WEBVTT - Ep15 - Jon Favreau / "The Jungle Book" 0:00:17.239 --> 0:00:21.280 Welcome to Playback Variety podcast. I'm your host, Variety Awards 0:00:21.400 --> 0:00:24.480 Editor Chris Tappen. On today's show, we talked about nominations 0:00:24.480 --> 0:00:26.880 for the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild. A little 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:29.160 bit later, I'll be talking to The Jungle Book director 0:00:29.280 --> 0:00:45.280 Jon Favreau. So stick around. All right, we're back and 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:48.480 there's Janelle Riley. Hey, we're back again, Take back again. 0:00:49.360 --> 0:00:52.680 We just recorded for about ten minutes. At least ten minutes. 0:00:52.800 --> 0:00:54.680 Maybe this would have been fine for people, but my 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:56.960 level was not picking up the entire time, and we 0:00:57.000 --> 0:00:59.320 need to hear christ You would have just heard Janelle talking, 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:02.480 would have been terribless in the room and looking up 0:01:02.520 --> 0:01:05.440 mementos screenplay on her and that my father never hugged me. 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:08.600 None of you understand what we're talking about right now. Anyway, 0:01:09.160 --> 0:01:16.560 busy week yess Golden Globe nomination for AM on Monday too, Like, 0:01:16.600 --> 0:01:19.120 what's wrong with you? Do you? You seem to think 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:22.240 I have a choice. Mr Handsome over here doesn't want 0:01:22.240 --> 0:01:24.440 to go on TV, so they send me. And I 0:01:24.440 --> 0:01:25.840 don't know if you know this or not, how sick 0:01:25.880 --> 0:01:28.640 I was Monday? You said you booted right before you 0:01:28.640 --> 0:01:31.199 you went on booted, is that you're such a dad 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:34.880 looked at you. Yes, I did happen to vo about 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:36.960 about three minutes before we went live on the air. 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:41.000 So if anyone DVA yard that, well, what's funny is 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:43.560 they have a camera on you in the like green 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:45.520 room area, and so like they cut to us and 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:47.039 be like, you know, coming up next, and I'm like 0:01:47.240 --> 0:01:49.640 waving to the camera, and then like when I realized 0:01:49.680 --> 0:01:51.840 I was going to be sick, the poor cameraman was, 0:01:52.120 --> 0:01:55.520 you know, just just just like covered the camera got 0:01:55.560 --> 0:01:58.120 out of my way. They were so gracious and everybody 0:01:58.200 --> 0:01:59.920 was so nice about it, because I would have been like, 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:02.280 oh my god, who is this person? And everybody was 0:02:02.320 --> 0:02:04.480 like telling me stories about when it happened to them 0:02:04.560 --> 0:02:06.840 or this one woman went into labor on the air, 0:02:07.080 --> 0:02:09.880 and it was they were very, very nice. So you 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:11.519 puked right before you were going to talk about the 0:02:11.520 --> 0:02:14.280 Golden Globes, and it say something about your opinion the 0:02:14.320 --> 0:02:17.160 Hollywood Foreign Press Association. You know, Um, I have some 0:02:17.240 --> 0:02:19.880 pretty harsh opinions about the Golden Globes. But then they 0:02:19.919 --> 0:02:22.160 go and they do some things right and it makes 0:02:22.200 --> 0:02:25.679 the hard internal animals mentioned very pleased to see a 0:02:25.680 --> 0:02:30.600 nocturnal animals doing well. Cologne worked out, but they had 0:02:30.600 --> 0:02:33.720 to send back right, didn't work out because tom Ford 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:36.560 sent them all, collect them his and hers, and I 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:38.280 think that they had to send one of them back. Oh, 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:40.720 just one of them because everything is the limits. Yeah, 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:43.400 I think it's like limit. If they were really serious 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:46.040 about this, they would not allow gifts at as. Of 0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:49.840 course that a simple solution, but why would you do that? 0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:54.640 But I was very happy um to say, well, you know, 0:02:54.840 --> 0:02:56.880 you know that I'm a huge fan of tom Ford cosmetics. 0:02:56.919 --> 0:02:58.920 So if you really want to bribe me some highbrowd 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:01.720 pants all, maybe shul join the HFPO. I don't think 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:03.799 he likes when I say that either, because like I'm 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:05.600 always telling him how much I love his cosmetics, and 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:07.680 he's like, that's not way I made the movie. It's 0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:12.679 a terrible but he Yeah. So Aaron Taylor Johnson was 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:15.919 the big surprise, very big because I'm surprise though. I 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:17.720 think he's very good and it's really good. I showed 0:03:17.880 --> 0:03:21.320 my wife the toilet scene out of context the other day, 0:03:22.040 --> 0:03:26.120 which is top notch, probably my favorite part of the 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:28.239 movie that I don't really like the movie, but that's right, 0:03:28.800 --> 0:03:30.480 cracks me up. I think we sat next to each 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:32.200 other the first time you saw the movie and I 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:34.720 was loving it, and you did not look as happy 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:37.880 as I was not as thrilled. But you know, Tom 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:41.320 is a very uh unique director, and he got two 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:44.800 nominations Director and screenplay. I think it's a great adaptation 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:47.720 of a screenplay. I was really happy to see that 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:50.840 because I'm actually reading Tony and Susan, the book it's 0:03:50.840 --> 0:03:54.480 based on, and you know, oh, I know right, No, 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:57.960 Turnal Animals is so much better. But it's interesting when 0:03:57.960 --> 0:04:02.000 you read difficult Google search though, don't hit and come 0:04:02.040 --> 0:04:05.280 up with a lot of pictures of bats and stuff. Um, 0:04:05.480 --> 0:04:07.960 you know. I also think A Rival is an excellent adaptation. 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:10.480 I love reading, and I've just been reading the short Story, 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:12.880 and I love when it's, you know, a solid short 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:15.960 story or book and it builds on that but also 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:18.720 becomes its own animal, so to speak. So those are 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:23.160 two adaptations that have really impressed me. Deadpool Deadpool Best 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:27.239 Comedy Best Picture nominee, which is a little bit further 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:29.159 than I would have taken that. I mean, I expected 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:31.640 Ryan Reynolds for the star quality, and he is good 0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:34.159 in the movie, but like, I don't know, man, there's 0:04:34.200 --> 0:04:36.200 better comedies out there to pull, sure, but I'm just 0:04:36.200 --> 0:04:39.159 happy that they're actually nominating comedies. Yeah, that was a 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:42.200 big deal last year. Although look, they put out this 0:04:42.279 --> 0:04:44.680 language saying, you know, a comedy is a comedy, not 0:04:44.760 --> 0:04:47.119 a drama with comedic under tones, and it's like, look, guys, 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:49.600 you were the ones that who decided that The Martian 0:04:49.680 --> 0:04:51.040 was a comedy, which, by the way, I never had 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:55.479 a huge problem with. Well Joy wasn't really a comedy either. Yeah, so, 0:04:56.120 --> 0:04:58.320 and it still is still incumbent on them to decide 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:00.280 these things. They were competing in a categor and they 0:05:00.279 --> 0:05:03.440 won Jennifer Lawrence one actress, Matt Damon one actor, Martian 0:05:03.520 --> 0:05:06.240 one Best Picture, and they were competing against genuine comedy 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:11.279 off rightfully, So, I mean, I remember when he said, 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:13.520 you know, if if you put your movie in the 0:05:13.520 --> 0:05:16.720 comedy category, because you're game in the traumas, yeah, you're 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:20.960 gaming the system. And he wasn't wrong. Um. There was also, 0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:23.159 by the way that the Critics Choice Awards were last week, 0:05:23.160 --> 0:05:27.159 if you want to touch on that, it was a 0:05:27.360 --> 0:05:31.080 long show. It was a long show. Stanfield had his 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:35.360 uh moment where he jumped up there when the guy 0:05:35.400 --> 0:05:38.040 was wanting for Silicon Valley, what one best picture I'll 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:41.279 land obviously, you say, obviously, but I really thought Moonlight 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:42.839 had a shot because it was critics. It was like 0:05:42.839 --> 0:05:45.320 three of them though. I mean, I think it's one 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:49.280 of those things where the broad not nominated for ensemble, Critics, 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:51.839 Chice Awards not nominated. But why is it such a 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:54.719 big deal today that it wasn't nominated? Well, because the 0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:58.120 last time the Best Picture winner was nominated for seg 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:02.680 ensemble was We literally just had this conversation fifteen minutes ago. 