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Tag: maitreyi-ramakrishnan

Movie Review: ‘The Twits’
(L to R): Margo Martindale as Mrs. Twit, Johnny Vegas as Mr. Twit, in ‘The Twits.’
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.

On Netflix on October 17 is ‘The Twits,’ the latest project based on Roald Dahl’s 1980 children’s novel about a loathsome couple of troublemakers.
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Directed by Phil Johnston (‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’), the movie features the voices of Johnny Vegas (‘Bleak House’), Margo Martindale (‘August: Osage County’), Emilia Clarke (‘Game of Thrones’), Alan Tudyk (‘Superman’), Natalie Portman (‘Black Swan’) and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (‘Freakier Friday’).

Related Article: Next on Netflix Animation Preview Announces Upcoming Movies and TV Shows

Initial Thoughts

(L to R): Ryan Lopez as Bubsy, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Beesha, in ‘The Twits.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.

Roald Dahl is one of those authors whose controversial views nevertheless don’t stop companies looking to adapt his work. We’ve already had two cinematic versions of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and Wes Anderson had brought several books and short stories to screens.

‘The Twits’ could perhaps be considered second-tier Dahl compared to the likes of Willy Wonka and co., but it nevertheless has enough of the writer’s trademark oddness blended with moral lessons that animation feels like the best medium for it.

Script and Direction

(L to R): Margo Martindale as Mrs. Twit, Johnny Vegas as Mr. Twit, in ‘The Twits.’

Writing with Meg Favreau (‘Barbie: It Takes Two’), main director Phil Johnston clearly seems to be enjoying freedom from the restraints of working on bigger-budget Disney releases. Here, he truly lets his freak flag fly, building a decent if rarely needed narration and making enough changes to have the story work at feature length without sacrificing what fans of the books might expect.

The inclusion of orphan heroes, however, does feel somewhat off-the-peg for this sort of movie, even in the characters are engaging enough.

As director, Johnston (working alongside co-directors Todd Kunjan Demong (‘The Addams Family’) and Katie Shanahan (‘Wild Kratts’) and their animation team, brings the characters to life in fresh fashion, the various personalities looking like a blend of stop-motion and CG, and giving the madness of the story its own visual flare.

Cast and Performances

(L to R): Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Beesha, Timothy Simons as Marty Muggle-Wump, in ‘The Twits.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.

Johnny Vegas and Margo Martindale are the standouts, voicing the main characters, but there are also good performances from the likes of Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (who voices one of the orphans) and Jason Mantzoukas (as local official Mayor Wayne John John-John).

Final Thoughts

Emilia Clarke as Pippa, in ‘The Twits.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.

Dahl books are tricky to get right, and especially to translate to US audiences given their very British sensibilities.

‘The Twits’ is mostly successful, even if it doesn’t ever really reach much further than that.

‘The Twits’ receives 70 out of 100.

Ryan Lopez as Bubsy, in ‘The Twits.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.

What’s the story of ‘The Twits’?

The Twits tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Twit, the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people on the face of the earth, and their epic battle against a family of magical Muggle-Wumps and two brave children who refuse to let the Twits’ cruelty win.

Who is in the cast of ‘The Twits’?
- Margo Martindale as Mrs. Credenza S. Twit
- Johnny Vegas as Mr. James T. Twit
- Natalie Portman as Mary Muggle-Wump
- Emilia Clarke as Pippa
- Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Beesha
- Jason Mantzoukas as Mayor Wayne John John-John
- Timothy Simons as Marty Muggle-Wump
- Alan Tudyk as Sweet Toed Toad
Phil Johnston as Mr. Napkin, in ‘The Twits.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.

Other Movies Adapted from Roald Dahl Stories:
- ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ (1968)
- ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’ (1971)
- ‘The Witches’ (1990)
- ‘James and the Giant Peach’ (1996)
- ‘Matilda’ (1996)
- ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ (2005)
- ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ (2009)
- ‘The BFG’ (2016)
- ‘Roald Dahl’s The Witches’ (2020)
- ‘Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical’ (2022)
- ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More’ (2024)
Buy Roald Dahl Movies and TV on Amazon
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October 27, 2025
Movie Review: ‘Freakier Friday’
(L-R) Jamie Lee Curtis as Tess Coleman and Lindsay Lohan as Anna Coleman in Disney’s live-action ‘Freakier Friday’. Photo by Glen Wilson © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

‘Freakier Friday’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.

