Nobody 2 is the latest action film to make Winnipeg a bloody mess

Shortly after being hired to direct Nobody 2, director Timo Tjahjanto made a wise decision that almost certainly saved the film’s cast and crew from getting ill.

“The script was initially concentrated in a water park,” the Indonesian director tells The Flatlander over Zoom. “When I found out we would be shooting in Winnipeg around the end of October I knew it would be cold as hell, especially working in the water.”

Tjahjanto asked screenwriters Derek Kolstad and Aaron Rabin if they could rewrite some of the action sequences to be in an amusement park instead.

He also knew that would make the movie much more cinematic. “We all have that fear of amusement parks, because they are potentially lethal. There’s also so much color and loudness, and there’s much more room to play with.”

The sequel to the 2021 actual thriller, Nobody 2 once again stars Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell, a mild-mannered husband and father, who previously lived a secret life as a government assassin.

This time around, Hutch is back working as an assassin, but is burnt out from all of the killing. He decides to take his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), son Brady (Gage Monroe), daughter Sammy (Paisley Cadorath), and retired father David (Christopher Lloyd) on holiday to the amusement park he visited as child. Once there, though, Hutch encounters a corrupt sheriff (Colin Hanks), shady theme park operator (John Ortiz), and bootlegger (Sharon Stone), who he quickly becomes embroiled with and then tries to bring down. 

Tjahjanto, who replaces Ilya Naishuller in the director’s chair, believes the original film struck such a chord with viewers because it blended the hyper stylized action of John Wick with a relatable character who has trouble maintaining his boring job and keeping his family happy. Tjahjanto even compares Hutch to Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold from the National Lampoon series.

When pitching for the job of director, Tjahjanto told Odenkirk that he wanted to focus on Hutch juggling his dangerous work with being present for his kids, which provoked the Better Call Saul actor to respond with, “That’s all I need to hear. I have stories about my kids I want to use, too.”

Adamant about not repeating the same formula as the original film, Tjahjanto wanted Nobody 2 to be much goofier and brighter than its predecessor.

To achieve this he changed Odenkirk’s attire, putting him in an Hawaiian shirt and small shorts. He also gave the character more “zest” and energy, as Hutch spends most of the movie trying to make sure that the family holiday is a success.

All while making sure to provide the same level of engrossing and kinetic violence that made Nobody so popular. 

Tjahjanto was aided in this pursuit by Odenkirk, who he says is just “funny without even trying.”

It also helps that Odenkirk has such an “all-consuming seriousness when it comes to doing his job” that it repeatedly inspired Tjahjanto during production.

One fight sequence on a duck boat was initially set to be shot in a studio using green-screen until Odenkirk told Tjahjanto, “I want to be in a real boat, so I can feel the imbalance and messiness of the water splashing.”

Three weeks later, Tjahjanto and his crew were on a lake in Winnipeg, trying to stay warm, and getting their crew ready for shooting on the water. 

Since the production was mostly made up of “Peggers,” they were well used to shooting action sequences across the city, as Winnipeg has been the home for the previous 87North films Love Hurts and Violent Night.

Throughout filming Tjahjanto could see why Winnipeg has become such a prominent spot for Hollywood productions.

“I love Winnipeg. The people were so warm and friendly. It’s small and weird. There’s a lot of richness to it. One side looks like Berlin, the other looks like Midwest America. It’s also all within an hour of each other. You can see why it’s so cinematic. I just loved working there.”