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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 2 May 2017
The heart behind the vision

of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 2’

LINDSEY BAHR choose — but it’s often a wanted to make sure he
AP Film Writer lot of talk. “Guardians of was onboard with it be-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — the Galaxy Vol. 2” might cause, I mean, there’s a
“Guardians of the Galaxy” have a talking tree and a lot of personal stuff there.
was just the warm-up. wise-cracking, machine I wanted to make sure he
Two years ago, writer and gun-toting raccoon and an was cool with it.”
director James Gunn and unparalleled glee for the Pratt said he related to the
his cranky, lovable band of art of teasing, but it’s also story a lot. His dad, he said,
In this April 20, 2017 photo, Chris Pratt, left, a cast member in
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” and the film’s writer/director multihued misfits in space got a big, beating heart was not dissimilar to Yondu
James Gunn pose together at the London West Hollywood Hotel seemed like a sort of gam- that actually hit quite close in the way he showed love.
in West Hollywood, Calif. ble for the Earth-bound to home for both Pratt and Cat Stevens’ “Fathers and
Associated Press Marvel Studios and its ever- Gunn. Sons” even plays at a piv-
growing plans for total mul- Pratt’s Star Lord/Peter Quill otal moment.
tiplex domination. Star Lord meets his father Ego (Kurt “All of it is completely hon-
wasn’t exactly a household Russell) for the first time in est and true even though
name, and neither was “Guardians 2” after a life- it’s about aliens,” Gunn
Chris Pratt. time of explaining away said. “It is honest and true
Now as “Guardians of the his absence telling people stuff about human beings
Galaxy Vol. 2” prepares for that his father was David and the way we interact
launch in North American Hasselhoff, while being and how we have a hard
theaters on Friday, the story raised by the scoundrel time accepting love from
is quite different. “Guard- Ravager, Yondu (Michael other human beings.”
ians of the Galaxy” was a Rooker). This little cobbled-together
huge critical and financial A lot of the story, which family is not disbanding
success, grossing over $773 also includes a sisterly rival- yet, either. Gunn, who has
million worldwide, Pratt ry that has veered into the done nothing else but work
became an international murderous zone, is drawn with these characters for
star, and Gunn was given from Gunn’s relationship the past five years of his life,
the greenlight to do what with his father, a recovering will continue stewarding
he wanted once more — alcoholic who has been so- the Guardians through their
making “Vol. 2” as weird ber for 20 years, and what trials in “Avengers: Infinity
and wild and idiosyncratic he calls his big, lovingly War,” where he says they
as his imagination would al- dysfunctional Irish Catholic are “supporting characters
low. Many reviewers have family. And even though but not small roles.” He’s
already called “Vol. 2” bet- it’s his life on the page, also signed on for “Guard-
ter than the first, the mono- there was one person he ians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,”
syllabic Baby Groot is al- needed to get to sign off which will close out that se-
ready a breakout star, and from first: Pratt. ries and launch Marvel into
it’s headed for a possible Pratt’s father died in 2014 its next decade.
$140 million to $150 million after battling multiple scle- “With the first movie, James
opening weekend. rosis for years — a condi- earned Disney’s trust,” Pratt
“So many sequels are not tion the once hard-work- said recently. “On the sec-
good,” Gunn said. “We re- ing, tough love, man’s man ond movie he was like, ‘I’m
ally tried to let these char- Dan Pratt refused to treat. going to do whatever I
acters grow and change. In 2015, Pratt told GQ mag- want with all of your mon-
... I didn’t want it to be a azine that it eventually led ey.’ And they said, ‘OK.’
rehash of the first movie.” to him splitting up with his And he made the craziest
Gunn likes to say that “Vol. mother and living out the movie.”
2” is an adventure film, a rest of his days in front of Gunn even said he was a
comedy and a space op- the television in assisted liv- little timid on the first film,
era tied up into one bright- ing. but not anymore.
ly colored package, but “(Chris) was the first per- “I’m a little punk rock
that at its core, it’s a family son I told it to, that’s for kid who likes edgy stuff. I
melodrama. A lot of big ac- sure. When I came up with thought what I liked might
tion and sci-fi films claim to the story, Chris came over not be what the entire
be about family — whether to my house and I said, world likes,” Gunn said.
it’s the people you’re tied ‘OK, here’s what I’m think- “But I’ve come to trust that
to by blood or the ones you ing about,’” Gunn said. “I what I like works.”q