Opening in theaters on August 8th is ‘Freakier Friday’, which picks up the story of Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan) 22 years after the mother and daughter duo swapped bodies and learned life lessons.

Directed this time by Nisha Ganatra (‘Late Night’) the cast also includes the returning likes of Mark Harmon (‘NCIS’) and Chad Michael Murray (‘One Tree Hill’) alongside franchise newcomers Julia Butters (‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’) and Sophia Hammons (‘Up Here’).

Related Article: Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan to Return for ‘Freaky Friday 2’

Initial Thoughts

Chad Michael Murray as Jake in Disney’s ‘Freakier Friday’. Photo by Glen Wilson. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Legacy sequels and comedy; two examples of filmmaking that are hard to get right. You have studios looking to exploit classic IP –– in this case, 2003’s lightweight but fun Lindsay Lohan/Jamie Lee Curtis body swap comedy ‘Freaky Friday’ (itself a remake, let’s not forget) –– but in the transition to a more up-to-date story with the core cast intact, something can often be lost.

It’s a relief to report, then, that in this case, that ‘Freakier Friday’, which returns Curtis and Lohan (plus a few other welcome characters from the first film), surrounds them with entertaining newer talent and manages to capture the spirit without feeling like a rip-off.

Script and Direction

(L-R) Manny Jacinto as Eric Davies and Lindsay Lohan as Anna Coleman in Disney’s ‘Freakier Friday’. Photo by Glen Wilson. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Jordan Weiss has the screenplay credit here, with Elyse Hollander scoring a “story by” listing, evidence of the film going through a few script drafts on its journey to the screen.

But despite the development process, what has emerged still feels fresh and funny, warm and emotional, riffing on the basic body swap concept, and borrowing some elements (such as an impending wedding and tension between teens and mothers –– or grandmother).

Like the old wedding tradition states, something old, something new, something borrowed and while “something blue” only really counts for the denim outfit Curtis’ character dons while occupied by someone else, it all serves to move the story forward while keeping the laughs coming.

The connection between Lohan and Curtis remains strong, and the script finds ways to update their relationship while keeping them as familiar characters. The new additions, meanwhile, including Anna Coleman’s (Lohan) actual child (Butters) and future step-daughter (Hammons), are worthwhile.

Director Nisha Ganatra, meanwhile, keeps it all ticking along well, making good use of Los Angeles locations to have the film feel like it truly takes place in the universe of the 2003 original.

She also represents a welcome move towards diversity, something that occurs here both in front of and behind the camera.

Cast and Performances

(L-R) Julia Butters as Harper Coleman and Sophia Hammons as Lily Davies in Disney’s ‘Freakier Friday’. Photo by Glen Wilson. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan both seemed eager to return to their roles, and from the looks of the movie itself (and the blooper reel at the end), they clearly had a lot of fun catching up with the characters of Tess and Anna Coleman.

With the movie quickly and smoothly briefing us on how their relationship has evolved now Anna is a mother of her own (and has found love with Manny Jacinto’s Eric), it soon gets down to taking us through a familiar story that goes in interesting new directions.

The two actors are more than ready to throw themselves into the physical comedy and also hit the emotional beats when needed.

Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons carry the other end of the heavy lifting as the warring future siblings who are both unhappy with Anna and Eric’s marriage plans (and a potential move to London). The two actors really make the characters’ issues believable, and are just as adept when it comes to the funny moments.

Jacinto meanwhile, is a funny performer who is here saddled a little with too straightforward a role (and a British accent that doesn’t really suit him). Yet he’s still adept at hunky love interest and confused suitor.

‘Freakier Friday’ also brings back some other legacy characters –– Chad Michael Murray as Jake, Anna’s old flame, gets the meatiest role, and still carries his other torch, for Tess. And it’s always good to see perennial character actor Stephen Tobolowsky show up, here reprising frustrated teacher Mr. Bates from the original.

In new supporting roles, the likes of X Mayo (as the principal of Harper and Lily’s school) and especially Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (star of Netflix comedy ‘Never Have I Ever’, who here plays an overly emotional pop star) really make an impact.

