COLLIDER: Huge thank you to you guys for the years of work to get this thing on screen.
TIM MILLER: Well, Blur’s been around for 30 years.
What we mostly do is game cinematics.
Image via Prime Video
That’s kind of what we’re known for.
Fuck, there’s just too many to count.
And and Warhammer 40,000 what.
How many years ago did you actually get started on this?
DAVE WILSON: In 2021.
So 2021, you guys come up with the idea.
Image via Prime Video
When did it get greenlit?
How long did it actually take to getting this thing on screen?
So, here we are.
It was a strange thing that they believed that we could do it.
WILSON: We just reinvented every time.
You think we’d figure it out, but we dont.
Image via Prime Video
A lot of those are the partners that worked with us onLove, Death & Robots, some new.
So that was her edge…
The first season is 15 episodes.
Image via Prime Video
How did that number get figured out?
WILSON: It was actually 18 at one point.
MILLER: It was supposed to have 18.
Image via Prime Video
MILLER: You know what?
I can’t remember who that guy was.
It was always a split plan.
We actually wanted to release it in three drops, but it sort of worked out better this way.
OrCowboy Bebopor all these other shows.
Steve’s like, Go raid their IP library.
Do new episodes in that IP.
And I thought, Oh, that’s fucking genius, And they said no.
That happens a lot.
You go, Hey, I had this great idea… And they go, Yeah, no.
Was Prime Video that said, Let’s do 15 episodes, or was it you guys?
WILSON: Yeah, it was essentially that.
Image via Prime Video
There were some that fell out because of undue lawyering or shit like that.
Which Video Games Turned Down Secret Level?
Hollywood happens.
Image by Federico Napoli
When you’re pitching the first season to all the video game IPs, what was it like?
What was the ratio of people that said yes to no?
WILSON: How many people rejected us?
Image via Prime Video
So, a lot of them have preexisting deals, and that’s the beauty of the series.
Prime Video essentially just puts the episode on the platform.
So, there was no land grab for the series, which I think is incredibly forward-thinking for Amazon.
Image via HBO
Or something like that.
I’m like, Man,you think that we didn’t talk to Halo or something?
MILLER: I read a few.
I consider it market research, Dave.
But there are no black-and-white choices here.
It’s not like we could just have anything we wanted, or they were all available.
There are lots of different reasons.
And it’s exactly what Tim said; they were like, Nah.
MILLER: Of course, we begged for Half-Life…
Image via Prime Video
So, it’s possible for you to imagine.
MILLER: That’s because you think like a nerd, Steve.
They’re there because this is what they want to do more than anything else.
Original stories set within the worlds of iconic video games are featured in this animated anthology series.
MILLER: Yes, but even despite what I said, there are still a lot of lawyers.
But we’re hopeful that it opens doors.
Talk a little bit about why the episodes are the runtime they are.
WILSON: We wanted them to be longer, too.
MILLER: Money, money, money.
Money and I just want to do really great animation.
You could lower the budget and do more time, but I don’t want to do shitty animation.
They are so proud of it.
Will Any Season 1 Episodes Continue In Season 2?
MILLER: There’s a chance.
WILSON: Youre saying that like you actually know, and they believe you!
We don’t know that yet.
MILLER: I do know.
I do know that, Dave, so don’t play coy.
But we wouldn’t say it because that would be no fun.
I’m just saying there’s a chance.
I didn’t say it was happening.
There’s a chance we get struck by lightning when we’re walking outside, too.
[Laughs] Now you’ve got the option to do Borderlands the way it should be done!
How Keven Harts Daughter Got Involved With Secret Level
Serendipity.
I could be wrong, but was that Kevin Hart?
MILLER: Yes, it was.
Did you announce that Kevin Hart’s in it?
WILSON: Yeah, he’s in the trailers and everything.
And I said, Well have you watched our other showLove, Death + Robots?
She went, That’s your show?Love, Death & Robotsis my favorite show.
And she knew every fucking episode.
Then she asked if she could intern.
She wants to be a writer.
And she just so happened to look exactly like Dave’s concept art for the Playtime episode.
So, I said, Hey, you ever done any acting?
And she said, A little.
And there it was.
Dave, how did you decide which episodes you wanted to direct?
MILLER: Which is in the first drop.
WILSON: When I came on, I was like, I want to do that episode.
And Tim was like, Oh, shit.
I already promised I’d give Frank, who’s the creative director, that episode.
