Netflix’s new romcom spy-thriller “The Union” hinges on the romance of two estranged high school sweethearts: blue-collar construction worker Mike (Mark Wahlberg) and secret agent Roxanne (Halle Berry). However, throughout the film’s 109-minute runtime, the pair never kiss — a decision that director Julian Farino says was “long debated” but ultimately made to leave fans wanting more.
“We take the relationship to a certain place, and then I think you’ve got to leave a lot of space to go,” Farino told Variety at the film’s L.A. premiere on Monday night. “Netflix always said to us at the beginning, ‘You have to think of this as a possible three-movie idea.’ So if an audience comes out wanting a kiss, then we’ve probably done alright, in my opinion.”
Farino joined Berry, Wahlberg and the rest of “The Union” cast on the red carpet outside Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater to discuss how they brought the Netflix action adventure to life. The film follows a secret service division known as the “The Union,” which specializes in converting blue-collar joes into deadly spies. After an overseas mission is compromised, Roxanne returns to her home state of New Jersey to recruit her high school beau Mike, whose anonymity and construction experience make him the perfect addition to the team.
Berry and Wahlberg echoed Farino’s logic about skipping the kiss. “Once they kiss, then it’s over. We’re hoping if we get to do a second one, we’ll let that chase continue,” Berry explained. “You want to see the journey — to see these two high school sweethearts find each other.”
Wahlberg concurred: “If we get to go on and do something else, I would imagine there’ll be a lot more than a kiss. But, you know, we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Along with the romance, “The Union” serves up plenty of practical action. The film’s shooting schedule was split between New Jersey, New York, London and Solvenia, casting a wide scope of production uncommon in an increasingly prudent industry. Berry was thrilled to be part of a production that shot on location rather than sticking to sound stages.
“We could be on a stage somewhere, just making it all up and pretending that we’re in Italy, that we’re in London or Croatia. But we really got to go to these places, and I think that adds to the authenticity of the filmmaking,” she said. “It helps us as actors get in the right headspace. And then we get to have fun in the off time.”
“The Union” is now streaming on Netflix.
“Catwoman” 2.0? Halle Berry Hints at Directing a Sequel
Halle Berry is leaving the door open to reprising her Catwoman role, which she portrayed in the 2004 film directed by Pitof. The star of The Union hinted that there’s one way to get her to wear the catsuit again.
“Maybe, if I could direct it,” Berry told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show after the host asked her if she would reprise the superhero role.
During her appearance on the NBC late-night show, Berry also recalled the film on its 20th anniversary from the release. Berry said she “loved it” and recalled critics “panned” the film. However, one thing gives the star vindication 20 years later.
“What I’m happy about is… the children have found it now on the internet,” she added. “The kids love it. So it’s so vindicating because now they’re saying, ‘It’s cool,’ and ‘What the heck was everybody’s problem with it?’ So, I’m like, ‘I’m so brat now.'”
John Rogers, John Brancato, and Michael Ferris wrote the film based on the DC Comics character based on a story by Theresa Rebeck. Berry starred opposite Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy, Alex Borstein, and Sharon Stone.
Catwoman was shot on a reported budget of $100 million and made $82.4M worldwide. The film won several Razzies in 2005, taking trophies for Worst Picture, Worst Director, and Worst Screenplay. Berry also won a Razzie for Worst Actress, attending the ceremony and making light of the unserious award show.
Halle Berry Defends “Catwoman” 20 Years Later
Halle Berry has once again defended her infamous flop Catwoman – this time with a cheeky joke.
On the 20th anniversary of its release, Berry has gone to bat for the film once again during an appearance on The Tonight Show.
“I loved it,” the actor said to host Jimmy Fallon. “It got panned. The critics said it sucked balls.”
Fallon responded, “Balls aren’t that bad,” to which Berry jokingly agreed: “Balls aren’t that bad.”
“What I’m happy about is that the children have found it now on the internet, and they love it,” she continued. “So, it’s so vindicating. Because now they’re saying it’s cool and what the heck was everybody’s problem with it?”
Fans of the film will be delighted to hear that the Oscar-winner would be keen to reprise the role on one condition: if she was also to direct.
Berry made her feature directorial debut in 2020 with the sports thriller Bruised, in which she starred as a disgraced MMA fighter.
It is not the first time she has expressed an interest in directing the comic book film. In 2021, she told Jake’s Takes that she would “love” the chance to “reimagine” the story.
“If I can get a hold of that now, knowing what I know, having had this experience [on Bruised], and reimagine that world the way I reimagined this story,” she said.
“Bruised was written for a white Irish Catholic 25-year-old girl, and I got to reimagine it. I wish I could go back and reimagine Catwoman and redo that. Have a redo on that, now knowing what I know.”
Berry went on to explain her vision for the leather-clad superhero, stating: “I would have Catwoman saving the world like most male superheroes do, and not just saving women from their faces cracking off.”
The plot of the 2004 film saw Catwoman take on a corrupt beauty cosmetics company. “I would make the stakes a lot higher, and I think make it more inclusive of both men and women,” the actor said.
Speaking about the backlash to the film, the actor said that as a Black woman she is “used to carrying negativity on my back, fighting, being a fish swimming upstream by myself”.
“I’m used to defying stereotypes and making a way out of no way…It didn’t derail me because I’ve fought as a Black woman my whole life,” she said.
“A little bad publicity about a movie? I didn’t love it, but it wasn’t going to stop my world or derail me from doing what I love to do.”
Berry is currently starring opposite Mark Wahlberg in the recently released Netflix action-comedy The Union.