Final Thoughts

(L-R) Mark Harmon as Ryan and Jamie Lee Curtis as Tess Coleman in Disney’s ‘Freakier Friday’. Photo by Glen Wilson. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

‘Freakier Friday’ is a sequel that doesn’t embarrass the original, has callbacks that work as more than simply fan service and should bring a smile to different generations.

It’s also that welcome comedy that is actually funny and makes good use of its cast.
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What’s the story of ‘Freakier Friday’?

The story picks up years after Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna (Lindsay Lohan) endured an identity crisis. Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter.

As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice.

Who is in the cast of ‘Freakier Friday’?
- Jamie Lee Curtis as Tess Coleman
- Lindsay Lohan as Anna Coleman
- Mark Harmon as Ryan
- Julia Butters as Harper Coleman
- Sophia Hammons as Lily Davies
- Manny Jacinto as Eric Davies
- Chad Michael Murray as Jake
- Christina Vidal Mitchell as Maddie
- Haley Hudson as Peg
(L-R) Julia Butters as Harper Coleman, Lindsay Lohan as Anna Coleman, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tess Coleman and Sophia Hammons as Lily Davies in Disney’s ‘Freakier Friday’. Photo by Glen Wilson. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Movies Similar to ‘Freakier Friday’:
- ‘Freaky Friday‘ (1976)
- ‘Like Father Like Son‘ (1987)
- ‘Vice Versa‘ (1988)
- ‘Big‘ (1988)
- ‘Switch‘ (1991)
- ‘Freaky Friday‘ (1995)
- ‘The Hot Chick‘ (2002)
- ‘Freaky Friday‘ (2003)
- ‘13 Going on 30‘ (2004)
- ‘The Skeleton Key‘ (2005)
- ‘17 Again‘ (2009)
- ‘The Change-Up‘ (2011)
- ‘Get Out‘ (2017)
- ‘Freaky Friday‘ (2018)
- ‘Freaky‘ (2020)
- ‘Suitable Flesh‘ (2023)
- ‘Irish Wish‘ (2024)
Buy Tickets: ‘Freakier Friday’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Jamie Lee Curtis Movies on Amazon
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August 5, 2025
‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’ Set for January 2027
2016’s ‘The Angry Birds Movie’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Preview:
- Paramount has snatched up the ‘Angry Birds’ movie franchise from Sony.
- Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad and Danny McBride are back to lend their voices.
- ‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’ will be out on January 29th, 2027.
After flinging two movies at theaters in 2016 and 2019, it appears that Sony is ready to let go of the ‘Angry Birds’ franchise.

While it has made more than half a billion dollars so far with ‘The Angry Birds Movie’ and ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2,’ the company is no longer in charge of the franchise, which adapts the popular Rovio video game titles.

Paramount Pictures has now announced that it will be distributing the movies going forward, and has set ‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’ for release in a couple of years.
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It’s an interesting gamble, since ‘Angry Birds’ as a game doesn’t have quite the same cultural cachet as other titles –– its younger audience has moved on to others such as ‘Minecraft’ and ‘Fortnite.’

But as ‘Minecraft’ has just proved, video game movies can still do big business at the box office, and Paramount is clearly hoping that ‘Angry Birds’ will spawn the same sort of success as enjoyed by its own ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ franchise.

Just in case you’re not sure what we’re talking about…

What is the ‘Angry Birds’ franchise?

2016’s ‘The Angry Birds Movie’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Jaakko Iisalo created the original game for Rovio Entertainment in 2009, which focuses on the titular flock of colorful angry birds who try to save their eggs from green-colored pigs.

Players look to take down the pigs and their structures by flinging the birds –– who have different destructive capabilities –– at the pigs via slingshots. Physics and comedy are intertwined in the games, which have grown into a series.

The original title also spawned a huge multimedia franchise of products and cartoons and SEGA acquired Rovio in 2023 (which might point to why Paramount is now involved, since SEGA also makes the ‘Sonic’ games and co-produces the movies).

‘The Angry Birds Movie’ featured the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Sean Penn, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Bill Hader, and Peter Dinklage.

The film is focused on Red (Sudeikis), an outcast in an island of anthropomorphic flightless birds, as he suspects a newly arrived crew of pigs led by Leonard (Hader) of plotting an evil plan, and attempts to put a stop to them with the help of his newfound friends Chuck (Gad) and Bomb (McBride).

