Anthony Carrigan on HBO’s ‘Barry.’ Photograph by Courtesy of HBO.
Preview:
Anthony Carrigan is the latest recruit for the ‘Spaceballs’ sequel.
Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman and Daphne Zuniga are aboard to reprise their roles.
Josh Greenbaum is directing for Amazon/MGM.
After years as a rumor and in development, the ‘Spaceballs’ sequel just hit Ridiculous Speed. Or at least, production speed, as shooting is now kicking off on the continuation of the space satire/farce co-created by Mel Brooks in 1987.
Brooks is back in the dual role of the nefarious President Skroob and wise sage Yogurt, while the likes of Bill Pullman and Daphne Zuniga are returning to their parts. Most surprisingly Rick Moranis –– who has been retired from on-screen work for years –– has been tempted back to play Vader-spoofing villain Dark Helmet.
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And via an announcement from Amazon MGM Studios, which is backing the new movie, we know that Anthony Carrigan (‘Barry’) is among the newer faces joining for this go-around (more on the others below).
(L to R) Rick Moranis as Dark Helmet and George Wyner as Colonel Sandurz in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The original ‘Spaceballs’, directed by Brooks from a script he wrote with Thomas Meehan and Ronny Graham, starred Pullman as Lone Starr, a scruffy hero in the Han Solo mold who has to stop the nefarious President Skroob from stealing the atmosphere of the peaceful planet Druidia.
Along the way, he comes to the aid of Vespa (Zuniga) and her sarcastic robot maid Dot Matrix (voiced by Joan Rivers). John Candy played Starr’s faithful half-man/half-dog sidekick Barf.
As for the new movie, it’s predictably wrapped in mystery, with the official logline going for a joke: “the title is rumored to be the name of the movie, and plot details are being described as information about what happens in the story.”
And Brooks has previously described it thusly:
“A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film.”
Alongside the veteran cast (and now Carrigan), we can also expect to see Josh Gad, Keke Palmer and, keeping it in the family, ‘Thunderbolts*’Lewis Pullman, son of Bill, playing Starburst, his on-screen spawn.
Who is making the new ‘Spaceballs’?
(L to R) Joan Rivers as the voice of Dot Matrix and Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Josh Greenbaum, who made ‘Strays’ (for which Gad provided a voice) and ‘Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar’, is in the director’s chair. He feels like a good fit for a new ‘Spaceballs’, since he’s proved he can handle wacky comedy with some emotional undertones.
When will the ‘Spaceballs’ sequel be on screens?
While Amazon MGM Studios has yet to confirm an exact date, but it is aiming for a 2027 theatrical launch.
Image from the ‘Spaceballs 2’ table read. Photo: Brook Rushton/Amazon MGM.
Following on from the news a year ago that Brooks and Josh Gad were leading the development of a sequel to Brooks’ 1987 ‘Star Wars’ (and other sci-fi movies) comedy riff.
Amazon MGM Studios has announced that, as we perhaps might have predicted, Brooks will be back in front of the camera as well as behind it, playing the mystical, Yoda-spoofing Yogurt.
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Gad is on board to co-write and produce, and will likely be showing up on screen in some capacity.
And that’s not all: there has been a flurry of other casting stories, with Deadline bringing word that Bill Pullman is returning to play Lone Starr, while in even more surprising news, Rick Moranis will be back as the villainous Dark Helmet.
The Wrap, meanwhile, has a report that Daphne Zuniga plans to join her old ‘Spaceballs’ colleagues, playing Princess Vespa.
It’s not just veterans, either: Deadline’s report mentions that ‘One of Them Days’ star Keke Palmer is also aboard the movie, playing an unknown new role called Destiny.
(L to R) Bill Pullman and Mel Brooks in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The original ‘Spaceballs’, directed by Brooks from a script he wrote with Thomas Meehan and Ronny Graham, starred Bill Pullman as the aforementioned Lone Starr, a scruffy hero in the Han Solo mold who has to stop the nefarious President Skroob (Brooks) from stealing the atmosphere of the peaceful planet Druidia.
Along the way, he comes to the aid of Vespa (Zuniga) and her sarcastic robot maid Dot Matrix (voiced by Joan Rivers). John Candy plays Starr’s faithful half-man/half-dog sidekick Barf and Moranis is superb Vader spoof Dark Helmet.
Though the movie didn’t exactly triumph at the box office (it ended up with $38.1 million worldwide) but has long since been considered a cult classic.
