AsianConnections'
Jim Ferguson Interviews
John
Woo -
Producer of "The Replacement Killers"
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Jim
Ferguson: John, nice to see you again. I think we've
done this a few times in the past, but never as executive producer,
always as director John Woo, but now as producer John Woo.
What's the difference with the executive producer and directing?
Less work?
John
Woo: Yeah, I must say that as the executive producer
I think I feel much more relaxed. But on the other hand, I must
say that I am a bad producer, because I always on the director side,
I give [Director Antoine Fuqua] knowledge and support, and let him
alone and I'm less involved. At the first beginning, we just went
through the story, the structure, and the character, and then I
leave him alone.
Jim
Ferguson: You leave it alone. Right, right.
John
Woo: That's how I learned from Michael Douglas. When
we worked on "Face-Off," Michael have never tried to do any control,
and he had never given me any notes. So I could make the change
everyday, change the dialog, the scene, try to make it better.
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Jim Ferguson: A lot
more relaxing for sure.
John
Woo: Yeah, a lot more relaxing, because the reason I
like to involved in this project because I love the whole structure,
I love the combination of Chow Yun-Fat and Mira Sorvino, Antoine,
and the studio, and the story. It's a great story.
Jim
Ferguson: Well that's a family in itself. And even though
this is an action thriller, "The Replacement Killers," it's always...
it touches on family and about family values, would you agree?
John
Woo: Yeah, I agree. and also it is something about human
nature. Like the killer in this film, he got an order to murder
a little kid, and he didn't do it. It's kind of ah, a very strong
moral message.
Jim
Ferguson: Are you pleased with the performance of Chow Yun-Fat?
He has good looks, he has charisma. Do you think he, for his first
American film, did a good job?
John
Woo: I think he did a great job. I'm extremely
pleased to see him do so well. I admire him. But on
the other hand I think he is a great actor. Besides the action,
he really give a great performance in this film. He looked
so much emotional, and also so much elegance.
Jim
Ferguson: Style. He plays a hitman that is kind of forced
into his job, and he does this to protect his family in China. As
in reality... does some of that take place here in the United States,
a gang, American Chinese gang, could threaten somebody to send somebody's
family back to China?
John
Woo: Ah, I don't know. It might happen.
Jim
Ferguson: It's possible, yeah.
John
Woo: It's possible. But I don't think it's that real,
because I think the idea came from the writer.
Jim
Ferguson: Yeah. It's a good idea anyway. Mira Sorvino, she's
a very intelligent actress, but yet were you surprised that she
could handle all the physical stunts and handle a gun?
John
Woo: I have no surprise, because she was my choice.
Jim
Ferguson: She was your choice.
John
Woo: Yeah. I like her a lot. I found she's a great
actress. She's so professional, she's pretty, intelligent, and full
of energy, great energy. We almost worked together in "Broken Arrow,"
but it's a pity it didn't work out. And I think Mira and Chow
Yun-Fat got a great chemistry and they become a great pair.
Jim
Ferguson: They do, they do. They do a lot of good stunts,
and as I've mentioned in my last question, a touch of humor.
John Woo: Yeah. That's our style,
you know. And I think Antoine also can capture a lot of big humor
moment in the film, since the movie is a little dark, you know,
so he thought, he intends to use Mira and also give a lot of humor
things.
Jim
Ferguson: Mira is the comic relief, I think.
John Woo: Yeah, of the whole movie.
Jim
Ferguson: John, you always do a great job, whether it's directing
or executive producer. Don't miss a John Woo movie any time.
Thank you so much!
John
Woo: Thank you, thank you.
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More:
AC's Jim Ferguson Interviews with John Woo - Director
of "Mission Impossible 2"
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