So, I was pissed for about a week.
MILLER: Dave wanted to do all the episodes.
WILSON: Yeah, I’m greedy.
I’m a big Warhammer fan.
Timing didn’t work out, so I couldn’t finish it.
Peter wrote this book series calledBlind Side, which is amazing if you haven’t read it.
My favorite version of what Armored Core would be is like MechaTop GunmeetsDriveand Ryan Gosling.
It’s just the perfect marriage.
MILLER: Its more likeTrainspotting.
So, the first batch hits.
I looked, and people are pretty happy with that Warhammer episode.
What does that mean to you?
MILLER: Dave and I only read the bad reviews.
WILSON: You do, and you read everything.
You walk around for weeks with it in your head.
I’m like, Fuck you.
MILLER: Im like, Fuck you, you don’t get an opinion, you know?
This is not for you.
WILSON: She didnt likeDuneeither.
So that the audience understands, what are the last few movies or TV shows you’ve loved?
MILLER: And that’s it.
WILSON: Reach back toGladiator.
MILLER: Oh, yes.
Which means don’t go toGladiator 2if you feel the same way.
WILSON: We watched something, and I think the comment was, That was the death of cinema.
MILLER: ButSonic 3is great.
Jeff Fowler delivers another consistently entertaining video game movie.
Yeah, actually,Sonic 3is the best one they’ve done.
WILSON: To answer your question, though, it felt great about the Warhammer stuff.
So, I was very nervous the day it came out, but it’s been good.
MILLER: Dave was nervous when he showed me the layout, the animatic version.
WILSON: I wonder why.
I watched Daves thing, and I said, I got nothing.
It’s a fucking masterpiece.
There are some of the best shots that Blur has ever done in Dave’s Warhammer piece.
WILSON: Thank you, Timothy.
The Warhammer is real good.
Also, if I’m not mistaken, isWarhammercoming?
Prime Video is developing it with Henry Cavill, right?
WILSON: That’s right.
‘Secret Level’s first batch of episodes hits Prime Video on December 10.
How Keanu Reeves Ended Up a Junkie Mech Pilot
Do we have anything for piano?
Let’s talk about the Armored Core episode, which has Keanu Reeves.
How did you guys get Keanu, and what did it actually mean when he agreed to do it?
What is his involvement in terms of, like, is he coming to the studio?
How long has he working on the episode?
Can you take us behind the scenes and what it really means when someone like that signs on?
WILSON: Disbelief is the first thing.
I was sitting at home, and Tim dictates into his telephone, and I get this text message.
MILLER: I have very fat fingers.
WILSON: So I get this message, Do we have anything for piano?
And I’m like, What does that mean?
And then I’m like, Oh, Keanu’s there today.
We’d cast most of the episodes.
There wasn’t actually a lot left.
So I texted back, What about a junkie mech pilot?
And then didn’t hear anything for like an hour.
And I was like, Well, I guess not.
And then Tim texts back and is like, Hes in!
And I’m like, Bullshit, he’s not in.
And then the next thing is a video of Keanu Reeves just going… What did he say?
MILLER: I said, Just say, Junkie mech pilot, And he goes, Junkie mech pilot.
I’ve fractured my kneecap, and, and, blah, blah, blah.
I’m off book.
And so I’m like, Don’t worry about it.
Keep the brace on.
We’ll give your character a limp and a brace.
MILLER: Which was genius.
It’s very recent, and his knees about the size of Tim’s head.
About two hours in, he’s like, Dave.
And I’m like, Do you want to come back tomorrow?
He’s like, Let’s just shoot it all now.
And I’m like, What?
Andhe shot for 13 hours straightwith that brace, and he doesn’t leave set.
Amazing, amazing human being.
This team-up has been a long time in the making.
I echo everything you said about Keanu.
The way that you guys incorporate the brace of his character…
MILLER: It was super cool.
WILSON: Also, he was sick.
It’s not acting.
He shot through it all.
MILLER: 2,500 people were working on the show.
Takes a long time.
But for that, we don’t make them go and do shit like this.Wedo that shit, right?
I do, but you know what I mean.
We didn’t ask him to go to Brazil, you know?
Arnold’s episode is also fantastic.
WILSON: Those videos kept coming, by the way.
The next week, two weeks later, there was one from Arnold Schwarzenegger working out.
Dave, whatever you want me to do, I’m in.
And then the next week was another actor.
