"Directors, have some balls!" The Suicide Squad's James Gunn on big blockbusters and soundtrack gold

[@bbcradio1]

Watch full extended interviews with Margot Robbie and Idris Elba, alongside James Gunn, for The Suicide Squad on BBC iPlayer in the UK: bbc.in/37e62WI

[@natblak5061]

Ok

[@jonathanjollimore7156]

James Gunn gets it comics are silly and ridiculous! But that doesn't mean they are bad story telling devices that makes them EVEN better story telling devices

[@A-Oh-Trey]

"...there's an opportunity for spectacle film to take chances..." Boy, did The Suicide Squad do that. Truly felt like anything could happen, which created truly enjoyable suspense. Great film, great interview.

[@Irishrover101]

Haven't seen it yet but when I found out this guy made it I was in straight way. Not since Nolan has DC been great in my opinion so I'm going to try watch as soon as my local cinema is open this pandemic is depressing

[@MarcoRoland]

As a kid who wants to work in the film industry one day, I really loved those last lines he said. “It’s not the studio’s fault, it’s just the director not having the balls” and “avoid doing the same boring 3 act structure that everyone’s doing these days” So thank you James Gunn for inspiring me to have some balls.

[@leroyvermilion7708]

👍

[@FireJach]

Right. For example Loki finale is different. No big.action scene. Just talking

[@hwren9845]

@@FireJach Yeah and people bitched about it. I enjoyed that it subverted my expectations.

[@brucesnow7125]

I admire Gunn, but he clearly is gonna defend the studio because he's obligated due to his employment. Examples of how many times studios ruined director's vision are countless. Gunn was just lucky with companies he worked under.

[@baloog8]

@@brucesnow7125 I would focus my life force over time to rally the most resonant people and studios around myself. Having the right vibe can be really nonlinear in expectations ie Blair Witch Project. Just my 2 cents.

[@LP3Customs]

Finally! Someone understands that Condiment King was created as a joke character in Batman the animated series. Making fun of him makes no sense

[@leroyvermilion7708]

I can't believe they didn't make Peace maker bullet proof...just like the comics

[@rodrigosousa2172]

@@leroyvermilion7708 since Starro only seems to appear in the end of the movie and the members fight soldiers for the other half of the movie that would make Peacemaker basically immortal and free of risks

[@leroyvermilion7708]

@@rodrigosousa2172 Bruh his suit is bullet proof that doesn't means he's immortal

[@rodrigosousa2172]

@@leroyvermilion7708 his suit covers like 99% of Peacemaker body. It would be very hard for someone to kill him

[@hasse_ss]

@@leroyvermilion7708 SPOILERS DONT READ -------- ||well he did infact survived a bullet to the head, he seems enough bullet proof to me.||

[@AceOfSpadezZ32]

Dave Bautista is a great actor but I just can't picture him as Peacemaker.

[@ericstorm6582]

I don't know, Peacemaker and Drax are similar in a lot of ways

[@samcalven12]

@@ericstorm6582 no not at all. Peacemaker is a psychopath

[@leroyvermilion7708]

@@samcalven12 I agree

[@thevindicator1220]

Drax has this innocence to him, he is goofy and fun but extremely tragic at the same time, peacemaker is dark in someways very extreme and funny too. Very different characters.

[@ethanholgate2512]

I'm so glad that didn't happen

[@halfghanistan]

man that interviewer is great

[@starmancrusader]

I said it once and I’ll say it again, the BBC have the best interviewers

[@MrTony-rx7tk]

He’s one of the best

[@abhishekduggal.2076]

So you are new to his interview , i would ask you go check few of them then you will come back to thank me

[@FireJach]

him and Brandon Davis are the best imo. They dont ask stupid questions like many people

[@nazer121]

That's Ali Plumb, and he is a legend!

[@lonewalkerproductions]

This man is a legend in the making. James, Suicide Squad is a masterpiece.

[@adrianmcanally5227]

In the making he is one already

[@DRAGO-uk4sd]

Fax!!!