Sequel ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ saw newcomers Leslie Jones, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown and Eugenio Derbez joining the ensemble voice cast.
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In the story, the birds are forced to team up with the pigs to stop Eagle Island’s leader from destroying both of their islands.

Sudeikis, Gad, Bloom and McBride are all back for the third, with newcomers this time including Emma Myers, Keke Palmer, Tim Robinson, Lily James, Marcello Hernandez, Walker Scobell, Sam Richardson, Anna Cathcart, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Nikki Glaser, James Austin Johnson and Psalm West.

Plot details have not been released, but we can guess it’ll feature more conflict between our feathered friends and either the pigs or some new threat.

The new movie will come from director John Rice (who worked on ‘The Angry Birds Movie’) and writer Thurop Van Orman, who contributed to the script for ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2.’

And composer Heitor Pereiram, who scored the last two movies, is also back for the new one.

Related Article: ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Exclusive Interviews

‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’: The Backers Talk

2016’s ‘The Angry Birds Movie’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

As with any big release for a franchise film, especially with new owners, there was of course the statements of excitement from the producers and studio.

Here’s producer John Cohen:

“We’re very excited to be partnering with Paramount Pictures and extremely proud of our incredible cast. Not only do we have Jason, Josh, Rachel and Danny returning to voice their fantastic characters, but they’re surrounded by an all-star ensemble of comedic talent. These are some of the funniest people out there today, and we’re so thrilled to have them all on board.”

And this was the statement from Paramount president of worldwide marketing and distribution Marc Weinstock:

“Angry Birds transcends mediums and has been embraced and celebrated the world over. We couldn’t be happier to be partnering with SEGA/Rovio and these other great partners to bring this latest instalment, featuring an incredible voice cast, to big screens everywhere.”

This came from Flywheel Media boss Don McGregor:

“We’re thrilled to announce that our first theatrical distribution partnership is with Paramount Pictures. As a film production company focused on bringing the best family movies to global audiences, we couldn’t have a better start than ‘The Angry Birds Movie 3.’ ”

Finally, here’s Rovio’s Alex Pelletier-Normand:

“The Angry Birds brand has demonstrated remarkable versatility, evolving from a global mobile gaming phenomenon to licensed products, animation, and a thriving cinematic franchise. It has been a deeply collaborative effort to create a film that will resonate with the millions who interact with our catalog of games and products every day. We are confident that with this talented team at the helm, ‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’ will delight longtime fans and create new fans in those discovering our flock for the first time.”

When will ‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’ be in theaters?

Paramount’s announcement includes word that the new movie will be on screens on January 29th, 2027.

2016’s ‘The Angry Birds Movie’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

List of Movies in the ‘Angry Birds’ Franchise:
- ‘The Angry Birds Movie‘ (2016)
- ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2‘ (2019)
Buy ‘The Angry Birds’ Movies On Amazon
April 10, 2025
‘Never Have I Ever’ Season 4 Cast Interviews
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Premiering on Netflix beginning June 8th is the fourth and final season of the popular series ‘Never Have I Ever,’ which was created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher.

What is the plot of ‘Never Have I Ever’?

‘Never Have I Ever’ is a coming-of-age comedy about the complicated life of a modern-day first-generation Indian American teenage girl. The series stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi, an overachieving high school student who has a short fuse that gets her into difficult situations.

Who is in the cast of ‘Never Have I Ever?’

‘Never Have I Ever’ stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi, Jaren Lewison as Ben, Darren Barnet as Paxton, Poorna Jagannathan as Nalini, Richa Moorjani as Kamala, and Lee Rodriguez as Fabiola, and Ramona Young as Eleanor.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Darren Barnet and Jaren Lewison about their work on season 4 of ‘Never Have I Ever,’ shooting the final season, their characters, and what they’ll miss most about the show.

(L to R) Darren Barnet, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Jaren Lewison star in Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever’ Season 4.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Ramakrishnan, Barnet, Lewison, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Lee Rodriguez, and Ramona Young.

Moviefone: To begin with, Maitreyi, what was going through your mind when you filmed your final scene for this series?

