Donald Glover as Troy Barnes on NBC’s ‘Community.’ Photo courtesy of NBC.com.
“Six seasons and a movie!” It was a rallying cry for fans of the cult sitcom ‘Community’, which was created by Dan Harmon. The series ran for 110 episodes over six seasons, with its first five seasons airing on NBC from September 17, 2009, to April 17, 2014, and its final season airing on Yahoo! Screen between March 17 to June 2, 2015.
Harmon has long said he intends to fulfill the fans’ dream of making a movie based on the show and the idea has grown over the years since the series left screens.
NBC’s streaming service Peacock announced last year that the film would be a reality:
“Six seasons and a movie’ started out as a cheeky line from ‘Community’s early seasons and quickly ignited a passionate fan movement for this iconic, hilarious and cool (cool, cool) NBC comedy. We’re incredibly grateful that 15 years later, we are able to deliver fans this promised movie and can’t wait to get to work with Dan Harmon, Andrew Guest, Joel McHale, Sony and our partners at UTV to continue this epic comedy for Peacock audiences.”
Joel McHale as Jeff Winger on NBC’s ‘Community.’ Photo courtesy of NBC.com.
Now, according to Joel McHale, Donald Glover –– who hadn’t been listed along with the other cast members for the movie –– is on board.
“Donald’s coming back and that’s really important. The fact that Donald’s gonna do it, that was the big piece. But I think everyone’s coming back. I mean, so far we’re pretty good. And I think that will happen. If not then, you know, Donald will be there.”
Set at a community college in the fictional Colorado town of Greendale, the series starred an ensemble cast including McHale, Glover, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Ken Jeong, Chevy Chase, and Jim Rash as a group of students brought together as a study group, plus a crazed example of the teaching staff and the equally offbeat dean of the college.
Harmon and his writing staffed used the show to poke fun at tropes and genres, frequently using meta references and humor while also maintaining a level of heart for the group as they slowly bonded. McHale played snarky, washed-up lawyer Jeff Winger, who is suspended by the state law bar for falsely claiming he had a bachelor’s degree and must gain one to get his career back.
Glover played Troy Barnes, a former high school football star who is now in something of a rut. He strikes up a friendship with Abed (Dani Pudi), who boasts an encyclopedic knowledge of TV shows and movies. Abed struggles to interact with others via conventional means due to his implied autism, so he often chooses to interpret the group’s everyday activities by comparing them to film and TV narratives.
With Glover confirmed, the only cast member not officially returning so far is Yvette Nicole Brown, but with luck she’ll be back before too long.
And she has time to decide anyway –– the movie is on hold right now in solidarity with the writers’ strike.
(L to R) Jonathan Banks as Professor Buzz Hickey and Donald Glover as Troy Barnes on NBC’s ‘Community.’ Photo courtesy of NBC.com.
The film stars Brie as Ally, a workaholic who returns home to visit her mother (‘Airplane!’s Julie Hagerty) the same weekend that her ex, Sean (‘Top Gun: Maverick’s Jay Ellis) is getting married to his young fiancé Cassidy (‘The Flash’s Kiersey Clemons). Ally is quickly thrown into the wedding festivities as the videographer, but really plans to ruin the wedding so she can get Sean back.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Dave Franco about his work on ‘Somebody I Used to Know,’ developing the idea for the screenplay, directing his wife Alison Brie, and putting together his crew and the rest of the cast.
Dave Franco co-writes and directs Prime Video’s ‘Somebody I Used to Know.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Franco, Alison Brie, Jay Ellis, and Kiersey Clemons.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about creating the story for the film and writing the screenplay with Alison, and did you to continue to write with her and change dialogue while you were shooting?
Dave Franco: The story came about while we were walking through my hometown of Palo Alto. I think being in that setting, these ideas of going home, and reconnecting with your roots, and thinking about who you used to be compared to who you are now, all of that just became what the script ended up being. Then, in terms of how much the dialogue changed over time, it’s always changing.
