Director Sam Hargrave and writer Joe Russo have set a new standard for jaw-dropping action sequences with their first film, Extraction, on Netflix. Now, they’re upping the ante in the highly anticipated sequel, Extraction 2, as Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) embarks on a daring mission to break out a woman and her children from a Georgian prison. The climax of this adrenaline-fueled adventure features a mind-blowing 21-minute long take of Hemsworth fighting his way through the prison yard with an unstoppable fury. Hargrave recently spoke to Collider’s Steve Weintraub, revealing that this epic sequence served as the foundation for the entire sequel, dictating the creative process from start to finish.
The plot and setting of Extraction 2 owe a great deal to Joe Russo. He worked tirelessly to swiftly develop a compelling story that would provide a satisfying continuation for Rake and his allies. Alongside his brother Anthony Russo, Joe has crafted captivating action blockbusters, culminating in the monumental two-part epic Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Joe Russo at the helm, audiences can trust that this story is in capable hands. However, it was Hargrave who disclosed that the initial concept for the prison long take came about towards the end of the first film’s production. This idea laid the groundwork for Hemsworth’s fiery fight scene and subsequently became the focal point for the sequel’s development: “Yeah, it’s a little bit of both and a lot of the second one, meaning, Joe is – the guy has a creative mind and he knows an action set piece like very few [do]. Structurally, we had a 30-page outline in a couple of weeks. While we were on the first movie, or towards the end, the first inkling of a second movie was, ‘What if Tyler Rake was in a prison, and we had to fight his way out, or had to get in and get out of a prison and rescue someone in a oner?’ And that was a conversation that we had, so that was the first thing about the second movie that was talked about, and it stayed in there, which is great. I think it worked.”
As the team brainstormed ideas for Extraction 2, Hargrave and his crew aimed to create a distinct contrast with the first film. They wanted a change of scenery that would differentiate the sequel’s setting from the gritty landscapes of Bangladesh. This time around, the harsh temperatures and raw aesthetics give way to a colder, more visually striking climate. The sequel showcases a variety of stunning locations, including a snow-covered train filled with armed enemies and a modern high-rise apartment where Rake guides the woman and her children. Of course, the pinnacle of the action takes place in the prison yard. Hargrave acknowledges the monumental challenge of implementing the prison oner while maintaining the essence of Extraction: “So that was the seed that was planted, and then from there, because the other movie was very much nitty gritty and dirty, we’re like, ‘If we’re gonna go to a prison, which is very similar in that field, we need to kind of contrast that with a little more of a cleaner, sparklier look.’ So we found a big city, which was in Vienna, we took it across the river to the more modern side and found this high rise…”
The visual contrast achieved in Extraction 2 is something that Hargrave and his team are immensely proud of. They shifted from the warm, orange tones of the first film’s setting to the icy blues and grays of the Eastern European winter. This change in color palette is brilliantly represented in the glass and concrete elements of the new locations. Hargrave praises cinematographer Greg Baldi and production designer Phil Ivey for masterfully capturing the chilly Eastern European feel and creating a striking visual and tonal contrast from the first film: “So the first movie had a lot of orange and warm tones because of where we were, we wanted it to feel hot, and it was – we shot in India and Thailand, it was very hot. And so now we’re in Eastern Europe where it’s very cold in the wintertime, so there’s more blues and grays, and we tried to lean into that. So the glass and concrete was just a very great contrast, visually and tonally, from the first movie. The DP, Greg Baldi, and I, and the production designer, Phil Ivey, leaned heavily into that, and it was always something we searched for, was contrast from the first movie, and I think we found it.”
Extraction 2 is available for streaming exclusively on Netflix. Don’t miss out on the heart-pounding action that showcases the incredible talent of Hargrave, Russo, and their phenomenal team.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
