James Gunn Teases Epic Harley Quinn Action Sequence in “The Suicide Squad”
Writer/director James Gunn has written and filmed his fair share of epic action sequences, but he says he thinks the biggest he’s ever pulled off is for Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn in The Suicide Squad.
Gunn told the AP that Robbie’s skills as a performer were impressive, as was her athleticism, and the two allowed him to create a stunning action sequence. Robbie’s Harley Quinn stole David Ayer’s 2016 film Suicide Squad, so you knew she was someone Gunn was surely going to focus on. Here’s what he told the AP:
“She can do anything. Or I thought she could do anything. And then one day she had to sing and I said, ‘OK, well you can do everything but one thing.’ But she’s such a great actress. She embodies the character. She’s able to do the comedy. She’s able to do the drama. And physically, she is a pure athlete and is able to do these stunts in such a graceful, magnificent, beautiful way. And so I wrote the biggest action scene I’ve ever done all around (Robbie’s character) Harley, and it was so fun to create just on every level from working with the stunt guys all the way through to working with her. It’s probably my favorite four minutes of film I’ve ever shot before.”
Gunn reaffirmed this sentiment about Robbie’s skills and the action sequence via Twitter:
This is true. Not only the most fun I’ve ever had on set, and the most impressed I ever was with a performer, it’s probably the coolest action sequence I’ve ever shot. #TheSuicideSquad The Suicide Squad @SuicideSquadWB @MargotRobbie https://t.co/nnFMtPG28i
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 19, 2021
Action sequences also mean danger for the characters, and Gunn hasn’t been shy when it comes to how every character in The Suicide Squad is expendable. A fan tweeted the question lots of folks have had about The Suicide Squad: “Do [the actors] know they’re gonna kick the bucket upon getting the script or do they get it in segments and get surprised?” Here’s how Gunn responded: “Anyone who was getting killed in The Suicide Squad knew it upon getting the script or for new actors upon being offered the role.”
It’s hard to imagine The Suicide Squad will be the end of Harley Quinn, but one would be wise to take Gunn’s promise that no character is safe seriously.
For more on Warner Bros., HBO, and HBO Max, check out these stories:
Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” Will Get An Exclusive Theater Release After All
“The Nevers” Production Designer Gemma Jackson on HBO Max’s Sci-Fi Victorian-Era Series
HBO Reveals First Images From “House of The Dragon”
Director Simon McQuoid on the Elemental and Supernatural of “Mortal Kombat”
New “In The Heights” Trailer Teases a Summer Must-See
Featured image: Caption: (L-r) DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka Dot Man, MARGOT ROBBIE as Harley Quinn and IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