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:06.280 That's what's so funny was Braveheart, and we both agreed 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:10.919 that Braveheart actually should have been reviewing our podcast that 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:14.280 we are tell the Gary story again. Let me let 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:16.160 me set it up. The interesting thing about that, You know, 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:17.920 I had Mel Gibson on the podcast a few weeks 0:06:17.960 --> 0:06:22.440 ago and yeah, oh yeah, right made its rounds and 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:24.919 uh he I was just talking to him about the 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:27.360 fact that Apul thirteen was so dominant there here. I mean, 0:06:27.400 --> 0:06:30.359 that was that is the weirdest Oscar year like in 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:33.600 the modern context to me, because Paul thirteen one d 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:36.120 G A sag P g A. You do not win 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:40.160 those three and and not win Best Picture. The only 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:42.880 thing Braveheart one was a w g A. Really so 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:46.839 brave Fart goes on a one Best Picture And obviously 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:51.120 Ron Howard wasn't even nominated for Best Director, which is crazy. Uh. 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:53.679 And then they were working on Ransom together at the time, 0:06:54.640 --> 0:06:57.080 which is where your Garyson new story comes. Yes, I 0:06:57.160 --> 0:07:00.120 heard this on Mark Marin's podcast with Ron Howard it 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:02.640 he said that, you know, they came in the day 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:05.120 of the nominations and Gary Sneeze was shooting a scene 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:07.839 and he asked Ron Howard for some direction and then said, wait, 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:09.680 what the hell am I asking you for? Mel tell 0:07:09.720 --> 0:07:11.720 me how to do this scene? And everybody laughed and 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:14.120 it kind of broke the ice. And and then six 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:18.640 years later, five years whatever, uh, Ron Howard finally wins 0:07:18.680 --> 0:07:21.080 Best Director for The Beautiful Mind. And guess who presented 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:25.560 him that askar Gary? It would have been cool if 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:28.160 it have been Gary would have been interesting. So there 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:30.920 we go. That's interesting Oscar history for you. But anytime 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:33.360 anyone throws these facts at me about how like La 0:07:33.480 --> 0:07:35.320 La Land can't win Best Picture because it doesn't have 0:07:35.320 --> 0:07:38.040 a sag ensemble nomb I remember, you know they said 0:07:38.160 --> 0:07:40.280 Argo couldn't win Best Picture because Ben Affleck didn't get 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:42.960 a director nom and Birdman can't win because I didn't 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:46.239 get an editor nome. And you know, rules for these 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:48.920 rules to be dismantled so people will stop bringing them up, 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:51.360 and let's be honest. La La Land is a two hander, 0:07:51.640 --> 0:07:53.280 it is. But I do think it's like, you know, 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:56.280 last year, Beast of No Nation was nominated literally three 0:07:56.320 --> 0:08:00.920 people or the nominees for that ensemble uh million Dollar Baby, 0:08:01.000 --> 0:08:04.200 I think there was four or five. So for a 0:08:04.200 --> 0:08:06.760 movie that's so beloved to not be just kind of 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:09.200 grandfathered in is a little odd. I did think it 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:11.120 would get in just based on pure love and the 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:15.200 fact that it's actors, you know, celebrating actors. But um, 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:17.880 you know it's it's a really good year for ensembles. 0:08:17.880 --> 0:08:19.760 I mean, look at the ones that made it and 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:22.840 those are like true, true ensembles, and so thrilled for 0:08:22.920 --> 0:08:26.400 Captain Fantastic and Vigo Mortensen's one of my favorite movies 0:08:26.440 --> 0:08:30.800 of the year. Um, really hoping that that carries over 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:33.400 into the Mascar. Love and Hidden Figures was a nominee, 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:37.480 which I think is further indication that it's you know, 0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:41.160 we both think it's it's the strong best Best Picture possibility. 0:08:41.480 --> 0:08:43.800 I'm really holding out hope to Rogi p Henson and 0:08:43.880 --> 0:08:46.360 Kevin Costner. Can you crack into the race? Garage is 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:48.520 the toughest one there? Yeah, I mean look at that 0:08:48.559 --> 0:08:51.640 category that I think that Emily Blunt is legitimate competition. 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:54.000 Although I feel a little bad for Emily Blond. Yeah, 0:08:54.000 --> 0:08:59.240 I mean she's every everyone after that, which is interesting 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:03.800 in the movie performance, Yeah, it's a it's a bad movie. 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:07.319 It's not a good movie. Um, it's a good performance. 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:11.400 She you know, those screeners were out there early. Um, 0:09:11.440 --> 0:09:14.920 she's very charming. Like it's just such a crazy competitive category. 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:17.480 And when you have people like Isabelle who Pair and 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:21.280 Annette Benning and Jessica Chastain and Rage p Henson and 0:09:21.320 --> 0:09:24.240 Ruth Nigga shut out of that one, you know, it 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:27.040 does reason eyebrow to see someone who was like not 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:30.679 in a great movie to but maybe she's susten to her. 0:09:30.720 --> 0:09:33.040 I mean, like it's ext be good in a good movie. 0:09:33.200 --> 0:09:36.079 I think there's been weirder nominations that last year. I 0:09:36.160 --> 0:09:40.280 thought Sarah Silverman and Helen Mirren for Women and Woman 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:43.040 in Gold was weird. That was very weird. But it 0:09:43.080 --> 0:09:46.520 reflects that early timeline, I mean really early. Their deadline 0:09:46.559 --> 0:09:50.319 was December eleven. You know, I almost put Captain Fantastic 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:52.439 in my ensemble guesses because they always have a kind 0:09:52.440 --> 0:09:57.400 of out of left field saying horseshoes. You know, I don't. 0:09:57.400 --> 0:09:59.920 You don't get a pat on the bending close only 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:02.200 counts and horseshoes and hand grenades. But I put it 0:10:02.200 --> 0:10:07.120 on Twitter, like there is evidence Twitter is forever. Yeah, 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:11.800 tell that to Donald Trump. Let's not um what else 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:15.600 herschel was a three time nominee. Yes, he was figures 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:18.199 in Moonlight ensembles as well as his own Moonlight nomination. 0:10:18.920 --> 0:10:20.839 And did you get a TV nomination for Anything or 0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:23.240 No House of Cards. I don't think got ensemble. No. 0:10:23.800 --> 0:10:27.520 I could be wrong about that. Um. But that leads 0:10:27.600 --> 0:10:32.520 us into Moonlight and Loving screenplays. Right, So the most 0:10:32.520 --> 0:10:35.520 recent news. As we both try to turn on the lights, 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:38.840 Chris and I are sitting here in the darkness, it's 0:10:38.880 --> 0:10:42.199 not registering us. We don't exist. Moonlight and I mean 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:46.679 Moonlight and uh Loving were considered adapted screenplays by the 0:10:46.760 --> 0:10:49.920 Academy after the w g A considered them original, which 0:10:49.960 --> 0:10:53.319 is interesting. Um, and I think great news for Moonlight. 0:10:53.320 --> 0:10:55.200 I think it probably wins. Don't you just gonna want 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:57.560 adapted now? Yeah? I mean it's the play was never 0:10:57.800 --> 0:11:02.800 staged or produced, so per the ling, previously material, previously published, reproduced, 0:11:02.880 --> 0:11:06.080 it's not an adapted screenplay. But I think the Academy 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:08.480 looks at these source materials a little closer and the 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:11.400 script and it's like, okay, well this is we we 0:11:11.600 --> 0:11:15.640 consider this adapted. And with Loving it was the fact 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:19.120 that there was a documentary, The Loving Story with one 0:11:19.160 --> 0:11:22.280 of the same producers that's on the feature. So you know, 0:11:22.600 --> 0:11:26.360 w g A said original. Academy says adapted adapted is 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:29.560 a much thinner category than original. Issue is. I mean, 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:31.760 there's some great adapted screenplays in there, but just not 0:11:31.920 --> 0:11:34.880 the kind that usually win. I mean there are there 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.360 are screenplays I love, like a Rival, which I you know, 0:11:37.840 --> 0:11:40.760 might have said was the front runner until now. Um, 0:11:40.760 --> 0:11:42.480 but you know it's a genre. Pack might have said 0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:45.679 a lion, Oh, lion, Lion. Yeah, it's pretty wonderful. I 0:11:45.679 --> 0:11:48.680 think it's good news for Matt Ross to get into original. 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:52.400 Nothing would make me happier. And it's actually great news 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:55.080 for law La Land in Manchester because now that's just 0:11:55.120 --> 0:11:57.160 the two of them. Yeah, I mean, I think that's 0:11:57.160 --> 0:12:01.240 going to be Manchester. But he really just starts to 0:12:01.240 --> 0:12:02.800 pull him in, which it could. I mean, I do 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:05.120 think there's a possibility that movie could win more Oscars 0:12:05.160 --> 0:12:07.719 since some dog. I gotta tell you, I think I'm 0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:11.520 leaning towards La La Land right now for screenplay totally. Yeah. 0:12:11.559 --> 0:12:13.040 And I have to say, like you know a lot 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:15.760 of people will say, well, musicals never win screenplay, but 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:18.520 it's like this is it's a different screenplay. Yeah, this is. 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:21.480 This has a very solid screenplay. There's no like sun 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:24.640 through songs, like there's there's a good script in there. 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:27.240 By the way, as it pertains to having your script swapped. 