[@NathanDrakeTheGreat]

You say that as if he's an up-and-coming filmmaker. Dude'e been working in the industry for 30 years, he's already made his mark. Hopefully he can keep it going for decades to come.

[@ashb7]

He's absolutely a legend already. He's proved he can make the family friendly superhero blockbuster and the ultra gory r-rated one, and fill both of those with heart. And he writes his own scripts, and he knows the comics better than probably any other Hollywood director, AND his music choices are impeccable. I dunno how he can get better, but he definitely will.

[@havtor007]

This is the same guy who will blame you the movie watcher for bad numbers, it is the same guy who are right now defending at this point a clear case of domestic violence.

[@thiagoteixeira6537]

Wait did James Gunn just say that he's working on a Will E. Coyote movie? Because I'm totally down for that!

[@Aguadiablo]

Coyote vs. Acme

[@thiagoteixeira6537]

@@Aguadiablo I see! I'm guessing it's still gonna be tradicionally animated (2D), right?

[@tanveersyedmoin]

@@thiagoteixeira6537 it's gonna be a live-action/animation hybrid with Gunn writing n producing.

[@thiagoteixeira6537]

@@tanveersyedmoin Interesting! I didn't know about this at all before today kkkk!

[@chaosen3]

Willy?

[@Dohsoda]

Red Bone's Come and Get Your Love was a Song I never heard of until I saw Guardians of the Galaxy. Now it plays in my local grocery store. Same goes for Looking Glass' Brandy. I now hear that on the radio from time to time. Thank you James Gun for bringing back the hidden gems in music to new generations.

[@ethanholgate2512]

I love Dave Bautista but John Cena was a far better choice as Peacemaker, I honestly can't see anyone else as that character after seeing the movie he was just so dame awesome so I'm glad that didn't happen

[@MatthewPalanca]

Gunn legit was fired from Marvel, built a close family at DC, then Marvel was like "wait, don't do that come back," then Gunn was like "too late, but pay me again and MORE," and Marvel was like "OK deal," and Gunn was like, "sweet."

[@ThePheasantPluckerr]

And now he is the CEO of DC Studios, basically the Kevin Feige of DC. Absolute baller

[@deanthemachine8879]

Don’t forget the whole cast of Guardians went to the mat for him publicly. I think Bautista even threatened to leave the movie

[@Iosaiv]

@@deanthemachine8879 they ALL threatened to leave that movie. The cast really love him!☺️

[@Wolfhunter5607]

yea the cast wasn’t going to make vol 3 with another director and feige didn’t want him fired either

[@theohercules1943]

“I don’t mean balls, but I mean balls” -James Gunn, 2021

[@martfp88]

"gender inclusive balls" xD

[@manudearrecifes]

He has 2 balls of the size of Ego, for saying that and of course for his movies.

[@keithallardice6139]

If SS is even half as good as the interviews with Ali lead me to believe then I'm gonna be a happy camper ... Thank you, Ali Plumb, for these pearls!!

[@darthsidious2952]

I just saw it, holy crap that was better than the first one. Hell, the best dc movie to come out in a long time...

[@freddie.c86]

Watched it yesterday. It was absolutely fantastic. You won't regret watching it.

[@mauriceedwards6759]

James Gunn has a Doctor Who connection somewhere because he cast Karan Gillian as Nebula now he's got Peter Capaldi as the Thinker or maybe it's just a coincidence.

[@CommodoreMudkip]

Peter Capaldi said he was cast as the Thinker because Gunn loved the Thick Of It but has actually never seen Doctor Who

[@djofortunato5799]

It's called being a legit Actual Bona Fide Nerd, who happens to also be a gifted film director :) Gunn's read his comics & fanboyed out his whole life, and it shows in his work.

[@enfpscorpio7053]

It’s likely he didn’t have a say about Karen Gillian and she was cast by a casting director

[@dcmastermindfirst9418]

Gunn is nerd.

[@JBM1428]

James Gunn changed my life in terms of music. Before watching his movies, it was pretty much just pop/ rap/ hip hop for me

[@jmaguire2232]

He seems like such a nice guy. In every interview with him I've seen about this movie he always talks about his friendships with the actors and even David Ayer.

