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6 things you need to know before watching Netflix’s '6 Underground'
Nobody does action movies like Michael Bay. In the spy saga "6 Underground," he brings together a global cast led by Ryan Reynolds and goes all over the world—Italy, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, and Budapest — following the exploits of six “ghosts” who fake their death in order to go after bad guys and bring them down.
Before streaming it starting December 13, we thought we'd set you up nicely for the Bayest Michael Bay project yet.
1. It’s Michael Bay all the way.
"6 Underground" is trademark Michael Bay, with—literally—non-stop high-octane action, the kind that will leave you sprawled in your seat from exhaustion after watching it. From 20-minute car chases in Florence, Italy to gunfights atop skyscrapers in Hong Kong, its action sequences are guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping.
Lead star Ryan Reynolds says, “You’re kind of reaching back and getting a little old-school Bay with a movie like this, which I think is so refreshing and weirdly unique in terms of an opportunity. I just love that Michael’s returning to that form of Bad Boys and The Rock—to [the] kinds of films that I grew up loving so much.”
“There is something about Michael Bay—that you have that adrenaline. And I remember before we were supposed to shoot, [Michael] sent me an email saying, ‘No matter what, we’re gonna have fun.’ And, you know, sometimes directors say that and it’s not true…But I remember that he told me, ‘I promise you, you’re gonna have fun.’ And he was right,” adds Melanie Laurent, who plays Two in the movie.
Adria Arjona, who plays Five, says, “I will be talking about my experience with Michael Bay until I am 90 years old. Never will I forget this movie and working with him, because there is something about him that is so unique. He has so much energy and his energy is very contagious. He’s passionate and he loves making movies…”
2. No historical landmark or great artwork was harmed in the making of this movie
“[The movie] starts out with a wicked car chase. The first 20 minutes of the movie, you say, ‘What the F is going on?’ Because it’s a rock ’em, sock ’em kind of thing. That’s what I loved about the [opening]. It’s like you don’t know what the hell is going on. We wanted to drop right in the middle of [the car chase]. It’s an interesting action and character chase, a wicked-ass chase,” says Michael Bay.
The opening sequence immediately sets the tone of the entire movie. Filmed in some of the most amazing locations in Florence, Italy, it looks like they ripped the city apart, Bay style. But fret not, the Apollo and Daphne sculpture is safe and sound.
Bay says, “Take the Medici Villa, 14th century, we built a fake glass window. I go to my stunt guy, give him that nice stern look, ‘Do not F up, all right? Meaning, you have a foot on either side of the wall. You hit the Medici Villa, you’re getting us kicked out of Italy!’ We shoot in these really sensitive places, but my rule is very tough with the crew. We leave it pristine.”
3. Look for the eight Alfa Romeos that have been painted lime green for the car chase
“I wanted to try Alfa [Romeo], which is Italian. And you trick these cars out [for the movie]. You basically make it like a race car. But they were kind of new to this. And, I’m like, ‘You don’t understand, we need eight cars. And I’m going to paint them lime green.’ The Italian designers flipped. They freaked out. And, apparently—this is what I just heard from Alfa—people are now asking for [that model, the Quadrifoglio] to be painted that color,” Bay reveals.
4. Relax. The boat they destroyed in the film is a replica
In one of the more elaborate set pieces in the movie, they turned a luxury yacht (reportedly Beyoncé’s favorite yacht) into one massive magnet and, in true Bay fashion, eventually wrecks the entire boat.
“Oh, that boat, that amazing boat. It was the biggest boat I’ve ever seen. It was just the most spectacular, crazy floating mansion. As soon as I saw it, I was like, ‘Are we really allowed to shoot in this thing and do the things we’re going to do?’ Thank God they built a set, which was a replica of the boat, as well, which we were subsequently able to destroy,” shares Reynolds. So Beyoncé can rest easy.
5. That parkour shot at the Duomo Cathedral is not CGI
When you see Ben Hardy’s Four running down the dome of the cathedral, that’s a real parkour expert doing that. “We circled a helicopter 10 feet from the Duomo, which is 800 years old. We wanted a parkour guy [on it]. When you see it, that’s real. It’s not fake,” says Bay.
Hardy, who learned free parkour for the role, says, “I don’t do all the stunts myself, sadly. I wish. I do as much as I can, but there are some great guys [doing the stunts on set].”
6. The movie has a global cast
Ryan Reynolds, who’s from Canada, is joined by Melanie Laurent, a French actress you may remember from Inglorious Basterds, and Adria Arjona, an American actress who was born in Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican mom and Guatemalan dad, and lived in Mexico until she was 12. Arjona also appeared recently in Netflix’s Triple Frontier.
Other actors rounding up the cast include English actor Ben Hardy, Mexican actor Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and American actors Dave Franco and Corey Hawkins. — LA, GMA News