One thing I like to do is before we start filming, I meet up with all the actors, and we basically go through each scene, and I ask them, “Are there any lines of dialogue or even any single words that don’t feel natural to you? Let’s change that now, let’s put it in your voice so that by the time we’re on set, we’re hitting the ground running, we’re not figuring all that stuff out.”
It ends up being this thing where, I think on both movies I’ve directed, I go over the script a million times, and then every day before whatever scene is coming, I look at that scene again. You just see it in a new light, and more often than not, I’m like, this is overwritten. We don’t need to say all this. Let’s chop it back. So it’s more about pairing everything back.
(L to R) Alison Brie and director Dave Franco at the premiere of Prime Video’s ‘Somebody I Used to Know.’
MF: Can you talk about the crew you put together for this project, and what was it like for you to work with your cinematographer to compose shots on set and work with your editor in the cutting room to assemble the film?
DF: The best. I surrounded myself with people who I’m a fan of, and just having that collaboration with those people was incredible. My DP, Brian Lannin, shoots that show ‘Dave.’ I don’t know if you’ve seen that, but it’s one of my favorites because they do really hard comedy, but it’s also beautiful. The visuals are stunning, and I thought he’d be the perfect guy for this.
With this one, it was kind of inherent to some romantic comedies. There’s a lot of scenes where it’s just two people talking, and the challenge was how do we make that exciting? How do we make that engaging visually? He’s just got such a beautiful eye, and the setting itself did a lot of the heavy lifting too. We shot in the Pacific Northwest, and any direction you point the camera, it’s stunning.
Then, in the edit, my editor Ernie Gilbert, I love him to death. What can I say? It’s just a healthy back and forth where obviously I have very specific ideas of how I want things to play out, but I trust him so much, and he would come in with ideas, and new things that I would never think of. Anyway, this is a long way of saying I’m so collaborative. It’s my favorite thing to do, especially when I’m surrounded by people who are just so talented.
(L to R) Alison Brie and Danny Pudi in Prime Video’s ‘Somebody I Used to Know,’ which was directed by Dave Franco.
MF: Finally, there are a lot of actors in the movie that you and Alison have worked with in the past, and a few that you have not. Can you talk about putting together the cast and having an opportunity to work with your friends?
DF: It’s the best for many reasons. When you’re surrounded by people that you feel comfortable with, you feel more willing to take risks knowing that no one’s going to judge you. When I am putting together the team, of course, I want people who are talented, but it’s just as important to me that everyone is really nice and hardworking. When you’re surrounded by that type of person, it just makes it easy, man. It’s like, I don’t need to micromanage anyone.
Everyone’s there to work, everyone’s excited, and it’s this nice family environment. As an actor, I’ve been on a couple sets that are not that way. It’s a weird vibe. I made a vow to myself that when I have control on any set that I’m on, I’m going to make sure that obviously, let’s do good work, but let’s also have a good time. We’re away from our friends and family for months at a time, it should be worth it. Let’s look back, and remember the experience itself too.
Alison Brie in Prime Video’s ‘Somebody I Used to Know,’ which was directed by Dave Franco.
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The new movie follows Amber (Brie), the manager of an Italian restaurant chain who wins the opportunity to attend the franchise’s educational immersion program in Italy.
But what she thought would be an exciting getaway devolves into chaos when she begins a romantic triangle with the restaurant chain’s wealthy owner Nick (Alessandro Nivola) and his assistant, Kat (Aubrey Plaza).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Alison Brie about her work on ‘Spin Me Around,’ writing the screenplay with director Jeff Baena, her character’s journey and romance with Nick, and working with Aubrey Plaza.
Alison Brie as Amber in ‘Spin Me Round.’
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Alison Brie and co-writer and director Jeff Baena.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about the genesis of the idea for the film and the process of writing the screenplay with director Jeff Baena?
Alison Brie: So, Jeff brought the idea to me, and it was something that he had been thinking about since we shot ‘The Little Hours’ in Italy. I think he had a strong desire to get back to Italy. He had read some articles about a similar immersive management program that may exist in real life, and how lackluster it might have been, or how Americanized it might have been.