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan: I think for me, it was like being at your last day of high school or even kindergarten. It was just last day of school vibes. All my life, it has always felt like a very fast day, like the hours were going by so quick and all of that. For some reason, on the last day of filming, time felt slow. It didn’t even feel normal, it just felt slow. I think it’s because unlike the previous times when it was last day of school or whatever, last day of camp, I wasn’t as mature enough to be able to really understand gratitude on such a deep, profound level. Now, on our last day of filming, I felt such overwhelming gratitude that I knew how to also slow myself down, not stress about the clock and see, “Oh my God, we only have two hours left,” and keep ticking down. It was just letting myself be in that moment, listen to all the stories, hear people, and just take in the environment for one last time. Then I bawled my eyes out after they called a series wrap on me.

MF: Darren, how did you feel shooting your final scene for the series?

Darren Barnet: How fast time passes. Especially when you’re in the middle of a season, when you’re in a position like Maitreyi that you’re there every single day for hours and hours and hours. Sometimes, Jaren and I had weeks like that as well. It’s not easy balancing life, it used to get like you’re kind of aching for, “Let’s get through this,” sometimes. But then at the end, I wanted to slow it down as much as I could. It was just a testimony in life. You never know what you have until it’s about to go or going. I think in that moment it all just hit me. This has been a dream.

(L to R) Jaren Lewison as Ben Gross, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi in ‘Never Have I Ever.’ Photo: Lara Solanki/Netflix © 2023.

MF: Jaren, what was hooting the final scene like for you?

Jaren Lewison: My life motto is “remember the feeling,” and that was for me the whole day. I was trying to just remember the feeling of the entire day, of that gratitude, of that profound sense of joy. There was a lot of emotions that day. But we also got to have a little party, we had a long lunch. That was really cool because we got to celebrate with people that weren’t even working that day. There was a DJ, and we were in a dance circle, and there was different food, and it felt like a party. It felt like we were all saying goodbye together. I guess maybe I was ready. I think I had emotionally processed that that was the last day and I just wanted to remember the feeling of every part of it. Then, it hit me later.

MF: Maitreyi, what has it meant to you personally to be a part of this show?

MR: I personally take away, of course, the impact that Devi, as a main lead, brown woman. I take that with such heaviness because it’s such a big impact. I could never even understand fully it’s impact, but I do know that it is big. What excites me is that the impact that ‘Never Have I Ever’ has as a whole in the industry is only pushing for future shows that are just as amazing, if not truly, and more realistically, better. Because we’re only going to get better with our content if we continue to strive in that way for representation that’s authentic and doesn’t shy away from specificity. Because there’s nothing wrong with specificity. That excites me. As a brown woman that really excites me for myself and other underrepresented groups of all different backgrounds and identities.

MF: Jaren, what do you see your character doing in 10 years?

JL: I think Ben is a high-powered attorney. He’s like a trial lawyer or a corporate lawyer or something. He’s trying to work really hard to be a partner at a law firm, probably in New York or something.

Darren Barnet as Paxton Hall-Yoshida in ‘Never Have I Ever.’ Photo: Lara Solanki/Netflix © 2022.

MF: Darren, what do you think Paxton will be doing in 10 years?

DB: I can see, Paxton moved to some island and he’s teaching people to surf and skate. Hawaiian shirts all day, but I think that makes sense.

MF: Finally, Maitreyi, where do you see your character in 10 years?

MR: I feel like for Devi, whether it’s a lawyer or some kind of government job, it would definitely be something that helps fight for underdogs and fight for people who need someone to fight for them. I could totally see Devi doing that. Like a public defense lawyer, I could see her doing that. That would be a legitimate path for her. But I also definitely see it being a rocky way to get there. She’s definitely not getting the job straight out of college. That’s not her. She’s going to be unemployed I think for a little bit. Because life’s never easy for her. Life is just never easy for her, and that’s okay, that’s fine. I’m okay with that. She’s so getting fired from so many jobs.

(L to R) Jaren Lewison, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Darren Barnet attend Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever’ season 4 premiere at Westwood Village on June 01, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix.

