted to do even when it was challenging.

    IANS asked Gosling about how much is too much for an actor to invest in an intense film and character like “The Gray Man”.

    The actor replied: “I am not sure how much is too much. That depends. This was kind of a dream of mine to make an action film even though it is very extreme. I guess most action films have four or five action set pieces. This has nine.” No wonder, the 41-year-old Hollywood star calls ‘The Gray Man’ “not a regular action film”.

    ALSO READ | Idea of a reluctant spy was intriguing: Ryan Gosling on his first action film ‘The Gray Man’ 

    He said: “So, it’s not a regular action film, you know. It felt worth it. It was like I just wanted to do it even when it was tough. I felt lucky doing it.”

    What was the hardest thing to do in the film, which is an adaptation of a Mark Greaney CIA-themed thriller novel of the same name? Pat came the reply from Gosling: “It’s hard to say because everything was hard.”

    He explained: “Every sequence was different and required something else. Sometimes we were shooting multiple sequences at once, and we went and shot another sequence, so it was like keeping all the stunt choreography in your head and it would be easy to forget and do one fight. I had never done anything like shooting multiple fight scenes at once, so it was all very challenging.”

    Gosling plays Sierra Six, also known as “The Gray Man”, a trained assassin who is inducted into the CIA’s top-secret Sierra black ops programme from a US federal prison.

    ALSO READ | All for ‘The Gray Man’: Dhanush thanks Anand Mahindra, posts pic with cast

    He’s highly skilled and one of the best in his shadowy business, but there’s a hitch: Sierra Six uncovers incriminating secrets about the agency, making him the target of the CIA and a global manhunt.

    Talking about what he likes about Sierra, he said: “I liked his sense of humour. I thought it made him different and a lot of the different characters I have played in action films. … I like the fact that the character doesn’t want to be a spy. He does not want to be James Bond and wants to watch Netflix like the rest of us, but he has to do this because it is either this or death. I just thought it would make him an interesting character to play.”

    The film also stars Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Rege-Jean Page, Wagner Moura, Julia Butters, Alfre Woodard, and Billy Bob Thornton.

    Gosling found it great to work with Evans, who plays the psychopathic CIA operative leading the hunt against Sierra Six. “Chris was having a lot of fun so that made it fun to play opposite him.”

    ALSO READ | Russo Bros ‘big fans’ of Dhanush, tease actor’s return if ‘The Gray Man’ gets sequel

    With diversity being spotlighted in Hollywood films, does Gosling agree that it is a good time to be an actor?

    In reply to this question from IANS, he said: “Good time to be an actor in Hollywood? Yeah, I don’t know … I can’t speak on that because I don’t know what everyone’s experience is. My dad worked in a paper mill and my family worked in a paper mill.”

    He added: “I feel lucky to be an actor. It’s a great, good job and I feel lucky right now at this point of my career. This is the kind of a great film I saw when I was a kid and made me love movies. It’s exciting to be in one.”

    NEW DELHI: Tamil star Dhanush may be playing a cold-blooded assassin out to get Ryan Gosling’s character in “The Gray Man”, which starts streaming on Netflix from July 22, but the Hollywood star is impressed.

    “He just has an incredible screen presence and he’s such a lovely person to be around,” Gosling says about Dhanush. And adds that Dhanush is charming and he would love to work with him again.

    In a roundtable with global media, the Golden Globe winner said: “It was hard to pretend that I didn’t like him because he is so charming. I have so much respect for his work ethics and he is so precise.”

    Gosling continued: “He never made a mistake. He’s just a very special actor and I hope one day I get to work with him where we are not trying to kill each other, and hopefully in India, so if anyone can hook that up I am in.”

    Talking about India’s film industry, Gosling said: “Yes, India has such a rich film history … an incredible industry. I would love to experience it, you know.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Gray Man’ was a great opportunity to work with Dhanush: Director Joe Russo

    “If there are any filmmakers who want to make a film with me, please reach out. I would love to work with Dhanush again. Maybe the Russo brothers could make a film out there, But it is definitely something on my to-do list and I hope I can make that happen.”

    Gosling has upped his own game in the upcoming high-octane actioner, which come loaded with nine death-defying fight sequences.