He saw a great idea in bringing a fun ensemble together to watch them navigate that kind of program. When he brought me into the fold, I think I was really drawn to the idea that the movie is going to take this journey through a bunch of different genres, and that we’re following a character who doesn’t take a lot of action in her life.
She just lets things happen to her, but over the course of this movie, she tries to take her destiny into her own hands, but it ends in total chaos. I also really liked the idea of unfulfilled expectation. Something we were playing with is that sometimes when you take a big trip, you think it’s going to be really life changing and that you’re going to get back on the other side as a totally different person, and often, that doesn’t happen.
In life versus the movies, you get home and your life is kind of the same. I think we wanted to show that there actually can be an internal shift, however subtle, even if there’s not an external shift.
MF: Can you talk about the journey that Amber goes on and how it changes her through the course of the movie?
AB: We’re watching Amber become a more self-empowered person, ultimately. At the start of the film, you get the sense that she’s really stuck. She’s been a manager at this Italian restaurant chain for nine years. She is a bit of a pushover. She tried to start another restaurant with her boyfriend, but that wasn’t really her idea. She has trouble saying no to people. She goes with the flow too much. She’s not going to take her life into her own hands.
Through her experiences on this trip, and the people that she meets, specifically Aubrey Plaza’s character, I think she kind of sees a different type of dangerous person and is a little bit inspired by that. At the end of the film, it’s like the trip isn’t going to change the fact that she works at this restaurant. So, it doesn’t get her out of debt, but I do think there is a subtle enough shift of her starting to empower herself, have a voice and say the things that she wants.
(L to R) Aubrey Plaza as Kat and Alison Brie as Amber in ‘Spin Me Round.’
MF: Can you talk about Amber’s sudden friendship with Kat and working on that odd relationship with Aubrey Plaza?
AB: We always had Aubrey in mind for the role. So, it’s always nice when you get to write a character for an actor. But it’s so fun to work with Aubrey. She’s such a great actress, and she brings a really exciting, impulsive kind of energy to all of her roles that is really unexpected.
So, it’s really easy to shoot scenes with her, and she and I have worked together a bunch before. So, it’s really comfortable and fun. I think, with those scenes, it’s sort of the rawest that you see my character. She goes into this trip being fed movies like ‘Eat, Pray, Love,’ and you get the sense that maybe she watches ‘The Bachelorette’ and ‘The Bachelor’ a lot, and that’s kind of what she has in mind for this trip.
Aubrey’s character shakes it up, and you see her feeling real things in the moment that she hasn’t maybe felt before. She gets a bit of inspiration from her character, and the way that she just is unabashedly who she is.
MF: Finally, can you talk about Amber and Nick’s relationship, how he is able to win her over, and how she feels when she discovers his true intentions?
AB: Poor Amber is so naive, but I also think there’s a sense to her that is just too polite also. Some of the interactions that she has early on in the movie with Nick are based on real interactions that I’ve had with men in life when I was much younger. I think that she wants to be naive, because the prospect of this rich, handsome, restaurateur sweeping her off her feet is very exciting. She’s able to ignore the red flags, because she’s just the type of person who is uncomfortable with rocking the boat, no pun intended.
So, it takes her a little while longer to realize what’s going on with Nick. It really takes a lot of courage from her, again, not being a person who ever speaks up for herself or asserts herself. It takes a lot to get her to say anything. She almost would rather think that a whole different set of things were going on than admit what was in front of her.
(L to R) Alessandro Nivola as Nick Martucci and Alison Brie as Amber in ‘Spin Me Round.’
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A prime headlining spot on the Las Vegas Strip — it’s everything the ladies of “GLOW” wanted. But is it even enough?
Netflix released the trailer for Season 3 of the dramedy, which finds the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling in Vegas where they are headliners at the Fan-Tan Hotel and Casino.
Ruth (Alison Brie) is happy to have job and a boyfriend — but something is still missing. And she seems to be wrestling outside the ring with feelings for coach/director Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron). Meanwhile, Debbie (Betty Gilpin) continues to fight her corner as a producer but feels tremendous guilt for leaving behind her son.
