Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1535796
When director Seth Gordon first shared the script with me, he told me the story of its inception. He and producer Beau Baumen were at a baseball game and became engrossed in the spectacle of a young father in the row ahead of them unsuccessfully negotiating a beer, a baby in a Bjorn strapped to his chest and a bag of peanuts. They could relate. They started riffing about college friends trying to adapt to adulting and the tradeoffs of balancing family with career. Quickly this turned to wish fulfillment: What if Jason Bourne wore a baby Bjorn? Jason Bjorn. With a baby. And what if two spies became lovers and found themselves having to manage family surveillance and enemy surveillance? Like The Incredibles meets Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I loved this story. I am a father. My kids have little idea about or value for my youth. To them, I'm an old guy with no backstory. To me, they're a reminder of my evaporating past and the forever struggle of adulthood that are kids, with limited perspective and insight. But what if they could catch a glimpse of me in my glory days and I got to experience their youthful ingenuity? I found myself rooting for our main characters, Matt and Emily, former spies, who are foisted from the domestic ordinariness they've worked so hard to create back into their espionage past, against their will. As their family secret is exposed and their kids become embroiled in the drama, the fracture and what it reveals about their shared humanity, becomes the glue that holds them together. Back in Action (2025) is a genre-blending film that leverages spy thrills, comedic beats and family drama to expose the heart of today's modern family. The Production Design had to encompass a world of contrasting tones—glossy international flair vs. worn domestic intimacy—and evolve with the characters' shifting identities. The film's visual language spanned a wide emotional topography shifting between cold and elite, chaotic and deceptive, and grounded and loving. Every environment was crafted to serve story, tone, and performance and support a story about identity, reinvention and connection in the modern age. In the film Back in Action, the central piece of digital hardware—programmable logic controllers (PLC)—is referred to as the industrial control systems (ICS) key. This fictional device is portrayed as a powerful tool capable of controlling any electronic system, making it a dangerous cyber-terrorism tool in the wrong hands and, hence, a highly sought-after asset within the movie's espionage-driven plot. The protagonists, Emily and Matt—former CIA operatives—are tasked with retrieving this key from a terrorist during a high-profile event. The ICS key serves as the primary MacGuffin, driving the narrative and the characters' actions throughout the film. Here is a breakdown of the film's sets in narrative order, each one a chapter in this visual journey. B. TATE MODERN GALA EXTERIOR. PHOTOSHOP ILLUSTRATION BY MO. B