HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 27: (L-R) Sean Gunn and James Gunn attend the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 World Premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on April 27, 2023. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney)
Movies - TV
James & Sean Gunn Cried Filming Guardians of the Galaxy 3’s Dance Scene
By VALERIE ETTENHOFER
Spoiler Warning!
This story contains spoilers for “Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3.”
While several scenes in “Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3” seem designed to make audiences cry, the film’s final tear-jerking moment feels more like a celebration.
After the group disbands, the movie ends with a dance sequence to the tune of Florence + The Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over,” a powerful moment that made James and Sean Gunn cry.
In addition to his behind-the-scenes roles, director James Gunn provides the motion capture dancing for Groot while Sean plays Kraglin and performs in a mo-cap suit for Rocket.
The brothers share a special moment as Groot and Rocket dance together in the final scene, with James saying, “It was a high point in my life, really.”
He added, “My brother Sean is dancing for Rocket, and in the moment we were shooting the wide shot and dancing toward each other, it was surreal and beautiful and wonderful.”
The film was a massive production, but James said that dancing in that final scene brought back “that same purity and imagination we had as kids.”
James also revealed that they weren’t alone in crying during the dance sequence: “Everybody was crying as it was happening. It was a really powerful moment.”
Even musician Florence Welch felt how powerful the moment was, as she is seen bursting into joyful tears at the dance sequence in a viral video after the film’s premiere.