From director Kay Cannon, the outrageously funny comedy Blockers shows the hilarity that can ensue when three parents (played by Leslie Mann, John Cena and Ike Barinholtz) discover their daughters (played by Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan and Gideon Adlon) have a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. Determined to do whatever it takes to keep that from happening, the well-meaning trio will stop at nothing, even if that includes car chases, butt-chugging contests and party crashing, to ensure that these three smart, determined and empowered young women don’t make a decision that they’ll regret.
At the film’s Los Angeles press junket, Collider got the opportunity to sit down with Kathryn Newton and chat 1-on-1 about the appeal of Blockers, why she enjoyed the environment that director Kay Cannon created, bonding with her co-stars, all of the laughs on set, the toughest scene to get through, and her own prom experience. She also talked about why she’s so excited to be a part of the Pokemon movie Detective Pikachu, what she’s learned from being a part of The CW series Supernatural, and being a part of HBO’s Big Little Lies.
Collider: When you signed onto this, did you have any idea exactly what you’d be getting yourself into, especially with the physical comedy side of it?
KATHRYN NEWTON: Definitely! I was on a CBS sitcom for three years, called Gary Unmarried, and we filmed in front of a live audience, so I was like, “Oh, I know how to ride the wave and know when something’s funny.” I’ve never done a movie like this before. The way that Kay [Cannon], our director, set this environment where you could do whatever you wanted, there was no fear. I really trusted her and Leslie [Mann] and my two girls, Geraldine [Viswanathan] and Gideon [Adlon]. They asked us to let go and just fly, and we made stuff up. We did a lot of improv, and then they were shooting us lines, on the day. Things changed a lot. I’ve never worked that way before, and now I’d love to continue working that way. It was just a really fun way to do it. It kept it fresh and we just laughed a lot.
When did you realize that chemistry was there? Did you get to spend some time together, ahead of time?
NEWTON: The moment I met Leslie Mann, we both started crying in my audition. We were both bawling and I was like, “This going to be great!” I love her so much. It took awhile to find the two girls, and I didn’t meet them. The day before filming, we were all staying in the same hotel and I finally got to meet Gideon and Geraldine, and it clicked. We were like, “This is going to be great!,” and it was. We were immediately friends, and we’re still friends. We talk so much. They’re probably two of my closest friends. I’m really lucky. I did a really fun movie, and I got two really good friends out of it.
When you do movie like this, is there a lot of laughing and fun on set?
NEWTON: Oh, my goodness, Geraldine made me cry, laughing. There were so many laughs and so many fun things. We just said the wildest things. We broke a lot. Leslie made me break like crazy, and she never laughs. She didn’t break. I would be crying, on the other side of the camera, and she’d just be in it, so focused. It takes so much focus not to laugh. It was outrageous!
Was there a specific day or scene that was toughest to get through?
NEWTON: Yeah, the vomit scene, which was a night shoot. Once you get to four or five in the morning, even if you’re having a sleep-over with your best friends, you forget how to speak, at that hour. When you’re filming and doing something as ridiculous as throwing up, I could not keep it together. I was just dying of laughter. One of my favorite scenes to shoot, though, was actually the scene where we made the sex pact. It was a very important scene because it set the tone for what it was going to be like, but you also learned, immediately, who these characters are. I broke a lot because they were throwing all these lines out and it was the first day, and we were getting to know how it was going to be to film, with all of the alts and keeping it fresh. There was a lot of laughter on that day.
Have you ever gotten yourself in trouble with leaving a computer or something open, and somebody found the conversation you were having, like your character does?
NEWTON: It’s definitely happened to me, for sure. My mom will be on my phone, pretending she’s looking at pictures, but she’s reading a conversation. It’s not bad, or anything, but she does that. I think that’s a very relatable thing that happens to a lot of kids, at least once. It happens with friends, where someone sees a text message. That happens, all the time. You can’t really hide anything. You’ve just gotta let it all out there.
What was your own prom experience like?
