Marvel Studios, the studio that brought you the cinematic global blockbuster franchises of “Iron Man,” “Captain America,” “Thor,” “Ant-Man,” “Doctor Strange” and the “Avengers,” will release the highly anticipated sequel, featuring the favorite band of intergalactic misfits—the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Picking up where “Guardians of the Galaxy”—2014’s highest grossing film of the summer—left off, Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the action-packed, irreverent, epic space adventures of Peter Quill aka Star-Lord and his gang of eccentric characters as they patrol and protect the universe, doing mercenary work in the wake of the popularity and fame they garnered from saving Xandar.
Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, the story follows the team as they fight to keep their newfound family together while traversing the outer reaches of the cosmos to unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.
Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is written and directed by James Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Dawn of the Dead”).
It is produced by Kevin Feige. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Nikolas Korda. Stan Lee serve as executive producers.
The film stars Chris Pratt (“Jurassic World,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Star Trek Beyond”) as Gamora, Dave Bautista (“Spectre,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”) as Drax, Vin Diesel (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Furious 7”) as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper (“Joy,” “American Sniper”) as the voice of Rocket, Michael Rooker (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “The Walking Dead”) as Yondu, Karen Gillan (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “The Big Short”) as Nebula, Pom Klementieff (“Ingrid Goes West,” “Oldboy”) as Mantis, Elizabeth Debicki (“The Great Gatsby,” “Everest”) as Ayesha, Chris Sullivan (“The Knick,” “This Is Us”) as Taserface, Sean Gunn ( “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “The Gilmore Girls”) as Kraglin, Tommy Flanagan (“Gladiator,” “Sin City”) as Tulik, Laura Haddock (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Luther”) as Meredith Quill, with Sylvester Stallone (“Creed,” “The Expendables”) as Stakar, and Kurt Russell (“The Hateful Eight,” “Furious 7”) as Ego.
Director James Gunn’s creative team also includes director of photography Henry Braham (“The Legend of Tarzan,” “The Golden Compass”), production designer Scott Chambliss (“Star Trek Beyond,” “Tomorrowland”), editors Fred Raskin (“The Hateful Eight,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”) and Craig Wood (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Tomorrowland”), three-time Oscar®-nominated costume designer Judianna Makovsky (“Captain America: Civil War,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”), Oscar®-nominated visual effects supervisor Christopher Townsend (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Iron Man 3”), stunt coordinator Thomas Robinson Harper (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) and six-time Oscar® nominee, special effects supervisor Dan Sudick (“Captain America: Civil War,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”).
FROM COMIC BOOK TO BOX-OFFICE HIT
Created by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan, the “Guardians of the Galaxy” were introduced in 1969 as a team of heroes in the 31st century—each member the last of its kind. With the phase two expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “The Guardians of the Galaxy” was the first franchise introduced outside of the core Marvel cornerstone characters. The film was also a dramatic departure in tone and style from any previous Marvel film franchises. When the uniquely creative and original film was released, “Guardians of the Galaxy” became a worldwide box-office sensation, with audiences warmly embracing the eccentric cast of intergalactic characters.
Writer-director James Gunn recalls his reaction to seeing the characters being propelled into the pop-culture zeitgeist in the summer of 2014. “It was truly gratifying and fulfilling that the Guardians’ characters spoke so profoundly to so many people all over the world,” says Gunn. “At the core of the film, the Guardians are a group of outsiders who come together and find a way to make it work. I think that’s what speaks to such a wide array of people. It’s a great feeling when kids come up and say they loved the film and that their parents and grandparents loved it as well. These characters were able to connect to all generations around the world from Thailand to South America to London.”
CAST OF CHARACTERS
As the cast returns to inhabit the colorful, unique, dysfunctional Guardians characters, there is a new dynamic. The first movie was about becoming a family and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” focuses on being a family. As James Gunn explains, “This movie is about all of the characters being a family. And being a family is a lot more difficult than becoming a family. It’s a much more complicated story. In the first movie, a bunch of characters are outsiders. They come together. But where does that leave them?
That’s exactly what audiences will discover as the characters’ relationships unfold, starting with Peter Quill aka Star-Lord, who faces a family issue that he is compelled to resolve—his true parentage. Chris Pratt reprises the role that propelled him into Marvel fandom and leading-man status.
