Netflix has released the BTS of EXTRACTION 2. This time, Director Sam Hargrave has picked the ARRI ALEXA Mini LF for the intense action shots and intricate ‘oner’ executed in the film. Moreover, it seems he had implemented the same crazy cinematography techniques as the first one. Read on.
EXTRACTION 2: This time in the snow
First — here’s some dry information about this intense flick. Chris Hemsworth returns as Tyler Rake in EXTRACTION 2, the sequel to Netflix’s blockbuster action film EXTRACTION. Plot: After barely surviving the events of the first movie, Rake is back as the Australian black ops mercenary, tasked with another deadly mission: rescuing the battered family of a ruthless Georgian gangster from the prison where they are being held. Hemsworth reunites with director Sam Hargrave, with Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO producing and Joe Russo writing. Filming for the sequel was slated to begin in Sydney, Australia in September 2021, but measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic moved production to Prague. On November 29, 2021, Hargrave announced that principal photography had begun in Prague, Czech Republic, before Hemsworth announced that he began filming his scenes on December 4. Further shooting began in Vienna, Austria on January 28, 2022, and lasted until February 14, 2022. BTW, Vienna’s “Donauplatte”, an architectonical modern area of the Austrian capital, was the filming location for 2 weeks from February 01 to February 14, 2022. Several businesses, including a daycare center, had to close down for two weeks. The latter is especially because of the action sequences in order not to frighten children during filming. This was the most extensive movie production in Australia captial since Mission Impossible 5. Filming officially wrapped on April 6, 2022.
Shot by DP Greg Baldi on the ALEXA Mini LF
The first EXTRACTION was shot by DP Thomas Sigel, ASC on the RED Monstro VV and Panavision DXL2. However, this time, the production has decided to switch to the ARRI ALEXA Mini LF, paired with “customized Ultra Prime lenses” (— as stated by ARRI Rental — no further details). The sequel was shot by DP Greg Baldi. Anyway, it seems like in the first film, director Sam Hargrave has taken over the camera to shoot intense and dangerous action sequences. For those who need a reminder, Hargrave was a stunt double for Chris Evans’ Captain America, then eventually the go-to fight choreographer for MCU. After this guy had accumulated some action cinematography experience in Extraction, he was eager to implement these risky methodologies in the second film as well, and now with even more acute oner.
In Extraction 1 we had a major action sequence that felt like one continuous shot. We call that an oner. For Extraction 2, we’re pushing that even further with a sequence more intricate and extreme than before.
Director Sam Hargrave
An Oner: One very long continuous shot
A lot has been written about the long shot (oner) executed in Extraction 1, which lasts exactly 11 minutes and 29 seconds that are built from 36 different stitches (segments). Well, this oner was a great selling point. Hence it’s understandable why Hargrave wanted to pull it out over again. Luckily, Netflix has published a BTS video of Extraction 2 (the trailer was not released yet — which is strange, since the BTS occurs after the trailer) which demonstrates the same techniques used in the first film. However, this time Hargrave promises an even more intense oner, as stated: “In Extraction 1 we had a major action sequence that felt like one continuous shot. We call that an oner. For Extraction 2, we’re pushing that even further with a sequence more intricate and extreme than before”. We bet that the guy attached to the vehicle is Hargrave himself, holding the Mini LF and moving it through the vehicle’s window in real time.
EXTRACTION 2 will be released on Netflix in 2023 (for now there’s no specific release date). We can’t wait!
Watch the BTS below:
