‘Somebody I Used to Know’ Interview: Director Dave Franco

Premiering on Prime Video starting February tenth is the brand new romantic comedy ‘Somebody I Used to Know,’ which was written by actors Dave Franco (‘The Disaster Artist’) and Alison Brie (‘Promising Young Woman’), and directed by Franco.

The movie stars Brie as Ally, a workaholic who returns house to go to her mom (‘Airplane!’s Julie Hagerty) the identical weekend that her ex, Sean (‘Top Gun: Maverick’s Jay Ellis) is getting married to his younger fiancé Cassidy (‘The Flash’s Kiersey Clemons). Ally is shortly thrown into the marriage festivities because the videographer, however actually plans to wreck the marriage so she will get Sean again.

The film additionally options supporting performances from 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 not too long ago had the pleasure of talking with director Dave Franco about his work on ‘Somebody I Used to Know,’ growing the concept for the screenplay, directing his spouse Alison Brie, and placing collectively his crew and the remainder of the forged.

Moviefone: To start with, are you able to speak about creating the story for the movie and writing the screenplay with Alison, and did you to proceed to write down together with her and alter dialogue when you had been capturing?

Dave Franco: The story took place whereas we had been strolling by my hometown of Palo Alto. I believe being in that setting, these concepts of going house, and reconnecting together with your roots, and eager about who you was in comparison with who you are actually, all of that simply grew to become what the script ended up being. Then, by way of how a lot the dialogue modified over time, it is at all times altering.

One factor I love to do is earlier than we begin filming, I meet up with all of the actors, and we mainly undergo every scene, and I ask them, “Are there any lines of dialogue or even any single words that don’t feel natural to you? Let’s change that now, let’s put it in your voice so that by the time we’re on set, we’re hitting the ground running, we’re not figuring all that stuff out.”

It finally ends up being this factor the place, I believe on each motion pictures I’ve directed, I’m going over the script 1,000,000 instances, after which on daily basis earlier than no matter scene is coming, I have a look at that scene once more. You simply see it in a brand new gentle, and most of the time, I’m like, that is overwritten. We need not say all this. Let’s chop it again. So it is extra about pairing every part again.

MF: Can you speak concerning the crew you place collectively for this challenge, and what was it like so that you can work together with your cinematographer to compose pictures on set and work together with your editor within the reducing room to assemble the movie?

DF: The greatest. I surrounded myself with individuals who I’m a fan of, and simply having that collaboration with these individuals was unbelievable. My DP, Brian Lannin, shoots that present ‘Dave.’ I do not know should you’ve seen that, nevertheless it’s one in all my favorites as a result of they do actually laborious comedy, nevertheless it’s additionally stunning. The visuals are gorgeous, and I believed he’d be the right man for this.

With this one, it was type of inherent to some romantic comedies. There’s lots of scenes the place it is simply two individuals speaking, and the problem was how can we make that thrilling? How can we make that participating visually? He’s simply received such an attractive eye, and the setting itself did lots of the heavy lifting too. We shot within the Pacific Northwest, and any route you level the digicam, it is gorgeous.

Then, within the edit, my editor Ernie Gilbert, I like him to demise. What can I say? It’s only a wholesome forwards and backwards the place clearly I’ve very particular concepts of how I need issues to play out, however I belief him a lot, and he would are available in with concepts, and new issues that I might by no means consider. Anyway, this can be a good distance of claiming I’m so collaborative. It’s my favourite factor to do, particularly when I’m surrounded by people who find themselves simply so proficient.

MF: Finally, there are lots of actors within the film that you simply and Alison have labored with previously, and some that you haven’t. Can you speak about placing collectively the forged and having a possibility to work with your pals?

DF: It’s the very best for a lot of causes. When you are surrounded by individuals that you simply really feel comfy with, you’re feeling extra prepared to take dangers understanding that nobody’s going to guage you. When I’m placing collectively the workforce, in fact, I need people who find themselves proficient, nevertheless it’s simply as essential to me that everybody is very nice and hardworking. When you are surrounded by that sort of particular person, it simply makes it simple, man. It’s like, I need not micromanage anybody.

Everyone’s there to work, everybody’s excited, and it is this good household surroundings. As an actor, I’ve been on a pair units that aren’t that means. It’s a bizarre vibe. I made a vow to myself that when I’ve management on any set that I’m on, I’m going to be sure that clearly, let’s do good work, however let’s even have an excellent time. We’re away from our family and friends for months at a time, it ought to be value it. Let’s look again, and keep in mind the expertise itself too.