Describing where we find Pratt’s character at the beginning of the sequel, James Gunn says, “It’s very much a continuation of the first film. But now Peter Quill has taken a bit more of a leadership role and an inkling more responsibility and accountability since he has taken on the title of Star-Lord at the end of the last film.
The director adds, “The first film was about Peter’s relationship with his mother and coming to terms with that. The second film is about Peter Quill’s relationship with his dad and other fatherly figures in his life.”
Zoe Saldana returns to the role of the deadly, green-skinned assassin Gamora, another character dealing with family issues related to the fact that her adoptive father is Thanos and her sister is Nebula. “In the first film, it seemed like Gamora was a good person and Nebula was a bad person and almost a villain of sorts,” explains executive producer Louis D Esposito. “In this movie we learn it’s a much more complex relationship than that. Gamora’s beginning to come to terms with her own sins, her own fears, and her own way of pushing people away, which is really what this movie’s about.”
Dave Bautista is back as the physically intimidating, tattoo-covered Drax. Drax is a complex character who is as menacing as he is lovable and is blissfully unaware of his extreme literal nature in perceiving the world around him. “I think audiences loved Drax because they really got where he was coming from,” explains executive producer Jonathan Schwartz. “He takes everything literally and doesn’t really have a sense of humor which in turn makes everything he says very funny. We’re going to see Drax evolve in a really fun way in this film because he’s doing his best to learn not to be so literal. He’s not great at it yet, which gives a little bit of added dimension to everything he does.”
When it comes to voices, James Gunn knows Rocket’s better than anyone as the director has many times professed that there is a little bit of himself in the character. Rocket, a tortured little beast who’s been torn apart and put back together, is still incredibly funny and heartfelt at times, particularly as voiced again by multiple nominee Bradley Cooper.
A scene stealer in “Guardians of the Galaxy” with only the same three words of ‘I am Groot,’ was the wise, old, talking humanoid tree creature Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel. Despite his unique appearance and extremely limited communication skills, Groot embedded himself in the heart of audiences around world with just those three little words. A valuable ally and a loyal friend to Rocket and the Guardians, the character makes the ultimate sacrifice and returns in the sequel as a baby Groot.
Voiced again by Diesel, the little Groot is a totally different character. “He doesn’t have the memories of adult Groot and he is a baby,” explains Gunn. “He’s completely adorable, but has a lot more anger issues than adult Groot did. All of the other characters react to Baby Groot in different ways. Drax doesn’t like him. Rocket yells at him a lot, but he is okay with him. Gamora definitely has motherly instincts towards him, and Quill barely acknowledges his existence.”
While “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” chronicles the journey of Peter Quill following the discovery of his biological father Ego, it also is the story of his adopted father Yondu, played by Michael Rooker.
“The character of Yondu is an extremely important one and we laid a lot of track in the first film in terms of who Yondu was,” explains James Gunn. “I have a fascination with multifaceted characters who are good in certain ways and bad in other ways. Michael Rooker is the best at playing that type of character because you don’t know if he’s going to punch you or if he’s going to hug you and that’s a beautiful thing. He brings that dynamic to life in Yondu, who is crazy, but also has quite a soul, which we saw at the end of the first movie when he was ripped off by Peter Quill, but he was proud of him. In a lot of ways, Peter Quill and Yondu’s friendship is the central relationship of this movie.”
Another character with a much bigger role in the film is Gamora’s adversarial sister Nebula, played by Karen Gillan. A supreme bad-ass, Nebula will not rest until she has destroyed Gamora and anyone or anything that gets in her way.
One of the new characters in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is Ego, Peter Quill’s father. A celestial being and intergalactic explorer himself, Ego has been searching for his son Peter Quill for a long time. For this pivotal part, the filmmakers cast famous fan-favorite Kurt Russell in the role.
Another strange new character entering the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise as Ego’s servant and quasi-assistant Mantis, a popular character in Marvel comics. To cast the role, the filmmakers auditioned many actresses and ultimately decided on Pom Klementieff, who takes on her biggest role to date.
In the opening sequence of the film, the Guardians are on a mission for Ayesha, the golden high-priestess of the genetically modified race called the Sovereign. For the part of Ayesha, the filmmakers chose the stunning and beautiful Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki, whose 6’3” frame was perfect for the leader of a planet of beautiful beings.
