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Emma Stone only had a couple hours to train for that violent single-shot action sequence in Netflix's 'Maniac,' and she injured her wrist doing it
Episode 9 of the Netflix series "Maniac" features a thrilling action sequence that was shot in one single take. Director Cary Fukunaga explains who it was done.
You're always in store for a visually stunning story when Cary Joji Fukunaga is at the helm, and "Maniac" is no different.
The Netflix series features a dystopian New York City, a fantasy world of elves and talking bugs, and VR where you can have sex with the high priestess of Atlantis. But one of the most striking visuals on the show is the single-take action sequence in episode 9 ("Utangatta").
Thanks to the drugs they have been testing that give them incredible hallucinations, in this episode Annie (Emma Stone) is a CIA operative and Owen (Jonah Hill) is a disgraced Icelandic spy. To free Owen from those who have captured him (in reality, his inner demons), Annie finds herself up against an army of armed villains in a hallway. To play out the action of Annie taking them all out, Fukunaga did the entire scene in one, uncut sequence (known as a "oner"). The result gives the viewer a thrilling view as Annie shoots, kicks, and punches her way to the elevator as Owen cheers her on in delight.
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Fukunaga is no stranger to doing a oner. One of the most memorable moments from him directing the first season of HBO's "True Detective" was doing a six-minute single shot of a housing projects raid.
The director said that in both instances, it was less a style choice than a practical one.
that oner in 'True Detective'
That's a shockingly short amount of time to get the scene done. And Stone had even less time to prepare.
Hill, on the other hand, had the easiest job. Though his character shoots a few people, for the most part he's the comic relief. In fact, most of his lines were improvised during the sequence.
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