In retrospect, it makes perfect sense as to why Thomas Bezucha agreed to direct the first two episodes of the hit Netflix series Untamed.
Start with the intriguing central mystery of a murder in Yosemite National Park. “I so loved the first scripts,” Bezucha says. And after writing and directing films like The Family Stone and Monte Carlo, he was excited to collaborate with father-daughter creators and showrunners Mark L. Smith (American Primeval) and Elle Smith, as well as veteran Emmy-winning executive producer John Wells. Besides, while growing up as a “hippie kid” in Massachusetts in the 1970s, Bezucha and his family used to spend their vacations hiking and skiing in Aspen, Colorado. “I just love the mountains,” he says.
But it’s a good thing the Bezuchas didn’t travel South. “I do not like the humidity and the tropics,” he adds. “So if this story had been set in the Florida Everglades, it would have been a hard pass!”
Bezucha’s first episode of Untamed grips viewers from the very start, as two rock climbers are almost killed by a girl’s body that falls from the top of the iconic El Capitan mountain. Taciturn ranger Kyle Turner (Eric Bana), who works in the investigative services arm of Yosemite, is called to investigate the death and discerns this was no accident or suicide. He ultimately uncovers a dark side — drifters and drug trafficking — amid the beautiful wildlife. And, mild spoiler: The victim, originally ID’ed as Jane Doe (Ezra Franky), was hunted and shot by someone she knew.
After premiering July 17, the six-episode thriller quickly racked up 24.6 million views to put it at No. 1 on the English-language TV list. Soon after its premiere, a Season 2 renewal was announced.
“I credit Mark and Elle and the story they told,” says Bezucha, who is also an EP on the series. (He previously worked on Season 5 of Fargo.) “And I’m thrilled for the ensemble we put together with Eric and Sam [Neill] and Lily Santiago and Rosemarie DeWitt and Wilson Bethel. It all made for compelling television.”
Zooming in on a Monday morning from his apartment on New York City’s Upper West Side — with no mountain in sight! — Bezucha talks Untamed to the Television Academy.
Bana and Sam Neill / Photo credit: Netflix
Television Academy: Why do you think you were approached to take this on?
Thomas Bezucha: I did a Kevin Costner movie [2020’s Let Him Go] a couple of years ago that Mark is a big fan of, so he asked me to read these scripts. And I really liked the family stuff, especially with Eric and Rosemary Dewitt [who plays his ex-wife]. I had also met with John Wells many years ago, and he helped put the ball in the basket.
How did it work with you and the other directors? Was there any collaboration?
There were three blocks: I did one and two. [Director] Nick Murphy did three and four; Neasa Hardiman did five and six. The glue that stuck the whole thing together was John Wells. I think it is a little unusual, but while I was prepping my episodes, he asked to have a tone meeting with the other two directors. Michael McDonough, the director of photography for my block and the third block [of episodes], also laid out our visual strategy to the other two directors.
Can you describe the overarching tone of the season?
My chief interest was anything involving the emotional life of these characters and the dynamics between them. And it was really important that every scene was told from somebody's perspective, as opposed to some sort of overall God watching the mystery unfold.
Let’s talk about that harrowing first scene, in which Jane Doe’s body perilously drops from the mountain onto two climbers. How did you pull that off?
I loved it because it was outside my wheelhouse. We built a 60-foot section of wall in the parking lot at the studio in Vancouver and [we] had two fantastic stunt performers. We then storyboarded the whole thing, mapped it out and filmed it. There was CGI. There was a little bit of very close-up detail work with the climbers that we shot on some rock in British Columbia. It was a fun thing to do!
Where did you recreate the top of El Capitan?
There’s a ski resort outside of town in Vancouver, called Mt. Seymour. That’s where we did the summit and looked down at the Jane Doe body. It’s also where we shot the point where Eric Bana repels down to examine her body on the face of the mountain. Then, we brought up the body.
Wait, that really was Eric Bana repelling down the side of the mountain?
Yeah, it really was! That gentleman is game and capable of anything.
Even though the series is set at Yosemite, you filmed throughout various British Columbia parks and resorts. What was that like for you and the cast?
Oh, I like a little adventure. And all the actors were totally up for it. It was pretty rugged — and some of the places were not easy to get to. There were a lot of porta-potties and Purell hand sanitizer and bugs. But it was spectacular — and everybody was into it. There was a stream we had to find, and it was down in the crevice. Ezra, who plays Jane Doe, started drinking from the stream. I was like, “Don’t!”
Photo credit: Netflix
How about the quieter scenes between the characters? What were you trying to convey?
I loved the dynamic with Eric and Lily [who played a rookie park service investigator]. I liked that he’s this gruff, reticent character — but he's not sexist in any way. And she’s strong. So I wanted to make sure they were respectful of each other. I liked Rosemary Dewitt’s character [as Bana’s ex]. There were unusually strong women for this type of story.
It’s early, but do you think you’ll be involved in Season 2?
I've got some other stuff going on, so I don't know how much I'd be able to do. But, you know what? We’re all family.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Untamed is now streaming on Netflix.