Plot details for the new film have yet to be revealed, but Deadline mentions that people who have not yet read the script describe it as “A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film.” Which if you ask us, sounds like the sort of line Mel Brooks would spin about the movie in order to get a laugh.
Who is making the new ‘Spaceballs’?
Director Josh Greenbaum with Reggie on the set of ‘Strays.’
Josh Greenbaum, who made ‘Strays’ (for which Gad provided a voice) and ‘Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar’, is in the director’s chair. He feels like a good fit for a new ‘Spaceballs’, since he’s proved he can handle wacky comedy with some emotional undertones.
Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment is also aboard, and he’ll producing alongside Brooks, Gad, Jeb Brody and Greenbaum, with Kevin Salter, Adam Merims, Samit, and Hernandez as executive producers.
(L to R) Rick Moranis and George Wyner in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Moranis is perhaps the most shocking of the new announcements, since he’s barely been seen on screens for more than a decade and hasn’t come back for extensions of other franchises such as ‘Ghostbusters’.
Here’s what he told Heeb magazine back in 2013 about the stalled original plan for a ‘Spaceballs’ sequel:
“I wasn’t privy to what the budget was or anything, but the deal [Brooks] presented me, what he wanted me to do, was not workable. It was two or three years later. He wanted me to… it’s better if I don’t get into the particulars of it. Because it is so specific, it’s counterproductive to talk about it. But I was unable to make a deal, and it would have been something I would have wanted to do. But that ship has sailed.”
Looks like the ship has come back into the harbor!
When will the ‘Spaceballs’ sequel be on screens?
While Amazon MGM Studios has yet to confirm an exact date, Deadline mentions a planned 2027 theatrical launch.
Mel Brooks in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
(L to R) Will Ferrell and Harper Steele in ‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
In the new Netflix documentary ‘Will & Harper,’ which premieres September 27th, director Josh Greenbaum chronicles a cross-country road trip by actor/comedian Will Ferrell and writer Harper Steele, who embark on their journey after Harper comes out to Will as a trans woman.
Longtime friends and collaborators ever since meeting on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Will and Harper address their own friendship, Will’s questions about Harper’s transition, and the chances of both acceptance and intolerance along the way, especially as they venture into areas of the country where Harper may be the target of hate and misunderstanding.
While some situations sadly meet those latter expectations, others show that people can find love and acceptance in surprising places and that Americans are much more complex than often portrayed. Deeply moving, warm, and of course hilarious (this is Will Ferrell, after all), ‘Will & Harper’ offers hope that we can all find common ground.
Moviefone was at a virtual press conference not long ago where Will, Harper, and Josh discussed the film, their experiences making it – and why Will threw a tantrum over Dunkin Donuts.
1) It’s All About Who You Know
(L to R) Harper Steele and Will Ferrell in ‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
Before directing ‘Will & Harper,’ Josh Greenbaum directed documentaries like ‘Becoming Bond‘ and ‘The Short Game,’ as well as a number of TV projects and the narrative feature films ‘Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar‘ and ‘Strays,’ which is how he came into the orbit of Ferrell and Steele.
Josh Greenbaum: I actually knew them prior to making this doc, which is the first time I’ve ever made a documentary where I knew my subjects beforehand. I’ve known Will for about eight or so years. He produced my first movie, called ‘Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.’ He starred in my next movie, called ‘Strays,’ and we’ve been friends for a while. I’ve known Harper for about three or four years. I was introduced to her through Kristen Wiig while I was making ‘Barb and Star.’ Then I was brought into the mix of this incredible story and this incredible film through our producers, Jessica Elbaum and Rafael Marmor.
2) You’ve Got Mail
(L to R) Will Ferrell and Harper Steele in ‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
As ‘Will & Harper’ begins, Will Ferrell gets an email from Harper — an email that Harper sent to all her friends — in which she reveals that she has transitioned.
Harper Steele: That’s a tough email to press ‘send’ on. You build up a lot of fear, unnecessarily in my case, which is a privilege that I had. I had friends that responded the right way. But I was very afraid to send that. I’m also a writer. I’m a comedy writer, and I’m arrogant enough to think that I’m always right. But that letter was a different kind of writing. I rewrote it probably a hundred times, you know, over a long period of time, 10 years. That was a very difficult letter to put out in the world.
3) Will Ferrell’s Big Idea
(L to R) Will Ferrell and Harper Steele in ‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
Before her transition, Harper Steele loved taking road trips across the country, stopping in funky, out-of-the-way places and meeting new people, but she found herself wondering if she could safely do that again as a trans woman.