0:12:27.440 --> 0:12:31.200 Damien Chazelle has been there with Whiplash. Whiplash was based 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:34.240 was was this is kind of silly? Yeah, totally. It 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:37.320 was a scene from Whiplash that he filmed separately as 0:12:37.440 --> 0:12:40.760 a short short film and took the Sun Dance just 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:43.040 to kind of like generate interest. And I think it's 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:47.200 funding me. Yeah. And it was considered by the w 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:52.800 G a original and the Academy decided adapted, would it 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:58.360 have one that wasn't that the year of Birdman? Uh? Yeah, yeah, 0:12:58.360 --> 0:13:00.440 so it probably wouldn't have one. It probably to better 0:13:00.480 --> 0:13:04.400 shots and adapted where it loss to interfation games. But 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:06.560 I love that movie so much. I would have voted 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:08.960 for it wherever it went, if I could vote. But 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:11.680 then I'm just kind of like I'm contradicting myself in 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:13.440 a way because if the Academy would have looked at 0:13:13.480 --> 0:13:16.560 the source material quote unquote of Whiplash versus the feature, 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:19.959 it would have seen that it was just a scene 0:13:19.960 --> 0:13:24.600 from the film. Because Sundance is an Academy whatever, a festival. 0:13:25.880 --> 0:13:29.400 That is why you know it was considered quote previously 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:32.400 published or produced. But it's it's stupid, This is stupid, 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:36.120 Like this is so stupid, Like I'm just the fact 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:38.760 that I'm sitting here having to beend myself in ance 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:41.280 to explain it, like a screenplay is either adapted from 0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:44.400 something or it's not. Can we stop being stupid? So 0:13:44.480 --> 0:13:46.760 you think even if it's adapted from something that's never 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:49.920 been published, it should be well if your if your 0:13:50.000 --> 0:13:53.360 language is based on material previously published or produced, and 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:56.520 the original material was not previously published or produced. If 0:13:56.559 --> 0:13:59.720 it was just some you know, manuscript and a desk, no, 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:02.760 But if you want to remove that that specific language, 0:14:03.120 --> 0:14:05.520 then yeah, right. Because the example I always come back 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:09.120 to his Memento. W g A considered it adapted because 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:13.079 it was based on a shot are w g A. 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:16.160 It was based on a short story Jonathan Nolan wrote 0:14:16.200 --> 0:14:19.040 but was never published anywhere, and Christopher Nolan adapted that 0:14:19.080 --> 0:14:22.440 into a screen play exactly and went into original lost 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:26.400 to Gosford Park. That hurts parks a great screen but 0:14:26.880 --> 0:14:29.120 it was like the greatest movie of all time, all time. 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:35.200 It's amazing. I was in film school, so you can imagine. Yeah, 0:14:35.200 --> 0:14:36.880 I think I was too, and it's yeah, my my 0:14:36.920 --> 0:14:39.480 favorite movie of all time is either Memento or Raising Arizona. 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:43.680 So that's how my tastes run. What else happened here 0:14:43.680 --> 0:14:47.800 when with SAG We've got I did not throw up 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:52.120 this morning? Oh yes, maybe because they did the announcement 0:14:52.200 --> 0:14:54.040 at seven am and gave us a couple of stowers 0:14:54.080 --> 0:14:58.400 of sleep. Yeah, we really gotta like stopped doing these 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:00.640 nominations first thing in the morning. Someone is going to die, 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:03.280 you know what I think they should do? Is with 0:15:03.320 --> 0:15:06.840 oscars anyway, they should have like a thirty minute prime 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:10.600 time special on ABC that you would sell crazy edge 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:12.720 and still make it to the morning shows in time 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:14.600 and the morning shows the next day. If that's such 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:16.720 a big deal. But who cares about the damn morning shows? 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:18.320 Like your news is going to get out there? You're 0:15:19.600 --> 0:15:23.160 Kelly Rippa, Yeah, come on, Like and if it was 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:25.240 just probably it could be cool as this primetime thing 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:27.840 like the NFL Draft or something like that, and just 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:30.800 reveal the nomination steadily throughout the thing, and you know, god, 0:15:31.240 --> 0:15:33.040 mastards like us wouldn't have to be up early like 0:15:33.120 --> 0:15:36.640 hammering out this stuff as quickly as possible. Yeah, No, 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:38.200 I swear it's not for self much reasons. I think 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:39.360 it would be a good idea. No, I think it's 0:15:39.360 --> 0:15:41.960 a good idea all around. And it's it's ridiculous that, 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:44.040 you know, they're just stuck to the way it's always been. 0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:50.080 That's the way it's been. Uh what else? I've got 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:52.160 the two versions of this that we recorded crashing in 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:55.800 my head, so I don't I can't remember. I think 0:15:55.840 --> 0:15:57.760 that covers it this week. Let's just leave it. But 0:15:58.560 --> 0:16:01.120 next week we're gonna be kind of wrapping up the 0:16:01.200 --> 0:16:04.920 year in our own way. I think with top fives. Yes, 0:16:05.080 --> 0:16:07.440 I'm going with top fives this year. I think that's 0:16:07.440 --> 0:16:11.640 a good And look, I think that like La La 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:13.360 Land and Moonlight are probably gonna be on both of 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:17.360 our lists, So I don't know, really interesting. I can't 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:19.000 read your expression right now because we're sitting here in 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:22.680 the dark, so we'll have to see. I watch Moonlight 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:26.400 again the other day. By the way. Oh yeah, beautiful movie. 0:16:26.480 --> 0:16:29.760 Yeah it's it's a fantautiful movie. I've had La La 0:16:29.880 --> 0:16:32.160 Land going. You know, I got the soundtrack, so I've 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:34.480 been singing every my car every morning I wake up 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:38.400 and I've got in my head. I don't it won't 0:16:38.400 --> 0:16:40.760 go away. Can we just agree? Um? You know they 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:44.960 released the song eligible songs, and for me, the two 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:48.560 best songs in La La Land aren't on that list. Uh, 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:50.840 someone in the Crowd and Another Day of Sun Another Day. 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:52.720 Yea yeah, I mean, look, the songs that aren't not 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:55.160 in the Crowd is my favorite. Yes, that whole number 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:58.680 is so just like that's the that is like, yeah, 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:02.240 is it should be on every list? And I think 0:17:02.280 --> 0:17:05.320 I tweeted this, but um, the song John Legend sing 0:17:05.440 --> 0:17:08.360 Start a Fire. It's supposed to sort of indicate that 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:11.520 the selling out, and it's supposed to be a popular song, 0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:14.000 but god do I love it. It's a fun song 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:17.040 song and it doesn't hurt that John Legend is singing it. 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:19.639 And let's also just mentioned briefly since we're on the 0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:22.240 topic of music. Scores came out this week and three 0:17:22.280 --> 0:17:26.040 of them were ineligible Manchester by the Sea, Arrival, and 0:17:26.320 --> 0:17:29.359 Silence with Arrival in particular, it's because of that use 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:31.439 of the Max Richter song on the nature of daylight 0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:34.159 the book ends the movie that the branch felt that 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:40.040 that would influence interpretation of the original material, which is 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:44.600 obviously bullshit. But that branches like, they're so weird. Why 0:17:44.600 --> 0:17:46.920 did they hate Danny Alfman? Just give the man an 0:17:46.920 --> 0:17:49.000 oscar already. Well, that's not up to them as to 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:51.720 whether he gets an oscar. It's the whole Academy voting. 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:54.760 But he hasn't gotten a lot of nominations, that's for sure. 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:57.320 But yeah, so Arrival, you know, despite the fact that 0:17:57.359 --> 0:18:00.200 Johan Johansson's work is pretty great in that movie, he's 0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:04.159 what he does. No, he was nominated for Theory and Sicario. 