The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast Ready or Not 2: Here I Come with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett and Jorma Taccone (Ep. 608)
Apr 8, 2026
Tyler Gillett, co-director skilled in staging and tone, and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, co-director known for genre hits, join Jorma Taccone for a lively Q&A. They talk casting Kathryn Newton, filming extensive coverage for edit options, balancing horror and comedy, tough logistics and schedule pressure, and designing set pieces and music choices to shape the film's tone.
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Sequel Starts At The First Film's Midpoint
- The sequel begins immediately after the first film, using the end of Ready or Not as the midpoint to invert the story arc.
- Matt Bettinelli-Olpin framed the second movie so Grace hits her lowest point early then climbs to a twisted wedding finale, creating emotional stakes across the sequel.
Relentless Location Moves Outside Toronto
- They shot mostly outside Toronto and made about 10 company moves in 30 days, with many mini moves and only small portions actually in the city.
- Matt Bettinelli-Olpin described the schedule as brutal: four company moves plus short shoots and lots of travel that nearly made them think they couldn't finish.
Shoot Final Looks Early To Reverse Engineer
- Try shooting the final, most-degraded character looks early so you can reverse-engineer and push makeup, dirt, and performance backward through the film.
- They filmed the most worn looks (kitchen freezer, hospital scenes) early to inform escalating grime and action choices later.