Will Ferrell: If you know Harper Steele, you know that one of her great loves is taking cross-country road trips. We started talking about that, and a thought just popped into my head. I made sure she knew I wasn’t trying to exploit our friendship in any way, even though I was trying to get into the lucrative documentary game, but I just said, “I have this crazy idea. Please say no. I expect you to say no. But what if we did a road trip and I was able to use it as a way to ask you all these questions I have, even though we’ve known each other for so long. I now have all these questions of what your transition is like and what it means to be trans, and I want to be able to educate myself in the right way. At the same time, we can go to these places and I’ll kind of be your buffer. We’ll go and talk to people, and we’ll film it, and maybe someone will pay for us to take a fun road trip.” And she eventually said yes.
4) The Key to Will and Harper’s Friendship
(L to R) Harper Steele and Will Ferrell in ‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
Harper Steele says that there is one thing that has kept her and Will Ferrell’s friendship strong for years.
Harper Steele: Comedy, probably, is what we center our life around. We circulate and spin around each other with jokes all day long. I would say that’s sort of the basis of our friendship. It’s been that way since the day we met because we come from a humor background. I think we wanted to show that life and friendship are messy, but as long as you can keep it funny, you can basically encounter and talk about any subject. As long as you’re kind to each other and making each other laugh, that’s kind of our relationship and I think that is what we wanted to get across.
5) How To Support Trans Kids
Harper Steele in ‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
Harper Steele was asked what advice she would give to parents about supporting their trans children.
Harper Steele: Well, personally, I would tell them to vote for the kinds of people that are going to support them. We’re not naming any names today, but I do think we need to keep in mind that politics does have a certain amount of control over the laws and the help that we get as trans people. I would say to any parent, you’re very lucky and you’re very fortunate to have trans children. So get out of their way. Let them be themselves, and they’ll be taking over the world soon enough. Let them be themselves.
Although they ask Kristen Wiig in the movie to compose a theme song for their trip, Will and Harper never actually heard the tune until Josh surprised them with it.
Will Ferrell: We thought it would be a funny running joke even if Kristen never got around to making the song. We were not even sure she was going to do it, and lo and behold, boy, did she ever. We had a final screening amongst ourselves where Josh said, “Can you guys come watch the movie again? I just made some small tweaks,” and he surprised us with her song at the end credits. It was another special moment of joy for us.
7) Will Ferrell’s Biggest Fear
(L to R) Harper Steele and Will Ferrell in ‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
Although Will, Josh and Harper were all concerned about what kinds of reactions they’d encounter along the course of the trip, Will was also worried about what was going to happen in the car.
Will Ferrell: We were probably fearful about, could we fill the time every day? Could we talk to each other for six to eight hours a day in a car? And we passed with flying colors. We wouldn’t shut up. Also, I just thought, “Boy, this is going to get emotional at times. I don’t know where or when or how, but I just had this feeling that as I hear about what my friend went through and the struggles and the courage it took to get to this place, I just know this is going to get emotional.” I was kind of afraid of that. But then you go through it, and in the end, you’re so happy that you did.
8) A famous actor and a trans woman walk into a bar…
(L to R) Harper Steele and Will Ferrell in ‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
At one point Will and Harper stopped in a bar that on the surface seemed like it would be a dangerous place for Harper. But much to Josh Greenbaum’s surprise, they were welcomed and treated kindly.
Josh Greenbaum: Harper had picked out this bar in the middle of Oklahoma that was the kind of bar that she used to love to go to, and I had to go in beforehand just to sort of say to my camera team, like, “Why don’t you guys hide over here. Put your cameras here.” When I walked in there, I was taken aback. There were Confederate flags. There were political signs that just did not indicate this was going to be a positive experience for Harper, especially because she wanted to go in on her own. As you see in the film, I think those prejudices and biases that I had were sort of subverted and not met, in a good way. So a lot of times, we found that adage of “it’s hard to hate up close” to be true.
9) What Will Ferrell Learned On The Journey
‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
Will Ferrell didn’t know what to expect from America when he and Harper embarked on their trip.
Will Ferrell: I think what we learned is it’s such a big country, and what I mean by that is that within this country, people want to engage. There’s a lot of stuff played up in the media in which we’re made to think we have all these differences when really, there’s a lot more we have in common with each other than we don’t. That having been said, it’s still not safe for trans people in certain areas and in certain situations. There still is a lot of hate out there that I was really educated on by going through this journey with Harper. So there’s definitely a lot to still push through. At the same time, we ran into some lovely people who were not threatened in any way by Harper, and if anything, were fantastic. They were just super happy that we actually went out of our way to visit their community, and I think overall, that’s our hope that that’s what America is.
