Charlize Theron's 'Work Ethic' Is Best Special Effect in 'Atomic Blonde,' Director Says

According to critics, David Leitch’s “Atomic Blonde” features some of the best action sequences seen in quite some time — and the director says not much was needed for the thrilling scenes other than the star, Charlize Theron, herself.

“Her work ethic was off the charts,” Leitch told TheWrap. “As a producer, she was also relentless in that she wasn’t going to settle. She was never phoning it in at any given moment.”

Indeed, Theron revealed at March’s CinemaCon that she suffered cracked teeth and has had to undergo four root canals due to her stunts.

Also Read: 'Atomic Blonde' Punches Its Way to $1.52 Million at Thursday Box Office

Theron plays Lorraine Broughton, an undercover British Secret Intelligence Service agent sent to Berlin to investigate the murder of a fellow agent. One scene in particular, in which she fights with multiple men in a stairwell of a building in a bloody, violent and cringe-worthy action sequence, appears to be a single take. And it is, for the most part, with a couple of hidden cuts here and there.

“There were four days in the stairwell and then another 2.5 days in the street to make the sequence seamless,” Leitch added. “It was a huge technical collaboration. Often times in movies, you don’t have the will or vision of the crew. Everyone involved in this movie, there was zero politics on the creative side. Everybody wanted it to be something special. We constantly asked, ‘How do we not give ourselves any outs?'”

And this scene has been the talking point of the movie, and might be for months to come, as fans are calling it one “of the best action sequences of the year.”

#AtomicBlonde has a lengthy long take action scene that made me so giddy. That scene in particular was amazing. One of the year's best.

— Jio de Leon (@jiodeleon) July 28, 2017

#AtomicBlonde: Best extended action scene since Eastern Promises & best music since…ever. Who's going this weekend?

— Dave Karger (@davekarger) July 27, 2017

#AtomicBlonde is so much fun. Charlize Theron is killer in the role, and the stairwell scene is one of the best action sequences of the year pic.twitter.com/c29pkAUecy

— Jacob Lacy (@Jake_Lace) July 28, 2017

Set in Berlin around the time the Berlin Wall fell, “Atomic Blonde” is filled with great German songs such as Nena’s “99 Luftballons” and Peter Schilling’s “Major Tom.” And obviously, a reference to icon David Hasselhoff couldn’t be left out.

“I love it, personally,” said Leitch. “It kept coming in and out of the film. At first, we thought it might be too referential of Berlin. But you need to have a few giggles. It’s us slightly winking at ourselves.”

Also Read: 'Atomic Blonde' Review: Charlize Theron Overcomes Bad Guys and the Script in Uneven Spy Thriller

But, considering Hasselhoff’s huge popularity in Germany, did Leitch ever call him for a cameo? “No, the reference was enough,” the director said.

“Atomic Blonde” also stars James McAvoy, Bill Skarsgard, John Goodman and Sofia Boutella. The movie currently holds a score of 73 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

“We wanted to make something fun and fresh out of the spy genre,” concluded Leitch. “I think we made something really unique and fresh that rises above.”

8711 Action Design, Leitch and Chad Stahelski’s stunt-choreography and production company, also had a hand in “John Wick: Chapter 2” earlier this year, as well as “Baby Driver” and the upcoming “Aquaman.”

Watch a snippet of the stairwell fight scene in the trailer above.

Matt Donnelly contributed to this report.

25 Summer Movies We're Dying to See, From 'Alien: Covenant' to 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (Photos)

Summer 2017 is bringing a wealth of promising movies to the cineplez. Here are some of the buzziest.
May 5: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"

Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, and scene-stealer Baby Groot pick up right where they left off in this sequel to the 2014 Marvel hit.
Disney
May 12: "Snatched"

CinemaCon attendees got to see some extended footage of the comedy starring Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer, who play mother and daughter who go on a vacation together and get involved in some unexpected criminal activity. It looks hilarious, and the movie marks Hawn's return to the big screen after a 15-year absence.
Fox
May 19: "Alien: Covenant"

Fans of the "Alien" franchise have been looking forward to the new film, which welcomes back Michael Fassbender as both Walter/David, as well as new cast members Danny McBride, Katherine Waterston, James Franco and Demian Bichir.
Fox
May 19: "Everything, Everything"

Based on a best-selling YA novel, director Stella Meghie's "Everything, Everything" follows a girl (Amandla Stenberg) who has lived in solitude her entire life because she's allergic to everything, but takes an interest in the boy (Nick Robinson) who's moved in next door.
WB/MGM
May 26: "Baywatch"

Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach and Priyanka Chopra star in this comedic feature film take on the iconic TV series. The trailers we've seen so far just make fun of Efron's character, and the whole movie looks like eye candy for men and women alike.
Paramount
June 2: "Wonder Woman"

It only took 75 years, but after making a huge splash in last year's "Batman v Superman," DC Comics Amazonian Superheroine finally headlines her own movie this summer. The film stars Gal Gadot and is directed by Patty Jenkins.
Warner Bros.
June 9: "The Mummy"

Tom Cruise headlines this updated take on the classic Universal monster. The remake tells us the story of an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella) who was denied her chance to be the next Pharaoh and wreaks havoc centuries after the fact.
Universal
June 16: "All Eyez On Me"

The Tupac Shakur biopic has excited fans since the announcement of the project, and further casting notices including that of Kat Graham and Danai Gurira have enticed fans further to look forward to its release.
Lionsgate
June 16: "Rough Night"

The first trailer for the film previously titled "Rock That Body" was full of sex, drugs and, yes, murder. It's no wonder that we're so eager to see the comedy starring Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon and Zoe Kravitz.

