They say, “Never work with children or animals,” but director Josh Greenbaum clearly has no problem with the latter. For its sequel Barb and Star go to Vista del Mar, Greenbaum mistook this Morgan Freeman crab and seagulls in the sand for dogs. a lot of dogs, especially stray dogs who are on a mission to, uh, bite some guy’s dick.
As evidenced by its R-rated trailer, stroll It’s not exactly your classic talking dog movie. And that gave Greenbaum some leg up when he first got the script. “I was going to read it with a little trepidation,” says Greenbaum. “I felt like I knew what all the lines were going to be.” But it turns out that he has the wrong tree, because Dan Perrault (American hooligan) the script was not at all what I expected. “I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t a parody. It really worked on its own, although there were some moments where we paid comical homage to the great dog movies that speak to our youth.
At home This however is not the case. Of all the bumps and swear words and this is funny puppet, stroll looks destined to become they dog movies that talk about this generation, and Empire he had a chance to harass Greenbaum in the craziest moments of this movie preview.
Game time

Will Ferrell’s dog, Reggie, loves the sun and butterflies, but most of all he loves his master Doug (Will Forte). The problem is, Reggie’s owner doesn’t feel the same way. in fact, the only game they play together is not as fondly known as “catch and fuck.” (The rules: Doug throws the ball far, far. When Reggie brings the ball back, Doug says, “Fuck.”) As all that blue talk makes clear, this was intended as an R-rated comedy from the start. There’s never been a version where we were like, ‘Could this be PG 13?’” Greenbaum said. “That would be very, very difficult to achieve.” stroll However, it’s not just R-rated for the sake of it. “I don’t like R-rated movies that rely solely on their R rating. It’s always a balancing act,” says Greenbaum. “You want a variety of comedy, so obviously the trailer gives you some flavor, but it’s the red sash trailer, so we’ve given you a good dose.” Damn yeah!
puppy love

It’s not just his tongue that’s blue: When Reggie realizes that Doug really doesn’t like him (and probably never did), the poor dog is horrified. It is this emotional hook that drives stroll, which is also why Greenbaum said yes to directing in the first place. “Although it’s a funny and outrageous comedy, it’s really about relationships, and particularly harmful or toxic relationships, how we deal with them and how our friends help us through them,” he says. As in the best comedies, the laughs are there to convey something ever deeper beyond the class jokes. “You come in just for a laugh and then you’re amazed at how emotionally invested and moved you are by the story. That’s really what sealed the deal,” says the director. and a heart, which I always look for in my work.”
a hard day

Dogs are loyal, but you can only poke one for so long before it bites you, on the dick, no less. This is Reggie’s latest plan. The secret weapon so it doesn’t sound mean after all? The voice of Will Ferrell, who Greenbaum previously worked with as a producer tongue and star – and his captivating portrayal of the character. Ferrell was “immediately the best” to voice Reggie, says Greenbaum. “Will plays this beautiful, kind, naive and optimistic character very well. He comes from such a real place and I think it’s partly because he’s kind of Will. He has an incredible, warm, upbeat and positive energy. But he can also bring a lot of depth and vulnerability to his performance. You love him instantly and that’s just what I wanted in Reggie.” Good boy!
foxx and the dogs

Reggie won’t be alone in his revenge mission: Isla Fisher and Randall Park are on board to voice members of a pack of dogs, which also includes Jamie Foxx. Ferrell and Foxx have “great chemistry as human beings AND dogs,” Greenbaum says, which is why he encouraged them to improvise dialogue together in the recording booth, rather than sending one at a time. I breathe the dialogue, so it all feels very real,” Greenbaum recalls. “And then you get that gold from these guys having so much fun together.”
However, bringing the dogs together on screen was a little more difficult. “I said at the beginning that I would like to do it with real dogs and not animate them too much. I thought the comedy would be high if they felt and looked real enough. Of course, CG still came into play at times, especially when the dogs had to deliver their lines. “We couldn’t get the dogs to talk,” laughs Greenbaum, “but what I’m proud of is that, aside from the dog’s mouth moving, when you watch the movie they look like real dogs.” . When you get into CG, you really don’t notice it and it excites me.
the hot dogs

Dogs love to whip things up. Stuffed toys, fire hydrants, your leg, whatever. Sweet and naïve Reggie is still new to this adult lifestyle, until his fellow travelers decide to help their new friend get back on his feet. “It was the second day of shooting,” Greenbaum reveals, “and I think my team was like, ‘What are we doing? »”
While it looks perfect on screen, getting the canine team together on set was actually “the biggest challenge of the movie,” says Greenbaum. “These dogs are incredibly intelligent and can walk from point A to point B to point C, jump on a table, spin around, bark, catch a ball and do it all in one fell swoop. But now add a second dog here. A third dog is going to come here now, and a fourth dog…now you’re just asking for a mess. leaning heavily into the cracks, where the frame is split without him noticing,” she explains. “We would just do that dog’s performance, then the middle dog’s performance and so on, so you can mix the scenes together. We did a lot of VFX stuff that didn’t always involve CGI or a talking dog, but it helped with the production. this is this is how you bring a fest of bumps to life on screen.
let them rip

That’s the million dollar question: will it be stroll, a film about a dog who wants to bite his master’s cock, actually depicts a dog biting his master’s cock? Greenbaum plays his cards close to his chest, but still expects carnage. “I put all my energy into making sure the climax of our film was the biggest, most epic version of anything we’ve done,” he jokes. “I am happy to report that we have received unwavering applause for all our teasers, laughs and shocks. We knew we had to deliver something unique and special at the peak. I think and hope we’ve gotten there, but it’s definitely the most important moment in the film. Or maybe the smallest one, if Doug is successful.
Help

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the stroll The trailer concludes with a very different journey for Reggie and the gang. “Dogs need to eat,” says Greenbaum. “They have trouble finding food and eat mushrooms which are obviously accidentally hallucinogenic.” Psychedelic trips are the course stop in comedy films of this size, but what about a bunch of balls tripping dogs? The results include animation, a truly awful sock puppet, and dogs with human hands, which coincidentally belong to Greenbaum himself. “I had to take off my wedding ring because it kept shooting, and then I was like, ‘Oh, Hunter wouldn’t get married,’” he laughs. “We stopped to think if we should write a joke about it: ‘Am I married?’”
like him stroll trailer suggests, Greenbaum isn’t slowing down after the cult reception for tongue and star – if anything, it becomes even stranger and bigger than before. “I always try to bring a theatrical experience to the film. I want people to go see it in the theater and have a laugh with 300 people,” he says. “I think we still need more than that.” Another thing you learned while making the movie? A new best friend: Greenbaum adopted Reggie’s dog after filming. ‘Will Ferrell now lives with me in puppy form. in my house,’ he jokes. Whatever you do, don’t give up…
Strays hits UK cinemas from 9 June.
Source: EmpireOnline

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.