Lost Bullet director Guillaume Pierret on shooting real fireworks at a real helicopter in the action trilogy’s final entry
"It took a lot of nerves"
The Lost Bullet trilogy, from director Guillaume Pierret and streaming on Netflix, knows exactly what you want from action movies featuring cars. While the movies also deliver tense, fast-paced crime narratives and brutal melees, the trilogy excels on the road. Each movie features some of the most intricately choreographed vehicular action you’ll ever see, with high-speed chases, inventive new gadgets, and a tangible authenticity and sense of danger that many green-screen heavy Hollywood blockbusters simply can’t match.
The first movie, Lost Bullet, is a razor-tight thriller about a man (French action star Alban Lenoir) framed for murder, and the bullet lodged in his car that could exonerate him. The second, Lost Bullet 2, amped up the stakes with one of the sickest new car chase gadgets I’ve ever seen – an electrified front ram that allowed protagonist Lino to run through and blow up cars in his path.
The newly released third entry, Last Bullet, continues that proud tradition forward. A satisfying cap to a fantastic trilogy, it delivers on the adrenaline-filled, high-speed vehicle sequences the franchise promises as well as vicious hand-to-hand fights that punctuate the proceedings. This time, motorcycle chases join the fray, as does one pesky helicopter (that the Last Bullet team actually crashed). And there’s a new gadget, too, in the form of a tow truck that shoots fireworks out of the back (and yes, the team made it fully functional).
Basically, they wreck the fuck out of some cars in these movies, and do it in exciting, novel, and real ways. Sound like a great time? Then these movies might just be made for you. I talked with director Pierret over e-mail about his thoughts and feelings on finishing the trilogy, how he pulled off some of Last Bullet’s tougher sequences, and what’s next for one of France’s most exciting action directors.
Congratulations on the release of the final entry of the trilogy. How does it feel to have all three movies done and out in the world?
I lived with Lost Bullet for 10 years. I had the extraordinary opportunity to start my career with a trilogy in which I could bring to life everything I was obsessed with, without compromise. So it’s both a relief and a huge accomplishment—for me, the producer, and the entire team who has been with us all these years. We’re always very happy to receive messages from all over the world, and above all, we’re grateful to our small fanbase who helped make these films popular.
Is this definitively the end of the Lost Bullet franchise, or is it possible you’d revisit this world?
Not in the immediate future, but if I’m ever asked to revisit it, I’d be happy to.
Did you grow up with cars? What drew you to this particular sub-genre of action?
I’m not especially interested in cars. But I’ve always been obsessed with vehicles in cinema, especially when they become an extension of a character. I grew up with the Millennium Falcon, the DeLorean, the Batmobile… Car chases always represented the holy grail of action scenes to me, the ultimate goal.
Who were some of your main influences when it comes to designing chase scenes and car action in this franchise?
Michael Bay was a huge influence—his mastery of scenography, excess, and editing. There’s also the final chase in The Bourne Supremacy, which was a real shock to me, a true revolution in the way action was filmed. I could feel every impact, every brake. It’s incredibly intense. I also love the climax of Mission: Impossible 2, in the countryside.
Alban Lenoir brings a unique energy and charisma to an action star role. What do you like about what he provides as a leading man?
He’s someone I can rely on. A lot rests on his shoulders, and he has to stay fully committed. He knows exactly what kind of movie he’s in, he understands the film I want to make—and that’s priceless. Just like me, he’s fulfilling a childhood dream by making these films.
Any challenges you're particularly proud of solving? What was the problem and how did you solve it?
The biggest challenge was the helicopter scene. How do you shoot fireworks at it without endangering the pilot? And how do you crash a moving helicopter—for real? There aren’t many examples of that in cinema… These were questions that occupied us for weeks, even months. We did a lot of rehearsals—some successful, others not. Thanks to the ingenuity of David Julienne (stunt coordinator) combined with that of Jérôme Miel (SFX supervisor), we were able to pull off the scene exactly as planned.
When it came to the helicopter scene, can you share any solutions the team used to pull off the scene as planned? How did you shoot the fireworks without endangering the pilot? How did you crash the moving helicopter?
You should know that, in the end, the tow truck’s cannons were actually functional — the fireworks were really fired from the vehicle. As long as the helicopter was high up in the sky, we had a sufficient safety margin to trigger real explosions, which the pilot could avoid at the last moment. But once we were flying low, the choreography was predefined, and it became too dangerous to keep firing at the helicopter because of how close it was. That’s when the VFX came in: the artists at Benuts drew inspiration from the real explosions, recreated them, and integrated them into certain shots.
As for the crash, it was done in two phases. First, our amazing helicopter pilot flew straight toward the truck and swerved at the very last moment to avoid it — it took a lot of nerves and was truly impressive to witness. Then, we replaced our flying helicopter with a replica — also a real helicopter, but without the rotor and, of course, with no one inside. The aircraft was mounted on a trailer, pulled by the tow truck, until it crossed paths with the truck… Boom.
For international viewers who found your movies on Netflix, what other French action filmmakers should they seek out?
That’s a tough question, because the action genre in France isn’t in great shape. We lack directors who specialize in this genre.
What’s next for you?
It’s a bit too early to say. I have several ideas, but whatever happens, there will definitely be a lot of action.
Guillaume Pierret recommends
Modern Indian blockbusters: I had a huge revelation when I discovered RRR, and since then I’ve been watching all their biggest blockbusters. They have no limits—I love it. I love S.S. Rajamouli’s cinema (Baahubali 1 & 2, Eega…). Lately, I had a great time watching Jawan, Salaar, Leo… I still have so many films to catch up on. I just regret how hard it is to find them where I live.
[Ed. note – I have seen all of these titles and also recommend them, especially Eega, Jawan, and RRR! In the US, you can watch the Hindi dub of RRR on Netflix and the original Telugu version on Zee5. Both Baahubali movies, Jawan, Salaar, and Leo are all on Netflix. You can watch Eega on Aha, or rent it on YouTube.]