Almost ten years after the previous installment, Expend4bles (a.k.a. The Expendables 4) is now playing in theaters worldwide, and ahead of its release last Friday, we were able to sit down with stunt coordinator Alan Ng (Hidden Strike; The Karate Kid) to talk about crafting the film's most explosive moments.
With the ensemble cast boasting action stars Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture, along with new supporting castmates Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy García, there was plenty of room for Alan Ng to get creative and really display each actor at their action star best.
Among the things we talk about, he tells me all about working with Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone, having Iko Uwais and Tony Jaa available to up the stakes with the hand-to-hand combat, his favorite sequence in the film, and more!
Read blow for our full interview with stunt coordinator Alan Ng below, and please remember to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel for more exclusive content!
ROHAN: When you're working with so many different kinds of action stars like Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Iko Uwais, 50 Cent, and more - how do you approach choreographing different fight sequences for their different styles?
ALAN: We look at the type of character that they are portraying and watch their previous work to incorporate their own style whilst creating something new and fresh.
ROHAN: Jason Statham is one of my favorite actors, what was your experience working with him?
ALAN: It was great. Jason is very talented, hardworking and a martial artist himself. He treats the stunts department with a lot respect. I can go on all day, I really enjoy working with Jason.
ROHAN: From this film, which action sequence are you most proud of?
ALAN: It will have to be Jason and Iko’s fight scene.
ROHAN: How much time goes into planning and rehearsing a stunt and then rehearsing before actually filming? Which sequence in this film took the longest to get together?
ALAN: We didn’t have any time to prep as we came on board when shooting had already started. We didn’t have any pre-vis but Jason trusted us to create the fight scenes without even seeing any pre-vis or footage. We only had 1 day and a half to film Jason and Iko’s fight due to scheduling so the time scale was very tight. I’m grateful to have such a talented cast, they picked up the chorography so fast and they trusted in me and my team to make them look good.
ROHAN: What is it like working with experienced martial artists like Iko Uwais and Tony Jaa? Do they make your job easier? Do they allow you to get more creative because of what they are capable of doing?
ALAN: Iko and Tony are great, they are so experienced and talented in their art. They gave me the freedom to create their fights scenes as we were all on the same page then they would just tweak some of the movements if needed when they arrived on set. It was very easy to work with them because they are so professional and talented.
ROHAN: What is the most difficult aspect of your job? Is it more the designing unique stunts? Or is it more keeping all of your actors and stuntmen safe?
ALAN: It would be creating and designing new fight scenes as you’re always trying to improve and do something that noone has seen before. Especially when creating scenes for such a big cast that fits each characters style whilst pushing them to their limit.
ROHAN: What are your favorite kind of sequences to design? Do you prefer the hand-to-hand combat or the bigger stunts with the vehicles and guns?
ALAN: I would say hand-to-hand combat, I really enjoy using the environment like props and obstacles to design something unique.
ROHAN: When you have so much talent in one film, how do you go about making sure each and every cast member gets a moment to shine during a big action sequence?
ALAN: We try to give them each a different style, so when they have the time to showcase their movements, they are all very unique. Jason had his 2 knives, Iko had his 2 unique weapons, Levy Tran had her 9 section whip and Megan is very fast, agile and flexible.
ROHAN: How was your experience working with the legendary Sylvester Stallone?
ALAN: It was great working with Stallone, especially growing up watching his films like Rocky and Rambo.
ROHAN: What are you most excited for fans to see in Expend4bles?
ALAN: I would say Jason and Iko's fight scene and when Jason and Tony team up to fight.
A new generation of stars join the world’s top action stars for an adrenaline-fueled adventure in Expend4bles. Reuniting as the team of elite mercenaries, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Sylvester Stallone are joined for the first time by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia. Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning.