Every new action film starring Scott Adkins is a reason to celebrate. The British actor and martial artist has long been one of the most reliable performers in the genre. Not only committed to delivering the best possible on-screen action with every new project despite any budget or schedule limitations, his “story first” mindset and dedication to the craft of acting are unparalleled among his action film contemporaries.
This commitment to quality in all areas of production is readily apparent in his latest film ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY. This sequel to the 2018 action comedy ACCIDENT MAN, finds professional killer Mike Fallon forced to protect the insufferable heir to a powerful crime family from a series of increasingly outlandish assassins in order to save the life of an old friend who is being held captive by his charge’s vicious mob boss mother. This simple setup allows Adkins to show off his underrated comedic chops as well as ample opportunity to showcase his impressive screen fighting abilities against a wide variety of equally capable martial artists and stunt performers. It’s a rare sequel that, in doubling down on everything that worked in the previous installment, dramatically improves upon its predecessor and ranks among the very best films of his impressive career.
I had a chance to talk with Scott Adkins recently about the latest ACCIDENT MAN adventure ahead of its upcoming release.
_______________________________
Scott Adkins as “Mike Fallon” in the film, ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY. Photo courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films.
You starred in, produced, and co-wrote ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY. Which is a sequel to a film where you did the same. So, obviously, these are passion projects for you. What does the character of Mike Fallon and the world of ACCIDENT MAN mean to you?
It means a lot because it was a comic book that I grew up reading as a kid and I had this secret dream of making it into a movie. I always thought somebody else would and they never did. Then I got the rights and I made the first ACCIDENT MAN and it did quite well. It was successful. So, here we are talking about the second. It doesn’t really get any more personal than that. It’s something that’s been with me since I was 14 years old.
The enthusiasm and love for the material is very evident in the finished films. How did you settle on first-time directors the Kirby brothers to be the ones behind the camera for this new Mike Fallon adventure?
I worked with George [Kirby] on DOCTOR STRANGE. He was a stunt double for Benedict Cumberbatch. I was aware of some of their YouTube short films stuff and they sent me a short film they did, SURVIVORS, and I was really blown away by it. When it wasn’t going to work out with [ACCIDENT MAN director] Jesse [V. Johnson], they were the first people I thought of. They checked all the boxes of what I needed for ACCIDENT MAN 2– English sensibilities, great with the action, very visual storytelling, glossy camera work, and comedic sensibility. They were perfect to direct.
Scott Adkins as “Mike Fallon” in the film, ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY. Photo courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films.
I really appreciate just how very “British” the new film is. I was worried that may be lost with the setting change. Can you tell me how important it was to keep the English sensibilities of the series going?
I love English humor and I grew up loving MONTY PYTHON, FAWLTY TOWERS, and other British shows like BOTTOM and THE YOUNG ONES. that sort of British comedy is ingrained within me. So I wanted to keep that and wanted to use it for ACCIDENT MAN. that’s why it’s important to have a British director for these films.
I love that you mentioned THE YOUNG ONES and BOTTOM! Those are two of my favorite shows.
Especially BOTTOM. Because they used to have a lot of fight scenes in that one, didn’t they?
They did. It was full of wonderful physical comedy. To move back over to you, another show I love is THE ART OF ACTION, your YouTube series. It’s such an insightful look at action filmmaking. How has that show helped you as a performer?
Something I learned with teaching martial arts is that when you’re teaching it to somebody, you break it down, and you understand it at a deeper level. THE ART OF ACTION is great for me to analyze action sequences, talk about them, and understand what made something good. Not just that it’s good, but why is it good and how is it achieved? And to talk to people like Chad Stahelski, J.J. Perry, Gareth Evans, and Sam Hargrave, John Hyams– to get to understand it from a deep level on the directing side and then to sort of fanboy out getting to talk with Cynthia Rothrock, Loren Avedon, and these guys that I grew up watching is great. It gave me something to do [during the pandemic] and it’s a bit of a hobby [now]. I’m not going to lie, it takes a lot of time, but yeah, it’s great and I feel like I’m leaving something for people to see. If you want to learn how to make action films, you need go no further than THE ART OF ACTION.
Speaking of great action sequences, two of the most memorable scenes of ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY are your fights with Andy Long Nguyen (“Oyumi”) and Beau Fowler (“Poco the Clown”). What are your memories of shooting those two sequences?
We did the Poco the Clown fight first over the course of two days. Then went straight into fighting Andy. So I was pretty tired by the end of it. {laughs] I hurt my knee. Obviously, the Poco fight is crazy, madcap stuff– making a lot of use of the set and the props that we had. The CGI elements in there were quite technical. There were also a lot of acting moments, improv stuff like there’s a bit where Poco squeezes my nose and slaps my face then head butts me. Beau and I came up with that on the fly just messing about. So yeah, that was great. And then the Andy one, we’d pre-vized it in the gym in Malta and already cut the fight together and we knew exactly what we needed to get and it was just a case of grinding it out and getting the shots that we needed. Andy obviously is one of the best onscreen fighters in the world.
He is indeed. The fight between you two is “proper Hong Kong action,” as you would say. Just great stuff. It’s not only the action in the film that makes it work though. The emotional beats between the cast, like the scenes with you and Perry Benson as “Finicky Fred.” Those are the heart of the movie.
Yeah, it’s a bit of bromance isn’t it? [laughs]
[L-R] Perry Benson as “Finicky Fred” and Scott Adkins as “Mike Fallon” in the film, ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY. Photo courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films.It really is.
That is the heart of the movie as you said. The film works without the fights, [Mike and Fred’s] relationship… the fun of that, the fun with the Siu-ling character as well and then Ray Stevenson’s character coming in– bringing the history with him that they’ve got together [from the first film], that strained father-son, messed up relationship that they’ve got going on. We wanted to bring heart into it when we could. We wanted to make it funny and entertaining whenever we possibly could. You sprinkle a load of martial arts, Hong Kong action [with that] and hopefully, you’ve got a hit.
You mentioned the character of Wong Siu-ling, played by Sarah Chang. She’s a relative newcomer but she nearly steals the entire film with her performance. How did you find Sarah for the role? She’s wonderful in it.
Mike Leeder (Hong Kong film producer and historian) made me aware of Sarah. I was really trying hard to fill that part. It was a difficult one to cast because the character was… I wanted it to be very specific to Hong Kong, a Chinese girl, highly skilled in martial arts, but who can also act and that was the key. And thank God I found Sarah because she’s brilliant in the part and she brought so much to it. We actually changed the character two days before we started shooting. We changed it to that grumpy, sort of pissed-off, Siu-ling that we have [in the film]. And it really works.
[L-R] Scott Adkins as “Mike Fallon” and Sarah Chang as “Wong Siu-ling” in the film, ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY. Photo courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films.It does work so well. After this, do you feel like you still have more Mike Fallon stories to tell? And with you being so hands-on with the ACCIDENT MAN series, have thought about the possibility of sitting in the director’s chair for a third installment?
To be honest, I don’t want to direct, especially if it’s my first film, if I’m in every scene because I want to give myself a chance to be a good director. It’s so exhausting anyway doing an action film and putting so much effort into the action as I clearly do. I’d like to direct something where I’ve got a supporting part. Where I’m in the film enough to raise the finance on my own name yet it’s not all on my shoulders. So I’m trying to find the right sort of project for that. In regards to ACCIDENT MAN 3, I’d absolutely love to do it. We just have to see how this one’s received and hopefully, the money men make a profit and let us do it again. So, make sure you don’t torrent the movie. Get it from legitimate places so we can make a profit, please? That’s not a lot to ask is it?
No, it’s not and the film definitely deserves the support.
Thanks a lot, Matthew. I’m really happy you liked the film.
I really did and thank you for talking with me about it today.
Cheers, buddy!
_____________________________________
Samuel Goldwyn Films will release ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY in theaters and on VOD and Digital October 14, 2022.