10) Why did Will Ferrell throw a tantrum about Dunkin’ Donuts?
Will Ferrell in ‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
In one of the funniest scenes in the movie, Will and Harper drive past a Dunkin’ Donuts and Will throws a fit when Harper says they can’t stop there.
Will Ferrell: What’s so funny is that I’ve probably been in a Dunkin’ Donuts three times in my whole life. But we were just driving along and I spotted that sign from a distance, and something hit me where I was like, oh, I’m going to throw a tantrum right now. I’m just going to throw a tantrum and talk about how on this trip we haven’t done one fun thing and I just want to go to the Dunkin’ Donuts. I knew that would make her laugh. But that’s all we do. We are always thinking of the next thing that will make each other laugh.
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What is the story of ‘Will & Harper’?
When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend (Harper Steele) of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman, the two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship in an intimate portrait of friendship, transition, and America.
Who is in ‘Will & Harper’?
Will Ferrell
Harper Steele
(L to R) Will Ferrell and Harper Steele in ‘Will & Harper’. Photo: Netflix.
While Brooks would probably crack that it’s all happening now before it’s too late, another of his comedies is seeing a return –– this time, a sequel to 1987 ‘Star Wars’ spoof ‘Spaceballs’.
Josh Gad is now developing the new movie for Amazon/MGM (since MGM released the original and Amazon has been looking for ways to use the IP it inherited since buying the company), with Brooks involved as a producer and –– assuming he wants to –– once again stepping before cameras.
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What was the story of ‘Spaceballs’?
(L to R) John Candy, Joan Rivers, Daphne Zuniga and Bill Pullman in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The original ‘Spaceballs’, directed by Brooks from a script he wrote with Thomas Meehan and Ronny Graham, starred Bill Pullman as Lone Starr, a scruffy hero in the Han Solo mold who has to stop the nefarious President Skroob (Brooks) from stealing the atmosphere of the peaceful planet Druidia.
Along the way, he comes to the aid of Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) and her sarcastic robot maid Dot Matrix (voiced by Joan Rivers). John Candy plays Starr’s faithful half-man/half-dog sidekick Barf and Rick Moranis is superb Vader spoof Dark Helmet. Oh, and Brooks also plays diminutive Yoda-alike wisdom-spewer Yogurt, who also has a nice line in merchandising.
Though the movie didn’t exactly triumph at the box office (it ended up with $38.1 million worldwide) but has long since been considered a cult classic.
Plot details for the new film have yet to be revealed.
Director Josh Greenbaum with Reggie on the set of ‘Strays.’
With Gad on board to star and produce, he’s also co-written the script with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez, who worked on ‘Pokémon: Detective Pikachu’.
Josh Greenbaum, who made ‘Strays’ (for which Gad provided a voice) and ‘Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar’, is in the director’s chair. He feels like a good fit for a new ‘Spaceballs’, since he’s proved he can handle wacky comedy with some emotional undertones.
With development at an early stage, Amazon/MGM has yet to announce any sort of release date for the movie. We’ll have to wait see –– casting and actually shooting the movie must come first.
(L to R) Rick Moranis and George Wyner in ‘Spaceballs’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
(L to R) Reggie (Will Ferrell), Maggie (Isla Fisher), Hunter (Randall Park) and Bug (Jamie Foxx) in ‘Strays,’ directed by Josh Greenbaum.
In theaters now, ‘Strays’ represents an attempt to bring the sort of bawdy comedy found in the likes of ‘The Hangover’ to an animal quest film more along the lines of family classics such as ‘The Incredible Journey’ and ‘Homeward Bound’. The result is hit-and-miss, but when it works, it’s bark-out-loud funny.
(L to R) Bug (Jamie Foxx) and Reggie (Will Ferrell) in ‘Strays,’ directed by Josh Greenbaum.
When Reggie (Will Ferrell), a naïve, relentlessly optimistic Border Terrier, is abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug (Will Forte), Reggie is certain that his beloved owner would never leave him on purpose.
But once Reggie falls in with a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier named Bug (Jamie Foxx), a stray who loves his freedom and believes that owners are for suckers, Reggie finally realizes he was in a toxic relationship and begins to see Doug for the heartless sleazeball that he is.
