'Elevation' Interview: Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin

Moviefone speaks with Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin about 'Elevation'. "It was a lot of physical work," Mackie said of shooting the action sequences.

(L to R) Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin star in 'Elevation'.

Opening in theaters on November 8th is the new action thriller ‘'Elevation', which was directed by George Nolfi (‘The Adjustment Bureau’) and stars Anthony Mackie (‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’) and Morena Baccarin (‘Deadpool & Wolverine’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin about their work on ‘'Elevation', Mackie’s character’s journey to save his son, why Baccarin’s character helps him, preparing for the action sequences, and working with director George Nolfi.

(L to R) Anthony Mackie and Danny Boyd Jr. in 'Elevation'. Photo: Vertical.

Moviefone: To begin with, Anthony, can you talk about your character’s journey to save his son and the unlikely alliance he is forced to make with Nina?

Anthony Mackie: Well, it starts off with him in a very tumultuous situation with the loss of his loved one and now the potential loss of his child. So, he's kind of forced into this position with his balls to the wall and he must make allies and he has to kind of play down his hatred for his enemies to achieve what he wants to achieve. So, he's kind of put in between a rock and a hard place. He doesn't want to be there, but it's something he must do.

(L to R) Morena Baccarin and Anthony Mackie in 'Elevation'. Photo: Vertical.

MF: Morena, can you talk about Nina’s plan to kill the monsters and why she decides to help Will?

Morena Baccarin: I don't think she wants to. I think it's something that she sort of at first does against her will. I think initially it's a very selfish thing that she does, "If we have a chance to survive, I am that chance, to figure out how to get this thing. I'm almost there. I need to figure out how to kill this thing." Then I think as she's going on this journey, she realizes it's so much bigger than just her and it becomes much more meaningful for her. I think the relationship with Will is obviously very complicated and it's kind of like the crutch for her that then becomes the thing that she can really rely on and becomes the valuable aspect of her life. Will finds out things about her and why she is who she is, and she also takes a lot of responsibility at that point for what she's done in his life and the role she's played in his family's life.

(L to R) Morena Baccarin and Anthony Mackie in 'Elevation'. Photo: Vertical.

MF: Anthony, can you talk about how you prepared for the action sequences?

AM: Well, George forced us into altitude acclamation. That's the stuff he made up for us to do, which he didn't do! He didn't do none of the training with us, but it was more so just us going hiking and running every day. It was a lot of physical work because we knew how much running we were going to have to do during shooting. So, the longer we were there, the easier it got. After that first week, I was pretty much adjusted but that first hike was hard.

(L to R) Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson and Anthony Mackie in 'Elevation'. Photo: Vertical.

MF: Finally, Morena, can you talk about your training process and working with director George Nolfi on set?

MB: I was impressed. We all went out on this hike together and Mackie was like a good half a mile ahead of me, I think most of the time. I am like sucking in air and my lungs are burning. Maddie (Hasson), who at the time was smoking a pack a day, was also far ahead. I was like, "What the heck?" Then I realized, of course, she's 20 years younger, but it did not get easier for me. We had oxygen canisters on set all the time, and I utilized them quite a bit. That elevation is no joke. It was mostly that. It was mostly training and hiking and running and hiking to just feel like we could run at a sprint up a hill if we had to.

Elevation

"Don't go down without a fight."

RNov 8th, 2024

Showtimes & Tickets

Set in the post-apocalyptic Rocky Mountains, a single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of... Read the Plot

What is the plot of ‘Elevation’?

A single father (Anthony Mackie) and two women (Morena Baccarin and Maddie Hasson) must venture from the safety of their home to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a child (Danny Boyd Jr.).