‘Reacher’s Alan Ritchson Wanted More Gore in Guy Ritchie’s ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’

“He wanted to murder these guys. He didn’t just want to kill [them].”

THE BIG PICTURE

 Alan Ritchson brings gritty intensity to his role as Danish soldier Anders Lassen in Guy Ritchie’s upcoming film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare .
 Ritchson’s dedication to authenticity included advocating for graphic violence in kill scenes to convey Lassen’s hatred for Nazis.
 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare , a fictionalized WWII account, features a stellar cast and is set to premiere on April 19.

Alan Ritchson, best known to us as the wonderfully affable actor who portrays the silent murderous refrigerator in Reacher is taking on a new, grittier persona in Guy Ritchie’s upcoming film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Ritchson is playing Anders Lassen, a fictionalized composite Danish soldier known for his exceptional archery skills, and as he’s been explaining to THR, he had his own thoughts on how the performance should come across on screen.

In the Lionsgate film, which is a fictionalized account based on the book Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII by Damien Lewis, Ritchson joins a stellar cast including Henry Cavill, Henry Golding, Eiza González, Alex Pettyfer, and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. The film depicts a covert organization formed during WWII, with Lassen being a standout figure for his fervent anti-Nazi sentiments and unique warfare tactics.

However, Ritchson’s commitment to authenticity didn’t end with mastering archery or developing a Danish accent. He felt strongly that the film should visually convey Lassen’s deep-seated hatred for the Nazis, leading to a direct appeal to Ritchie for more graphic violence in his kill scenes. He said:

“I came into his trailer and I said, ‘Here’s my perspective on the action. Anders Lassen hated these Nazis. This was not just a dutiful soldier. This guy f*cking had a mission. He wanted to murder these guys.

He didn’t just want to kill [them]. He wanted hate kills. We should see malice in the knife. It should be gory and we should expose innards as he cuts people. We shouldn’t hide anything. It should all be in your face. I was insane. He said he would think about it.”

Alan Ritchson Used a Pig’s Heart For Added Gore

Ritchson’s vision for his character’s brutality was partially realized the following day during a tower scene, where Lassen is taking out some Nazi grunts in lethal hand-to-hand combat. The scene, put together by Ritchson and his stunt double — and archery trainer — Ryan Tarran, even included the idea of using a pig’s heart to simulate human organs for added gore.

“We spent the whole day shooting the scene, and it was all very improvisational,” he explained.

“I was thinking, what if, on the way up the stairs, you see these red strands dripping with blood, and you realize Anders has hung a dude by his intestines?

What about if he had a heart in his hands? We just kept thinking of, ‘How do we make this vision come to life?’ The props guy couldn’t get intestines in time, but we had a pig’s heart. We did the best we could with what we had, but it was a blast.”

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is set to premiere on April 19. Grab your tickets below.