James Gunn went to somewhat confusing lengths to keep his The Suicide Squad script secret
Actors only got scripts that went up to when they died, so most didn't know the whole story
Film News James Gunn
Director James Gunn has been very open about the fact that he’s going to kill a bunch of characters in his The Suicide Squad movie, to the point where it seems like Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn might even be on the proverbial chopping block (especially since there’s really no DC Cinematic Universe to speak of, so nobody would really need to question it if she shows up unharmed in Birds Of Prey 2). In fact, Gunn revealed on Twitter this week that he used the movie’s high death count to keep some plot details under wraps, since “most” of the cast only got copies of the script up to the point where their character died.
This comes via Uproxx, which notes that this is a pretty easy way to keep spoilers from leaking, but we think all movie productions should start doing this just to trick actors into giving better performances. If, say, Sean Bean hadn’t read the Fellowship Of The Ring script and didn’t know that Sam and Frodo were going to make it out okay after he got arrow’d to hell, wouldn’t his performance have been that much more desperate and dramatic in that death scene? What is directing if not tricking actors into doing their jobs better?
Elsewhere on Gunn’s Twitter, he also mentioned that this (possibly unnecessary) adherence to secrecy led to some confusion with his crew. He said that Idris Elba’s script and the back of his chair on set referred to him as “Vigilante,” not his actual The Suicide Squad character Bloodsport, with production designer Beth Mickle only learning the truth a week before they finished filming. That seems particularly weird, since Bloodsport isn’t even a household DC villain name, but maybe Gunn just didn’t want anyone outsiders to get even the slightest clue about the plot he was putting together. Or maybe this Bloodsport will eventually reveal that his name is Richard T. Joker or whatever and it will be a huge surprise.
Back to Vigilante, though, that name was used by several DC superheroes, including a cowboy in the ‘40s and then a super cool Marv Wolfman/George Pérez dude with ski goggles in the ‘80s (as seen on Arrow a few years ago). Whether or not it was just so he could reuse the chair, Gunn said that Vigilante will actually be one of the main characters on his Peacemaker spin-off show—though we don’t know if that means cowboy Vigilante or ski goggles Vigilante. The Suicide Squad will be on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously on August 6.
43 Comments
I remember when the trailer went out and a bunch of Snyder Cultists got pissy about the idea of Bloodsport shooting Superman. Ignoring the fact that he literally did that in his first appearance in the comics…Hell, it kind of makes sense that he’d be able to do it. Since Supes is normally bulletproof he wouldn’t really bother with getting shot at since he’s not gonna get hurt and the more people shoot at him the less likely they’ll shoot someone else. So it’d be pretty easy to just shoot him with a Kyrptonite bullet if you get the drop on him.
happened in the only true DC comics canon TV show Smallville, so it definitely happened.
There is something so deliciously ironic —- i suppose “schadenfreude” —- when pedantic nerds also get it COMPLETELY WRONG.“Um, actually” — BZZZZT
I mean sure he did that in his first ever appearance, but that doesn’t mean he can actually shot Superman.Superman can’t get hit by bullets, he’s like super fast or something.
This is true! I think what Laserface is getting at is that often, Superman DOESN’T bother dodging bullets. He doesn’t need to. And bouncing off of him is safer than dodging and letting them land… who knows where. It’s like a gnat to him.So it’s fair that Supes is just looking at the guy with a gun rolls his eyes, takes the bullet, and OWWWWW
I feel I should have phrased better, I was just mocking the folks Laserface mentioned. 😀
Or maybe this Bloodsport will eventually reveal that his name is Richard T. Joker or whatever and it will be a huge surprise.He’s obviously Snowflame, the supervillain powered by cocaine…
He’s really Bloodsport, but he gets released into Waller’s custody thanks to his lawyer, Joseph Kerr, esq, of Kerr, Quinzell, and Guin.
Man, comics are weird.Who’s the guy getting smacked?
“Cocaine is my god” – every 80’s Hollywood exec.
As a James Gunn fan going back to his Troma days, I’m looking forward to this. But it’s going to take a bit to get used to King Shark in this format as opposed to the version I’ve come to love in Harley Quinn.
I know you are joking about Bean in Fellowship, but this trick has been pulled on actors many times. Nobody told the actors on The Good Place that they were in the Bad Place until the end of the season. Only John Hurt knew about the Chestburster scene in Alien. David Prowse read a different line than “No, I am your father!” from the script of The Empire Strikes Back and Mark Hamill was only told what the real line was immediately before shooting the scene. Then James Earl Jones dubbed it in.Not sure how this works beyond the scene being filmed though since most movies are shot out of order. I mean, unless they shoot that scene in Cloud City near last, Luke’s going to know for the rest of his scenes.
“I mean, unless they shoot that scene in Cloud City near last, Luke’s going to know for the rest of his scenes.”
