The stunt coordinator and director talks about the end of his Marvel career, his new film that stars Pom Klementieff and Uma Thurman, and the Hong Kong film stars who inspired him to get into martial arts
Hollywood director and stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave, who served as actor Chris Evans’ stunt double in a number of his Marvel projects and directed Extraction starring Chris Hemsworth, released a new short film, The Calm, at the Cannes International Film Festival on May 17 (May 18, midnight HKT) on BMW’s YouTube channel.
Produced by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and scored by the legendary Hans Zimmer, the seven-minute short features some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Pom Klementieff (Mantis in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise) and Uma Thurman (the Bride in Kill Bill).
Thurman is a secret agent tasked with delivering a package to fellow agent Klementieff at the Cannes Film Festival, but Klementieff is hijacked en route to the meeting. Witty and darkly humorous, The Calm includes a thrilling car chase in which the BMW i7 Electric Sedan steals the show.
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The luxury carmaker launched the BMW Films campaign back in 2001 to use short films as part of its marketing strategy, a pioneering move at a time that predated the rise of the internet and streaming platforms. The Calm marks the return of BMW’s films after an eight-year hiatus, while 2023 marks the second year BMW has partnered with Cannes.
“To be able to be a part [of] BMW Films’ legacy of creative filmmaking was an incredible opportunity,” says Kosinski in a press statement. “What Sam Hargrave has put together with Uma, Pom and the rest of the cast and crew is a perfect evolution of what BMW Films has always strived to deliver to fans.”
Ahead of the film’s release, Tatler had a chat with Hargrave about making The Calm, working with A-listers and hopes for a film set in Hong Kong.