Matthew Essary has been a professional film critic since 2017 and a film fanatic for much longer.
Currently residing in Nashville, TN, he also co-hosts the film podcast "Video Culture" (available on all podcast platforms). He can be reached at "WheelsCritic@gmail.com" and on Twitter: @WheelsCritic
Scott Adkins talks ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY
October 10, 2022
Every new action film starring Scott Adkins is a reason to celebrate. The British actor and martial artist has long been one of the most reliable performers in the genre. Not only committed to delivering the best possible on-screen action with every new project despite any budget or schedule limitations, his “story first” mindset and dedication to the craft of acting are unparalleled among his action film contemporaries.
This commitment to quality in all areas of production is readily apparent in his latest film ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY. This sequel to the 2018 action comedy ACCIDENT MAN, finds professional killer Mike Fallon forced to protect the insufferable heir to a powerful crime family from a series of increasingly outlandish assassins in order to save the life of an old friend who is being held captive by his charge’s vicious mob boss mother. This simple setup allows Adkins to show off his underrated comedic chops as well as ample opportunity to showcase his impressive screen fighting abilities against a wide variety of equally capable martial artists and stunt performers. It’s a rare sequel that, in doubling down on everything that worked in the previous installment, dramatically improves upon its predecessor and ranks among the very best films of his impressive career.
I had a chance to talk with Scott Adkins recently about the latest ACCIDENT MAN adventure ahead of its upcoming release.
_______________________________
You starred in, produced, and co-wrote ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY. Which is a sequel to a film where you did the same. So, obviously, these are passion projects for you. What does the character of Mike Fallon and the world of ACCIDENT MAN mean to you?
It means a lot because it was a comic book that I grew up reading as a kid and I had this secret dream of making it into a movie. I always thought somebody else would and they never did. Then I got the rights and I made the first ACCIDENT MAN and it did quite well. It was successful. So, here we are talking about the second. It doesn’t really get any more personal than that. It’s something that’s been with me since I was 14 years old.
The enthusiasm and love for the material is very evident in the finished films. How did you settle on first-time directors the Kirby brothers to be the ones behind the camera for this new Mike Fallon adventure?
I worked with George [Kirby] on DOCTOR STRANGE. He was a stunt double for Benedict Cumberbatch. I was aware of some of their YouTube short films stuff and they sent me a short film they did, SURVIVORS, and I was really blown away by it. When it wasn’t going to work out with [ACCIDENT MAN director] Jesse [V. Johnson], they were the first people I thought of. They checked all the boxes of what I needed for ACCIDENT MAN 2– English sensibilities, great with the action, very visual storytelling, glossy camera work, and comedic sensibility. They were perfect to direct.
I really appreciate just how very “British” the new film is. I was worried that may be lost with the setting change. Can you tell me how important it was to keep the English sensibilities of the series going?
I love English humor and I grew up loving MONTY PYTHON, FAWLTY TOWERS, and other British shows like BOTTOM and THE YOUNG ONES. that sort of British comedy is ingrained within me. So I wanted to keep that and wanted to use it for ACCIDENT MAN. that’s why it’s important to have a British director for these films.
I love that you mentioned THE YOUNG ONES and BOTTOM! Those are two of my favorite shows.
Especially BOTTOM. Because they used to have a lot of fight scenes in that one, didn’t they?
They did. It was full of wonderful physical comedy. To move back over to you, another show I love is THE ART OF ACTION, your YouTube series. It’s such an insightful look at action filmmaking. How has that show helped you as a performer?
Something I learned with teaching martial arts is that when you’re teaching it to somebody, you break it down, and you understand it at a deeper level. THE ART OF ACTION is great for me to analyze action sequences, talk about them, and understand what made something good. Not just that it’s good, but why is it good and how is it achieved? And to talk to people like Chad Stahelski, J.J. Perry, Gareth Evans, and Sam Hargrave, John Hyams– to get to understand it from a deep level on the directing side and then to sort of fanboy out getting to talk with Cynthia Rothrock, Loren Avedon, and these guys that I grew up watching is great. It gave me something to do [during the pandemic] and it’s a bit of a hobby [now]. I’m not going to lie, it takes a lot of time, but yeah, it’s great and I feel like I’m leaving something for people to see. If you want to learn how to make action films, you need go no further than THE ART OF ACTION.