Whoa, do you think that’s actually a possibility??? *SMH*
Well, Kirsten Bell knew. There is a delightful video out there of Kirsten and Mike telling the rest of the core cast. So good. I was listening to the Unspooled podcast on ALIEN this week. They played part of an interview with Hurt; the rest of the cast did know about the chestburster scene. It was part of the script. What they DIDN’T know was how it was going to be done or exactly how it was going to happen. Still wild.
I think they just told Bell right before shooting the scene or she figured it out on her own. Nobody else knew until they shot the scene.Either way, surprising actors to get a realistic response has been used for a while.
Please accept the correction in good spirits. Bell also told the same story on the Good Place podcast that was hosted by Marc Evan Jackson. Danson and Bell knew from the jump.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When you brought Kristen and Ted on board, you let them in on the huge twist, but not the rest of the cast. With a show about ethics, how did you decide to tell Kristen and Ted, but not the others?
MIKE SCHUR: There were many dimensions to it. The first being, I felt strongly that Ted and Kristen had a right to know, because they were the caliber of actor who, in order to get them to sign on, I wanted them to know the whole picture. I thought it would be sort of uncool to Ted Danson to say, “I want you to play an angel,” and then four months later go, “Just kidding. You’re a devil.” I really wanted them to have the whole picture of what the show was, and where it was going, and what the point of it was, so I pitched both of them the entire season.
I believe she and Dansen knew going in. It was part of what hooked them.
I dimly recall that Ridley Scott (or I guess one of his guys) sprayed Angela Cartwright with blood and that she wasn’t expecting it… Looking at the scene, I can believe it. (I also recall that Scott said it was real stuff, like offal from a butcher shop, but.. I don’t know.)
*Veronica Cartwright
*Veronica Cartwright Damn. Well, at least they’re sisters, and both were in space related things – Veronica just the once, Angela for 3 seasons.
Honestly, I’m not wild about it as a directing technique. Maybe you could let the actors act? Veronica Cartwright is a phenomenal actress, I’m sure she would have been just fine acting scared.
Veronica Cartwright is a phenomenal actress, I’m sure she would have been just fine acting scared. You’re right – and jeez, what if it were actually really pig’s blood or whatever? that would be extra bad.
Bloodsport will turn out to be named Martha.
Aw, come on, why’d you say that name?
What is directing if not tricking actors into doing their jobs better? I’ve never forgotten a Liza Minelli talk show appearance, maybe on Cavett’s old show. She describes watching her dad direct a movie. He took one actor aside, walked him through the set: “here you stop, here you turn, you pick up the glass, you take a drink” etc. Then he went to the other actor in the scene, put his arm around him and said, “now…. this is what the scene means…..”So yeah. Directors are supposed to be tricky.
/read as Liza Minelli
I heard that in Ben-Hur, Stephen Boyd was told to play the relationship between Messala and Ben-Hur as if they were former lovers, but not to let Charleton Heston know because he wouldn’t stand for it.
If, say, Sean Bean hadn’t read the Fellowship Of The Ring script and didn’t know that Sam and Frodo were going to make it out okay after he got arrow’d to hell, wouldn’t his performance have been that much more desperate and dramatic in that death scene?Pretty sure ol’ Sean is perfectly capable of finding out the plot of one of the most famous book written in his country some forty-odd years before the film he was starring in got made.
It’s a joke you dumb nerd.
It’s Sam Barsanti, you thickshit.
Yeah, I already know a few of you here are obsessed with him for some dumb reason.It’s still a joke. You’re just letting your little pet hate object get in the way of that.
….. barsanti is a brutal hack, so it honestly wouldn’t surprise me if he put in the Sean Bean as what he thought was a superior snark attack, rather than an obvious joke.
“barsanti is a brutal hack”Let’s pretend for the sake of argument that this is true. So what? Finding a hack on the internet is like finding a blade of grass in a field. You’ve discovered nothing.
It can be two things.
You poor, stupid man….jesus..
And I thought his performance of Boromir going down swinging was pretty damn good, frankly.
That sounds like the working approach of cinema favorite Allen Stuart Konigsberg, commonly known as Woody A—wait, why is everyone looking at me like that, did I miss something?
“Actors only got scripts that went up to when they died, so most didn’t know the whole story”
OH NO, THAT’S SO CONFUUUUUUUUUUUUSING!
I would think this type of directing gets tricking when shooting out of sequence. At a certain point I think one of them has to react to another character’s death.
hahahahhaha they’re not killing Quinn.
hopefully there’s still a sequel.
I still would have liked some more recognizable villains to take part, even if they got killed. Could have been a way to bump up the buzz for the B-list Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman/Green Lantern villain ranks.
I quite liked the Vigilante comic at the time …
Oh ok so it’s going to take like 30 or so minutes for the first deaths to happen then otherwise some of these dudes would be given a sheet of paper for their script.