    The actor agreed everything about the movie was tough, but said that it was something he wanted to do even when it was challenging.

    IANS asked Gosling about how much is too much for an actor to invest in an intense film and character like “The Gray Man”.

    The actor replied: “I am not sure how much is too much. That depends. This was kind of a dream of mine to make an action film even though it is very extreme. I guess most action films have four or five action set pieces. This has nine.” No wonder, the 41-year-old Hollywood star calls ‘The Gray Man’ “not a regular action film”.

    ALSO READ | Idea of a reluctant spy was intriguing: Ryan Gosling on his first action film ‘The Gray Man’ 

    He said: “So, it’s not a regular action film, you know. It felt worth it. It was like I just wanted to do it even when it was tough. I felt lucky doing it.”

    What was the hardest thing to do in the film, which is an adaptation of a Mark Greaney CIA-themed thriller novel of the same name? Pat came the reply from Gosling: “It’s hard to say because everything was hard.”

    He explained: “Every sequence was different and required something else. Sometimes we were shooting multiple sequences at once, and we went and shot another sequence, so it was like keeping all the stunt choreography in your head and it would be easy to forget and do one fight. I had never done anything like shooting multiple fight scenes at once, so it was all very challenging.”

    Gosling plays Sierra Six, also known as “The Gray Man”, a trained assassin who is inducted into the CIA’s top-secret Sierra black ops programme from a US federal prison.

    ALSO READ | All for ‘The Gray Man’: Dhanush thanks Anand Mahindra, posts pic with cast

    He’s highly skilled and one of the best in his shadowy business, but there’s a hitch: Sierra Six uncovers incriminating secrets about the agency, making him the target of the CIA and a global manhunt.

    Talking about what he likes about Sierra, he said: “I liked his sense of humour. I thought it made him different and a lot of the different characters I have played in action films. … I like the fact that the character doesn’t want to be a spy. He does not want to be James Bond and wants to watch Netflix like the rest of us, but he has to do this because it is either this or death. I just thought it would make him an interesting character to play.”

    The film also stars Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Rege-Jean Page, Wagner Moura, Julia Butters, Alfre Woodard, and Billy Bob Thornton.

    Gosling found it great to work with Evans, who plays the psychopathic CIA operative leading the hunt against Sierra Six. “Chris was having a lot of fun so that made it fun to play opposite him.”

    ALSO READ | Russo Bros ‘big fans’ of Dhanush, tease actor’s return if ‘The Gray Man’ gets sequel

    With diversity being spotlighted in Hollywood films, does Gosling agree that it is a good time to be an actor?

    In reply to this question from IANS, he said: “Good time to be an actor in Hollywood? Yeah, I don’t know … I can’t speak on that because I don’t know what everyone’s experience is. My dad worked in a paper mill and my family worked in a paper mill.”

    He added: “I feel lucky to be an actor. It’s a great, good job and I feel lucky right now at this point of my career. This is the kind of a great film I saw when I was a kid and made me love movies. It’s exciting to be in one.”

  • ‘The Gray Man’ was a great opportunity to work with Dhanush: Director Joe Russo

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: “We just think that we are on the cusp of an explosion of Indian talent around the world,” says filmmaker Joe Russo.

    Perhaps why he and his brother Anthony Russo, who together make up the famous Russo Brothers, picked on Dhanush for a key role in their latest film “The Gray Man”.

    The South star, who makes his Hollywood debut in the Netflix film that drops this Friday, said in turn that he felt he had a responsibility to deliver so filmmakers from the West continue to come for more talent to India.

    “That’s the only thing that I had in my mind. I didn’t feel any other pressure when I was working on ‘The Gray Man’.”

    Dhanush said at a virtual roundtable interview with Joe and Anthony Russo.

    “Of course, they are the Russos, they’re going to capture the best version of you anyway,” the actor said in response to a question by PTI.

    Joe said both he and his brother have particular interests and love for Indian talent.

    “There is only one other country in the world that creates movies on the scale of Hollywood and that’s India. When you have a really robust film community, like in India, it produces talents with a lot of experience in front of the camera,” he added.