[@epplay3220]

"Originally we were gonna use Willy. E. Coyote t-shirt but it seemed a little bit too much like.. cause it's a warner brothers movie" Space Jam 2 writers: bruh-

[@daltonbradford2014]

"...The *gender-inclusive* balls!" James Gunn refuses to get cancelled again :D

[@chandrastar5939]

Yeh kinda gender inclusively sucking fun out of life. Thanks cancel culture.

[@CristianPerez885]

@@chandrastar5939 bruh shut up.

[@tylermunday2146]

@@chandrastar5939 i would argue cancel culture gave us a funnier answer as opposed to him just saying balls. Also in a twisted turn of fate him getting cancelled got him the suicide squad film

[@chandrastar5939]

@@tylermunday2146 yh can't disagree with you there, mate. Cristian - I'd enjoy a response from you that requires more than 1 point. Bruh.

[@hwren9845]

@@chandrastar5939 You're embarrassing yourself lmao

[@trevornicolas684]

I will go to the theatre and support movie directors like this guy 👌

[@hotstufff7]

It’s art

[@ethanholgate2512]

6:05 James has such a great eye for reviving awesome classic songs especially come and get your love which really is the big one that was revived from his movie's

[@edwardgomez6950]

Ali Plumb is the GOAT interviewer

[@younganthony7084]

Gunn is a perfect choice for these movies, the intro alone gets 5 stars!

[@RichardChumLewis7]

James Gunn seems to have this ability to relate to both young adult and more mature audiences in his movies!

[@dcmastermindfirst9418]

That's the characters not Gunn. DC characters relate to both adults and kids. Marvel does not.

[@whoinventedmonday]

Great to hear a living legend talking about his craft.

[@thedarkknight2221]

Normally whenever I see someone go from their natural hair color to completely white in the span of about a year I think “Holy crap, what kind of immeasurable stress has this man been under.” Then I see all his interviews about how he had more fun shooting this movie than he ever had in his entire career. Now I’m thinking when you’re a certain age and you experience more fun and craziness than you’ve ever had before it you no longer care about looking youthful because YOU’RE HAVING TOO MUCH DAMN FUN TO CARE!!!💥💥💥💥💥

[@attackoftheclonesisnotthat790]

He dyed his hair i think

[@ActiumFilms]

he just stopped dyeing his hair, that's all hahaha

[@ianw0ng]

he’s joined the big time director club. all big time directors have white hair n beard.

[@gingerblitzz]

The same thing just happened to Johnny Knoxville while filming Jackass 4

[@mrmushin1]

He looks better suits age

[@cassylk22]

4:14 "I'm working on a Wile E movie" Wait WHAT?! 😆

[@falenangel8]

This guy was a great interviewer and well researched

[@Ardiem3]

James Gunn seems so genuine and kind. Best wishes to him and his future. 😎👌

[@LibertyBridgeProductions]

I actually agree with that Pokadot man and Condiment King argument so much. I actually don’t find Condiment King that funny for that reason.

[@lilchadaldrich]

That was a damn good interview sir.

[@Irishrover101]

This interview guy always does great interview with people and it's not a scripted question to be honest. Its just two guys who love movies like all of us

[@outlawdawnllc]

Ali Plumb: consistently great

[@MarkCerbo]

The Ali, The Real, and The Legend.

[@DRAGO-uk4sd]

Fax!!!!

[@tommyrichards1589]

Holy fuck, 3 interviews in a day!

[@ajitbhardwaj]

This just might be one of the best CBMs and I'm ready for it!

[@sebastianalegria3401]

Nothing more than congratulating The Suicide Squad's director, James did a very good job, they chose the right actors for every role, starting with Margot Robbie, she actually enjoys playing Harley Quinn's role, which is already hers, and about Idris Elsa, I didn't know who he was but, his performance surprised me. On the other hand, Daniela Melchior was the big revelation for everyone, I've never heard of her but, she has a huge future as an actress.

[@Xeribus]

The Outro made me even happier that he's the Boss of DC, he's such a perfect choice. That's what we need

[@RichardChumLewis7]

Gunn knows how to shoot (& direct) action Gun scenes!