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:08.960 He won the bath to for theory, but no he didn't. 0:18:09.359 --> 0:18:11.240 I think he won the Oscar for theory. He didn't. 0:18:11.280 --> 0:18:17.000 It was I was on her this platform for Grant Budapest, 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:20.159 which one bath to an Oscar. But uh yeah, I 0:18:20.160 --> 0:18:23.480 mean he does really inventive stuff in Arrival and as 0:18:23.520 --> 0:18:25.639 part of this whole kind of movement that's blurring the 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:28.360 line between music and sound design with film music, and 0:18:29.640 --> 0:18:33.199 it's kind of a slap yeah. I mean so with 0:18:33.240 --> 0:18:36.400 Manchester and Silence, it was just deemed that the original 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:38.679 material was not quote substantial enough, so it was kind 0:18:38.680 --> 0:18:41.800 of minimal. And also Manchester had a lot of classical 0:18:41.840 --> 0:18:44.119 pieces throughout it as well. So you can't see me 0:18:44.200 --> 0:18:50.200 right now, but I've fallen asleep. Heyward time baby everything 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:52.800 And look I love scores, but let's be honest, La 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:55.200 La Land is gonna win nothing now the batters, Yeah, 0:18:55.240 --> 0:19:00.919 probably all right. Well, this week Jon Favreau, John Favresma 0:19:00.960 --> 0:19:03.400 talk to me about Jungle Book and Lion King, which 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:05.919 he's working on. I was glad to get him in 0:19:05.960 --> 0:19:08.879 here because I uh, everybody has been like someone with 0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:10.639 a movie coming up, or with someone someone with a 0:19:10.680 --> 0:19:12.600 movie that's already out like, I haven't talked to anybody 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:14.359 who had a movie like months ago, so I wanted 0:19:14.400 --> 0:19:15.960 to get him in here before that. I was watching 0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:17.800 him last night and one of my favorite movies of 0:19:17.800 --> 0:19:24.119 all time, I Love You Man. We talked about Swingers too, obviously, Sorry, 0:19:24.160 --> 0:19:26.399 I Love You Man is a perfect movie. Swingers is 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:29.359 too uses a great movie, but I really love I 0:19:29.359 --> 0:19:31.119 Love You Man. And it was fun to see j K. 0:19:31.240 --> 0:19:35.800 Simmons prior to his Oscar winning role. That's always fun 0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:38.240 seeing j K. Simmons with hair. And by the way, 0:19:38.320 --> 0:19:41.200 he's like whoa. But anyway, stay tuned for that. We'll 0:19:41.240 --> 0:20:09.600 be right back. I can't help but notice as the 0:20:09.920 --> 0:20:32.440 strange odor today, man is forbidden gay. The jungle is 0:20:32.560 --> 0:20:34.720 no longer safe for you? But is it my home? 0:20:35.440 --> 0:20:44.480 Only man can protect you now? Or sweet little Coke, 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:48.840 what are you doing so deep in the jungle? You 0:20:49.080 --> 0:20:51.520 are a man cla who wants to live in a jungle. 0:20:51.720 --> 0:20:54.520 How do you know that kid? I got ears, My 0:20:54.760 --> 0:21:04.520 ears got ears. Only I can protect you? Get about. 0:21:06.119 --> 0:21:18.800 That's a song about the good life here sing nothing 0:21:19.480 --> 0:21:23.320 TB has this boy. If anything happens to that kid, 0:21:24.119 --> 0:21:29.280 never forget leg help all right, welcome back everyone. I'm 0:21:29.280 --> 0:21:32.080 here with the director of the Jungle Book, Jon Favreau. 0:21:32.280 --> 0:21:35.000 Thanks for coming on the show Man pleasure. Really appreciate it. 0:21:35.600 --> 0:21:37.320 As I was just saying, a lot of the folks 0:21:37.359 --> 0:21:39.879 that we've had lately have had movies on the horizon 0:21:40.080 --> 0:21:42.639 or in play already, but I wanted to make sure 0:21:42.640 --> 0:21:45.160 I got ahold of you. Your phone released in April, yes, 0:21:45.359 --> 0:21:47.880 and we didn't get around the launching the podcast till August. 0:21:47.920 --> 0:21:51.760 That's right. This was such a massive, amazing undertaking, and uh, 0:21:52.040 --> 0:21:53.520 I want to talk about that in a number of things, 0:21:53.600 --> 0:21:56.960 thank you, honestly. So before we get into specifics on 0:21:57.040 --> 0:22:00.920 Jungle Book, uh, you know, between that, which I think 0:22:01.000 --> 0:22:05.520 is obviously a part of the ongoing revitalization of the 0:22:05.560 --> 0:22:08.639 Disney I P. I think it's also its own branch 0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:12.520 and it's going to kind of uh inspire different things 0:22:12.560 --> 0:22:16.800 within that realm. Between that and you know, essentially launching 0:22:17.160 --> 0:22:21.720 the Marvel Juggernaut with Iron Man eight years ago, You've 0:22:21.720 --> 0:22:24.960 made some massive and continue to make massive splashes and 0:22:25.000 --> 0:22:29.159 these big business driving waters. It's look, it's been a 0:22:29.160 --> 0:22:31.959 lot of fun. I like the world building side of it, 0:22:32.119 --> 0:22:34.879 because you have all this technology available, and you have 0:22:35.119 --> 0:22:37.320 new ways to tell stories. So there's a lot of 0:22:37.359 --> 0:22:39.680 stories that couldn't have been told before the way they're 0:22:39.680 --> 0:22:43.600 told now. And when you know, as as as I 0:22:43.640 --> 0:22:46.560 like to watch movies, I'm a movie fan, so when 0:22:46.560 --> 0:22:50.159 I see somebody does something cool, your mind starts to 0:22:50.240 --> 0:22:51.800 race with, well, what could you do? What kind of 0:22:51.840 --> 0:22:53.840 stories could you tell using these tools that these people 0:22:53.880 --> 0:22:57.360 have innovated. So Uh, in the case of Iron Man, 0:22:57.880 --> 0:23:00.640 you know, you really couldn't convincingly show a guy at 0:23:01.320 --> 0:23:04.359 flying like that in a in a tech driven way. 0:23:04.680 --> 0:23:07.199 You know that the technology really hadn't changed much up 0:23:07.240 --> 0:23:10.040 until that point since like Superman as far as how 0:23:10.080 --> 0:23:12.600 you show a hero. And then all of a sudden, 0:23:12.600 --> 0:23:13.879 when you see what I. L M was doing with 0:23:13.920 --> 0:23:17.320 transformers and and with hard surfaces, you started to realize 0:23:17.320 --> 0:23:19.119 that you could do some really convincing work with c 0:23:19.240 --> 0:23:21.720 g I and character based c g I. And that's 0:23:21.880 --> 0:23:25.679 that's what I think made that the moment when Iron 0:23:25.680 --> 0:23:29.720 Man could work, and of course Robert Downey, uh, everybody 0:23:29.760 --> 0:23:32.240 ready to embrace him and the wonderful performance that he 0:23:32.280 --> 0:23:34.920 gave in the cast in general, and Marvel having its 0:23:34.920 --> 0:23:36.919 strategy for how it was going to approach its I 0:23:37.000 --> 0:23:40.800 P in a way that honored the base fans, the 0:23:40.840 --> 0:23:44.560 core fans, and all of these these innovations came together, 0:23:44.760 --> 0:23:47.520 and then the building of the tone of that world 0:23:47.560 --> 0:23:51.160 in a way that extended to other, to other characters 0:23:51.160 --> 0:23:56.359 and other and other Marvel stories helped um make for 0:23:56.400 --> 0:24:01.720 a personality that people here like and equally or arguably 0:24:01.720 --> 0:24:04.680 more importantly than people around the world liked. Because this 0:24:04.760 --> 0:24:06.840 is you know, if you're going to do films at 0:24:06.840 --> 0:24:09.480 that budget level, you can't just be making it for 0:24:10.119 --> 0:24:12.000 you know, your own backyard. It has to it has 0:24:12.040 --> 0:24:14.160 to travel well that those are the you know, that's 0:24:14.200 --> 0:24:18.399 those the economics of the business. And with Disney, you know, 0:24:18.640 --> 0:24:21.200 I think at the time of doing Jungle Book, having 0:24:21.240 --> 0:24:27.880 seen things like Planet of the Apes and Avatar and 0:24:26.320 --> 0:24:30.760 U and actually Gravity, because of a lot of the 0:24:30.800 --> 0:24:34.640 innovative techniques that they used in melding CG with with 0:24:35.680 --> 0:24:40.879 practical photography, it became clear that there was an opportunity 0:24:40.880 --> 0:24:42.919 to tell a type of story that wouldn't have been 0:24:42.960 --> 0:24:46.040 told us elegantly with the technologies of just a few 0:24:46.160 --> 0:24:48.919 years ago. So as a as a filmmaker and a 0:24:48.920 --> 0:24:51.000 bit of a movie geek where I love keeping up 0:24:51.000 --> 0:24:56.359 on the effects of those opportunities open up channels for 0:24:56.359 --> 0:25:00.199 for new types of property that traditionally hadn't been part 0:25:00.240 --> 0:25:04.760 of cinema. Well, when you were, you know, going to auditions, 0:25:04.800 --> 0:25:08.280 struggling as a younger actor, getting involved in the independent 0:25:08.320 --> 0:25:10.879 film movement, I mean sure, was it this the dream 0:25:10.960 --> 0:25:13.400 for you? Was this anything you had in mind? Look, 0:25:13.440 --> 0:25:16.520 I loved it. I always loved reading Starlog magazine and 0:25:16.520 --> 0:25:20.919 and and knowing how they made Blade Runner, and you know, 0:25:21.119 --> 0:25:23.800 even as a kid loving Monster movies and the Harry 0:25:23.800 --> 0:25:27.000 House and stuff and makeup effects and so I love 0:25:27.119 --> 0:25:29.439 that stuff anyway. So to get to play with all 0:25:29.480 --> 0:25:31.879 those toys and work with the people who are you know, 0:25:31.880 --> 0:25:34.600 work with Stan Winston and see how they do it, 0:25:34.640 --> 0:25:39.800 and work with I LM and film miniatures and you know, 0:25:39.840 --> 0:25:42.720 all that stuff was was interesting. I wouldn't go as 0:25:42.760 --> 0:25:44.600 far as to say that was my vision. I just 0:25:44.680 --> 0:25:46.480 wanted to, you know, just the fact that I could 0:25:46.480 --> 0:25:49.359 make a living acting was was amazing to me. And 0:25:49.400 --> 0:25:52.000 the idea that someday I could maybe right and direct, 0:25:53.040 --> 0:25:55.000 you know, and back then it wasn't really the independent 0:25:55.040 --> 0:25:57.280 film scene that was inspiring because it was kind of 0:25:57.320 --> 0:25:59.959 previous to it. The independent what would now be considered 0:26:00.000 --> 0:26:03.040 dependent was more mainstream, and the early career Woody Allen, 0:26:03.400 --> 0:26:05.399 I guess would be independent film now. But you know, 0:26:05.440 --> 0:26:09.000 I grew up watching those movies and and thinking, you know, 0:26:09.080 --> 0:26:11.720 someday you could make something that's personal to you, that's 0:26:11.720 --> 0:26:14.679 also funny and entertaining and and could do well at 0:26:14.680 --> 0:26:18.040 the box office. So as you know with Swingers, with 0:26:18.080 --> 0:26:20.560 the writing of Swingers, that that happened on the heels 0:26:20.560 --> 0:26:23.200 of getting opportunities in My foot in the door through 0:26:23.200 --> 0:26:27.199 my acting is primarily a supporting actor, character actor. You know, 0:26:27.280 --> 0:26:31.159 that opens up doors and and and honestly working with 0:26:31.200 --> 0:26:34.000 Marvel that door was opened up by me acting in 0:26:34.760 --> 0:26:38.920 in Daredevil, and that's when I'm at Aviarrod. So relationships form. 0:26:39.119 --> 0:26:42.240 You also get this wonderful perspective that you don't get 0:26:42.680 --> 0:26:45.240 when you enter directing from other avenues, which is you 0:26:45.280 --> 0:26:48.439 get to be an apprentice. You get to be on set, 0:26:48.520 --> 0:26:52.560 you get to watch master directors do their thing, and 0:26:52.640 --> 0:26:55.400 you get to learn by absorbing it and by being 0:26:55.400 --> 0:27:00.000 immersed in movie culture and participating at it and asking questions, 0:27:00.040 --> 0:27:02.560 and they let you come to the editing room. David 0:27:02.600 --> 0:27:07.280 Onspa and Rudy let me come to his editing room. Um, 0:27:07.480 --> 0:27:10.640 Mimi leader, let me come to effects reviews on Deep Impact. 0:27:11.119 --> 0:27:14.560 So I've been very fortunate to have very gracious and 0:27:15.080 --> 0:27:19.199 generous directors who were very happy to answer questions, and 0:27:19.200 --> 0:27:22.919 cinematographers and people from all departments and everybody in the 0:27:22.960 --> 0:27:25.280 crew and uh, and I love being on a set, 0:27:25.280 --> 0:27:27.320 even when I was doing background work living in Chicago, 0:27:27.440 --> 0:27:30.040 so just being on a movie set was exciting. And 0:27:30.080 --> 0:27:32.359 so as I've been able to climb that ladder, I 0:27:32.440 --> 0:27:36.640 understand the traditions of film culture and I and I 0:27:36.680 --> 0:27:39.000 still love being on a set. I still love walking 0:27:39.000 --> 0:27:42.919 on the back lots to go to meetings. Um and 0:27:42.960 --> 0:27:46.160 I just I've never lost that thrill, kept the romance alive. 