Death-defying stunts and a Ninja haircut for Chappie’s action man
WHEN Grant Hulley drove a rolling, speeding car into Cape Town harbour for a movie production some years ago, he was given 50-50 odds that he would survive the stunt; an American stuntman who had attempted a similar feat a few months earlier had drowned in the attempt.
“I was nervous beforehand, but when I got strapped into the car and locked in, I actually felt calm and focused,” he said.
Hulley, 40, is the man behind the explosions, gunfights, speeding cars and helicopter scenes in the action-packed scifi blockbuster Chappie, which opened this weekend.
The film’s director, Neill Blomkamp, preferred action scenes to computer-generated imagery, said Hulley, who was also the stunt co-ordinator for Blomkamp’s hit District 9.
“Neill likes to push his crew, so this naturally means that the stunts in Chappie are going to be bigger and more complex,” Hulley said.
In Chappie, Hulley doubled as the stunt driver for Die Antwoord star Ninja, which meant he had to have the same haircut for four months.
That was a trivial sacrifice compared with the risks he takes for stunt roles.
Even off set, Hulley lives dangerously. To relax, he does still photography in the bush and underwater.
“I went diving with crocodiles in Botswana with a group of photographers in 2012. One guy in the water with me got taken by a croc on his arm. He had to be evacuated,” said Hulley.
He explained how the action sequences work.
First, the stunt team assess the level of danger and whether to use a stunt double, actor or background artist. Next, they work out how close the artists can be to the action.
“There is no set formula here. You have to work with the experience you have gained, because the conditions [like wind direction, elevation of the explosion] are always different.
“You want to see the actors, but you also do not want to injure them.”
The stars in Chappie include Sharlto Copley as the humanoid robot Chappie, Dev Patel as his creator, Hugh Jackman, Ninja and his partner in Die Antwoord, Yo-Landi Vi$$er, Sigourney Weaver and Brandon Auret.
“Hugh Jackman is an absolute gentleman and true bigscreen hero. Every Friday, without fail, Hugh would hand out Lotto tickets to all the crew. He would greet you by name,” said Hulley.
The stunts in ’Chappie’ are going to be bigger and more complex