In “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” the apocalyptic, cutthroat world of the Ravagers comes front and center. While Yondu is one of the most feared and respected Ravagers, his right-hand man is Kraglin, a loyal and lifelong Ravager, played by Sean Gunn. “We get to learn a lot about Kraglin who ends up being an incredibly big role in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,’” says director James Gunn. “Kraglin is an extremely important role on the film and it’s quite an emotional arc.”
For Kraglin and the other Ravagers, the instigator leading the uprising against Yondu is Taserface, a physically menacing character who is mean and nasty to the core. The filmmakers looked at many talented actors before casting actor Chris Sullivan.
In addition to the new character of Taserface, other Ravagers featured in the cast line-up include Tulik, one of Yondu’s closest friends, played by Tommy Flanagan, and Stakar, played by Academy Award® nominee and legendary screen actor and director Sylvester Stallone. Stallone is a much anticipated addition to the cast of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” and the filmmakers were thrilled to have the beloved Hollywood icon be part of the film’s outstanding cast.
Laura Haddock rounds out the cast as she returns to play Peter Quill’s mother, Meredith Quill.
CREATING THE WORLD
While the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” was shot entirely in the United Kingdom, the filmmakers shifted the production base to Pinewood Atlanta Studios, in Fayetteville, Georgia, for the sequel. The studio, with its 18 stages, has become the largest studio complex in the United States outside of Hollywood.
Director James Gunn had a vision for the look of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and wanted to infuse the film with as many practical sets as possible, “I came into the first Guardians film with a very clear idea of exactly what the visuals would be and I did the same thing for this film,” he explains. “I really wanted it to be inspired by the look of early pulp novels, 1950s and 1960s, science fiction, old pulp stuff. That’s the heart of where my inspiration came from.”
The director continues, “‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ is a little more difficult production- design wise than the first movie because we actually have more sets, but fewer places we visit. So with the places and planets we get to see, it’s been about giving them more specifics and details.”
Executive producer Jonathan Schwartz adds, “The key in designing all of the worlds in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ was injecting them with as many practical elements as possible,” says Jonathan Schwartz. “We always thought about what the society was behind the places that James created in the story.”
For production designer Scott Chambliss, one of his first tasks in evoking Gunn’s vision was to create the lair of the high priestess, Ayesha, the ruler of Sovereign planet. “The Sovereign planet is a very stark, graphic sort of a 1950s pulp fiction variation on 1930s art deco design aesthetic,” explains Chambliss. “James Gunn wanted a very pulpy feel to this sequence in particular, but it also needed to be quite beautiful because they are a perfect race.”
Other major practical sets that Chambliss and his team brought to life include the Eclector set, one of the bigger, 100% practical, sets that has various uses; the 360-degree interiors of the space ships; and the Iron Lotus set, which is the Ravagers’ favorite bar.
Costume designer Judianna Makovsky designed a range of unique costumes for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” from Ayesha’s handmade golden gown to Mantis’ unique look to the Ravagers’ eclectic, colorful muscle-car-culture costumes—all 200 of those made by hand.
“Judianna did a fantastic job with the costume design in the film,” exclaims James Gunn. “I couldn’t be more impressed. I think that she really elevated so many of the costumes in the film. I think the biggest win of the movie is Elizabeth Debicki’s character Ayesha. I hope people understand how much work went into that costume and how stunningly beautiful that handmade gown turned out.”
CUE THE MUSIC
While “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is filled with great action, humor and performances, it is also infused with a new mixed tape and soundtrack, a dynamic that resonated deeply with audiences in the first film, as evidenced by the success of the soundtrack album.
Marvel Music and Hollywood Records’ Grammy®-nominated “Guardians of the Galaxy” soundtrack album reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first soundtrack album consisting entirely of previously released songs to top the chart. The album was certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A., having sold over 1,000,000 copies, and the album also peaked at No. 1 on iTunes in 60 territories.
According to James Gunn, the soundtrack in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is “more sophisticated than it was in the first one and the music really runs the gamut.” Elaborating he adds, “Some of the choices are a bit more eclectic, some of the choices are a bit more popular but we have an amazing group of songs. As in the first movie, I wrote all the songs into the script. They are a part of the storytelling. Each song is very specific to the scene where it’s placed.”
Summing up what he hopes when Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” blasts into U.S. theaters on May 5, 2017, Gunn says, “I hope that we have picked up the mantle of the first film and taken it to another place. I wanted to make the best, most moving story possible. It’s about making a story that is worthy of who the Guardians are as characters and making a film that is about those characters that’s worthy of them, and I hope that we’ve done that.”
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