Summary
Special forces veteran Colonel Lee Gunner returned home from the war inGunner. Determined to reconnect with his family, he takes his sons and their Uncle Joe on a camping trip. However, things take a dark turn when they stumble across a massive drug operation that ends with Gunner’s family being taken away. to save them, Gunner will do whatever it takes, including breaking the law, to help the people holding his family in order to get them home safely.
Dimitri Logothetis shows off his chops as an action director with the new action thriller. Morgan Freemanand Luke Hemsworth faceoff throughout the movie in an intriguing cat-and-mouse dynamic as they travel together. While this dynamic is the most entrancing to watch, the Muay Thai fight choreography is exciting and the determination Gunner has to protect his family brings an added layer to the action.
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Screen RantinterviewedGunnerdirector Dimitri Logothetis. He discussed working with Luke Hemsworthand Morgan Freeman. Logothetis explained why Freeman was the perfect actor to play the antagonist and what motivates Hemsworth’s character as well as how his military background impacts his actions.
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Gunnerdoes feature this mix of intense action and a family drama. Can you talk about balancing those elements in the script and in the direction style?
Dimitri Logothetis: Part of what we do as directors is we cheat, right? So we turn around and we say, what if we cast some really wonderful actors? That way they can figure out the rest of it for us. I think in this particular instance, Luke Hemsworth is a very talented actor, and Morgan Freeman, of course, come on. you’re able to’t do better than that.
So I let them bring all the layers to the screen. It was already on the page, but they turned around and they really brought it all to life. I thought, that’s the way to do it. And now suddenly you have to make it entertaining. So as I’m cutting the film, I’m trying to do as much as I possibly can, keep you in it, keep you entertained, but know all the time that you’re following the story because you care about the characters.
Dimitri, something that I love about your action stuff too is I feel like everything is really done in camera. Can you talk to me about your approach to practical and digital effects in this film?
Dimitri Logothetis: About the only thing that you’ll see digital in the film, there’s a few things, but I don’t use live guns. I haven’t used live guns in years. I think they’re dangerous on set. So I try to stay away from all that.
Now in terms of my stunt team is Thai, and they go all the way back to my reboot of Kickboxer Vengeance, and they’ve done every film with me since then. So Muay Thai is a completely different martial art. You see it many times, but you don’t really realize what it is. So it’s very showy, like you just pointed out, and it’s very cinematic.
So we do the rehearsals for about a month before we start shooting the film. We edit all those rehearsals, and then we have a pre-viz that I present to the actors. So the actors know what we’re about to do when we do it, and we refine it from there. But Luke brought skill to this because he was able physically to pull off all of these stunts.
I’m Thai, so shout out there. Now, I got to ask you about the casting process because Morgan Freeman and Luke Hemsworth are great, and I love seeing ‘em in scenes together. It’s this almost reverse psychology between the villain and the hero. Can you talk about how after they were cast in those roles, how their characters kind of took shape with them being cast in those roles?
Dimitri Logothetis: I think that Luke can’t stand who Morgan Freeman’s character is. However, he can’t help but admire him. If you notice, he’s looking at him in such a way that he’s admiring him, and he knows that that Morgan Freeman’s character is working him. So he knows he’s trying to work him a little bit.
And then Morgan Freeman is trying to work him, and he does it in a very casual way. I mean, he’s not going to be able to overpower him or anything, so he is trying to see if he can get his guard down, and I think ultimately he pulls that off.
Dimitri Logothetis Breaks Down The Shades Of Grey In The Story
“I Don’t Believe That The Devil Is Somebody That You Can Tell Is The Devil”
I do want to talk about the character of Kendrick Ryker because I think it is such a fascinating character. We’re not used to seeing Morgan Freeman play a villain or an antagonist, really. So can you talk to me about what he brought to that role that surprised you with this turn?
Dimitri Logothetis: Well, I wanted to hire somebody for that particular role that was likable. I don’t believe that the devil is somebody that you may tell is the devil. I think he’s got to be likable. I think he’s got to be personable, and I wanted, and again, we just cast God in the film, so how can you get better likable than that?
Can you talk to me about how involved you were with the designing of the visual aesthetic of the film and the tone of the film, particularly during the confrontation and the fight scenes
Dimitri Logothetis: Entirely. I mean, I picked out those locations specifically because I thought that they would be visual and really interesting. And so we built some interiors on a stage to match the locations, but I entirely pick all that stuff out. I have to from the very beginning. I’m an independent filmmaker, and so I can’t leave anything to chance.
Now I do want to talk about Luke because I think he does such an incredible role as Gunner in this film. Can you talk to me about the character and what Luke brought to the role that wasn’t on the page?
Dimitri Logothetis: Well, he brings an awful lot of texture. He plays many different…and you can see that he’s chewed up inside, right? He brings an awful lot of guilt and anxiety and love, and at the same time, he’s a badass. So all that is stirred up in him.Those are all tough things to do with no dialogue. You have to have it in you. Consequently, because of all that, you care. You really care about him.
Gunner’s Character Has Surprising & Hidden Depths, Explains Director
“When He Decides To Take Some Decisive Action, He Does Things That You Just Don’t Expect”
Also with Luke, can you talk about his approach to the emotional aspect of Gunner’s character, especially the drive to protect his family in this film?
Dimitri Logothetis: Yeah, we met, we talked about that. We went back and forth on it, and he really wanted to figure out how to project that. Again, he’s a trained actor from a wonderful academy in Australia, so that was really easy for him to pull off. Pardon me, let me pull that back a little bit. That was very, he was quite capable of pulling it off. I dunno if it was easy for him to pull off or not.
How do you think Gunner’s military background influences his methods and decision-making in this film?
Dimitri Logothetis: Well, I think like anything you do when you train in any kind of sport, especially something that he is gone back into the service several times, so he’s a lifer before he finally came out. I think it’s instinct is it not? Suddenly you have to adapt anytime something happens. You have to figure out, now what do I do? How do I survive?
You can see that happening scene to scene, to scene. When the door doesn’t open, you kick it in. And when he decides to take some decisive action, he does things that you just don’t expect. I think that keeps us all in.
What did you learn from your experience working on this project that you’re going to take with you into your next project?
Dimitri Logothetis: Well, I mean, again, my biggest enemy in any film, especially as an independent is time. So I fight just as hard as Luke does to try to get more time because with more time, you can do some wonderful things. So that’s really it. I mean, I bring the same team together all the time. My same DP, my same stunt team. I try to carry all them with me, my editor, and so I’m excited. I’ve got everything else planned out for two other movies coming next year.
More About Gunner (2024)
War veteran Colonel Lee Gunner (Luke Hemsworth) spends time with his two sons and their uncle Jon to reconnect with them after being at the battlefront. The trip turns awry when Jon stumbles over a tripwire and sets off an explosion, alerting a gang of violent bikers in the midst of a massive drug operation.
Gunnerwill hit select theaters and digitally on August 16.
Gunner
Cast
Gunner, released in 2024, follows war veteran Colonel Lee Gunner as he strives to rescue his sons from a gang of bikers after they are kidnapped while uncovering a drug operation during a camping trip.
