Netflix’s new romcom spy-thriller “The Union” hinges on the romance of two estranged high school sweethearts: blue-collar construction worker Mike (Mark Wahlberg) and secret agent Roxanne (Halle Berry).
However, throughout the film’s 109-minute runtime, the pair never kiss.
“We take the relationship to a certain place, and then I think you’ve got to leave a lot of space to go,” Farino told Variety at the film’s L.A. premiere on Monday night.
“Netflix always said to us at the beginning, ‘You have to think of this as a possible three-movie idea.’ So if an audience comes out wanting a kiss, then we’ve probably done alright, in my opinion.”
Farino joined Berry, Wahlberg and the rest of “The Union” cast on the red carpet outside Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater to discuss how they brought the Netflix action adventure to life.
The film follows a secret service division known as the “The Union,” which specializes in converting blue-collar joes into deadly spies.
After an overseas mission is compromised, Roxanne returns to her home state of New Jersey to recruit her high school beau Mike, whose anonymity and construction experience make him the perfect addition to the team.
Berry and Wahlberg echoed Farino’s logic about skipping the kiss. “Once they kiss, then it’s over. We’re hoping if we get to do a second one, we’ll let that chase continue,” Berry explained. “You want to see the journey — to see these two high school sweethearts find each other.”