Determined to seek revenge, Reggie, Bug and Bug’s pals — Maggie (Isla Fisher), a smart Australian Shepherd who has been sidelined by her owner’s new puppy, and Hunter (Randall Park), an anxious Great Dane who’s stressed out by his work as an emotional support animal — together hatch a plan and embark on an epic adventure to help Reggie find his way home… And make Doug pay by biting off the appendage he loves the most (it’s not his foot).
Directed by Josh Greenbaum, who brought us 2021’s sublimely silly ‘Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar’, ‘Strays’ is written by Dan Perrault, best known for ‘American Vandal’ and ‘Players’ on TV.
If you ever wanted to see ‘Saturday Night Live’ veteran Will Forte –– more normally associated with amiable weirdoes –– playing one of the worst dog owners to appear on screens, then this is the movie you’ve been waiting for. Yet Forte’s Doug, a weed-smoking, porn-obsessed loser who begrudgingly goes along with the idea when his girlfriend adopts adorable terrier Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell), is not the star of this movie, Reggie is.
Along, that is, with the new friends he makes when Doug abandons him. Foxx’s Bug is a streetwise pup with an ego bigger than his frame, but who makes for a good mentor to Reggie, who has only ever known life with humans.
(L to R) Bug (Jamie Foxx) and Reggie (Will Ferrell) in ‘Strays,’ directed by Josh Greenbaum.
The pooch pals –– also including Randall Park’s Hunter, a former police dog trainee who now works as a therapy dog at a hospice (and keeps a cone of shame on permanently for his own insecurity issues) and Isla Fisher’s Maggie, blessed with an amazing nose and a crush on Hunter –– are the highlight of the movie, a compelling blend of well-trained real animals with CG mouth manipulation.
While they don’t all enjoy the same character development as Reggie or Bug, they’re an appealing, funny foursome and their adventures offer a lot of entertainment. With experienced performers bringing character as well as laughs to the roles, this features such memorable moments as the leads encountering Labrador Gus (voiced by Josh Gad), a hilarious take on the noble narrator dog we’ve met in movies including ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ and ‘Racing in the Rain’, and who is harboring a very dark secret.
Plus, all of Reggie’s interactions with Doug are good for a laugh, even as dog owners (and anyone who just loves animals in general) will loathe his living guts.
It moves along at a swift pace, never outstays its welcome and makes you care about our furry foursome in ways you don’t expect at the start. Oh, and we’re fairly certain that this is the only movie you’ll see this year that features Sofia Vergara as the voice of Delilah, a couch that Bug enjoys having sex with.
(L to R) Bug (Jamie Foxx) and Reggie (Will Ferrell) in ‘Strays,’ directed by Josh Greenbaum.
Not everything about the movie works; it does indulge in some first-base dog and other humor. We’ve seen a hundred variations on the age-old dog vs. mailman scenario and one small tweak aside (one plays into how Reggie makes it home), the movie doesn’t really find a fresh take.
There are also scenes such as the canines discovering a patch of mushrooms in a forest and gobbling them down, only to go on a wild drug trip. A few moments work well (reality shifting to show Hunter as a sock puppet with human hands), but otherwise it’s the sort of gag that has been done many, many times. Ditto overly macho police dog Rolf (Rob Riggle), whose best use is Maggie calling him “Adolf” to his bemused reaction.
And there are times when the reveling in poop, pee and eating disgusting things jokes stretches a little too thin, but if you were already on board with the movie, you know what you’re in for.
Yet there are so many inventive uses of the dogs’ worldview (fireworks at a county fair serve as the setting for a war movie spoof for our spooked hounds who look to escape) that the balance of great jokes to clunkers is heavily on the positive side.
It was about time that the dog movie got the full-on spoof comedy treatment, and ‘Strays’ works to bring the heart and well as the gross-out gags.
‘Strays’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
A scene from ‘Strays,’ directed by Josh Greenbaum.
When a gullible Border Terrier named Reggie (Will Ferrell) is abandoned on the streets by his selfish and ruthless owner Doug (Will Forte), an animal-hating drug addict who never wanted him, he teams up with other strays including a street-wise Boston Terrier named Bug (Jamie Foxx), an Australian Shepherd named Maggie (Isla Fisher), and a therapy Great Dane named Hunter (Randall Park) to get revenge on Doug.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Josh Greenbaum about his work on ‘Strays,’ making a hard R-rated version of ‘Homeward Bound,’ his first reaction to the screenplay, the challenges of directing an all dog cast, working with Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx, and their characters onscreen chemistry.
