Director David Ayer has opened up about what sets his latest project apart from other action films.
Ayer, whose previous work includes Suicide Squad and Fury, directed The Beekeeper starring Jason Statham as ‘beekeeper’ Adam Clay.
The Beekeeper begins with retired operative Clay living a quiet life, but things soon turn sour when his neighbour takes her own life after falling victim to a phishing scam.
Unfortunately for the shady company running the scam, it transpires that Clay is a retired but still highly dangerous member of a clandestine organization called the ‘beekeepers’.
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Cue an action-packed quest for revenge, with Clay also having to confront his own past and complicity along the way.
The trope of a highly skilled former operative returning for vengeance has drawn obvious comparisons with John Wick, which sees Keanu Reeves embarking on a head-popping crusade for vengeance after Russian gangsters kill his dog.
Speaking to UNILAD, Ayer shared what he thinks distinguishes The Beekeeper from other movies which have come before.
He told UNILAD: “I think in the action genre these days, you're always trying to create action that meets the sophisticated eye of the audience. The audience understands action in ways they haven't before.
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“When you go back and you watch 20, 25-year-old movies, it's very different how action is constructed. I was conscious of having to stand on the shoulders of giants here.”
Ayer, whose writing credits include the first Fast and Furious movie, also spoke about how he wanted the film to provide some escapism.
He said: “I wanted to create something that was just fun to watch, you know, proper escapist cinema. Go to the cinema, forget about your problems, forget about the world for a couple hours, really enjoy yourself.
“That’s I think what separates this film from a lot of other things out there right now.”
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The filmmaker added that this represents a departure from some of his previous work.
“Normally my films can trend towards intense drama or more grounded," he explained, “and with this one I just wanted the opportunity to have fun as a filmmaker, really enjoy myself and to make something a little bit more escapist.
“There's a lot going on in the world today, and there's nothing wrong with embracing the classic magic of cinema.”
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Ayer added: “I really saw this as an opportunity to make a movie like the films I grew up on that inspired me to become a filmmaker.”
Taking on a new style of filmmaking wasn’t without its challenges either.
“I had to learn a lot as a filmmaker,” said Ayer. “It was scary, but I'm confident now because I'm very proud of the result.”
And it seems that the End of Watch director is keen to do more, confirming that he has plans to work with Statham again.
“We have an amazing relationship and just an incredible amount of trust”, he said, “so I'm excited to work with him again on a film called Levon’s Trade.
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“We have a working relationship and a shorthand and I want to build upon that. I also want to build upon his range as an actor and really take advantage of his full capability, which I don't think we've seen yet.”
He added: “He's this this larger-than-life action legend. He's very professional, very demanding, and has this encyclopaedic knowledge of action cinematic history. I mean, he can tell you pretty much any punch ever thrown on screen, and he understands the process.
“He's very hard on himself, he'll go to monitor, he'll look at the take [and say] ‘I can do better’. That was quite humbling to see how much he demanded from himself.”
That sense of self-criticism is an inherent part of filmmaking for Ayer.
“I'm my own worst critic”, he said. “I literally can't watch anything I've made, I just see the mistakes or how I could have done better.”
He reflected: “Maybe that's part of being an artist and being a filmmaker.”
The Beekeeper is released in cinemas on January 12 2024.
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