Now, the action director is getting ready to push the boundaries of action choreography in the highly anticipated web series ‘The Continental: From the World of John Wick‘.In this exclusive interview with ETimes, he shares insights into his experiences working in Indian cinema and the West. We also asked him to share his perspective on the differences while working in both industries and Stovall said, “I would say they’re all the same in our own way. There’s passion, there’s love, and everybody wants to be creative.”
Further elaborating on his experience shooting in India, he shared, “When I go to India, it’s always been a pleasure. Whether it’s Mumbai or New Delhi, whether it’s Chennai or Hyderabad, one thing they do that makes sure is that I have a chance to sit with the actor, sit with the director and talk about the story. We talk about the vision, get on the same page and come up with a game plan. Then, when we get to that gym it’s challenging, but it’s also fun because you guys give us a lot of time to make sure that the actors, the stunts, the rehearsals and those dance sequences work well. At the end of the day, there’s really not much of a difference because once those cameras go up, it’s about practice, execution and a great vision.”
With Indian films like Rajamouli’s RRR, Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan and Pathaan making a splash at the US box office, we asked the director if an Indian action film impressed him. “I loved WAR!” Stovall said while admitting that there were ‘quite a few’ films.
For those wondering why the Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff starrer featured on his list of some of the best Indian action films, he revealed, “It was a great one. I regret that I missed it… I got called for that one. I think they needed help with the big final sequence.”
Besides WAR, Stovall said, “RRR is another amazing one!”
While he may have his regrets about turning down Indian films, he assures we will soon see more of his work on our screens. He said, “I want to continue to have fun and find great projects to be a part of and I would love to come back to India at any point in time. You guys are doing so many projects and they’re all amazing. I see the growth and I see the action, the storytelling just continues to be elevated. Hopefully, I will come back over there again soon.”
The Continental: From the World of John Wick promises to be another milestone in Larnell Stovall’s career. It is told from the perspective of a young Winston Scott, played by Colin Woodell, the manager of the hotel, which is a refuge for assassins. The Prime Video series that releases on 22 September 2023, will also feature veteran actor Mel Gibson as Cormac, Ayomide Adegun as young Charon, Ben Robson as Frankie, Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles, Jessica Allain as Lou, Mishel Prada as KD, Nhung Kate as Yen and Peter Greene as Uncle Charlie.
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