    The Russo Brothers, known for directing superhero blockbusters “Captain America: Winter Soldier”, “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War”, said now is the best time to be an actor with diversity.

    “Films are becoming more and more global. There are more possibilities than there ever have been,” Anthony said.

    In the past four years, the director duo has also collaborated with Randeep Hooda for their Chris Hemsworth-led production “Extraction” (2020), and with Priyanka Chopra Jonas on the forthcoming Amazon Studio series “Citadel”.

    “The Gray Man” is a global story which made for a perfect collaboration with Dhanush, said Joe.

    The Russo Brothers said they were impressed with Dhanush’s work in his films and created the part of Avik San, especially for the Indian superstar.

    Joe said they came across Dhanush’s movies while researching the action sequences for their Marvel projects.

    “We saw two or three clips of Dhanush and they were fantastic. That’s really how we came to know Dhanush while working on the Marvel films. He really inspired a couple of hand-to-hand combat sequences in those movies,” he added.

    The directors have penned “The Gray Man” with frequent collaborators Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus.

    Based on Mark Greaney’s 2009 novel of the same name, it is a spy action thriller revolving around freelance assassin and former CIA operative Court Gentry aka Sierra Six (Ryan Gosling) who is hunted across the world by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) and other international assassins.

    “This film was a great opportunity to work with Dhanush because it’s such a global story. And the concept is that assassins from all over the world get hired to stop Six and we thought it would be fantastic to get Dhanush to play the most deadly assassin of them all, who was the one who actually does stop him.”

    According to Dhanush, the Russo Brothers make everything really fun, simple and easy.

    “They walk you through the film, they talk about your character and make the process nice and smooth,” the 38-year-old National Award winner added.

    His character in the movie is described by the Russos as a “high-level assassin” with a strong code of conduct.

    The makers, who had been developing the film for 10 years, said they decided to take a mysterious approach towards Dhanush’s character.

    “We like characters which are mysterious and hold their cards close to their vest. He was intended to be a high-level assassin who comes in and is the only one who can stop Six. There is a unique introduction to him which gives us an understanding that he might be more contemplative than other assassins, who are more wild and erratic, violent,” Joe told PTI.

    On a lighter note, Dhanush said he had a great time playing ‘a man of few words’ as he didn’t have to rehearse a lot of dialogues.

    “I’m not so fluent with English and I come from a different language (background) so when I found I just had a few lines, it was less stressful for me… It’s a mysterious character and I actually got into the skin. That’s what’s been reflected on screen…”

    “The Gray Man” also stars Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Rege Jean-Page and Jessica Henwick, It is produced by the Russos and Mike Larocca via AGBO and Roth Kirschenbaum’s Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Chris Castaldi.

    NEW DELHI: “We just think that we are on the cusp of an explosion of Indian talent around the world,” says filmmaker Joe Russo.

    Perhaps why he and his brother Anthony Russo, who together make up the famous Russo Brothers, picked on Dhanush for a key role in their latest film “The Gray Man”.

    The South star, who makes his Hollywood debut in the Netflix film that drops this Friday, said in turn that he felt he had a responsibility to deliver so filmmakers from the West continue to come for more talent to India.

    “That’s the only thing that I had in my mind. I didn’t feel any other pressure when I was working on ‘The Gray Man’.”

    Dhanush said at a virtual roundtable interview with Joe and Anthony Russo.

    “Of course, they are the Russos, they’re going to capture the best version of you anyway,” the actor said in response to a question by PTI.

    Joe said both he and his brother have particular interests and love for Indian talent.

    “There is only one other country in the world that creates movies on the scale of Hollywood and that’s India. When you have a really robust film community, like in India, it produces talents with a lot of experience in front of the camera,” he added.

    The Russo Brothers, known for directing superhero blockbusters “Captain America: Winter Soldier”, “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War”, said now is the best time to be an actor with diversity.

    “Films are becoming more and more global. There are more possibilities than there ever have been,” Anthony said.

    In the past four years, the director duo has also collaborated with Randeep Hooda for their Chris Hemsworth-led production “Extraction” (2020), and with Priyanka Chopra Jonas on the forthcoming Amazon Studio series “Citadel”.