NEWTON: I had one anti-prom. I asked the guy I liked to go to prom, and then all of my friends were like, “Nope. We’re anti-prom. We don’t wanna go!” And I was like, “But, I really wanna go!” I wanted to go, so bad. You have no idea. I asked the guy I liked to prom, but he didn’t really want to go, either. But, I did finally have my perfect prom experience. I went with my best friend, and then he took me to his. I had such a great time, just going with my friends. If you have a boyfriend, like Julie has a boyfriend, that’s probably even cooler. Everyone has their own experience at prom. That’s what’s so cool about the movie. All these girls have this idea of what it should be, and then the coolest thing about it is that they all do what’s right for themselves. Julie has a boyfriend, and she’s in love with him and ready to have sex because that’s what she wants. She’s really clear on what she wants, and she doesn’t feel bad about it. My favorite part of this movie is that these are three really great leading roles for girls my age, that I’ve never seen before. I really wish I saw this movie when I was in high school because I probably wouldn’t have gone to the anti-prom. I probably would have said, “No, I want to go to prom, and I’m going to have my perfect night!” Instead, I went with the flow and didn’t have a great time. So, whoever is reading this, you should do what you want to, on prom night.
You’re also the female lead in the Pokemon movie Detective Pikachu, which sounds like so much fun.
NEWTON: It’s insane!
When that idea was brought to you, did it seem a bit strange?
NEWTON: Yes, 100%. When you get a movie that says Pokemon, you’re like, “What?! What is this?!” And then, I read the sides and I was like, “I need to do this! This role is unbelievable!” She’s the coolest girl. She’s such a great character. She’s just really strong and funny and unapologetic, and I’m really lucky. It’s amazing! I’m going back to London tonight (this interview took place on March 21st), to continue filming.
Had you been familiar with Pokemon, before this movie?
NEWTON: Of course! What’s really cool is that, the other day, the actual illustrator of Pokemon came to the set and I showed him my drawings. Pokemon got me into anime, which got me into drawing, and I love sketching my friends. It’s cartoon-y, but it started from Pokemon. So, I got to talk to the guy who created Pikachu and I was showing him my stupid fashion illustrations, and he was like, “Yeah, nice.” It was really awesome! I was there, with a legend. And now I’m in a Pokemon movie. I mean, what?! It’s really cool! I really can’t say anything about it.
I also really love your work in Supernatural and I loved the “Wayward Sisters” episode.
NEWTON: Thanks! That means so much. They really took a chance, and people really loved it. I love Claire so much, and for that episode, in particular, they gave me a lot. It was a really fun experience. That character is really bad-ass. She made me feel bad-ass because I’m not. I’m such a poodle, and Claire Novak would step on poodles, so it’s very different for me. That’s not to say I’m not Claire. I’m still trying to figure myself out, and I’m trying to start my own independence, and I’m always trying to get rid of the bad guys.
Have you heard whether a spin-off series might actually happen?
NEWTON: I don’t know. I really don’t know. You have no control over those things, but I’ve had a lot of fun. Supernatural has really shown me what a fan base can do, and the power of a family like that. I’m really grateful to be a part of that family. I’m 21 now. I was on the show and they called and said, “We want to do a series with Claire,” and I was like, “What?!” It didn’t hit me for a really long time. And then, we got some really cool new characters and they’re really nice girls. They all want to do a good job. It’s been really fun. And on a side note, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are the nicest people in the world. They showed me what it means to be a star. They give me so much love and they have no ego. That set is one of the nicest sets to work on because of them. That’s why the show has been on so long and that’s why it’s such a success. I’ve really learned a lot from them. I’m really grateful to have been on that show.
And then, you got to go do Big Little Lies, which became a sensation. What was it like to see the reaction to that?
NEWTON: You do a project like Big Little Lies, and then people start loving it and you’re like, “Yes!” And then, people start giving awards to it and you’re like, “Thank you!” It’s more than we could have ever dreamed.
Did you realize pretty quickly that you took to comedy well?
NEWTON: Comedy is so exciting because you can’t have any fear. You can’t think about it too much. It’s just very real. I learned a lot when I was on a sitcom because I was working with Jay Moore. I was 12, and he would go off script and it’d be like, “Oh, my god, I need to say my line. Why is he just talking to me?” I didn’t understand the concept. Working with Kay Cannon and Ike [Barinholtz] and John [Cena], I immediately understood what it was about. And (producers) Seth [Rogen] and Evan [Goldberg] were on set. There were ten writers behind the camera, every day, throwing out lines. It just made me want to do another comedy. It’s really fun to make a fool of yourself. You can just go all out. I was so happy when I saw the movie and was like, “This is good!”
Blockers opens in theaters on April 6th.
