Within the renowned Variety’s “Making a Scene,” in association with HBO, members of the “Slow Horses” cast and crew, including notables such as Gary Oldman, Christopher Chung, Saul Metzstein at the directing helm, and writer/producer Will Smith. They shared insights on the making of a remarkable scene that sees Roddy Ho, a character played by Chung, driving a bus through a house.
The anticipation by the cast and crew to see Chung pilot a bus through a home was such a spectacle that picnic tables were laid out for everyone to witness the event. Interestingly, Smith even had his family on set to watch.
Chung expressed how actions such as this bus stunt bring a unique and fun element to a production set, blending both the over-the-top and the fun into one remarkable moment.
Based on the original novel by Mick Herron, “Slow Horses” is a fascinating British spy thriller that revolves around a group of discredited MI5 agents, colloquially known as the “Slow Horses.” These agents are relegated to Slough House, a less-than-glamorous department of MI5, where they are determined to regain their standing
On the series, Oldman portrays Jackson Lamb, the untidy but talented leader of Slough House. Each season closely follows the narrative of each respective book from Herron’s Slough House series, proving useful to the actors during their preparation.
Considering the complexities related to executing the now-famous “bus crash” scene, Chung, who had pre-read the book ahead of filming the third season, anticipated that the scene might be culled or replicated with CGI.
The initial plan for the scene involved capturing the bus moving from the outside; however, this concept was quickly ditched during post-production. As Metzstein realized, this approach would result in a slow, rather uninteresting sequence considering the bus’s limited acceleration in a farmyard setting.
Smith echoed this sentiment, highlighting the thrilling aspect of having the audience share Lamb’s perspective, experiencing the lights and noise and then left wondering, “What the hell is going on?”
As the scene evolved, several physical elements were incorporated, including creating a porch and building a staircase landing to optimize the filming process.
Explaining the intricacies of the scene, Metzstein acknowledged the technical hurdles of the scene, including handling two different buses – one for the exterior shots not involving any collision and another that was used for the actual crash.
Chung’s sheer delight in portraying Ho, the character’s obliviousness to his errors, lends an additional layer of humor to the scene.
Smith was full of praise for the design and set dressing teams for constructing a house within the studio. Furthermore, he credited production for approving the execution of the scene despite its cost implications. “It’s amazing that we not only got approval to execute the scene, but they also loved it,” said Smith.
Credit: variety.com
