Jupiter's Legacy Cinematographer Dishes On That Overdose Scene And More - Exclusive

One of the most heart-wrenching scenes in Netflix's "Jupiter's Legacy" occurs at the end of Episode 4, in which Chloe (Elena Kampouris) suffers a near-fatal overdose. To dive deeper into that shocking moment from the new superhero series that's burning up the streaming charts, Looper spoke with Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, the director of photography for that particular episode and scene. She broke it down for us, confirming what a challenge it was for everyone involved.

"That was really hard," Whitaker said. "We were very rushed. We were in a really difficult location and she was just incredible, channeling that energy into what it would feel like to have something like that happen to you when obviously she's never been through something like that ... I know the directors talked about that with her a lot. I just thought she did such a beautiful job." 

Whitaker herself holds the scene in high regard: "I have to be honest — it was one of my favorite scenes, just because I feel like it brings some humanity to her character, her character's struggle, and the reality of what kids her age are going through, which I feel like a lot of subject matter glosses over too much in our industry. And I thought it was really important to touch on, even though it wasn't pleasant. And as you know, in the comics obviously, things change for her as we go down the road."

Whitaker also shared some fun stories from the same episode, including fresh details about the pre- and post-production magic that was required for Chloe to throw that very expensive car during the magazine shoot.

Apparently, the throw was the result of solid storyboarding and some creative prop use: "The VFX, and special effects departments worked together, and built Elena ... a piece of the car that she could lift up. It was a green screen box basically, so it looked like she was lifting it up and it was literally just a piece of card. It was nothing, nothing very much. And then they built everything else in post. So she at least got the feeling of picking something up and throwing it, but obviously it wasn't the Lamborghini."

Catch "Jupiter's Legacy" on Netflix now, and stay tuned to Looper for more exclusive coverage.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).