As of late, Jason Bateman isn’t solely the humorous man. In truth, he’s turn into fairly well-known for his extra severe roles and work behind the scenes on initiatives like Ozark. Now, he’s including to that library of dramatic and behind-the-scenes work with the brand new present on Netflix’s 2025 TV schedule, Black Rabbit. So, I requested one of many present’s different administrators, Ben Semanoff, what it’s like working with the actor in entrance of and behind the digicam, and he informed me why it’s type of like marriage counseling in one of the simplest ways.
Ozark ended again in 2022. Bateman directed 9 episodes of the beloved collection, and now, he’s making his return to each directing and performing on tv with Black Rabbit – which you’ll stream with a Netflix subscription. He directed the primary two episodes and starred in all eight, that means he collaborated with three different administrators on the undertaking. This included Ben Semanoff, who spoke to CinemaBlend concerning the present and his relationship with the actor, director and govt producer.
Because the Arrested Improvement star wears so many hats, he’s by no means simply in actor or director mode. Semanoff informed me that that’s a superb factor too. So, once they collaborate collectively, they’re in a position to have deep, constructive and impactful conversations…like marriage counseling, as he defined:
We have labored collectively for a few years. And I form of describe it as in the event you have been form of standing off the sidelines watching the 2 of us talk about how a scene goes to play out, it is form of like in the event you can think about a pair in marriage counseling. And so they whip out the puppets, in order that they will form of role-play by puppets. And so they’ve been armed with all these actually nice abilities for discussing concepts in an ultra-constructive means.
Very similar to Ozark, Bateman is doing numerous heavy lifting on this new streaming present, Black Rabbit, each on display screen and off. Additionally, so as to add one other connective thread, Semanoff directed a few of Ozark, so he already had a working relationship with the actor/director going into this new thrilling collection.
To that time, he illustrated how their conversations went on set, and it actually type of does really feel like remedy. It looks as if these two have been in a position to have an open, trustworthy and constructive dialogue that led to the very best selections for the present, as Semanoff defined:
And that is type of what the 2 of us [do.] ‘Oh, I perceive what you are attempting to do. That is attention-grabbing. However what if we did this?’ ‘Oh, I see the place you are coming from.’ And it is type of a very enjoyable banter that I – fairly actually, I feel it pushes each of us to do our greatest work.
Really, Black Rabbit is an unbelievable collection. It’s a darkish and gritty story about two brothers, named Jake and Vince, who’re performed by Jude Legislation and Jason Bateman, respectively, and what occurs when Vince returns house and brings some main bother with him.
The episodes Semanoff directed, 5 and 6, are arguably probably the most intense and climactic installments within the present. They characteristic main falling outs, an enormous shootout, and an episode that’s formatted in chapters, which is in contrast to another episode within the present.
Once I requested the director a couple of memorable marriage-counseling-like second between him and Bateman throughout his episodes, he selected a scene in Episode 6 that concerned Don Harvey’s character, Matt, as Vince barged into his house sporting solely underwear. It entails numerous motion by rooms, and Semanoff informed me that this created a problem as they have been filming that required them to alter issues a bit. He defined:
All these little modifications then begin to require a brand new form of imaginative and prescient or thought for execution. And it was a kind of issues the place the 2 of us have been form of bantering backwards and forwards about, form of like, ‘No, Jason, I’m gonna play this as a oner. ‘Oh, you’re gonna play this as a oner. Oh, I see what you are doing. Oh, the place’s the digicam going to be?’ ‘I am gonna put the digicam right here.’ ‘Oh, I see. Effectively, how can that work?’ ‘All proper, let me clarify how this will work.’ And it was enjoyable.
Evaluating this collaboration to marriage counseling is such a considerate solution to put it. On this job, these creatives should have powerful conversations and fearlessly converse their minds. By doing that, and taking constructive suggestions in, it helps create a greater product.
I imply, there’s a cause Ozark was so overvalued, and I wouldn’t be shocked if that’s partially due to this collaboration between Bateman and the opposite administrators, like Semanoff, on the present. Now, it appears that evidently it has transferred over to Black Rabbit, too, which you’ll stream in full on Netflix.