The new romantic comedy “Somebody I Used to Know” premieres on Prime Video on Feb. 10, written by actors Dave Franco (“The Disaster Artist”) and Alison Brie (“Promising Young Woman”) and directed by Franco.
The film stars Brie as Ally, a workaholic who returns home for a stopover at her mother’s (Julie Hagerty from ‘Airplane!’) house on the same weekend that her ex, Sean (Maverick’s Top Gun: Jay Ellis) marries his young fiancée. Cassidy. (‘Kiersey Clemons from The Flash’). Ally is temporarily involved in the wedding festivities as a videographer, but plans to ruin the wedding so she can get Sean back.
The film also stars Haley Joel Osment (‘The Sixth Sense’), Danny Pudi (‘Community’), Zoe Chao (‘The Afterparty’), Sam Richardson (‘Hocus Pocus 2’) and Amy Sedaris (‘Puss in Boots’).
Moviefone recently had the excitement of talking to director Dave Franco about his paintings on “Somebody I Used to Know,” coming up with the concept of the script, directing his wife Alison Brie, and reuniting him and the rest of the cast.
Dave Franco co-wrote and directed Prime Video’s “Somebody I Used to Know. “
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Franco, Alison Brie, Jay Ellis, and Kiersey Clemons.
Moviefone: For starters, can you talk to Alison about creating the film’s story and writing the script?Did you continue to write with her and replace the filming of debates?
Dave Franco: The story happened while we were walking through my hometown of Palo Alto. I think being in that context, the concepts of coming home, reconnecting with your roots, and thinking about who you were rather than who you are now, all of that have become what ended up being the script. Second, in terms of the evolution of the discussion over time, it’s constantly changing.
One thing I like to do is before I start filming, I meet with all the actors, go through the scene, and ask them, “Are there any lines of discussion or even words that don’t sound natural to you?Let’s replace that now, let’s put it in your voice so that during the time we’re on set, we’re in operation, we don’t perceive all of this. “
It ends up being something where, I think, in the two videos that I’ve directed, I bypass the script a million times, and then every day before the next scene, I look at that scene again. You just see it in a new light, and more than anything, I think it’s crushed. We don’t want to say all that. So it’s more about putting each and every element back together.
(From left to right) Alison Brie and director Dave Franco at Prime Video’s premiere of “Somebody I Used to Know. “
MF: Can you tell us about the team you assembled for this project and what it was like for you to work with your cinematographer to compose the shots on set and work with your editor in the editing room to combine the film?
DF: The best. I surrounded myself with other people that I’m a fan of and this collaboration with them was amazing. My cinematographer, Brian Lannin, is filming this “Dave” show. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s one of my favorites because they do difficult comedies, but it’s also beautiful. The pictures are amazing and I thought he would be the best one for it.
With this one, it’s something inherent in some romantic comedies. There are a lot of scenes where there’s just two other people talking, and the challenge is how do you make that exciting?How can we make this visually appealing? It looks lovely and the décor itself did the heavy lifting too. We shoot in the Pacific Northwest and no matter which direction you point the camera, it’s awesome.
Then, in the editing, my editor Ernie Gilbert, I love him to death. What can I say? It’s just a healthy exchange in which I obviously have very explicit concepts about how I need things to go, but I accept as many things as true with him, and he would come up with new concepts and things that I would never think about. It’s a long way of saying that I’m very collaborative. It’s my favorite thing to do, especially when I’m surrounded by such talented people.
(From left to right) Alison Brie and Danny Pudi in Prime Video’s “Somebody I Used to Know,” directed by Dave Franco.
MF: Finally, there are a lot of actors in the film that you and Alison have worked with in the past, and some that you haven’t worked with. Can you talk about how to combine the cast and the opportunity to work with your friends?friends?
DF: It’s the most productive for several reasons. When you’re surrounded by others you’re comfortable with, you feel more willing to take risks knowing that no one will judge you. When I put together the team, of course, I want other talented people, but for me it’s equally vital that everyone is kind and hardworking. When you’re surrounded by that kind of person, everything gets easier, man. It’s like I don’t want to micromanage anyone.
Everyone is there to work, everyone is enthusiastic, and the atmosphere is great. As an actor, I’ve been on some shoots that didn’t go that way. It’s a weird vibe. I promised myself that when I have a set that I’m on, I’ll clearly make sure I’m doing a good job, but we’ll also have a good time. We are far from our friends and our circle. of family members for months, it’s worth it. Let’s step back and don’t forget the delight itself as well.
Alison Brie in Prime Video’s “Somebody I Used to Know,” directed by Dave Franco.
Someone I Met “The Past Will Reveal All”59R1 h minFebruary 10, 2023View Someone I Met Online