    “The Gray Man” is a global story which made for a perfect collaboration with Dhanush, said Joe.

    The Russo Brothers said they were impressed with Dhanush’s work in his films and created the part of Avik San, especially for the Indian superstar.

    Joe said they came across Dhanush’s movies while researching the action sequences for their Marvel projects.

    “We saw two or three clips of Dhanush and they were fantastic. That’s really how we came to know Dhanush while working on the Marvel films. He really inspired a couple of hand-to-hand combat sequences in those movies,” he added.

    The directors have penned “The Gray Man” with frequent collaborators Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus.

    Based on Mark Greaney’s 2009 novel of the same name, it is a spy action thriller revolving around freelance assassin and former CIA operative Court Gentry aka Sierra Six (Ryan Gosling) who is hunted across the world by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) and other international assassins.

    “This film was a great opportunity to work with Dhanush because it’s such a global story. And the concept is that assassins from all over the world get hired to stop Six and we thought it would be fantastic to get Dhanush to play the most deadly assassin of them all, who was the one who actually does stop him.”

    According to Dhanush, the Russo Brothers make everything really fun, simple and easy.

    “They walk you through the film, they talk about your character and make the process nice and smooth,” the 38-year-old National Award winner added.

    His character in the movie is described by the Russos as a “high-level assassin” with a strong code of conduct.

    The makers, who had been developing the film for 10 years, said they decided to take a mysterious approach towards Dhanush’s character.

    “We like characters which are mysterious and hold their cards close to their vest. He was intended to be a high-level assassin who comes in and is the only one who can stop Six. There is a unique introduction to him which gives us an understanding that he might be more contemplative than other assassins, who are more wild and erratic, violent,” Joe told PTI.

    On a lighter note, Dhanush said he had a great time playing ‘a man of few words’ as he didn’t have to rehearse a lot of dialogues.

    “I’m not so fluent with English and I come from a different language (background) so when I found I just had a few lines, it was less stressful for me… It’s a mysterious character and I actually got into the skin. That’s what’s been reflected on screen…”

    “The Gray Man” also stars Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Rege Jean-Page and Jessica Henwick, It is produced by the Russos and Mike Larocca via AGBO and Roth Kirschenbaum’s Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Chris Castaldi.

  • Russo Brothers with actor Dhanush to visit India for ‘The Gray Man’ premiere

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Director duo Joe and Anthony Russo will be in India for the premiere of their upcoming Netflix film “The Gray Man”, the streamer said Monday.

    The filmmakers, known for Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”, will join superstar Dhanush at the event to be held here.

    The Russo Brothers shared the news with their Indian fans in a video message posted by Netflix India on its official Twitter page.

    “Hey everyone! I am Joe Russo and I am Anthony Russo and we’re so excited to be coming to India to see our dear friend Dhanush for our new movie ‘The Gray Man’. Get ready India, see you soon,” the directors said in the clip.

    Dhanush, whose character in “The Gray Man” is described as a “lethal force”, also talked about the experience of working on the much anticipated action thriller.

    “It was incredible. This movie is a roller coaster, it has everything, action, drama, pace and a big chase. I am very grateful that I got to do a modest role in this movie full of incredible people,” the National Award winner said in the video.

    Some great news from the cast of #TheGrayMan!The @Russo_Brothers are coming to India to give you a taste of the film, along with @dhanushkraja. Buckle up and stay tuned @AGBOfilms pic.twitter.com/4kJ5ZbqtIj
    — Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) July 11, 2022
    According to Netflix, fans can win tickets to the India premiere of “The Gray Man” by participating in a contest, from July 12 onwards.

    The Gray Man is CIA operative Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling), aka, Sierra Six, who is plucked from a federal penitentiary and recruited by his handler, Donald Fitzroy, played by Billy Bob Thornton.

    “…Gentry was once a highly-skilled, Agency-sanctioned merchant of death. But now the tables have turned and Six is the target, hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former cohort at the CIA, who will stop at nothing to take him out. Agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas) has his back. He’ll need it,” read the film’s official synopsis.