Speaking of great action sequences, two of the most memorable scenes of ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY are your fights with Andy Long Nguyen (“Oyumi”) and Beau Fowler (“Poco the Clown”). What are your memories of shooting those two sequences?
We did the Poco the Clown fight first over the course of two days. Then went straight into fighting Andy. So I was pretty tired by the end of it. {laughs] I hurt my knee. Obviously, the Poco fight is crazy, madcap stuff– making a lot of use of the set and the props that we had. The CGI elements in there were quite technical. There were also a lot of acting moments, improv stuff like there’s a bit where Poco squeezes my nose and slaps my face then head butts me. Beau and I came up with that on the fly just messing about. So yeah, that was great. And then the Andy one, we’d pre-vized it in the gym in Malta and already cut the fight together and we knew exactly what we needed to get and it was just a case of grinding it out and getting the shots that we needed. Andy obviously is one of the best onscreen fighters in the world.
He is indeed. The fight between you two is “proper Hong Kong action,” as you would say. Just great stuff. It’s not only the action in the film that makes it work though. The emotional beats between the cast, like the scenes with you and Perry Benson as “Finicky Fred.” Those are the heart of the movie.
Yeah, it’s a bit of bromance isn’t it? [laughs]
That is the heart of the movie as you said. The film works without the fights, [Mike and Fred’s] relationship… the fun of that, the fun with the Siu-ling character as well and then Ray Stevenson’s character coming in– bringing the history with him that they’ve got together [from the first film], that strained father-son, messed up relationship that they’ve got going on. We wanted to bring heart into it when we could. We wanted to make it funny and entertaining whenever we possibly could. You sprinkle a load of martial arts, Hong Kong action [with that] and hopefully, you’ve got a hit.
You mentioned the character of Wong Siu-ling, played by Sarah Chang. She’s a relative newcomer but she nearly steals the entire film with her performance. How did you find Sarah for the role? She’s wonderful in it.
Mike Leeder (Hong Kong film producer and historian) made me aware of Sarah. I was really trying hard to fill that part. It was a difficult one to cast because the character was… I wanted it to be very specific to Hong Kong, a Chinese girl, highly skilled in martial arts, but who can also act and that was the key. And thank God I found Sarah because she’s brilliant in the part and she brought so much to it. We actually changed the character two days before we started shooting. We changed it to that grumpy, sort of pissed-off, Siu-ling that we have [in the film]. And it really works.
To be honest, I don’t want to direct, especially if it’s my first film, if I’m in every scene because I want to give myself a chance to be a good director. It’s so exhausting anyway doing an action film and putting so much effort into the action as I clearly do. I’d like to direct something where I’ve got a supporting part. Where I’m in the film enough to raise the finance on my own name yet it’s not all on my shoulders. So I’m trying to find the right sort of project for that. In regards to ACCIDENT MAN 3, I’d absolutely love to do it. We just have to see how this one’s received and hopefully, the money men make a profit and let us do it again. So, make sure you don’t torrent the movie. Get it from legitimate places so we can make a profit, please? That’s not a lot to ask is it?
No, it’s not and the film definitely deserves the support.
Thanks a lot, Matthew. I’m really happy you liked the film.
I really did and thank you for talking with me about it today.
Cheers, buddy!
_____________________________________
Samuel Goldwyn Films will release ACCIDENT MAN: HITMAN’S HOLIDAY in theaters and on VOD and Digital October 14, 2022.
Matthew Essary
Currently residing in Nashville, TN, he also co-hosts the film podcast "Video Culture" (available on all podcast platforms). He can be reached at "WheelsCritic@gmail.com" and on Twitter: @WheelsCritic
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