Amazon Prime Video‘s “Highway Home” is the perfect form of remake, a film that captures the spirit of its predecessor however approaches the fabric from a totally completely different perspective; it retains the humor and kinetic battle choreography of the 1989 Patrick Swayze slugfest, however locations it in a brand new location (the Florida Keys), casts a unique form of actor because the laid-back — till it’s time to “not be good” — bouncer Dalton, and employs a extra vibrant and tropical shade palette. For costume designer Dayna Pink, one of many sights of the film was the power to create a complete new search for the story. “I met with Doug Liman, the director, and I bought actually excited as a result of he didn’t need to do what had been completed earlier than,” Pink instructed IndieWire. “Numerous instances, you’ll do a film with a quantity two after the identify — or a quantity three or a quantity 4 — and also you’re sure to what’s already been created. However Doug stated no, we’re fully doing our personal factor.”
In developing with a search for Dalton, a one-time UFC champion who has left skilled preventing behind, Pink appeared not solely to the character however to the actor. “Jake has been in so many issues and appeared superb, so the query was what might we try this we haven’t seen him doing earlier than? How might we serve the character and create one thing new and enjoyable?” Pink felt that the character’s backstory supplied the important thing to the costume design. “It is a man who used to have some fame. He had some success. So at one time he had just a little bit of cash and doubtless some model, as a result of these guys are flashy.” Pink wished to offer Dalton an iconic look and settled on patterned silk shirts that she crafted from classic materials. “There have been a pair issues that have been bought, however a whole lot of his stuff was made as a result of we wished him to seem like a man who has his personal look that’s enjoyable and never recognizable.”
Another excuse to make the garments somewhat than purchase them was that “Highway Home” is full of elaborately designed motion sequences through which Dalton and his numerous nemeses run, leap, and kick in quite a lot of outrageous situations. “This was not my first motion film rodeo, so I do know which means multiples, multiples, multiples,” Pink stated. “What’s cool about making the garments is you may make as many shirts or pants as you need. If you’re shopping for one thing, you don’t have that luxurious as a result of there are solely so many which might be going to be obtainable.” That’s an issue Pink bumped into when she noticed a pair of magenta pants that she knew can be excellent for Dalton’s major enemy, Knox, performed by Conor McGregor. “I noticed these pants in a Tom Ford retailer in Miami and simply stated, ‘These are the pants he’s sporting. That’s it, cease purchasing.’”
Pink requested not solely what number of pairs of the pants have been within the retailer however what number of existed on this planet. “We purchased each single pair in each measurement as a result of we both lower them down or added to them,” Pink stated. “On an motion film like this, typically he’s going to be getting out of a automobile, and it wants to suit him completely as a result of he’s not doing something. Generally he’s going to kick or leap, after which we want room, so it’s a measurement larger or it’s an inch larger within the waist, or we’re including some stretch cloth in a gusset so he can transfer in it. Generally he’s going to have a stunt double. I want I might have taken an image of what number of of these magenta pants we had on the truck!”
The pants are one in all a number of items on Knox that set up him as a peacock who likes to announce his presence when he comes right into a room; as with Dalton, every costume is rigorously chosen not solely to convey character to the viewers however to help the actor’s efficiency. “If I’m doing my job proper, I’m serving to these individuals not simply step into these garments, however into the character,” Pink stated. “In Conor’s case, giving him one thing that makes him really feel like a nasty dude. My accountability is to assist them discover their character.”
A part of the enjoyable of “Highway Home” is that, though it’s populated by many, many powerful guys who tackle Dalton all through the movie, every of them has their very own distinct look — one other unhealthy man performed by Billy Magnussen, for instance, is outlined by each his pink swimsuit and a goofy robe-Speedo combo. “It was tremendous enjoyable to create this stuff, as a result of they didn’t should be totally plausible,” Pink stated. “They could possibly be just a little excessive — although not too excessive.”
Though Pink additionally got here up with some subtler appears to be like for the ladies within the film, giving love curiosity Ellie (Daniela Melchior) and Dalton’s boss Frankie (Jessica Williams) eye-pleasing tropical put on, what excited her most about “Highway Home” have been the fellows. “What was actually enjoyable about this film is that it’s a whole lot of boys, and a whole lot of alternatives to make all of them completely different,” Pink stated. “We might create our personal world within the scorching climate, and that’s what I beloved a lot about it.”