[@mamat8184]

Another great interview from Ali! Thanks for brightening my day!

[@bubuli]

4:20 HOLD ON...He's working on a Wile E Coyote movie?!

[@o.r.j3213]

Just watched Suicide. Wow, its a fantastic movie.

[@palmaceiamovie]

James Gunn is the definition of a blockbuster movie director

[@assassinman0066]

3:38 He said “yea!” like he’s all tough but in reality he’s a soft boy. I love him already.

[@allthingshollywood2620]

Polka Dot Man is also the guy whom Harvey Dent was about to kill on the train tracks in The Dark Knight.

[@CharlieBrown20XD6]

Same actor....but now I want that character to actually be Polka Dot Man

[@benjamingentile1660]

Who didn’t know “Come and get your love”?

[@nobodyspecial675]

Nice to hear someone preach the truth about Condiment King. It's not a joke to point out the absurdity of a character DESIGNED to be absurd.

[@ms.550]

Always enjoyed your questions.

[@_TheDudeAbides_]

Well done, Ali. Always a pleasure.

[@Theblackout292]

Bro I love the Sola by Jessie Reyes! I’m so glad this song is in the movie.

[@GenericTallGuy]

Ali Plumb is such a brilliant interviewer.

[@michaelsoldierworks1]

Ali! You are so appreciated.

[@beautifulworld7293]

Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.

[@leadspot]

9:03 the 70's example is a great example to mention as the movie releases has gone massive lately and for streaming releases too, the quality has gone micro and there is no sure thing to know what to watch that will be as good as The Suicide Squad, I will always trust Gunn to deliver quality over all

[@levimata9053]

Ali plumb is one of the greatest interviewers of all time

[@rach3601]

Agree!!

[@ewanturnbull645]

This just gets better and better and that final segment is right from my hymn sheet

[@jim-es8qk]

I used to love marvel comics when i was young, the best ones were special. They had the ability to transport you to a completely different time and space. Guardians of the galaxy is unique, it managed to recreate that feeling in a 2 hour film. No other comic film has achieved this

[@toasty_goat]

Really just a spectacular interview.

[@karumotoart5040]

I sincerely urge everyone to watch this movie. It was an amazing experience and we must support ventures like this.

[@ALiQMuRShED]

Would have loved to see Crimson Bolt make an appearance in some way.

[@Irishrover101]

The guy shouting I'm a super hero was so funny in ant man. I can see why these cast members get jobs because there really funny people to watch

[@TheNOBODY2810]

Another director I aspire to be

[@powerwizard007]

All of James Movies Give me Chills their the best!!

[@rounakmanna5916]

Absolutely nailed it.... Loved the last part... 🔥🔥❤❤❤

[@leandrodavid6256]

Awesome interview!

[@darthmarticusLFC]

I would like to have asked him what it was like working with a character who was already established in prior films that weren't his own (Harley).

[@adamtamer8767]

I can't wait 5 more days to watch this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@hermesjumanji2284]

actually it's 7 days but yeah

[@Irishrover101]

I love this guys films especially the galaxy ones. There just excellent from great music. Even the start of Guardian of the galaxy 2. The way Groot put the music on and starts dancing to a great song while the others are saving the world. His imagination is excellent. And the way the cast are is so cool like they act like my family do. The way we arguments all the time it's very relatable in Gunns films. Gunn and Taika Waiti are two guys I never heard of till watching there marvel films. Now I'm looking forward to seeing Suicide squad hopefully done in Gunns excellent ways. I tried watching the previous DC movies and they were basically bad to be fair. But if you have the likes of Gunn or Waititi making movies for you theres a great chance you will double your money in cinema. Looking forward to seeing this new film. I'm also a fan of Joel Kinnaman he was great in the Killing and even great in a show called Altered Carbon but Netflix dumped it. Netflix seem to dump everything now after 2 seasons so why bother investing in it. Hanna Kinnaman is in also really good show on Amazon prime. To be fair to Prime every boxset iv watch in the last 2 years are all Amazon prime shows. There really doing great at bringing shows and going a few seasons and the shows iv watched are all great 7+ ratings

[@animatorFan74]

Suicide Squad is a masterpiece of cinema..... an absolute classic :)

[@Irishrover101]

I can't wait to watch this after this interview

[@punkyllama420]

This has Mystery Men vibes and I'm here for it 💫

[@arun279]

I heard Lake Shore Drive because of GotGv2 and it’s one of my favorite songs

[@stormtraitor6545]

J.J. Abrams and James Gunn are the only guys to direct competing franchises… Star Trek/Star Wars and now Marvel/DC. One day, a director might do all four.

