Eiza Gonzalez has a lot of action scenes in 'Fountain Of Youth'. Photo: AFP
In Guy Ritchie’s new movie Fountain Of Youth, audiences are dropped into the middle of an action sequence featuring lead star John Krasinski expertly weaving through Bangkok’s infamous traffic on a motorcycle.
His character, Luke Purdue – a tomb raider of sorts – is trying to escape Thai mafia goons who are after him for stealing an old painting from their boss. In a brazen escape, he jumps onto a moving train – only to encounter a beautiful but deadly opponent, played by Eiza Gonzalez.
That thrilling sequence is just the beginning of a globe-trotting, puzzle-solving heist that features not only iconic locations but also several high-octane action scenes.
Filmed over five months, the cast and crew travelled to cities around the world – including Bangkok, Vienna, Liverpool, London and Cairo – to showcase the characters’ quest for the mythical fountain mentioned in the film title.
The film’s climactic scene, set in Egypt, features none other than the Pyramids of Giza, where the production team was granted unprecedented access.
Mexican actress-singer Gonzalez says that this is one of the most exciting roles she’s ever taken on, as she performed many of her own stunts.
Speaking to StarLifestyle via Zoom about the challenges of filming action scenes in various locations, she highlights the sweltering heat in Bangkok and Cairo.
“When we watch movies, we rarely think about the weather or the surrounding conditions,” says Gonzalez, who also starred in Ritchie’s 2024 film The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
“But on filming days, those factors can be absolutely pivotal, and you have zero control over them. You just have to adapt.
“I remember actually feeling faint during the Bangkok scene because it was incredibly hot.
"Guy wanted me in a full-piece suit, and I was sweating. You have to mentally (trick yourself), telling yourself ‘I’m not hot, I’m cold’ to get through (the scene). So that process was interesting.”
Things didn’t get easier in Cairo, where they filmed outdoors under the blazing sun.
To make matters worse, Ritchie had her wear “a ninja-style” outfit during the action sequences.
“That was definitely one of the more challenging parts of the shoot,” she says. “Thankfully, my stunt double stepped up for that particular sequence.”
Although her co-star, Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson, didn’t have to perform any action scenes, he admits he struggled with the heat just the same for his scenes at the pyramids.
“How did I handle the heat? Not well,” Gleeson says with a laugh.
“I’m not good in the heat. I struggle even when it’s warm in Ireland. And once I leave Ireland, I’m basically hot wherever I go.
“But despite that, the experience was amazing,” adds Gleeson, who portrayed General Hux in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and is the son of actor Brendan Gleeson.
“We were so well looked after, and it was such a fun shoot. They had the budget to do it properly – to travel to all these incredible places and then shoot with real intention once we got there. So I just felt incredibly lucky the whole time, as well as quite warm.”
Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson didn’t have to perform any action scenes but he struggled with the heat just the same.
Fountain Of Youth follows siblings (Krasinski and Natalie Portman) who are hired by terminally ill multi-billionaire Owen Carver (Gleeson) to find the spring of eternal life. Unfortunately for them, Esme (Gonzalez) is just as determined to stop them from succeeding in their expedition.
With its references to artefacts and puzzles, Fountain Of Youth clearly draws inspiration from classic films like Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider. Gonzalez confesses she had Tomb Raider in mind while playing her character.
“Esme is kind of in the same vein as Lara Croft. She’s (on a quest), searching for something, just like Lara was.
“I’ve always loved stories that dive into history and mythology – and Guy is really into that too.
“A lot of days, we’d be sitting around on set, having a kind of history class – discussing what might’ve been possible in the past, what wasn’t and so on.
“It’s always fun when you’re able to create that (dynamic) with the cast and director while making a movie,” the actress says.
Fountain Of Youth is available on Apple TV+.
