Summary
Nicholas Stolleris amassiveforce of comedy.
Hes reinventedThe MuppetswithJason Segel, introduced the world toBros, a genre game-changer starringBilly Eichner.
Now hes joined forces with comedic heavyweightsReese WitherspoonandWill Ferrellfor his latest com-romYoure Cordially Invited.
Image by Jefferson Chacon
Unable to change dates, the two wedding parties agree to share the venuefor better or for worse.
NICHOLAS STOLLER: Good question.
I only wanted to make a sequel toNeighbors.
Custom Image by NImesh Niyomal Perera
And there’s no gossip.
Seth [Rogen] and Evan [Goldberg] are geniuses.
Andrew [Jay Cohen] and Brendan [OBrien] are so funny.
The studio was very supportive.
And I love that movie.
We figured it out finally.
Image via Federico Napoli
I think it’s an awesome movie, but it was just so hard.
I’ll tell you my theory since you’re that aspect of the artistic side of it.
No, it totally does.
Image via Prime Video
But you’re free to do it.
you’ve got the option to have a new case.
And not to say it isn’t hard for anyone to figure out a sequel to anything.
Obviously, it is.
It still kills me that they never made theJump Street/Men in Black movie.
STOLLER: They could make unlimitedJump Street’s.
They figured out that the dynamic between those two guys was so funny.
So, maybe one day it will happen.
It was so funny, though.
Image via Prime Video
It kills me that that movie didn’t happen.
Which film of yours changed the most in the editing room in ways you didn’t expect?
STOLLER: That’s a good question.
Honestly,Neighbors 2, putting asideBros.
I didn’t do reshoots onBros.
I barely did reshoots onYoure Cordially Invited.
I always want to do reshoots.
So, that movie probably changed the most in the edit because we shot for five days.
Andy Serkis talked to me aboutAnimal Farma number of times.
What can you tease about the project?
What pulls you in to say, I want to work on this writing?
STOLLER: Andy Serkis andAnimal Farmmade me want to do it.
[Laughs] My agent was like, Do you have any interest in this?
And I was like, 100%.
That was one of those things where then I read the book to double-check I could have a take.
They had a script, but he was very much like, Let me know what you think.
So I read the script, and then I read the book.
She was like, Okay.
That’s the craziest story.
It blew her mind.
So, I wrote it.
I’m excited for people to see it.
I think it’s going to be awesome.
It’s been a passion project of his for a long time.
I think it finally comes out this year.
STOLLER: I’m so excited.
I’m psyched to see it.
I haven’t seen anything.
I know that they’re doing the mocap thing.
And I was like, I don’t understand your world, but I love it.
Yeah, those are things that I will never do.
Expect a Very Will Ferrell Action Comedy in Judgment Day
Its a crazy movie.
IsJudgment Dayyour next film?
What do you want to tell people about it?
It’s turned out great.
So, that is coming out this year.
We don’t have a release date yet for that.
ThenJudgment Dayis about a TV judge, played by Will Ferrell.
Basically, he’s a TV judgekind of a blowhard, kind of a jerk.
It’s a crazy movie.
That could be played many different ways.
Is it serious, or is it more like Will Ferrell getting to do Will Ferrell?
I can’t do the Adam McKay tone, which is so amazing.
I love those movies.
I’m kind of just like, I hope I can pull it off.
It’s more comedic than rom-com-y.
I agree with this.
I wouldn’t callYoure Cordially Inviteda rom-com.
STOLLER: Not that there’s nothing wrong with a rom-com.
That’s just not what it is.
And with this one, [Judgment Day], I wouldn’t say it’s an action comedy.
I think at the end of the day it’ll be a comedy action movie.
Do you know when you start filming?
STOLLER: Late April if all continues according to plan.
Needless to say, I’m happy you’re making another movie this year.
Obviously, I’m happy thatPlatonicSeason 2 is coming out later this year.
STOLLER: Thank you.
How Much of Youre Cordially Invited Was Actually Improv?
Will Ferrell is a comedy god, and Reese Witherspoon is a comic genius.
It’s never happened.
You’ve made a lot of movies.
Everyone knows your work.
They do get offered a ton of scripts.
I kind of put it on a shelf.
Then, I wanted to work with Will and Reese.
I’ve wanted to work with Will and Reese Witherspoon my whole career.
I’ve been obsessed with them.
There’s something about the size difference thats funny.
I just had a feeling they would be funny on screen together.
I pitched them the movie, and they both said yes.
Then I kind of developed it with them and for them, and it went pretty quickly.
Once they agree to sign on, talk about actually writing with their voice in mind.
Will’s such a master improviser.
He was on set and was pitching amazing jokes, too.
So, it’s kind of a combination.
I also used improv to kind of loosen the scene up a little bit if it feels too written.
Say you’re filming a big scene, and you know that Will has to deliver a joke.
You should say this?
And I do that more and more.
I’m more prepared.
So, there is some pitching, but it’s also prewritten stuff.
Then also these actors, I mean, the cast is a deep bench of really funny people.
I didn’t just say, Say whatever you want.
I was very specific, but then she came up with that amazing thing.
The ‘Thunderbolts*’ and ‘Search Party’ stars also describe Nicholas Stoller’s directing style.
Is the movie rated R?
STOLLER: Yeah, that’s it.
Because he calls his son-in-law a motherfucker in the first scene.
And how much is it like, It doesnt really matter.
It’s streaming and the curses work?
STOLLER: They don’t care for streaming.
Honestly, Amazon was so cool.
They weren’t ever a note to get viewers if you know what I mean.
It was a wide swath of people, and everyone enjoyed it.
I find awkward sex stuff really funny, but there’s nothing in this that’s even…
Especially with curse words, I don’t think people care.
I might want it to be PG-13 for get more people to see it.
I totally get it.
I’m a little bit mad you didn’t invite me over to watch it with the family.
STOLLER: I know, exactly.
So, Nick Jonas singing Creedwhere did that idea come from?
STOLLER: I knew I wanted a sexy pastor.
He’s a friend of the court.
He was so funny.
He was so game.
At a certain moment, I went up to him, and I was kind of nervous.
And he was like, Oh, yeah, sure.
He was totally game.
So how long have you been thinking about using that song in something?
It’s pretty funny watching Will and his daughter sing it.
It was always part of it.
So it ended up being kind of the perfect song for that moment.
Was Atlanta chosen for tax reasons?
STOLLER: Yes, but I love shooting there.
The crews are awesome.
And I wrote it to take place in the South.
How much does shooting in Atlanta with a significant tax break play into getting more on screen?
It’s not even really a conversation.
One of the things that made me laugh the hardest was Will saying hes the CEO of Delta.
I laughed hard because it was so out there.
Where did that joke come from?
STOLLER: Oh, I think Brendan O’Brien pitched it.
I can’t remember.
I’m not sure.
Either he did or I did.
One of us did.
I wasn’t sure, you know?
And then we tried it and it destroyed in a way that was beyond my wildest expectations.
You don’t know anything else.
That’s one of the reasons I laughed so hard because it was like, Wait,what?
STOLLER: We never say anything else about it because it’s not pertinent.
We don’t know anything about him.
And I was like, I think he’s high up in human resources at Delta Airlines.
That’s what I think he does.
That was the thought I had.
Not that we ever reference it, but that was the thought.
You’re Cordially Invitedis available to stream now on Prime Video.
Your Rating
Your comment has not been saved
