Karl Urban & Priyanka Chopra Jonas Unveil The Genre Icons Behind Their R-Rated Pirates Of The Caribbean Replacement Characters

Karl Urban and Priyanka Chopra Jonas are trying their hands at the pirate genre with The Bluff, and have a few unique inspirations for doing so.

The Prime Video action-thriller centers on a woman living in the 19th century Cayman Islands whose quiet life with her son and sister-in-law is interrupted by the arrival of a pirate with ties to her past. Urban, best known recently for leading Prime Video's The Boys and the upcoming Mortal Kombat II, stars in the film as the ruthless Captain Connor, while Jonas, who has steadily been increasing her screen presence with everything from Love Again to Heads of State, leads as Ercell.

Alongside Urban and Jonas, who also produces the film, The Bluff features a star-studded roster including The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's Ismael Cruz Córdova, Anemone's Safia Oakley-Green, Vedanten Naidoo, The Wrecking Crew's Temuera Morrison and Goosebumps' Zack Morris. The movie also serves as a reunion between Jonas and the Russo brothers, having previously teamed on the Prime Video spy thriller Citadel, which still has a second season in development.

Ahead of the film's release, ScreenRant's Ash Crossan interviewed Karl Urban and Priyanka Chopra Jonas to discuss The Bluff. The stars opened up about the action genre icons they turned to for inspiration in their performances, as well as how their characters gave them the opportunity to fulfill some of their wildest imaginations, and the things they wish they were able to have taken from set.

The Bluff Stars Turned To Everyone From Lara Croft To Harrison Ford For Inspiration

With its pirate genre roots, the most notable comparison already being made to The Bluff is that of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, while its hand-to-hand combat has evoked memories of 87North and the John Wick franchise. In looking at their characters, Jonas began by recalling how "Lara Croft was something that my imagination was full of when I was younger," feeling that her turn as Ercell gave her the opportunity to fulfill some of these dreams:

"I think that she was just formidable, cool," Jonas warmly expressed. "Angelina Jolie still is, but she was just so confident and had a sense of self, which I think is the most attractive thing in a hero or anyone you look up to."

Jonas then went on to share that part of what attracted her to want to both lead and produce The Bluff was its exploration of "how far would a person go to protect their family" and is someone "ready to find out what you're capable of when someone threatens your family." Denoting that she "was a new mom" when she started filming the Prime Video thriller, she brought an intensity to the role that "I would rip someone in half" if they threatened her family. She also recalls being thrilled at getting to play a female pirate, as there are "maybe five women who've had the opportunity" to do so.

When asked about how Captain Connor compares to the other villains he's played, Jonas interjected by teasing The Bluff's antagonist to be "the boyfriend from hell," before Urban went on to share that his process is "to figure out why you're doing what you're doing" as a character, regardless of protagonist or antagonist:

Karl Urban: With the case of Connor, it was really about establishing the character in a foundation that was a man who's been betrayed by his country, betrayed by his partner and his lover, or a man who's on a quest for freedom. And the only way that he can live in this world that he has helped build, is to hunt down his ex-partner and ex-lover. I think at the core of this story, is a tragic love story. I really like the questioning of, "Why did you leave?"

Jonas Took 1 Thing From The Set...And Promptly Returned It

With a production full of dedication to historical accuracy, The Bluff is full of authentic props that both Urban and Jonas had their eyes set on to potentially keep for themselves. Jonas, though, confirms she "didn't keep anything," but did initially take "one of the gold bars from the treasure chest" in the film, only to "bring it back the next day" as she was "so nervous" about getting in trouble for having done so.

That being said, Jonas did get to keep the bust armorplate that her character wears in the movie's third act, recalling it as being "three months of handiwork" that she just had to get her hands on and having wanted to "wear it for the premiere" and being thrilled to "showcase the artistry" that went into it:

Priyanka Chopra: I wanted to really showcase the artistry that went into our costumes, and the depth with which everything was thought of, and the realism in which it was based. And it was just so beautiful. But I did keep that.

Urban, who previously teased he may have kept a blade from the movie's set, admitted to being "gutted" that he didn't get to keep the jacket that Captain Connor wore in the film. Much like Jonas, who assured the star that she's "sure [the studio still] have it," he was ready to wear the jacket "on the red carpet" premiere of the Prime Video thriller.

Be sure to dive into some of our other Bluff-related coverage with:

• Karl Urban reflecting on how Xena: Warrior Princess' Lucy Lawless inspired his time on The Boys
• Co-writer/Director Frank E. Flowers addressing the chances of The Bluff 2