0:27:46.280 --> 0:27:48.280 I really have, I really have, and I and I 0:27:48.280 --> 0:27:51.680 am very excited to be in a position where I 0:27:51.680 --> 0:27:55.520 could actually innovate and and try to keep that tradition 0:27:55.520 --> 0:27:59.520 alive and keep you know, keep production in Los Angeles 0:27:59.560 --> 0:28:02.840 and and hire those crews and and figure out a 0:28:02.840 --> 0:28:07.959 way to meld innovations and technology with the traditions of filmmaking. 0:28:09.160 --> 0:28:12.560 When you first kind of started to wait out into directing. Uh, 0:28:13.080 --> 0:28:14.679 you were working in TV. I think you did a 0:28:14.680 --> 0:28:18.879 couple of pilots. What did those early experiences do for you. 0:28:18.920 --> 0:28:20.560 What did you kind of hold on to that you 0:28:20.560 --> 0:28:22.960 still apply today. Well, I was, you know, I was. 0:28:23.840 --> 0:28:26.560 I think looking back, it's going back decades now, but 0:28:26.680 --> 0:28:28.880 on the heels of the success of Swingers, a lot 0:28:28.920 --> 0:28:31.600 of people wanted to hire me in television to write. 0:28:32.080 --> 0:28:33.920 And what I would do instead of taking a deal, 0:28:34.080 --> 0:28:36.840 I would I would write spec scripts and I would 0:28:36.960 --> 0:28:41.440 go directly to networks and and I would get them 0:28:41.480 --> 0:28:46.320 to in And since I was specing it the amount 0:28:46.360 --> 0:28:49.080 of creative input and going through the development process of 0:28:49.120 --> 0:28:53.440 pilot season, especially back then, which could have been very invasive, 0:28:53.680 --> 0:28:57.640 I was able to, um avoid that and treat it 0:28:57.680 --> 0:28:59.320 more like you were making a movie. So I would 0:28:59.360 --> 0:29:02.200 I would write pilot. I would get to film the 0:29:02.240 --> 0:29:04.640 pilot if they bought it, and always they would, you know, 0:29:04.680 --> 0:29:07.360 I would get different networks to pick it up, and 0:29:07.360 --> 0:29:09.400 and uh, you know, there's no assurance that's ever going 0:29:09.440 --> 0:29:11.120 to get to air, and and lo and behold, none 0:29:11.160 --> 0:29:13.640 of them ever did. But I did get to direct 0:29:13.680 --> 0:29:16.040 my own work. Um and it was like doing a 0:29:16.040 --> 0:29:20.040 little movie with a real budget and a real you know, 0:29:20.680 --> 0:29:24.080 back then all of it was filming here, and I 0:29:24.120 --> 0:29:25.840 got to work with the cruise and I got to, 0:29:26.240 --> 0:29:29.400 you know, walk to my set and see trailers parked 0:29:29.520 --> 0:29:31.239 and and all the thrills that I would get when 0:29:31.280 --> 0:29:33.200 I was acting in a movie. Now it was my set, 0:29:33.880 --> 0:29:35.760 and I got to do a few of them, about 0:29:35.760 --> 0:29:38.000 three of them, and none of them got picked up. 0:29:38.160 --> 0:29:40.440 And all of them, I'm sure if I look back 0:29:40.440 --> 0:29:42.040 at them now that I'm sure there was a lot 0:29:42.080 --> 0:29:45.560 of learning, a steep learning curve there. But by the 0:29:45.560 --> 0:29:47.920 time I actually did get onto a set that I 0:29:47.960 --> 0:29:50.040 was a director of, on the set of Made, I 0:29:50.120 --> 0:29:53.480 already had the experience and confidence to walk onto a set, 0:29:53.520 --> 0:29:54.920 and I feel like I was over my head. I 0:29:55.320 --> 0:30:00.360 had a lot of experience with a lower state then 0:30:00.480 --> 0:30:03.720 saying hey, this is a movie I'm putting out and 0:30:03.720 --> 0:30:05.920 and so that became my film school. I did learn 0:30:05.960 --> 0:30:09.360 because on On Deep Impact, Mimi Leader had, you know, 0:30:09.400 --> 0:30:12.600 she was being treated as as a new director, which 0:30:12.720 --> 0:30:14.960 wasn't first time. I think it was your second film, 0:30:15.000 --> 0:30:18.520 but she had been directing episodic television for many, many years, 0:30:18.520 --> 0:30:21.480 and she had sharpened her her tools, and she had 0:30:21.880 --> 0:30:25.880 tremendous chops for for for a new director because she had, 0:30:26.240 --> 0:30:29.000 you know, much like previous generation she had, she had 0:30:29.240 --> 0:30:33.120 developed her skill set uh on the small screen, so 0:30:33.160 --> 0:30:34.440 that by the time she had the big screen, she 0:30:34.480 --> 0:30:37.200 was she was ready to go. And that wasn't lost 0:30:37.240 --> 0:30:39.040 on me seeing that because she was a very experienced 0:30:39.120 --> 0:30:42.160 hand when she was directing. She was directing me. You 0:30:42.200 --> 0:30:44.400 mentioned Made, Yeah, you went off and did that next, 0:30:44.480 --> 0:30:48.080 And I love that movie so much. When Peter Falk 0:30:48.120 --> 0:30:51.000 explodes about his carpet cleaning Van, I just lose it 0:30:51.040 --> 0:30:55.040 every time. But I think, you know, when do we 0:30:55.080 --> 0:30:58.520 get like a closure to that trilogy that wants to 0:30:58.560 --> 0:31:01.760 be a trilogy? I don't know, you know, And look, 0:31:01.960 --> 0:31:04.920 it was so great. You never know what's going to 0:31:05.040 --> 0:31:07.680 lead to what. And working on Rudy with with Vince 0:31:07.840 --> 0:31:10.480 was meeting him and then coming to town and having 0:31:10.560 --> 0:31:13.680 those events and Spire Swingers and then and then working 0:31:13.720 --> 0:31:16.040 on that one and Made, and then I you know, 0:31:16.120 --> 0:31:17.600 popped into a lot of the films that he was 0:31:17.600 --> 0:31:20.479 putting together and he was producing. So we've you know, 0:31:20.760 --> 0:31:25.920 we've you know, spent our lifetime being fans of one 0:31:25.960 --> 0:31:29.800 another and uh, and like the good news and the 0:31:29.840 --> 0:31:31.560 bad news is that both of us have you know, 0:31:31.840 --> 0:31:33.880 are very busy and have a lot of opportunities, so 0:31:33.960 --> 0:31:36.240 it becomes harder to figure out at time to to 0:31:36.280 --> 0:31:39.680 get together and do that kind of thing. But you know, 0:31:39.800 --> 0:31:43.640 I'm I'm. You know, there's there's nothing like when there's 0:31:43.640 --> 0:31:47.480 a musician that you play well with, and you know, 0:31:47.560 --> 0:31:50.320 like if you see two two jazz performers who were 0:31:50.320 --> 0:31:53.320 good and there's just something about our rhythms and styles 0:31:53.360 --> 0:31:55.720 that when we get on a set together and go 0:31:55.800 --> 0:31:57.720 back and forth, it just as I enjoy it. We 0:31:57.800 --> 0:32:00.560 make each other laugh, We appreciate what he ch other does, 0:32:00.640 --> 0:32:04.200 and you know that was I kind of looked back 0:32:04.240 --> 0:32:06.280 on the days when we were we had you know, 0:32:06.800 --> 0:32:09.000 very little opportunity, and we spent a lot of time 0:32:09.000 --> 0:32:11.080 trying to figure out what to do and doing a 0:32:11.080 --> 0:32:13.880 lot of work on it. Now we're both dads, and 0:32:13.880 --> 0:32:16.239 we're both you know, living in different parts of the 0:32:16.280 --> 0:32:20.560 city and and you know, working on different projects, so 0:32:20.720 --> 0:32:23.560 it becomes harder to schedule of those little passion projects. 0:32:23.600 --> 0:32:26.520 But but I I love catching up with the guy 0:32:26.600 --> 0:32:28.640 and and cheering him on for what he's able to do. 0:32:29.760 --> 0:32:32.080 I haven't yet, but I only heard wonderful things about 0:32:32.080 --> 0:32:34.720 it and wonderful things about his performance, and I look 0:32:34.760 --> 0:32:38.640 forward to it. Um. You know, even though you're you 0:32:38.920 --> 0:32:41.800 work in these big kind of canvases lately, you still 0:32:41.800 --> 0:32:44.720 couldn't go back and do something like Chef And is 0:32:44.760 --> 0:32:47.560 that balance important to you to to still kind of 0:32:47.760 --> 0:32:51.480 stick grounded with Chef. Chef was very important for me 0:32:51.520 --> 0:32:53.640 because Chef was an opportune I didn't know if I 0:32:53.640 --> 0:32:57.080 could write and direct and be in something, if if 0:32:57.080 --> 0:32:59.080 that was more of a young man's game, if I 0:32:59.120 --> 0:33:01.960 still had it in me, because you know, you have 0:33:02.000 --> 0:33:05.000 a lot of enthusiasm and hunger when you're younger and uh, 0:33:05.080 --> 0:33:06.960 and I hadn't done that really for a long time, 0:33:07.040 --> 0:33:10.240 really since made so it's been a long time. And 0:33:10.320 --> 0:33:12.560 just to be inspired enough to write something that you 0:33:12.680 --> 0:33:15.160 felt connected to, and then to be able to enter 0:33:15.200 --> 0:33:17.320 into that chef world and work with Roy Choy the 0:33:17.360 --> 0:33:22.560 Chef who oversaw you know, the culinary aspects of that film, 0:33:22.600 --> 0:33:26.720 and to time with Coke the Cokey food truck, great 0:33:26.720 --> 0:33:31.240 guy and wonderful mentor, and then meeting all the people 0:33:31.280 --> 0:33:33.000 in the chef world. In the Chef the chefs like 0:33:33.080 --> 0:33:35.560 the movie, So now I'm part of that. I'm part 0:33:35.560 --> 0:33:38.840 of that subculture as well. When I walk in, they 0:33:38.880 --> 0:33:42.400 often treat me like as though I'm almost one of them. 0:33:42.440 --> 0:33:44.240 And a lot of dishes I don't order come to 0:33:44.280 --> 0:33:47.600 my table, and uh, they always they always roll out 0:33:47.600 --> 0:33:49.920 the right carpet for me. And I like that. I 0:33:49.960 --> 0:33:51.840 like that group And I've learned a lot about directing 0:33:51.880 --> 0:33:55.400 by working with chefs, because it's not that different. You know, 0:33:55.520 --> 0:34:00.200 you're you're you're bringing a vision that you were on 0:34:00.280 --> 0:34:03.120 a team of people to to bring to your audience 0:34:03.160 --> 0:34:06.560 or your customers, and so much of it about it 0:34:06.600 --> 0:34:10.600 is about consistency and quality control and and innovation, but 0:34:10.719 --> 0:34:15.759 ultimately it's about the end user being satisfied with what 0:34:15.800 --> 0:34:19.520 you're doing. So even if you're on a tremendous creative 0:34:19.600 --> 0:34:22.160 jag and you're having a great time coming up with stuff, 0:34:22.160 --> 0:34:25.560 if if it doesn't land on in the right way 0:34:26.120 --> 0:34:28.640 on the audience and they don't, they don't appreciate the movie, 0:34:28.840 --> 0:34:31.600 they don't get the jokes. It's a it's a it's 0:34:31.600 --> 0:34:33.719 a bit of a hollow victory. It's not a it's 0:34:33.760 --> 0:34:38.400 not the creative processes is a is inexorably connected to 0:34:38.480 --> 0:34:41.319 the way it's received from me. For me, and and 0:34:41.320 --> 0:34:43.080 and and chefs kind of feel the same way. They 0:34:43.120 --> 0:34:45.520 have strong visions, but if they if they don't finish 0:34:45.520 --> 0:34:48.240 what's on their plate, if a customer doesn't the diner 0:34:48.280 --> 0:34:52.040 doesn't like what you've done. Uh, it's it's depressing. You 0:34:52.120 --> 0:34:54.560 want them to not only you want to create something, 0:34:54.600 --> 0:34:56.360 but you want it to be received. That's that's the 0:34:56.520 --> 0:34:59.640 that's closes the full circle. And I found it interesting 0:34:59.680 --> 0:35:02.399 how how they approached that process. And I was able 0:35:02.440 --> 0:35:04.799 to take away a lot in my directing from from 0:35:04.840 --> 0:35:08.840 having that experience. Do you want to do more writing, directing, 0:35:09.040 --> 0:35:11.440 starring kind of things going forward? I would, you know, 0:35:11.760 --> 0:35:13.839 But it doesn't hit me all the time. It's not 0:35:13.920 --> 0:35:15.600 like I could, you know. I'm not prolific in the 0:35:15.640 --> 0:35:17.680 sense that I could. You know. There's always a story 0:35:17.719 --> 0:35:19.959 in my head that I think people want to see. 0:35:20.040 --> 0:35:23.799 And my life has become so specific to the age 0:35:23.840 --> 0:35:27.240 that I am. I just turned fifty and I have kids. Um, 0:35:28.600 --> 0:35:35.319 thank you good clean living. You're very kind. Uh, but um, 0:35:35.440 --> 0:35:38.640 you know, I just I would love to have that 0:35:38.800 --> 0:35:40.880 hit me. And to the point that I have a 0:35:40.920 --> 0:35:43.000 script in my head and I just want to just 0:35:43.040 --> 0:35:44.880 tear into it and write it like I did on Chef. 0:35:45.480 --> 0:35:46.880 But it's only happened to me a few times in 0:35:46.880 --> 0:35:50.399 my life and probably makes them more special then it does. 0:35:50.560 --> 0:35:53.080 It does, and you feel very grateful when it happens, 0:35:53.120 --> 0:35:54.880 because it's not like it's not like a switch you 0:35:54.920 --> 0:35:57.960 could just throw on. Now, everything I do creatively, i'm 0:35:58.080 --> 0:36:00.319 very um you know, to me, it's also of fun. 0:36:00.560 --> 0:36:02.040 If I hadn't done Chef, I don't think I could 0:36:02.080 --> 0:36:05.759 have done jungle Book because Jungle Book was two to 0:36:05.840 --> 0:36:15.160 three years of intensive, concentrated, obsessive um filmmaking and and 0:36:15.160 --> 0:36:19.200 and learning the technical aspects of it and and being 0:36:19.280 --> 0:36:22.240 part of of a of a of a huge group 0:36:22.280 --> 0:36:25.400 of people who are working together to present the singular vision. 