Originally I was speculating that Soderbergh, something of a renaissance man, wanted to try his hand at something different and work on a big-budget tentpole style action-movie. What better way to get his feet wet than directing the 2nd unit? But actually he was just doing a favor.
Soderbergh tells Moviefone that he really only shot two days on the film and he was helping out director Gary Ross, a close, personal friend. Soderbergh just happened to be available when Ross needed him and offered to head down and pitch in.
Before you think you’ll be seeing any LIMEY-style action sequences in HUNGER GAMES, Soderbergh says, “My job is to come in and duplicate exactly what Gary and Tom Stern, the [cinematographer], are doing. To mimic as closely as I can to their aesthetic. And that’s what I attempted to do. But if I’ve done my job properly, I hope I did, by design, you won’t be able to tell what I did.”
Even though it was only two days shooting in the style of another director, Soderbergh did admit he found it “nerve-wracking” because he was constantly worried about Ross’ approval.
For those who really want to see what it’s like when Soderbergh shoots action, HAYWIRE hits theaters in January.