    Based on the novel of the same name by Mark Greaney, “The Gray Man” also stars Rege-Jean Page, Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura, Alfre Woodard, Julia Butters, Eme Ikwuakor, and Scott Haze.

    The film will start streaming on Netflix on July 22.

  • Netflix lands Russo Brothers’ film ‘The Electric State’

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Joe and Anthony Russo’s next directing venture “The Electric Slate”, starring Millie Bobby Brown, has found a home on the streaming platform Netflix.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the development comes after nearly half a year of negotiations.

    The movie was previously set up at Universal Pictures, which eventually passed up the deal due to budget issues.

    The new budget is more than USD 200 million, said sources.

    “The Electric Slate”, based on the acclaimed 2018 graphic novel by Simon Stalenhag of “Tales from the Loop” fame, is a reunion of sorts.

    This marks the second big-budget collaboration of the Russo Brothers, known for Marvel Studios blockbusters “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”, with the streamer following “The Gray Man”, the action movie which premieres in July.

    Brown, the star of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” series and “Enola Holmes” film franchise, will headline “The Electric Slate”, with Chris Pratt, who featured in the Russos’ Avengers films, in talks to join her.

    Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, whose credits include “The Gray Man” and the “Avengers” movies, will adapt Stalenhag’s novel for screen.

    The story follows an orphaned teenager, played by Brown, “who traverses an American West that is reminiscent of a retro-future with a sweet but mysterious robot and an eccentric drifter in search of her younger brother”.

    Russos are also producing the feature film via their AGBO banner, along with the company’s co-founder, Mike Larocca. Chris Castaldi and Patrick Newall are also credited as producers.

    Markus, McFeely, Angela Russo-Otstot, Jake Aust, and Geoff Haley are attached to executive produce the movie.

    Production is expected to begin later this year in Atlanta.

  • Russo Bros ‘big fans’ of Dhanush, tease actor’s return if ‘The Gray Man’ gets sequel

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES:  Joe Russo says he and his directing partner-brother Anthony Russo are big fans of Dhanush, who plays “one of the top assassins of the world” in their upcoming Netflix film “The Gray Man”, a role they specifically wrote for the Indian actor.

    The one half of the director duo, best known for Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”, said if “The Gray Man” receives audience’s love, there is a possibility that the actor will feature in the films of the potential franchise.

    “Anthony and I are big Dhanush’s fans. We wrote this role specifically for him. He’s a sort of classic bada** character, who shows up to combat the hero and complicate the film. He’s a fun character. He’s unique.”

    “Dhanush has a great presence on camera and the character is almost mystical in a way. The intention is if audiences like this film, we expand out the storytelling from here, and this is a fascinating character to move forward in that world,” Joe Russo said on Tuesday night in a Twitter space session hours after the streamer dropped the trailer of “The Gray Man”.

    While the details of the role played by Dhanush are yet to be disclosed by the makers, as per the new poster shared by Netflix on Monday, the National Award winner’s character is described as a “lethal force”.

    Joe Russo said Dhanush plays “one of the top assassins of the world” who is sent after the titular ‘Gray Man’, played by Ryan Gosling in the movie. “He’s got two incredible fights in the film,” he added.

    According to the streamer, The Gray Man is CIA operative Court Gentry (Gosling), aka, Sierra Six, who is plucked from a federal penitentiary and recruited by his handler, Donald Fitzroy, played by Billy Bob Thornton. 

    Gentry was once a highly-skilled, Agency-sanctioned merchant of death. But now the tables have turned and Six is the target, hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former cohort at the CIA, who will stop at nothing to take him out.

    Agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas) has his back. He’ll need it,” reads the film’s official synopsis. Based on the novel “The Gray Man” by Mark Greaney, the screenplay is by Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

    Joe Russo also said while the film was a complete story as a standalone, there were a lot of elements that speak to possibilities about where characters can go further. “With our partners, Chris Markus and Stephen Mcfeely, we are starting to conceive a large part of what we do as universes and ‘The Gray Man’ is definitely an example of that.”

    The film also stars Regé-Jean Page, Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura, Alfre Woodard, Julia Butters, Eme Ikwuakor, and Scott Haze. It will premiere on Netflix on July 22.