An interesting story that BJ Novak likes to tell from the production of his new movie is about the day he thought he had a stroke. Are you laughing already?
At the beginning of 2020, writers, comedians, Graduates of “The Office” I finally got a green light “revenge,” A dark comedy set in a small town in Texas. At that time, he thought he was blunting his speech, so he called his colleague and asked if he was aware of it.
As Novak remembered, “I was, did you hear that? And he said, I do. And I called the doctor and went to MRI the next morning, and they Said you’re okay, and I realized I was scared to make this movie. “
Like many of the humor that appeals to Novak, the symptom was completely psychosomatic, but the interesting part of this story is the point of view. You can rest assured that you can laugh at it when you know someone who says it’s no longer dangerous.
This is a frequent theme in “Vengeance” that blends some of the nasty cleansing comedies famous for “The Office” with the knowledgeable and cynical sharpness that never flies in the corridors of Dander Mifflin.
The film, which will be released on Friday, debuted as a screenwriter and screenwriter by Novak, starring as New York’s confident writer Ben Manarowitz. Ben was there hoping to turn her story into a hit podcast when he learned that a casually (very casually) dating woman had died in a vague situation in her hometown of Texas. Travel
Ben arrives with selfish motivation and stereotypical redness values, but becomes obsessed with a family of dead women (played by Boyd Holbrook, J. Smith Cameron, Isabella Amara, Dove Cameron, etc.). increase. His research also leads him to a keen record producer (Ashton Kutcher) who has an ominous influence on the town.
For Novak, “vengeance” is an ambitious attempt to get out of his sitcom comfort zone and see if he can achieve it as a leader like Albert Brooks. As he said about his acting resume, which played a small role in “Inglourious Basterds” and other films, “I’m a very reaction shot guy. I’ve become a point of view character. there is not.”
“Revenge” was also one of the few original comedies to be released in theaters, and it required a level of commitment that Novak hadn’t expected.
“I really felt like a madman around the corner,” he said. “I’m going to star in this movie, and it’s both a comedy, a thriller, and a love story, but it’s also how technology does this for us. I I really thought I was a nut, but I continued. “
One afternoon in June, Novak relaxed on a hotel patio in downtown Manhattan and performed “vengeance” at the Tribeca Film Festival. For the first time in a few months, Novak said: I really like it. “
Novak, who turns 43 on July 31, has a friendly, effortless and humorous look. He describes his life as a transplant in the Boston area, where he currently lives in Los Angeles, saying: Or I haven’t seen you in a while. “
But there is intensity that colors all his anecdotes about “vengeance,” a central premise he has been kicking around for years.
“We live in split times without quotes because we are fully in communication on our timeline,” he said. “It was from my experience dating a rather shallow person who didn’t really know what he was losing until it was too late.”
Novak said, “Every year it has become a more talked-about movie. I didn’t intend it.”
Novak said he made a research trip to Texas cities such as Abilene and Pecos between 2015 and 2018 to dispel misunderstandings about some of the countries he thought were unwelcome.
“I thought these giant guys with beards and pickup trucks would be very suspicious of the guys in the Blue States of Hollywood, and I found the exact opposite,” he said. “It’s the warmest culture I’ve ever found. I went to Easter dinner, and people showed me the poems they wrote.”
Novak has returned from the trip with the intention of taking the lead, with the foundation of what will be “vengeance.” “I wrote the role so that I couldn’t cast it with anyone but me,” he said. “You know, superficial, somehow, with a possible hidden heart.”
The film can be equally bitter to the satirical treatment of sneaky urbanites and devout rural people, but Novak says the script for “Revenge” is working in the “office.” He said he benefited from the lessons learned from.
In particular, Sitcom has given us the confidence to throw away the best jokes if we don’t feel real or do long-term damage to the character. If you play emotional moments honestly, Later, the laughter will be more satisfying. “
That said, Novak also had to realize that it was okay to portray his “vengeance” character with some positive attributes. The villain who supports it.
At the show, Novak said: We were all allergic to it in the writer’s room. “
The “Revenge” cast now includes Issa Rae, who podcast producer Ben wants to impress. John Mayer, a singer-songwriter who plays one of Ben’s self-centered New York friends.Katcher who previously hired Novak As an accomplice to the camera of his MTV prank series “Punk’d”.
Katcher said he was particularly impressed with the long monologue provided by his character. It’s about people who seem less concerned about their lives than the digital records they left behind.
“The relentless nature of human behavior and the relentless nature of dopamine hitting by posting interesting, cool, and interesting moments shows that his theory benefits,” says Katcher. ..
Katcher also said he allowed Novak to have a mustache and play his character. “I just saw him have a mustache. I don’t know why,” Katcher said.
However, as the production progressed, Novak became more and more anxious about having to carry the film as the main character, causing a panic attack. It was at this time that he contacted Mayer about what Novak described as “handsome coaching.”
Meyer is Novak’s longtime friend and dates back to the “office.” (In an email, Mayer explained that he allowed it. Show using his song In return for the Dundee Award, “Your body is a wonderland.” )
Meyer said he couldn’t remember all the suggestions he had made to Novak, one of which was to quit alcohol before starting the shoot. “First and foremost, you have to get rid of your drinking,” Mayer said. “I know people are frustrated just to hear something like that, but that’s true.”
He continued. “I think I mentioned getting the right haircut, the basics, but how sweet it is to ask BJ what advice he can give before shooting. Is it vulnerable? “
A few weeks after the shoot, production was interrupted for months due to a pandemic. From time to time, Novak found himself managing the film work and the FX of Hulu’s anthology series, The Premise.
“I shot the FX show and then went back to shooting’Revenge’,” he began to say, and then corrected himself. “No, I was editing Revenge while writing. It was a mess, and I had Covid.”
“It took me extra time because I had a bad brain for a few weeks and I didn’t write and edit well,” he said. “Both weren’t working at different times because they weren’t balanced. I thought I could.”
Currently, “Revenge” arrives at the theater following the blockbusters “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jurassic World Dominion,” and “Thor: Love and Thunder.” Released directly to the streaming platform.
Jason Blum, CEO of Blumhouse, one of the companies that produced “Vengeance,” said the film should have been easy to receive streaming releases.
“I can’t say we didn’t think about it during the pandemic,” he said. “We have considered all possible retailers so far.”
However, according to Bloom, his company has been successful in writer-directed films that blend comedy and thriller genres, such as Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” and “vengeance” is a similar path. I was hoping to find one.
“This movie is exactly the kind of movie people want to see,” Blum said. “Hopefully, it will pave the way for other original films to be shown in theaters, as well as films based on existing intellectual property.”
For Novak, theatrical release is an opportunity to show “vengeance” to the same people he wants to capture and to determine if they appreciate how he portrayed them.
“I really want Texas people to like it,” he said. “I wanted to make this Texans favorite movie. I also put Whataburger in it. I remember seeing it. Dunkin Donuts from “Good Will Hunting”. As a Bostonian, you felt that way. “