0:36:26.040 --> 0:36:28.680 And so I was, and also working with the studio 0:36:29.440 --> 0:36:33.680 that that the property belonged to and that we're protective 0:36:33.719 --> 0:36:36.400 of of the tradition of of jungle buckets, one of 0:36:36.480 --> 0:36:38.720 their you know, you know, dates back to Walt Disney. 0:36:38.760 --> 0:36:40.600 It was his last, the last movie he was alive for. 0:36:43.800 --> 0:36:46.360 You know, I always sweated, I always I always take 0:36:46.719 --> 0:36:48.799 I think that was a valuable lesson of of of 0:36:49.040 --> 0:36:53.560 being there as as Marvel launched, which is that the 0:36:53.600 --> 0:36:56.839 fans are important and it belongs to them, and and 0:36:57.880 --> 0:36:59.560 they'll let you know what they think, and if they 0:36:59.600 --> 0:37:03.399 like it, they will, you know, they will make your 0:37:03.440 --> 0:37:07.160 film is success. And they will proselytize for the film. 0:37:07.320 --> 0:37:10.680 And if they feel that you've let them down, they'll 0:37:10.760 --> 0:37:14.279 voice their disappointment. And so that communication that goes on 0:37:14.400 --> 0:37:17.759 between the fans and the filmmakers and the studios is 0:37:17.760 --> 0:37:21.200 this is this cycle that you know, I first experienced 0:37:21.200 --> 0:37:23.359 in a real way with Comic Con as we as 0:37:23.400 --> 0:37:26.160 we premiered the footage of Iron Man, you know, about 0:37:26.200 --> 0:37:28.839 a year before it came out, and when we saw 0:37:28.920 --> 0:37:30.960 what that they liked what we were doing it, it 0:37:31.960 --> 0:37:35.359 it was like a gust of wind that you know, 0:37:35.560 --> 0:37:40.799 that that just we It just elevated us and motivated us, 0:37:40.920 --> 0:37:42.879 and we knew we were on the right path so 0:37:43.440 --> 0:37:45.680 long before the film ever premiered. We had a sense 0:37:45.719 --> 0:37:49.360 that we were hitting the note right. The casting of Robert, 0:37:49.560 --> 0:37:52.240 the way we were depicting the effects of the flight, 0:37:52.400 --> 0:37:57.400 the character, Uh, they really they really embraced us. And 0:37:57.719 --> 0:37:59.680 I had a similar experience with Jungle Book when we 0:38:00.200 --> 0:38:03.440 at twenty three the first footage, and we knew that 0:38:03.440 --> 0:38:06.000 the people were digging that we were we were paying 0:38:06.000 --> 0:38:08.320 homage to the right aspects of it. We were respectful 0:38:08.360 --> 0:38:10.560 of the material. So you want to you want to 0:38:10.760 --> 0:38:12.279 both give them what they want, but you want to 0:38:12.280 --> 0:38:15.719 surprise them too, And that's always the tricky thing. How 0:38:15.760 --> 0:38:18.960 do you how do you strike that balance when you're 0:38:18.960 --> 0:38:21.040 dealing with property that people are already familiar with and 0:38:21.040 --> 0:38:23.560 have a connection with, And the more emotional the connection is, 0:38:23.600 --> 0:38:27.879 the the you know, the more you know, the more 0:38:27.920 --> 0:38:31.239 you have to consider what what their expectations are and 0:38:31.320 --> 0:38:33.600 making sure that you're you're living up to what they 0:38:33.640 --> 0:38:35.200 hope it will be. And I'm you know, getting ready 0:38:35.200 --> 0:38:37.360 to do Lying King and that one. You know, a 0:38:37.440 --> 0:38:40.759 lot of the people who are adults now grew up 0:38:40.800 --> 0:38:43.719 with that and it's a very and my favorite animated 0:38:43.760 --> 0:38:46.440 movie ever. Actually, I think you're not alone. I think 0:38:46.440 --> 0:38:49.719 there's a lot of people who because it's a it's 0:38:49.760 --> 0:38:54.120 a very powerful, simple, well told mythic story with emotional 0:38:54.160 --> 0:38:57.560 components that deal with subject matter that movies that are 0:38:57.560 --> 0:39:00.279 geared towards kids and families don't often deal with with. 0:39:00.960 --> 0:39:04.960 You know, you're dealing with death, you're dealing with um, exile, 0:39:05.080 --> 0:39:10.240 you're dealing with you know, very deep strong family, family, 0:39:10.680 --> 0:39:15.879 the sense of family, of revenge, of injustice, and then 0:39:15.960 --> 0:39:19.320 just the whole stuff in Hamlet. It's it's it's that. Yeah, 0:39:19.400 --> 0:39:22.440 it's that and and and I think they really hit 0:39:22.520 --> 0:39:25.600 it just right. But the look and the music, of course, 0:39:25.680 --> 0:39:29.240 it's just just hearing the music just gives you goose bumps. 0:39:30.120 --> 0:39:33.040 And um, it's one of those uh situations where it 0:39:33.080 --> 0:39:36.480 all came together, the art, the story, the studio, the music, 0:39:37.400 --> 0:39:40.960 the culture. You know, everybody was ready and it just 0:39:41.080 --> 0:39:43.200 happened and it and it means a lot to people, 0:39:43.800 --> 0:39:46.799 and so can we you know, there was you know, 0:39:46.880 --> 0:39:51.319 the theater production did very well after the movie did 0:39:51.400 --> 0:39:53.400 very well, and they were not seen as two different 0:39:53.440 --> 0:39:57.560 you know, they they shared u a spirit, but they 0:39:57.600 --> 0:40:02.480 were different interpretations. And and because the story I think 0:40:02.520 --> 0:40:04.080 was so strong. And now now we'll see if we 0:40:04.120 --> 0:40:08.120 could do something that that gives it a live action feel, 0:40:08.360 --> 0:40:11.280 and if that could sit as not something that replaces 0:40:11.320 --> 0:40:13.719 either of them, but but builds upon that legacy and 0:40:13.800 --> 0:40:17.360 reinterprets it using a different medium and different set of tools. 0:40:17.480 --> 0:40:19.399 That's kind of my question, which you know, Jungle Book 0:40:19.400 --> 0:40:23.120 distinguished itself from the original, and in interesting ways, there 0:40:23.120 --> 0:40:25.000 are the ideas flowing as to how to do that 0:40:25.080 --> 0:40:27.880 online King, do you I think with Lion King, you 0:40:27.920 --> 0:40:33.759 have a much um a much tighter story, and a 0:40:33.840 --> 0:40:36.720 much more emotional story their emotional aspects to the first 0:40:36.920 --> 0:40:39.759 up to the original Jungle Book, but you also have 0:40:39.840 --> 0:40:42.879 the source material of the kipling, and live action didn't 0:40:42.960 --> 0:40:47.640 lend itself to um doing a direct transfer of that story, 0:40:47.680 --> 0:40:50.520 so we had to do some exploration while still hitting 0:40:51.040 --> 0:40:56.000 the musical and visual touchdones that people had that had 0:40:56.040 --> 0:40:58.200 been embedded in the memory from the childhoods. We wanted 0:40:58.200 --> 0:40:59.960 to honor that, but we had a lot of latitude. 0:41:00.400 --> 0:41:02.560 I think with Lyon King, you're dealing with something where 0:41:03.280 --> 0:41:05.400 people have grown up seeing it multiple times in the 0:41:05.440 --> 0:41:08.480 age of video, have felt strong connections to it and 0:41:08.520 --> 0:41:11.279 feel very protective of it. And so I think with 0:41:11.320 --> 0:41:13.040 this and and and to be honest with you, the 0:41:13.120 --> 0:41:16.279 story it feels more modern and feels like it it 0:41:16.560 --> 0:41:20.239 holds up today. The original to D animation holds up 0:41:20.760 --> 0:41:24.720 exceptionally well so and so now it's not as distant 0:41:24.719 --> 0:41:26.239 of a memory. I think it is, you know, I 0:41:26.320 --> 0:41:29.960 think years old, but it's still again, it doesn't feel 0:41:30.000 --> 0:41:32.960 like an old movie. And so you have to see 0:41:32.960 --> 0:41:34.680 what the tools have to offer, and you have to 0:41:34.760 --> 0:41:37.480 make sure that you're connecting with the audience and reminding 0:41:37.520 --> 0:41:40.040 them of everything that they love of the original, and 0:41:40.120 --> 0:41:42.200 but yet don't try to replace the original. Try to 0:41:42.239 --> 0:41:45.279 do something where it's an exploration in the technology of 0:41:45.320 --> 0:41:47.880 what it would feel like if this were actually happening 0:41:47.880 --> 0:41:50.920 in real life and live action, and that becomes the challenge. 0:41:51.400 --> 0:41:53.200 And then then the casting. It can be kind of 0:41:53.200 --> 0:41:56.279 tricky because people have their preconceived what they're expecting to hear. 0:41:56.320 --> 0:41:58.839 Share characters sound like like you want to get Belafonte 0:41:58.840 --> 0:42:02.160 in there. Maybe your thoughts are you know, I think 0:42:02.200 --> 0:42:07.040 that casting is probably the most important element of any film, 0:42:07.160 --> 0:42:09.279 especially when you're dealing with something where people have such 0:42:09.280 --> 0:42:11.239 a clear idea of who those people are from having 0:42:11.280 --> 0:42:14.040 seen other versions of it. And so we're you know, 0:42:14.080 --> 0:42:16.160 I'm in discussions with Disney now we're getting into that 0:42:16.200 --> 0:42:19.600 aspect of and I have some strong thoughts and strong 0:42:19.640 --> 0:42:22.239 ideas that unfortunately I can't really share because we haven't 0:42:22.280 --> 0:42:24.719 gone through the process yet. But I think that that's 0:42:24.760 --> 0:42:28.920 the that's kind of your first for for for the 0:42:28.920 --> 0:42:31.879 fans of the original, that's going to be the first 0:42:31.920 --> 0:42:35.359 opportunity for people to see what's the direction and tone 0:42:35.360 --> 0:42:38.000 we're going. And I'm sure everybody's gonna have a lot 0:42:38.000 --> 0:42:40.400 to say about everything, and hopefully they'll be excited by 0:42:41.840 --> 0:42:50.719 was it Robert Gillum who you're talking about? Is man? Yeah, 0:42:50.800 --> 0:42:53.400 it's just such iconic voices. Yeah, but I look for 0:42:53.680 --> 0:42:57.520 Jones was So you know, it'll be uh, it'll be interesting. 0:42:57.560 --> 0:42:59.760 And it's also interesting to see how the the the 0:43:00.080 --> 0:43:03.720 the musical, which uh, you know, took a different perspective 0:43:03.719 --> 0:43:05.200 on a lot of it, and how that how that 0:43:05.239 --> 0:43:07.920 can inform the process as well. Awesome And then and 0:43:07.920 --> 0:43:10.960 then actual you know, what what it all looks like 0:43:11.000 --> 0:43:13.440 in real life there which is you know, everything has 0:43:13.440 --> 0:43:17.000 been stylized for for the animated version of it and 0:43:17.120 --> 0:43:20.600 for the theater version of it. But with this you 0:43:20.640 --> 0:43:24.520 can really go back to a sense of of naturalism. 