‘Strays’ director Josh Greenbaum.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, is it fair to say that this movie is a comedic hard R-rated version of ‘Homeward Bound,’ and what was your first reaction to Dan Perrault’s screenplay?
Josh Greenbaum: I think so. I think that’s totally fair. Well, when I first saw the log line, which was, as you can imagine, absurd. It was a little dog, Reggie, who gets abandoned by his mean owner Doug, meets some strays, and then wants to get revenge by biting Doug’s most beloved body part off. I thought, “This sounds amazing. But it sounds a little insane, which I love.” But to be honest, I wondered, “Oh, is it just going to be a dog spoof movie,” to your question of is it just an R-rated ‘Homeward Bound.’ I think it delivered on what I needed and wanted from that of, “Okay, we do subvert the genre and have our fun in moments.” But what really jumped out at me was, “This actually is a fully formed script on its own,” and in a way, made me think of, certainly, wonderful movies like ‘40 Year Old Virgin,’ ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Superbad,’ but also ‘Stand By Me,’ and I thought about ‘Breaking Away,’ these films about four friends who go on a journey, and grow, and are underdogs. So, in a way, I think I was always searching for that film, and weirdly it came across my desk in the form of an R-rated dog movie. So, that I think is when I finally hooked in and said, “Oh, this movie’s funny, outrageous and does subvert the dog genre and brings it into the adult world.” But I just love that it actually had heart and functioned on its own as its own story.
MF: Can you talk about the challenges of directing an all dog cast and the VFX you had to utilize to ensure their safety?
JG: First of all, one of the things I stated when I came on board to direct was I would really like to utilize real dogs as much as possible, mostly because I wanted it to feel really real, I think, for adult audiences to enjoy this. I’ve had dogs my whole life. I live with dogs. I own two dogs now, one of whom I adopted from the movie, who was little puppy Reggie, now lives with us, and I have “Will Ferrell” running around my house. So, I wanted it to feel really grounded and the more it was the more it felt like it was right for adult audiences. I think if it was overly anthropomorphized or overly CG with big expressions, it works with children, but not for adults. I think that I pull out and pull back when I see that kind of work done. So, we only really leaned on the incredible CG and visual effects, obviously, to have them talk. We were unsuccessful training the dogs to talk. But to get them talking, occasionally we would add a little extra emotion here and there. But again, I tried to get the emotion out of the performance of the dog on set. If I needed a dog confused, I wouldn’t have it furrow its brow. I’d have it cock its head sideways the way dogs do. Then, of course, anytime it was anything remotely unsafe for a dog to do, we would go to a full CG dog. So, we have, as an example, a sequence, not giving too much away, but it’s in our trailers, where an eagle comes into the story and you don’t obviously want to mix small dogs with birds of prey. So, that becomes an obvious choice to go to a full CG dog.
(L to R) Bug (Jamie Foxx) and Reggie (Will Ferrell) in ‘Strays,’ directed by Josh Greenbaum.
MF: Finally, can you talk about Bug and Reggie’s friendship and creating that relationship in the recording studio with Jamie Foxx and Will Ferrell?
JG: I mean, at its core, I think this film, it’s about a few things. It’s certainly about being in a toxic, unhealthy relationship with someone and getting out of it, and how your friends help you through that and find your own sense of self-worth again. I think at the center of that is this relationship between Bug and Reggie. So, casting Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx, and having them in the voiceover booth working together was just, for me, just magic to watch. They played off of each other so well. They’ve never been in a film together! This is really their first time, and you can feel their chemistry instantly. I mean, both in the film, but I remember being in that voiceover booth and watching these two guys hit the ball back and forth, and it was just a joy to watch. But, yeah, it’s a very sweet relationship. They have differing life philosophies. One is overly optimistic and believes you can trust everyone and put your love in everything, which there’s some validity to that. The other one, I think, has been burned and says, “No, don’t do that. You should protect yourself, close down, don’t trust anyone. Just look after yourself.” For me, that richness, of a thematic conversation to anchor a film on is great. Even though it’s an outrageous, really funny, really fun time of a movie, there’s something really palpable, emotional, and sweet at the center with these two characters. Of course, there’s no one better than Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx to bring that to life. So, I felt very lucky to have them as my two leads of this movie.
Director Josh Greenbaum with Reggie on the set of ‘Strays.’
