Django - Secrets from the Set: Behind the scenes with the cast of Sky Atlantic’s Spaghetti Western

 Nicholas Pinnock, Lisa Vicari and Noomi Rapace talk to BT TV about the making of Django, a 10-part remake of the Sergio Corbucci classic on Sky Atlantic with NOW.

BT TV

By Alex Fletcher

February 28, 2023

Sky Atlantic is reinventing the Spaghetti Western for 2023 in the thrilling 10-part series Django.

From the creative team behind Italian crime drama Gomorrah, Django is loosely inspired by Sergio Corbucci's cult classic movie and stars Matthias Schoenaerts in the title role as the mysterious gunman with a tragic past.

The series follows four key characters: Django, his estranged daughter Sarah (Lisa Vicari), John Ellis (Nicholas Pinnock), founder of the idealistic city New Babylon, and Lady of Elmdale, Elizabeth (Noomi Rapace), who wants to wipe out Babylon.

A story filled with violence, dark secrets and a modern slant on the Western genre, Django is a gritty gun-slinging thriller.

We caught up with the Django cast and creative team to get some behind-the-scenes secrets about the making of the series.

A gang of Western fanatics

“If you look at my social media, it says in my bio that I spend my spare time dreaming of being a cowboy and that’s not a lie,” laughs Nicholas Pinnock, who reveals he grew up on a diet of Westerns.

“When I was presented with the opportunity at being John Ellis, I ran with it. He seemed a really complex character and after lots of back-and-forth conversations with the creatives, I was aware that this was going to be a hard task and I wanted it.”

Noomi Rapace, who plays the puritanical and brutal Elizabeth, grew up on a farm and has been waiting for the right role to come along to allow her to live out her dreams of horse riding and gun-toting.

“Westerns was my favourite genre growing up and I saw this and it had Nicholas, Matthias and it was the perfect combo of everything. It was an easy choice to come aboard.”

Lisa Vicari, who plays Django’s estranged daughter Sarah, didn’t grow up on a diet of Westerns, but has fallen in love with the genre after signing up for the series.

“I was introduced to the Spaghetti Western through this project. I’d seen Django Unchained and newer films, but I fell in love with them preparing for the series.

“I watched a few of them and discovered the beauty of them. I’m happy we took something so original and specific and brought it into modern times and made them relevant again.”