So, he made a tape that said, Dave, fuck you.
WILSON: Actually, he didn’t say that.
So, fuck you and your shitty show.
MILLER: Yeah, Ed will be in another.
He’s a great guy.
He was Ajax inDeadpool, if you didn’t know.
Because all these celebrities just coincidentally happened to be in projects that I worked on.
And that was when I started to believe.
MILLER: But that was long before it came out.
Even then, though, they’re very cautious, like, It’s trending positively.
When it came out, it was number one on the platform aboveRed One.
MILLER: It’s amovie.
That doesn’t count.
Give us $250 million and we’ll show you.
WILSON: Or just $125.
MILLER: Yeah, just give us half.
WILSON: I think it’s longer than that.
This is what I’m saying.
It came out, and days later, they were like, We don’t have to wait.
This is big enough.
MILLER: I’ve never experienced that until now.
It’s awesome because Prime Video is awesome.
I think one of the problems with streaming is the long break between seasons.
When you get a renewal that quickly, it means everyone is still around.
MILLER: On the downside, Dave is very tired.
There was, like, no break.
This was right at the fucking finish line.
We barely made it.
When did you actually finish the episodes?
WILSON: It was 14 weeks because Prime Video requires many months of ingest and localization.
A couple of the episodes went right up, and when I say that, its just post.
WILSON: That’s cool.
You hear that, Prime Video?
It’s like a live update.
MILLER: That happens in the movies, too.
MILLER: They fixed that, yeah.
You did 15 episodes in Season 1.
WILSON: We have many ideas.
Gaming as a sort of calendar has two big dates.
But honestly, we haven’t even fully wrapped our heads around this part.
But it would be great.
MILLER: But we would like to get on a yearly cadence.
It’s just that requires a lot of faith.
I’m just happy that they agreed to do a second season.
WILSON: If we want it to become annual, we’d have to start a whole new team.
It’s kind of incredible.
It is unbelievable how much goes through a handful of people.
That’s how shit like Concord happens.
They have a release date, and we work towards that.
We were actually finished with the episode when we found out what was happening.
WILSON: Many months.
The game was removed from PlayStation’s stores two weeks after launch.
MILLER: So there was no way we weren’t going to release it, and it mystifies people.
WILSON: Despite all the requests to release it.
Just make another and drop it in!
MILLER: Yeah, we couldn’t do that.
The other thing that mystifies me is people go, This seems like a blatant exercise in commerce.
And I’m like, Well, fuck yeah, it is!
You go to buy a fucking ticket, and you buy fucking popcorn at the movies.
It’s all commerce.
We don’t get to make this unless they sell games.
Sorry, but thats the way it works.
But I also don’t see anything wrong with that because I love games like I love movies.
We have to pay people to make them.
How much are you looking at those things?
We’d love to get some of those.
I’m like, What is that story about?
And Pong, I don’t know what that would be, but yes.
But with those sorts of titles, yes, it’s exciting.
I also want to pitch Double Dragon.
Those kinds of side-scrolling, fighting games.
MILLER: Flashback is my dream.
I could keep going.
There are so many.
MILLER: Yeah, I know.
There are so many.
I’m curious with EA Sports or sports games, is that something that even interests you?
But I think it’s crazy not to because of how big of the gaming clubhouse sports games represent.
Just think about the popularity of the National Football League or those kinds of sports.
WILSON: I mean, FIFA dwarfs all of those, but yes.
MILLER: Some of the games feel like they’re too big.
They don’t need us.
Because, on some level, this is helping them, in theory, sell games.
So they’re like, Fuck you.
We don’t need your show.
We sell enough games without you.
One of the things about animation is certain things cost more money.
Can you pull the veil back on what costs more money when you’re making animated stuff?
Is it a oner, is it when there are a lot of cuts?
And I was like, Yeah, it’s not the same for us.
Dialogue is very difficult, especially with human characters, because of how critical we are.
So, you plant a flag as a director, and you go, I want to do this.
So, you decide what’s important to you.
But those big oners are incredibly expensive, yes.
MILLER: I was pretty shocked at The Honor of Kings one by how much you got.
Because changing environments would be one that is a pretty costly thing.
And that whole environments constantly changing.
That’s a crowd system; this is a hero character.
Even just the sort of hardware required to run those scenes is very complicated.
But I think you always want some fear.
Everybody is getting the same treatment.
Secret LevelSeason 1 is available to stream on Prime Video.