[@dcmastermindfirst9418]

Abrams is garbage.

[@Cash42]

Seeing Man-Bat on the big screen would be really fucking cool. I’m glad he wasn’t in The Suicide Squad though because it’s perfect as it is, plus I’d prefer a less comedic version of a movie with Man-Bat

[@flaminggmonkeyss]

yes thank you for come n get your love, never heard it befor guardians and instantly became a fav.

[@fennec7906]

Did he dye his hair and beard white or did that happen naturally? Because it seemed to happen almost overnight.

[@Luai1BOOS]

My news is the same still Still in the street brook stuck since 6 years under pressure nothing changed 🔥💪🔥

[@nazer121]

Man James Gunn's idea of not using Warner Bros' own character for the t shirt rightfully contradicts Space Jam 2 😂

[@pkblade]

It was more the fact what happens to Kinnaman’s character in the movie and the studio not wanting to associate the bloodshed with Wile E Coyote

[@wendyflores1092]

This is the more insightful interview of the hole press tour, a lot of critics agree, the directors aren't doing daring things...

[@porkman1838]

Lakeshore Drive is one of my favorite ones in GotG 2

[@hunterweeks6091]

GREAT interview

[@animehubrecapped_]

Polkadot man was awsome

[@puskarwagle2392]

What a great interview!

[@magemaster6239]

John Cena can deliver the most absurd lines in history with a straight face and a monotone. No disrespect to Dave, he's really funny, but more with his body language and puns, like this guy has comedic timing for a city (that's why he's really freaking awesome with Drax in my opinion), but John is comedic gold in a form a WWE wrestler with the way he speaks and delivers lines, like I wouldn't be surprised if John host SNL someday.

[@claughlin]

Dude is wearing a Max shirt from Sam & Max. Legendary.

[@Owen-ub3fv]

What was James saying to himself at 6:05?

[@YeshwantP]

James Gunn should make a Deadpool movie lol! Would love that!!

[@spayze9982]

To be fair I feel like lots of directors do have balls, its just most producers that don't

[@devanmoran]

movie looks so colorful and beautiful

[@devanmoran]

so excited (:

[@jordanguy4241]

I hope they sell that ultra bunny shirt at some point

[@yoyoyo575]

I was one of the firsts too see it on cinemas in uk on release day I was really excited and overall I was so happy with it

[@yodacosanostra3742]

Sadly the editing was not worth it for the views, can’t wait to see this movie tho

[@sethseth2534]

you’re crazy the ending is the most satisfying part

[@BourbonISvegan]

Class production 👌🏻

[@williano57]

This was a super gangsta movie . loved it

[@andreanderson8639]

Yes!

[@JackGraysonKing]

James Gunn . ..... ======== Themed: SOMEBODY.

[@Lobajoba]

Ngl the interview was good, but the last couple of minutes was the most interesting part. Quietly throwing shade at uninspired directors. It's a nice enough little story to think that if only the studios stopped meddling, we would get these masterworks like the classics of the 70s. But I agree with Gunn, a lot of the directors getting hired aren't taking the chances they could.

[@yazr1712]

It's a double edged sword though... sure the sentiment is sweet and even inspiring... but one could argue Snyder 'had balls' and tried to do something different with his DC films... and he was crapped on for years by half of the viewing audience...

[@donle499]

Have some cajones, Hollywood directors!

[@Schwietz83]

Did he dye his hair or stop dying his hair?

[@RichardChumLewis7]

Always with the "balls" recently with Ali ... Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise) and James Gunn (The Suicide Squad)