Sony
June 23: "Transformers: The Last Knight"

Michael Bay returns for his final "Transformers" movie and intends to go out with quite a bang -- literally. Mark Wahlberg also returns and Anthony Hopkins star in the latest installment which sees humanity at war with the Transformers while Optimus Prime is MIA.
Paramount
June 23: "The Big Sick"

Kumail Nanjiani's "The Big Sick" was one of the hottest titles at the Sundance Film Festival and is based on the true story of his relationship with his now-wife, co-screenwriter Emily Gordon (played on screen by Zoe Kazan). When she gets sick with a mysterious illness, he must team up with her parents to overcome the crisis.

Amazon
June 23: "The Beguiled"

Sofia Coppola's drama follows a girls' school in Virginia which takes in a wounded soldier. Soon, sexual tension and jealousy takes over the school. The period drama stars Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and Colin Farrell.
Focus
June 28: "Baby Driver"

From director Edgar Wright, the film revolves around a young but talented getaway driver named Baby, played by Ansel Elgort. In a sign of confidence, Sony's TriStar moved up the release from the dead of August.
Sony
June 30: "Despicable Me 3"

Steve Carell plays not one but two characters in this movie -- Gru and his twin brother, Dru. And the duo team up for one last heist with the assistance, of course, of dozens of minions.
Universal
July 7: "Spider-Man: Homecoming"

After being introduced as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe last year in "Captain America: Civil War," Tom Holland returns as the web crawler in his standalone film to face off against Michael Keaton's villainous Vulture. Robert Downey Jr. co-stars as Iron Man.

Sony
July 7: "A Ghost Story"

Hot off his Oscar win for "Manchester by the Sea," Casey Affleck stars in "A Ghost Story" alongside talented actress Rooney Mara, the film follows Affleck’s white-sheeted ghost who unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the woman he loves slowly slip away.
A24
July 7: "Step"

Buzzy Sundance doc "Step" follows a girls’ senior-year high school step team in inner-city Baltimore as they strive to become the first in their families to go to college.
Fox Searchlight
July 14: "War for the Planet of the Apes"

Director Matt Reeves returns for the third movie in the rebooted franchise after helming 2014's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes." This time, Woody Harrelson is the film's main antagonist, which combined with the franchise's epic CGI apes, should make for a solid sci-fi film.
Fox
July 21: "Dunkirk"

CinemaCon attendees also saw footage of Christopher Nolan's WWII epic, which stars Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Harry Styles as well as newcomer Fionn Whitehead in the lead role. Nolan fans and Styles fans are sure to flock to the theaters.
Warner Bros.
July 21: "Girls Trip"

Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah reunite 20 years after "Set It Off" along with Regina Hall. The ladies go on a girls trip to New Orleans, which obviously turns wild.
Universal
July 28: "Atomic Blonde"

Charlize Theron's bisexual spy thriller follows MI6’s most lethal assassin through a ticking time bomb of a city simmering with revolution and double-crossing hives of traitors. Theron's Agent Lorraine Broughton is equal parts spycraft, sensuality and savagery.
Focus
August 4: "Detroit"

Director Kathryn Bigelow and producing partner Mark Boal's highly anticipated followup to their acclaimed 2012 drama “Zero Dark Thirty" is another fact-based drama with a stellar cast: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Jason Mitchell, Anthony Mackie and Jack Reynor. The film recounts the racially charged riots that rocked the Motor City in 1967.
August 4: "The Dark Tower"

Fans of Stephen King's genre-defying multi-book saga have been clamoring for a filmed version for decades and the first installment finally arrives with Idris Elba as the Gunslinger Roland Deschain chasing Matthew McConaughey's Man in Black across a highly stylized, scorched-earth landscape.
Sony
August 11: "Annabelle: Creation"

The followup to 2014's supernatural horror thriller "Annabelle" follows a couple who just lost their daughter -- but as soon as they invite a nun and some orphans into their home, some unexplained things begin to happen.
New Line
August 18: "The Hitman's Bodyguard"

Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson make a great duo in this action comedy. And Salma Hayek adds another layer of laughs to the movie, which follows a bodyguard (Reynolds) who must get one of the biggest hitman's in the world to The Hague. Obviously, the two have history.
Getty Images