0:43:24.680 --> 0:43:29.879 And how could that help, uh, elevate the material as well? 0:43:30.280 --> 0:43:33.280 What could what could the most you know, these very 0:43:33.320 --> 0:43:39.480 exciting compelling technical tools do to give give you know, 0:43:39.520 --> 0:43:42.840 greater resonance to the story speaking of all the technology. 0:43:43.040 --> 0:43:45.600 I mean, I gather that you're a big tech head 0:43:45.600 --> 0:43:48.560 about this kind of stuff. Become one you're down there 0:43:48.560 --> 0:43:51.520 shooting jungle but basically in a warehouse in downtown Los Angeles. 0:43:51.560 --> 0:43:54.360 I think that blows people's minds. You know, Uh, what 0:43:54.400 --> 0:43:57.400 do you think about virtual reality? Is that just involved 0:43:57.440 --> 0:43:59.600 with that too. I'm working with a studio called weaver 0:43:59.760 --> 0:44:04.520 we It's something called Gnomes and Goblins that's available now 0:44:04.640 --> 0:44:08.560 for free on Steam um for the vibe. We had 0:44:08.640 --> 0:44:11.600 used a lot of the same tools in making Jungle Book, 0:44:12.320 --> 0:44:16.520 and to me that you know, the it's a reversal 0:44:16.600 --> 0:44:19.560 of the pipeline. Not to oversimplify things, but motion capture 0:44:19.600 --> 0:44:21.720 and virtual reality use a lot of the same tracking 0:44:21.719 --> 0:44:26.200 tools and the same basic principles. And I actually was 0:44:26.239 --> 0:44:29.560 exposed to a virtual reality through Andy Jones, who is 0:44:29.600 --> 0:44:32.799 the head of animation on Jungle Book, who had been 0:44:32.840 --> 0:44:35.320 working on a There was an experience called the Blue 0:44:35.320 --> 0:44:36.400 I don't know if you've ever seen it. You're on 0:44:36.440 --> 0:44:37.920 the deck of a ship and a big blue whale 0:44:37.920 --> 0:44:42.000 passes you buy and it's pretty overwhelming, and the technology 0:44:42.000 --> 0:44:44.640 has come so far that you're able to feel the 0:44:44.640 --> 0:44:49.320 phenomenon of of what's called presence, and it's a pretty 0:44:49.440 --> 0:44:54.440 accurate term because you really feel like you're experiencing something 0:44:54.560 --> 0:44:57.120 very real, even though you know, you know the resolution 0:44:57.200 --> 0:44:58.840 of it isn't as good as what you'd see in 0:44:58.840 --> 0:45:02.759 the movie theater, the graphic rendering is not photo real 0:45:02.920 --> 0:45:06.840 or even close to it yet. But because of the 0:45:06.920 --> 0:45:11.120 lack of latency, how effective the three D is, the 0:45:11.160 --> 0:45:17.760 sense of parallax, All these things uh contribute accurate tracking, 0:45:17.800 --> 0:45:20.680 All of this contribute to something where parts of your 0:45:20.680 --> 0:45:23.719 brain are thoroughly convinced that you are experiencing something real. 0:45:23.960 --> 0:45:27.040 And so even though you know you're wearing HMD and 0:45:27.040 --> 0:45:29.600 you're not really standing on a cliff, you're hard pressed 0:45:29.600 --> 0:45:31.839 to take that step forward to where you would fall. 0:45:32.480 --> 0:45:35.759 And so to me, it's a very powerful tool. How 0:45:35.800 --> 0:45:40.319 it's being used is still up for discovery because it's 0:45:40.320 --> 0:45:42.520 not quite a movie and it's not quite a game, 0:45:43.200 --> 0:45:46.200 and we're kind of exploring that middle ground that feels 0:45:46.239 --> 0:45:50.000 more akin to lucid dreaming. And I'm just trying to 0:45:50.040 --> 0:45:52.799 innovate things that I would want to do and see 0:45:52.840 --> 0:45:54.719 an experience I don't I don't like the stuff that's 0:45:54.719 --> 0:45:56.759 too scary, But I do love the immersion. I love 0:45:56.800 --> 0:46:00.080 the emotional connection that you could feel two characters and 0:46:00.120 --> 0:46:02.759 your environment and and and ultimately each other through it. 0:46:03.360 --> 0:46:06.000 So it's a it's a very strong technology that I 0:46:06.040 --> 0:46:07.880 don't think is going away, and I think it's it's 0:46:07.960 --> 0:46:10.839 very exciting to be part of the generation that gets 0:46:10.880 --> 0:46:15.920 to create the parameters by which the future generations, you know, 0:46:16.080 --> 0:46:20.279 innovate and tell stories through the technology. Yeah. My curiosity 0:46:20.280 --> 0:46:23.520 as if it can transcend short form, like is there 0:46:23.520 --> 0:46:26.640 really an authorship in long form in the realm of 0:46:26.680 --> 0:46:29.759 virtual reality? And I'm not sure. I think eventually, I think, Look, 0:46:29.760 --> 0:46:35.520 it's always uh, any new technology goes through a cycle 0:46:35.600 --> 0:46:38.960 of growth, and um, you know, movies were nickelodeons and 0:46:38.960 --> 0:46:42.799 they were you know, carnival attractions at first, and spectacles 0:46:42.840 --> 0:46:47.120 and people would jump out of the way of locomotives 0:46:47.120 --> 0:46:51.040 coming at the audience, and and it was it was 0:46:51.120 --> 0:46:53.560 first seen as a as a novelty and then eventually 0:46:53.600 --> 0:46:58.360 a language developed, and then it went from one reelers 0:46:58.400 --> 0:47:02.239 to two reelers to full features and everybody freaked out 0:47:02.239 --> 0:47:06.560 when the guys shot at the screen and that's part 0:47:06.560 --> 0:47:08.040 of you know, and if you think about it, you know, 0:47:08.160 --> 0:47:12.800 that's all one human ago. That's so it's a hundred 0:47:12.880 --> 0:47:16.359 years you know, century, give or take. So you know, 0:47:16.640 --> 0:47:19.120 so much has happened to change with it. And now 0:47:19.960 --> 0:47:22.080 and now there's you know, everything is overlapping with the 0:47:22.120 --> 0:47:25.479 big screen and the small screen and and and all 0:47:25.520 --> 0:47:28.840 of this stuff is traveling around to all different audiences 0:47:28.840 --> 0:47:35.799 in different markets. So it's a there's definitely uh an evolution. 0:47:35.960 --> 0:47:40.160 That's that's in the works where technology is informing storytelling 0:47:40.480 --> 0:47:43.040 and and and and honestly, I really feel that and 0:47:43.320 --> 0:47:47.279 what I learned from really learning about Walt Disney is 0:47:47.280 --> 0:47:53.320 is that it's that marriage between technology and mythic solid 0:47:53.600 --> 0:47:56.440 traditional storytelling. When you can merge those two things, you 0:47:56.520 --> 0:48:00.680 really hit a grace note that was it with films 0:48:00.719 --> 0:48:04.439 like Avatar and Star Wars. And that's when you really 0:48:04.440 --> 0:48:07.280 get it. When you have the the excitement and the 0:48:07.320 --> 0:48:11.240 spectacle of the of the new technologies that completely fool 0:48:11.320 --> 0:48:14.719 the audience um in the tradition of the magicians, and 0:48:14.760 --> 0:48:17.520 then you have these great time honored stories that are 0:48:17.520 --> 0:48:22.920 speaking to something that the mono myth, the shared um, 0:48:22.960 --> 0:48:27.799 the shared mythic stories that seems to be ingrained in us, 0:48:28.320 --> 0:48:31.480 either culturally or just in our DNA. There are certain 0:48:32.280 --> 0:48:36.360 types of stories that every culture uh sparks too, and 0:48:36.400 --> 0:48:38.680 when you can marry the two of them, it becomes 0:48:38.719 --> 0:48:42.239 a way for us to come together. And I like 0:48:42.360 --> 0:48:45.480 the idea of watching something communally in the theater. But 0:48:45.560 --> 0:48:47.440 even when people are watching things at home, there's so 0:48:47.520 --> 0:48:50.240 much discussion on social media that you know, when Stranger 0:48:50.280 --> 0:48:52.440 Things was on, everybody was talking about it becomes a 0:48:52.440 --> 0:48:54.879 cultural reference, even though you may have only been watching 0:48:54.880 --> 0:48:58.480 it with your family. So the communal opportunities of technology 0:48:58.520 --> 0:49:01.640 as it speaks to storytelling, to me, it's really uh, 0:49:01.719 --> 0:49:04.960 that's that's what what excites me. You mentioned Star Wars there. 0:49:05.000 --> 0:49:06.920 I feel like everyone keeps thinking they're gonna hear your 0:49:06.960 --> 0:49:10.359 name attached to one of these projects. Can we expect that? 0:49:10.360 --> 0:49:12.000 What I mean, what not that you would even tell 0:49:12.040 --> 0:49:14.120 me if I have? My dance card is kind of 0:49:14.120 --> 0:49:17.080 full right now. I'm a huge fan, and I you know, 0:49:17.120 --> 0:49:19.399 all the filmmakers who involved with it, I know, and 0:49:20.040 --> 0:49:23.399 I sometimes get little Sometimes they tell me a little 0:49:23.440 --> 0:49:25.319 more than they should. You probably know a lot more 0:49:25.360 --> 0:49:28.040 than I do about what's going on. I still but 0:49:28.080 --> 0:49:29.799 I still want to be a fan. I don't want 0:49:29.800 --> 0:49:32.200 to I don't want to know. I don't want to 0:49:32.239 --> 0:49:34.080 see what's happening behind the curtain. I want to be 0:49:34.160 --> 0:49:37.719 there for to experience it. And one of the nice 0:49:37.760 --> 0:49:41.000 things about being on in the audience seat, I get 0:49:41.000 --> 0:49:44.560 a front row seat. You know, I know all the people, 0:49:44.640 --> 0:49:47.600 and I'm invited to see all the screenings and things 0:49:47.680 --> 0:49:51.200 and and but that's part of what made you know. 0:49:51.280 --> 0:49:53.920 I was an usher in at the Archao Keats and 0:49:53.960 --> 0:49:57.040 flushing back when you know, Return of the Jedi was 0:49:57.080 --> 0:50:00.920 in theaters. So I still have that sense of wonder 0:50:01.000 --> 0:50:04.799 when it comes to that particular brand. And uh, I'm 0:50:04.840 --> 0:50:09.600 so excited by the casting, by the images that I've 0:50:09.640 --> 0:50:12.200 seen the trailers, and I even try not to watch 0:50:12.239 --> 0:50:15.360 the trailers, to be honest with you, because I know 0:50:15.400 --> 0:50:18.279 I'm gonna want to watch it. So why why you know? 0:50:18.400 --> 0:50:20.880 And then why why steal from that experience? It's so 0:50:21.000 --> 0:50:23.000 rare that you get the experience that that we had 0:50:23.040 --> 0:50:25.799 grown up, where you know a little bit about a 0:50:25.800 --> 0:50:27.720 movie and you see it and then it all washes 0:50:27.760 --> 0:50:31.200 over you. Now through marketing and through all of the 0:50:31.200 --> 0:50:33.799 trailers and things. If you're curious about something, you can 0:50:33.840 --> 0:50:35.799 really learn a lot about it. You never really get 0:50:35.840 --> 0:50:39.359 that unadulterated first experience of seeing something. And I try 0:50:39.400 --> 0:50:41.799 to I try to preserve that. You know, whether it's 0:50:41.800 --> 0:50:44.480 not watching, you know what's coming up next week on 0:50:44.560 --> 0:50:46.759 Game of Thrones, or if it's watching, you know a 0:50:46.800 --> 0:50:49.120 new trailer drops. But then sometimes I can't help myself, 0:50:49.120 --> 0:50:51.439 Like a Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Beast, 0:50:51.480 --> 0:50:54.279 I'm too curious about what they're doing, So I had 0:50:54.280 --> 0:50:56.920 to had to check that one out. The last thing 0:50:56.960 --> 0:50:58.600 I want to ask, and I just want to talk 0:50:58.600 --> 0:51:02.560 about Swingers end of the story. This year. I watched 0:51:02.560 --> 0:51:06.800 it again a couple of nights ago. Um, I feel 0:51:06.840 --> 0:51:12.160 like there's this subset of nineties independent cinema speaking of 0:51:12.200 --> 0:51:15.759 my generation, how we responded to it. When I saw Swingers, 0:51:16.400 --> 0:51:19.000 that was the first movie where I thought I could 0:51:19.040 --> 0:51:22.239 just straight up make a movie. Yeah, like my my 0:51:22.320 --> 0:51:26.120 story is valid and and that's what's exciting about movies 0:51:26.160 --> 0:51:28.399 like that. And I think something