Indiegenius Film Students Meet ‘Extraction 2’ Director Sam Hargrave in Manila

The room was buzzing earlier today as Sam Hargrave, the director of Netflix’s Extraction 2, engaged in a Q&A session with some 30 Filipino film students, as well as veteran Filipino film creatives. Hargrave is in Manila for the Asia-Pacific premiere of the film tonight.

Extraction 2 sees Chris Hemworth reprising his role as Tyler Rake, who is tasked with another perilous mission to rescue the family of a ruthless Georgian gangster from a high-security prison.

Participants posed various questions ranging from the techniques of directing action sequences on a limited budget to Hargrave’s journey from being a stuntman to becoming a director. Hargrave candidly shared the valuable lessons he had learned along the way in an industry he called “one of the most collaborative art forms there is.”

In response to a question on how he prepares himself to take on new roles like directing Extraction 2, he said that a friend once told him: “If it scares you, do it.” He added, “Because you’re not growing unless you’re uncomfortable. Discomfort means you’re going through a growth process. Taking that step allowed me to grow.”

Many of the students who took part in the Q&A session with Hargrave are part of the Indiegenius program currently running in Manila. This initiative is supported by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, which aims to support voices in the Philippines that have strong regional perspectives, while providing filmmakers with film development opportunities.

The Netflix Fund for Creative Equity has committed to investing $100 million over five years around the world to create more avenues for talent from underrepresented communities. In the past two years alone, Netflix has already invested $29 million in over 35 countries across 100 different programs.

As Hargrave shared his ongoing challenge to let go of his perfectionist tendencies, the students nodded in agreement, recognizing that it is a continuous process.

“Part of the growth process for me is learning when good enough is OK,” said Hargrave, adding that, for him,  action films are “a universal language” that transcend different cultures. 

‘Extraction 2’ launches on Netflix on June 16.