Movies Similar to ‘Never Have I Ever’:
- ‘Easy A‘ (2010)
- ‘LOL‘ (2012)
- ‘G.B.F.‘ (2013)
- ‘Paper Towns‘ (2015)
- ‘The Edge of Seventeen‘ (2016)
- ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before‘ (2018)
- ‘Love, Simon‘ (2018)
- ‘The Kissing Booth‘ (2018)
- ‘Tall Girl‘ (2019)
- ‘The Prom‘ (2020)
- ‘Anything’s Possible‘ (2022)
- ‘Turning Red‘ (2022)
- ‘Polite Society‘ (2023)
Buy Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Movies on Amazon
June 9, 2023
‘Never Have I Ever’ Season 3 Cast Interviews

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Premiering on Netflix on August 12th is the third season of the popular series, ‘Never Have I Ever,’ which was created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher.

The series follows the complicated life of Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a modern-day first generation Indian American teenage girl.

In addition to Ramakrishnan, the series also features Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison, Ramona Young, Lee Rodriguez, and Megan Suri.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Darren Barnet, and Jaren Lewison about Never Have I Ever’ Season 3.

(L to R) Darren Barnet, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Jaren Lewison star in Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever,’ season 3.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Ramakrishnan, Barnet, Lewison, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Ramona Young, Lee Rodriguez, and Megan Suri.

Moviefone: To begin with, Maitreyi, how is Devi handling her new relationship when this season begins?

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan: I mean, pretty much what you think Devi would be like if she was handling a relationship. It’s messy, as she does. But it’s exciting for her because it’s her first real relationship, where she’s actually committing to one guy.

So, good job, Devi. Making real strides. She’s pined over him for years and it’s happening. It’s very exciting for her, but of course it doesn’t come without its challenges.

MF: Darren, Paxton seems to be taking this relationship more seriously than Devi, is that fair to say?

Darren Barnet: I think you’ve seen Paxton kind of get in his head about not wanting to be seen with the girl that got me hit by a car. There was a lot of ego involved there. I think a lot of that is dropped as they enter this relationship. A lot of those cares go away, and he realizes how much he actually likes her, and how much she challenges him.

It’s been a wild ride, and like Maitreyi said, you will see how Devi handles this, and it’s exactly the way you would think. Once you get what you’ve wanted for so long, you start to realize, “I’ve done so much work, trying to attain this, I haven’t done any work on myself for preparing for it.” I think that shows a lot.

(L to R) Darren Barnet as Paxton Hall-Yoshida, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi in ‘Never Have I Ever.’ Cr. Lara Solanki/Netflix © 2022.

MF: Jaren, how is Ben handling seeing the new couple?

Jaren Lewison: I think that it’s hard for him. I think at the end of season two, we saw that longing look that he gave watching Devi and Paxton dance. I think that it’s difficult for him to navigate how to have a friendship with Devi, while also being in a relationship with Aneesa, and how much he can give to that friendship with Devi.

He’s challenging her and she’s challenging him, trying to keep those feelings at bay and trying to be a good boyfriend for Aneesa. As we can see, it’s a little more difficult for him than maybe I would’ve liked, if I was rooting for him. But, you know, what are you going to do?

MF: Maitreyi, when a new season begins do you get all the scripts at once or episode by episode?

MR: Most certainly we do not. Pretty much like a week before we start filming, we get the first episode’s script, and then we keep going. So, as we film, we find out what happens, which honestly, I like. I enjoy that. It keeps us on our toes and it doesn’t give us too much information right away.

So, we don’t know how it’s going to end while we’re starting. So, we get to really go with the flow with the characters, experience those stakes and we get excited. We get to be fans for a little bit and we do anticipate, “Wait, what do you think is going to happen?” That’s how it really goes every season.

MF: Finally, Darren, when you get a new script, are you surprised by the different directions the writers take your character?

DB: I think the writers make it very easy because they a hundred percent know who Paxton is. It’s pretty automatic for me to switch into it. But I do enjoy that I think he’s become a more multidimensional character as we’ve developed throughout the show.

I don’t know if that was intended upon starting season one, but they’ve allowed that to happen. So, it’s given me a lot of room to play, and I have wonderful co-stars to work off of who help me grow into that and make it an easy and very fun job. So, no, I’ve never shocked. I’m always very pleasantly surprised.

(L to R) Jaren Lewison as Ben Gross, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi in ‘Never Have I Ever.’ Cr. Lara Solanki/Netflix © 2022.

August 26, 2022