On set with Birmingham action flick Lotus
Despite being the Second City, Birmingham is rarely the focus for filmmaking. This is changing, slowly, with some big Hollywood blockbusters coming to town to shoot certain scenes, and plenty of independent films being made, but cinema (especially action cinema) remains within the M25.
That’s all set to change with the production of Lotus, an action-heavy thriller set entirely in Birmingham. It is written and directed by Phillip Ray Tommy, who has built a career in the UK and beyond as a stunt performer working on major productions such as The Expend4bles (2023, Scott Waugh) and The King’s Man (2021, Matthew Vaughn), as well as television shows such as Gangs of London and Ben Hur.
“I started making short films after I worked on King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017, Guy Ritchie),” Phill says. “I was injured but didn’t want to stop working, so I brought some other stunt performers that I knew together, and some local actors.” The result was Cain & Abel, and afterwards, Phill continued to develop short films – producing one a year until 2022’s A Fistful of Shekels. “Every project was a learning experience, and they got bigger every time,” he adds. “You could say I’m a bit of a workaholic, but I understood that everyone who invested would ask the same thing once the film was finished; ‘what’s next’. So, I’ve always got scripts ready to go.”
Lotus
The constant output, slotted in-between the stunt and acting work Phill does, led to him meeting Alan McQueen, who was producing the Birmingham-based Fixed (2021, Jez Alsop), as well as cinematographer Gary Rogers. “It got to the point where I felt ready to take on a feature-length production,” Phill says. “I’d built up my reputation and could get the funding to make it happen, and I felt confident enough in my capabilities to take on the challenge.”
The result is Lotus, which is nearing the end of shooting at the time of writing. The film follows John (played by Phill) who uncovers a city-wide conspiracy of corrupt police officers and local gang members to distribute a lethal drug.
Alongside Phill, the cast is made up of primarily stunt actors, who have some serious credits on their IMDb accounts. Chi Lewis-Parry, Jon Callaway and Matt Lewis all worked on Gladiator II (2024, Ridley Scott) with Phill, as well as other major releases including Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023, James Mangold) and Fast X (2023, Louis Leterrier).
With this pedigree of performers on set, you quickly get a picture of the sort of film Lotus is going to be. Phill explains that he has a deep respect for Gareth Evans, who has a built a career create bone-crunching, heightened action films such as The Raid (2011) and the aforementioned Gangs of London.
“There’s such a unique feeling to those films and TV shows,” he says. “They have this style of combat where everything feels desperate. No posing; just a gritty fight for survival. “And one thing I was keen to make sure of was that all the action was justified. I also looked to The Crow (1994, Alex Proyas) and the way it managed to build characters so quickly, so that when Brandon Lee’s character start’s taking his revenge, you are 100% with him.”
Another key influence in Phill’s filmmaking was his time working in the projection booth at The Mockingbird Cinema. He sat behind that projector while audiences enjoyed the high-octane sequences in John Wick (2014, Chad Stahelski). “Being able to watch the audience allows you to see what really makes them react. Whether that’s a certain stunt, or a particularly move in a fight sequence.”
From Morocco to Alvechurch
I was lucky enough to be on set as the crew shot some of the climatic action sequences on a farm in Alvechurch. While the wet and miserable weather couldn’t compare to the Gladiator II shoots in Morocco and Malta, the atmosphere on set was friendly, as everyone worked together to make Lotus the best possible film it could be.
As well as directing the film, Phill had to consider his own performance and the coordination of the stunts and fight scenes. When I asked how he managed to balance the various responsibilities, it said that it was all down to perspective. “The big picture can be overwhelming, but if you break it down piece by piece and keep moving, then you start to build a feature.”
Phill’s quick to praise the people working on set as well. “I’m acting alongside top-level stunt guys. They understand the dance so once the cameras are rolling, I can be confident that it’s going to be a good result. Then there’s Gary behind the camera; I can talk through each scene with him, and he completely gets what I want and how to make it happen.”
Despite having to play a mean, one-man wrecking machine, Phill is jovial and friendly between takes. He takes the time to speak through every motion with the crew, and is clear with his instructions when the cameras are rolling. Cheekily, I asked Matt Lewis if he was a one-take director ala Clint Eastwood, or if he was Kubrickian with his approach. Matt smiled and said: “Phill knows what he wants and keeps shooting until he gets it, but he brings you along with him to get there.”
The set also had students from Birmingham University, who were filming interviews for the film, as well as getting hands-on experience. Alan lectured in film at the University and explained that this provided the ideal opportunity for his students to understand the process behind making movies.
Phill adds: “Having the students on set has been amazing. It’s so hard for them to get any sort of credit early in their careers, so it’s a great opportunity for them. Not only that, but they’ve brought an incredible energy to proceedings. When we filmed in The Ruin, Digbeth, they stayed for hours, just trying to learn what they could, and I tried to repay that by showing them that no one is unimportant.”
After Lotus
Filming hasn’t completed on Lotus at the time of writing, so it might be strange to talk about upcoming projects, but Phill says that he never stops working. “I get my ideas from my dreams and I’m always writing,” he says.
According to his IMDb, Phill has five projects in pre-production alongside Lotus, including two features, a short film and a television series. Not only that but he says he already has an outline for Lotus 2. “Doing nothing is harder that not trying to get those ideas out,” he says.
As well as developing his own career as a multi-faceted filmmaker, he’s also excited about the possibilities for Birmingham and the wider Midlands area. “There’s something incredible about seeing your hometown on the big screen. You see it in a new light and Birmingham is full of cinematic locations, as much as London.”
Alan agrees, saying the footage captured in Digbeth looks amazing. “Our city is an untapped resource.” The other aspect, of course, is the opportunities a localised film industry could provide to young directors, writers, actors and stunt performers. “I love working on big films, but sometimes I want to stay local,” Phill explains. “And I’m lucky; a lot of people don’t get the opportunities that I’ve had.”
While there’s no release date announced at the time of writing, Lotus is being prepped for a full cinema release, showcasing Birmingham on the big screen.
Matt Tilt
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