“This season feels unlike anything we’ve shot before and we really embrace all the things that are Vegas, you know? Kind of the danger, the excitement, the sex, the raciness,” Brie told Entertainment Weekly. “I think there’s a lot of debauchery in season 3.”
All 10 episodes of “GLOW” Season 3 debut August 9 on Netflix.
Watch out, Sin City — the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling have arrived.
Netflix revealed “GLOW” season 3’s premiere date, along with several new images from the acclaimed comedy. The 10-episode third season will begin streaming August 9.
Season 3 follows the ladies as they leave L.A. for the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip, where they are headliners at the Fan-Tan Hotel and Casino. Ruth (Alison Brie) is still the group’s optimistic cheerleader, but her passion for the show begins to take a backseat to her growingly complicated personal life.
Meanwhile, Debbie (Betty Gilpin) continues to fight her corner as a producer but feels tremendous guilt for leaving behind her son. As their residency wears on, the cast find themselves struggling with their own identities both in and outside of the ring.
Marc Maron returns as coach/director Sam Sylvia and Chris Lowell is back as producer Sebastian “Bash” Howard,
Also joining the cast: Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, Max Greenfield, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Sam Richardson (“Veep”), and Molly Shannon.
Mulligan will play a young woman who takes revenge for her tragic past on all the predatory man who crosses her path.
The movie has already started production in Los Angeles. It will mark the feature directorial debut of Emerald Fennell, who will also write and produce the film.
Her short film, “Careful How You Go,” was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Fest.
“I am beyond excited to be working with so many impossibly talented and wonderful people on ‘Promising Young Woman,’” Fennell said. “Frankly, I feel lucky to be allowed anywhere in the vicinity of so many geniuses, and I can’t wait to bring this twisted tale to life.”
Franco wrote the script with Joe Swanberg, whose credits include the Netflix series “Easy.”
Shooting begins this April in Oregon.
Franco’s previous horror credits include “Warm Bodies” and “Fright Night.” Brie was in “Scream 4.” Stevens was terrifying in “The Guest” and fought an evil cult in last year’s “Apostle.”
But the best horror cred has to go to Vand, who was the badass vampire in “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.”
“Subject her to catchy pop music,” a villain announces in a new featurette for the sequel. And then “Catchy Song” drops. The lyrics promise ‘This song is going to get stuck inside your head.” Now Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) is doing the worm and he can’t help it. It’s just too catchy!
“I’ve heard this song once and I’m going to be singing it for the next two weeks,” says Alison Brie, who voices Unikitty.
The song, which features T-Pain and That Girl Lay Lay, is also (natch) available for download and streaming.
“The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” opens February 8.
UPDATE: Chrissy Metz is denying she called Alison Brie “such a bitch.”
It’s terribly unfortunate anyone would think much less run a story that was completely fabricated! I adore Alison and would never say a bad word about her, or anyone! I sure hope she knows my heart. https://t.co/IdeN2x2j9q
Celebrities on the red carpet usually fawn all over each other, but “This Is Us” star Chrissy Metz wasn’t glowing about “GLOW” actress Alison Brie at the Golden Globes.
Metz’s mic was still on when she called Brie “such a bitch” during the Golden Globes Facebook Live pre-show.
Metz had just wrapped up an interview with hosts Missy Pyle and AJ Gibson when Gibson asked, “Do you know a girl named Allison Brie?”
“Do I?” Metz said.
Gibson replied, “Well, I hear she’s at the other end of the carpet.”
The camera then panned away from Metz toward Brie, but her mic was still hot and she can be heard saying, “She’s such a bitch.”
It’s surprising since the two were photographed looking friendly at last year’s Screen Actor Guild Awards.
Season two of “GLOW,” which debuted earlier this summer, ended with the titular ladies set to take their show on the road to Las Vegas, and the video indicates that season three will indeed follow through on that tease. Aside from the Sin City setting, additional details about season three — including a release date —are being kept under wraps for now, though Variety reports that the series has been picked up for 10 additional episodes.
“GLOW” has been shining brightly for Netflix since its debut in 2017. Season one of the show just picked up a bunch of Emmy nominations, and we’d expect season two to do the same next year.
