Director David Leitch opens up about the fight scenes in his upcoming action-thriller Bullet Train, citing Jackie Chan as a key inspiration. The adaptation of Kōtarō Isaka's novel marks Leitch's latest effort behind the camera in the action genre since making his directorial debut helping co-launch the hit John Wick franchise with frequent collaborator and 87North Productions (former 87Eleven) co-founder Chad Stahelski. Leitch branched out on his own with the hit films Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw while also executive producing the John Wick sequels and a variety of other projects with his wife and creative partner Kelly McCormick.

 

Bullet Train stars Brad Pitt as Ladybug, an assassin undergoing an existential crisis and looking to leave the life behind until being pulled back by his handler, Sandra Bullock's Maria Beetle, to retrieve a briefcase aboard a bullet train, putting him in the midst of a group of competing assassins with connected jobs. Alongside Pitt and Bullock, the ensemble cast for the film includes Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, Logan Lerman, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon and Bad Bunny. Following multiple delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Bullet Train is officially set to hit theaters this July and those behind the film are offering some insight on what's to come from the action thriller.

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With a few months still to go until the film's release, Empire caught up with director David Leitch to discuss his action-thriller Bullet Train. The filmmaker revealed its fight scenes are largely inspired by Jackie Chan and his ability to incorporate physical comedy into his various action sequences. See what Leitch shared below:

“[There’s] a little bit of physical comedy. The fights are designed to enhance the characters. We’re here to have fun in this super-contained space.”

Ladybug struggles for the briefcase in Bullet Train

Trailers for Bullet Train have offered glimpses of some of the physical comedy implemented in the film's various fight scenes and action sequences. One such scene saw Pitt's Ladybug and Brian Tyree Henry's Lemon fighting each other hand-to-hand and attempting to shoot one another while situated in the locomotive's Quiet Room while another showed Ladybug and Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Tangerine fighting in the close quarters of the train's snack cart and utilizing various foods and silverware against each other. Given Bullet Train's contained setting, as Leitch alludes to, there's sure to be plenty of other ludicrously fun sequences in the film.

With Leitch citing the iconic martial artist as inspiration for the film's fight scenes, Bullet Train becomes the latest major Hollywood production to utilize Jackie Chan's physical comedy fighting style for their shoot. Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hired Brad Allan from the Jackie Chan Stunt Team as the Supervising Stunt Coordinator and 2nd Unit Director, one of his final two films made prior to his death in 2021, in which the well-promoted bus fight utilized much of Chan's quick hand movements and environment use to the titular hero's advantage. Audiences will have to wait and see how much of Jackie Chan's fighting style can be felt in Bullet Train when it arrives in theaters on July 29.

 

More: Brad Pitt's 2022 Movies Will Remind You How Great He Really Is

Source: Empire

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