James Gunn takes advantage of a very talented cast in Peacemaker whose chemistry has turned the show into a successful debut for DCEU. Among them, Jennifer Holland’s Emilia Harcourt is an example of how a supporting role can be elevated to a main character in a way that’s as seamless as it is compelling.
Harcourt has gone through quite a transformation from The Suicide Squad to John Cena’s solo outing as the titular Peacemaker. While the actress has proven to be a great choice for playing opposite the former Mr. Money in the Bank, how a character comes through also boils down to how they’re written, not to mention what directions they get from the person who’s helming the project.
In this case, that person happens to be the Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, who’s known for his particular creative vision, if nothing else. According to Holland, that vision manifests itself in every little thing the filmmaker does on set. The star recently appeared on an episode of Collider Ladies Night, where she discussed what it was like to work with the prolific director.
“I think I found his appeal as a director when I would get to watch him work,” She said. “Before I ever worked with him, I would sit on the set of Guardians 2 or what have you, and just getting to watch the way he works, the way he tries different things, or he’ll get someone to do something over and over and over again because he’s really looking for something specific, or because he’s wanting to strip you down to a point where you’re just raw, and you’re just more real, and all of the things I think he does for people. And he has such a very specific idea of what he wants so it’s really easy to put yourself in his hands, so to speak, and trust him. And he’s just fun! He’s a fun guy to work with. He gets testy and he’s very, very particular about the things that he likes, but at his core, he’s just having a good time on set. And so he creates a really great atmosphere that feels like a safe place to try new things.”
If we didn’t know any better, we’d think that James Gunn is a classic embodiment of an auteur. Though, unlike many filmmakers who take themselves too seriously, it seems that The Suicide Squad’s director goes out of his way to make sure that everyone, including himself, is having fun on set.
