Kerry Washington stars in ‘Shadow Force’.
Opening in theaters on May 9th is the new action thriller ‘Shadow Force’, which was directed by Joe Carnahan (‘The A-Team’), and stars Kerry Washington (’Django Unchained’), Omar Sy (‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’), Mark Strong (‘Shazam!’), Cliff “Method Man” Smith (‘Garden State’), and Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph (‘The Holdovers’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kerry Washington and Omar Sy about their work on ‘Shadow Force’, what audiences should expect from the movie, how Sy’s characters disability is really his superpower, what Washington’s character is willing to do to protect her family, shooting the incredible action sequences, and working with director Joe Carnahan.
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Kerry Washington as Kyrah in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Juan Pablo Gutierrez.
Moviefone: To begin with, Kerry, as both an actress and a producer, what would you say to moviegoers sitting down right now in a theater to see this film, to prepare them for the action-packed theatrical experience they’re about to have?
Kerry Washington: I would say this film is so exciting because it is a big splashy action drama, but at its center, at the heart of the film, is this family story. It’s about love, it’s about sacrifice, and it’s about doing whatever it takes to protect the people you love the most. So, it really is a beautifully balanced film and a great film to see with the people you love most.
Omar Sy stars in ‘Shadow Force’.
MF: Omar, your character has hearing loss, but he considers his disability to be a superpower, can you talk about that and your approach to playing the Isaac?
Omar Sy: I love that. I love that because I’m always saying that these movies, it has so many things to say about the family, about that, and even about people. To give that message that sometimes we have our specificities, we have something that we have, it’s our own, and even a disability can sometimes help you to work somewhere else and be stronger somewhere else. So, it is his superpower, like he’s described, not hearing gives him more focus on other things. They can feel more, so I like the idea, and then the thing for me was to approach that, it was a slow-mo. I was just breathing a lot and feel like everything. Like he says, everything slows down when you don’t hear. You can have your own rhythm and then you connect to Bruce Lee. He says, “It’s smooth. Smooth is fast.” So, you slow down and you’re going to get speed, so I was a little bit Bruce Lee in my head.
(L to R) Kerry Washington as Kyrah and Jahleel Kamera as Ky in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Kerry, can you talk about Kyrah and Isaac’s relationship, the threat against them and what she’s willing to do to protect her family and her child?
KW: I really liked the relationship between Isaac and Kyrah because they’re obviously estranged lovers and they’re dealing with that estrangement, with what it means to be separated and to have been apart. There’s a lot of misunderstanding between them, so the fight scenes between Omar and I were fun because it was like a couple trying to figure each other out. The fight scene was like a dialogue, and we were remembering each other’s fight styles, just remembering each other’s hearts, so it was fun to think about how a couple who are both killers, how they love each other and how they communicate.
Omar Sy as Isaac in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Omar, can you talk about preparing for the action sequences and which scene was the most challenging for you to execute?
OS: Well, the boat (scene) because it was the end of the shooting. It was moving a lot and that was more exciting, but also, I think the most difficult because the balance is different. On the ground you know exactly what you do. On the boat, it’s also the boat moving, and you must find your balance on that. That was a little bit different and more challenging, but it was also the most exciting.
Director Joe Carnahan on the set of ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
MF: Finally, Kerry, can you talk about shooting the action sequences and what was your experience like working with director Joe Carnahan?
KW: Well, it was fun. If you’re going to do badass action sequences, you want to be with a guy like Joe who is living it. Every take he’s screaming louder than we are. He’s just so into it, so passionate, and he loves it. For me, you want to work with somebody who’s most passionate about the area that you’re working in, and so I think he really pushed both of us, our stunt team, everybody, to really go beyond our comfort zone to try to find some extra magic.
“Family over everything.”
Showtimes & Tickets
Kyrah and Isaac were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. They broke the rules by falling in love, and in order to protect… Read the Plot
What is the plot of ‘Shadow Force’?
Kyrah (Kerry Washington) and Isaac (Omar Sy) were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force, but broke the rules by falling in love, and they go underground to protect their son (Jaheel Kamara) with the rest of the Shadow Force hot on their trail.
Who is in the cast of ‘Shadow Force’?
(L to R) Omar Sy as Isaac and Kerry Washington as Kyrah in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
List of Joe Carnahan Movies:
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