like Friday you could 0:51:28.480 --> 0:51:30.799 include in there, or I would say that I think 0:51:30.920 --> 0:51:34.279 I think Kevin I think Kevin Smith was was made 0:51:34.360 --> 0:51:37.480 us feel that way because clerks had been previous to that, 0:51:37.560 --> 0:51:40.320 and that was even more of an outsider story in 0:51:40.440 --> 0:51:43.560 Jersey Jersey black and White. You know, it was, you know, 0:51:43.920 --> 0:51:48.160 very inexpensive, but a voice. And that's when you kind 0:51:48.160 --> 0:51:51.400 of realized that our generation could Our voice was interesting 0:51:51.560 --> 0:51:53.160 and it was before it was making a lot of 0:51:53.239 --> 0:51:56.160 dough like that voice eventually evolved into I think more 0:51:56.160 --> 0:52:00.440 mainstream comedies. So it actually didn't do very well in 0:52:00.480 --> 0:52:03.200 the theaters. I think I made five million dollars, but 0:52:03.239 --> 0:52:04.879 we all caught up to it on VHS. But we 0:52:04.880 --> 0:52:06.239 well caught up to it, you know what I mean. 0:52:06.280 --> 0:52:08.800 And that's that was also a lesson of that moment, 0:52:08.880 --> 0:52:12.680 is that the movies that are appreciated or find an 0:52:12.719 --> 0:52:15.280 audience in the beginning, like Rudy didn't find an audience 0:52:15.320 --> 0:52:18.160 in the beginning, but everybody's seen it now and there's 0:52:18.200 --> 0:52:21.000 something about the significance of the staying power of the 0:52:21.120 --> 0:52:23.680 film and and how many times you could revisit it. 0:52:24.840 --> 0:52:28.160 And to me, that's the real thrill is when I 0:52:28.239 --> 0:52:31.160 still get here from people. Oh I broke up with 0:52:32.400 --> 0:52:35.520 my girlfriend and I was so depressed and I watched 0:52:35.520 --> 0:52:37.920 a movie and helped me get through it. Or seeing 0:52:38.040 --> 0:52:41.040 how people are like introducing their kids to elf. Every year, 0:52:41.719 --> 0:52:45.160 you know, I'll see on on on Twitter, people will 0:52:45.160 --> 0:52:47.919 post a picture there their little kid who's just old 0:52:48.000 --> 0:52:49.640 enough to watch a movie, and this is what they 0:52:49.719 --> 0:52:52.080 choose to share with their kid, and they're just beaming, 0:52:52.640 --> 0:52:55.400 and you see a photograph. And and that was always 0:52:55.400 --> 0:52:57.360 like the dream on that one. And I think that 0:52:57.440 --> 0:52:59.200 there's a sense that when you're making these things, you 0:52:59.200 --> 0:53:03.120 don't know if they're going to disappear. Certainly a lot 0:53:03.160 --> 0:53:05.879 of auteur type filmmakers are they're sitting alone in their 0:53:05.960 --> 0:53:09.919 room lonely. Certainly I was doing writing Swingers, not knowing 0:53:10.120 --> 0:53:12.200 if anybody would ever see it or it would ever 0:53:12.239 --> 0:53:18.000 get made. And how how big of a leap it 0:53:18.080 --> 0:53:21.000 is from that moment when you feel isolated and alone, 0:53:21.040 --> 0:53:27.040 and and writing is a very lonely process. Um it 0:53:27.160 --> 0:53:30.520 really comes down to, you know, unless you're working with 0:53:30.560 --> 0:53:34.520 a partner, but even then it's still it's still very isolating. 0:53:34.560 --> 0:53:38.719 You're kind of working at a vacuum, hoping that eventually 0:53:38.719 --> 0:53:40.680 everybody will see this thing. And so it goes from 0:53:41.000 --> 0:53:44.840 extreme isolation to extreme such an extreme communal experience of 0:53:45.520 --> 0:53:47.839 feeling that connection with people who are connecting to how 0:53:47.880 --> 0:53:50.680 you felt and what you're sharing, what you thought was funny, 0:53:51.360 --> 0:53:55.480 what you felt was you know, inspiring, and and having 0:53:55.560 --> 0:53:58.720 taking that emotional ride together. And I think it feels 0:53:58.719 --> 0:54:00.839 like a point of connection. So you know, if if 0:54:00.880 --> 0:54:03.200 you and I are fans of the same movie, we 0:54:03.200 --> 0:54:05.879 we feel in infinity for one another. And I think 0:54:05.880 --> 0:54:08.960 with social media now people are very um you know, 0:54:09.040 --> 0:54:11.160 part of part of their identity is what they like 0:54:11.280 --> 0:54:14.400 and what they what they choose to share and post. 0:54:15.080 --> 0:54:17.880 And and now you get to meet people that you 0:54:17.960 --> 0:54:20.360 might not live in the same town as if and 0:54:20.360 --> 0:54:23.400 if you both like playing a certain game or watching 0:54:23.400 --> 0:54:27.200 a certain movie. Now now you've developed a community that 0:54:27.280 --> 0:54:30.040 wasn't really available when I was younger. And and you know, 0:54:30.280 --> 0:54:32.839 and and if you're the guy who likes Grsese movies 0:54:32.880 --> 0:54:35.520 and I'm a guy Likescrsesean movies, we could hang out 0:54:35.520 --> 0:54:37.960 and talk about that stuff. And you know, and that 0:54:38.040 --> 0:54:41.399 was sort of capturing the beginnings of that back when 0:54:41.400 --> 0:54:43.760 we're sitting around in the diner talking about what movies 0:54:43.760 --> 0:54:46.359 were fans of. And now you could do it on 0:54:46.360 --> 0:54:50.960 on such a grand scale. And uh, and but I'm glad, 0:54:51.239 --> 0:54:53.960 I'm glad it you know, it still means something to you. 0:54:54.200 --> 0:54:56.360 And I'm glad that it's held up so long, so 0:54:56.400 --> 0:54:58.359 many years, because it felt very of the moment at 0:54:58.360 --> 0:55:01.480 the time. And I think it's it's a great story, 0:55:01.560 --> 0:55:04.960 great characters, but I think as a work of cinema too, 0:55:05.080 --> 0:55:08.840 it's kind of doesn't get its due because, you know, 0:55:08.880 --> 0:55:12.239 I just think of that final dance sequence. It's so 0:55:12.480 --> 0:55:15.600 charmingly lit, like it's a beautiful looking film. The grain 0:55:15.719 --> 0:55:19.160 and the lighting credit goes to goes to Doug Lyman, 0:55:19.680 --> 0:55:22.560 and he was a cinematographer and the cameraman and the 0:55:22.600 --> 0:55:28.960 director on that movie. It was actually which was a 0:55:29.080 --> 0:55:33.520 night stock that was thirty five millimeter that was very sensitive, um, 0:55:33.640 --> 0:55:36.080 and we were able to shoot wide open with not 0:55:36.200 --> 0:55:39.600 a lot of lighting and uh and he, you know, 0:55:39.760 --> 0:55:42.480 he was able to in a very limited amount of time. 0:55:42.480 --> 0:55:44.279 We shot that less than a month, and we were 0:55:44.360 --> 0:55:46.440 using short ends. So what you do is, you know, 0:55:46.440 --> 0:55:49.360 you could buy like a full mag, a thousand footer 0:55:49.880 --> 0:55:52.560 which would run like ten minutes, you know, and then 0:55:53.320 --> 0:55:56.360 and then and then what would happen is on a 0:55:56.400 --> 0:55:59.240 real movie, who would be using the big the big mags. 0:55:59.680 --> 0:56:02.480 They're little short ends left over and they'd wrap that 0:56:02.600 --> 0:56:04.600 up and sell it. So if we had a four 0:56:04.680 --> 0:56:07.080 hundred foot mag like a four minute minute mag, that 0:56:07.200 --> 0:56:10.280 was crazy. We were using an aton, a very noisy, 0:56:10.280 --> 0:56:13.319 little French camera that it was tiny, so you could 0:56:13.480 --> 0:56:16.160 you can put the camera places that well, now you 0:56:16.200 --> 0:56:18.840 can with with digital, but back then you were dealing 0:56:18.880 --> 0:56:20.799 with If you were dealing with that with thirty five 0:56:20.840 --> 0:56:24.360 millimeter film, you're generally dealing with a big old you know, 0:56:24.520 --> 0:56:27.160 Panavision or airy. That was you know, it was heavy 0:56:27.200 --> 0:56:30.840 and big and and blimped for sound. But he was 0:56:30.880 --> 0:56:33.359 able to do put the camera places where it felt 0:56:33.360 --> 0:56:36.560 a lot more natural, more documentary style, and uh, and 0:56:36.600 --> 0:56:38.560 we may do with what we had, and it was 0:56:38.719 --> 0:56:42.080 it was exciting and and we didn't know if anybody 0:56:42.120 --> 0:56:44.400 would like it. It wasn't accepted into the festivals we 0:56:44.440 --> 0:56:47.799 had submitted and and then eventually people bid on it 0:56:47.920 --> 0:56:50.879 and you know, the audience saw it, sparked to it. 0:56:51.680 --> 0:56:54.760 Mirramax bought it, and then then we started going to festivals. 0:56:54.800 --> 0:56:57.600 I Tell your Ride and Venice and that was a 0:56:57.640 --> 0:56:59.880 thrill to take that ride and be a part of 0:57:00.000 --> 0:57:03.560 the independent film culture and understand that and get to 0:57:04.040 --> 0:57:08.359 experience that aspect of of our tradition, which is very 0:57:08.360 --> 0:57:12.560 different from how it is now. But I've i've I've 0:57:12.560 --> 0:57:15.160 been at it long enough to have been an editing 0:57:15.239 --> 0:57:17.600 room with people cutting on a flatbed with film, and 0:57:18.680 --> 0:57:22.320 been on sets where you know, it was just everything 0:57:22.400 --> 0:57:26.640 was was analog and celluloid, and then work my way 0:57:26.640 --> 0:57:29.000 through to seeing the beginnings of the genesis and the 0:57:29.000 --> 0:57:31.360 beginnings of digital, and then and then seeing where it's 0:57:31.400 --> 0:57:34.800 going now and as you mentioned, virtual reality and the 0:57:34.920 --> 0:57:37.000 level of visual effects that we have available to us, 0:57:37.040 --> 0:57:42.320 and the this this influx of all these talented artists 0:57:42.560 --> 0:57:46.480 and animators that are being trained by working either facilities 0:57:46.520 --> 0:57:48.480 or going to school for it, coming and people from 0:57:48.480 --> 0:57:51.000 all around the world, because it takes hundreds and hundreds 0:57:51.040 --> 0:57:53.760 of artists to make a movie like Jungle Book. And 0:57:53.840 --> 0:57:59.000 to be able to work with those talented people and 0:57:59.000 --> 0:58:02.800 and figure out what combination not just of cast or 0:58:03.160 --> 0:58:06.760 department heads, but also artists and and all the support 0:58:06.920 --> 0:58:10.800 people who are both technical and artistic. It's exciting. It 0:58:10.800 --> 0:58:13.000 feels like I'm I'm part of something that's new and 0:58:13.040 --> 0:58:18.320 growing and offers all sorts of opportunities for as I 0:58:18.360 --> 0:58:21.200 said before, telling the types of stories that you weren't 0:58:21.200 --> 0:58:23.080 able to do in a convincing way not long ago. 0:58:23.560 --> 0:58:26.000 It's a fantastic career so far behind. Thank you man, 0:58:26.080 --> 0:58:30.000 and I look forward to Lion King. I'm very optimistic 0:58:30.040 --> 0:58:31.760 for that and thank you. And also I got to 0:58:31.800 --> 0:58:34.400 act in a in in a Spider Man, so that 0:58:34.480 --> 0:58:37.480 was that was a blast too. So I get to do. 0:58:37.680 --> 0:58:41.800 You know, I'm very fortunate it, you know, I'm I'm 0:58:41.840 --> 0:58:45.600 so grateful to be able to still go to other 0:58:45.600 --> 0:58:47.600 people's sets and play and sit in my chair and 0:58:47.680 --> 0:58:50.960 eCraft service and do a couple of funny takes and 0:58:51.000 --> 0:58:53.000 work with people that I like working with, and so 0:58:53.280 --> 0:58:55.640 it's really been. It's it's it's so nice to be 0:58:55.680 --> 0:59:00.560 able to have that variety. There we go, but I'm bumped. 0:59:00.640 --> 0:59:03.120 There we go. On that note, thank you sir again 0:59:03.160 --> 0:59:05.280 for coming on the show. Really a prech and good 0:59:05.360 --> 0:59:07.400 luck going for talking and thanks listening to your podcast. 0:59:07.800 --> 0:59:10.720 Thanks man, you know it's been going great. Keep up 0:59:10.720 --> 0:59:18.240 a good work. Thanks for listening everyone. Remember to subscribe 0:59:18.240 --> 0:59:20.280 and check back next week when I'll be talking defenses 0:59:20.320 --> 0:59:36.800 Star Viola Davis. You've been listening to playback at Variety