Written by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub

 

Movie studios are a funny thing. Sometimes they offer the online community almost nothing in terms of interviews and advance screenings for their upcoming projects. Other times, they make their production almost transparent – meaning you get to visit the set, interview all the people involved, and they get you really excited to write about the production.

 

If you’re thinking it all depends on the quality of the movie…trust me, it doesn’t. I’ve been offered amazing interview opportunities for the worst movies ever made, and when I want to land an interview for some Oscar film, I’m turned down. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I still haven’t figured out why certain things happen.

 

But for the most part, getting advance interviews or an early look at footage usually means one thing…the film is going to be really good. The studios know when they have a winner, and that’s when they really ramp up the promotional machine.

 

Which leads us to the next DreamWorks animated movie “Monsters vs. Aliens”. Since before last year’s Comic-Con, the studio has been pushing this film aggressively. As you might remember, I got to see a bunch of footage from the movie and interview Jeffrey Katzenberg last July. Back then, what I saw from the film looked fantastic, and I left the presentation feeling like the studio was sitting on a massive hit.

 

Recently it’s come out the studio will be airing the first 3D commercial for the movie during this year’s “Super Bowl”. As you all know, those commercials are quite expensive, and you only do it if you are extremely confident in your film.

 

So you may be asking yourself, what is “Monsters vs. Aliens” about? The first thing you should do is watch this trailer.

 

 

As you can see, the premise is the government has locked up all the various monsters that have been on our planet and hidden them away. But after an alien invader arrives to try and take over the government is forced to release the monsters to protect our planet. Think 1950’s sci-fi in modern day. Oh, I’ve left out the best part…the President is played by Stephen Colbert!

Anyway…enough of my intro…let’s get to the reason you’re here.

Before Chirstmas I was invited to a long lead junket for “Monsters vs. Aliens”. While there I got to participate in roundtable interviews with most of the cast and the interview below is with Will Arnett. In the movie, Will plays one of the monsters called The Missing Link.

During our interview Will spoke of making the movie, what’s up with the “Arrested Development” movie, what’s up with the “Space Invaders” movie, and Mitch Horowitz’s next show called “Sit Down Shut Up”. If you haven’t heard of it yet, it’s an animated show that takes place in a High School and it’s from the perspective of the teachers.

As always, you can either read the transcript below or listen to the audio by clicking here. Finally, if you want to read my interview with Rainn Wilson or Kiefer Sutherland just click on their names.

Question: You're obviously very important and we want to know a lot about you.

Will Arnett:  Enough said.

But, I have to ask about your better half.  What's going on? 

Will:  What's going on?

Maybe being a father?

Will:  Yes.  Has it changed me?  (reaches for his cell phone)  Hold on.  I have to take this.  How ya doing?  Oh nothing.  Yeah, it's a good time.  Nah, just chillin'.  (laughs, puts the phone away)  Yeah, it's made me a much more compassionate person. 

In just the last two weeks? 

Will:  Yeah, in two weeks.  The transformation is alarming. 

I guess I'll ask a “Monsters vs. Aliens” question.

Will:  Yes.

What originally attracted you to the project?  How did you get it pitched to you? 

Will:  MvA?

MvA.

Will:  Imagine if you will, Summer '06.  I'm just chillin'.  No.  I forget exactly how it first came about.  I went in and met with Rob Letterman and all the directors and we started talking.  He started talking to me about this movie and explained the concept, and I'd kind of known him a little bit before.  It just seemed like a really funny idea.  Something that hadn't been done before, that kind of lampooned the whole genre of B movies and B monster movies specifically.  And obviously this whole aspect of this being in 3D which was this really exciting new notion.  I just sort of said, yeah.  Yeah.  Yes please. 

When they told you you were going to be playing the “missing link”, were you insulted?

Will:  They said, look, we've got this part.  It is perfect for you.  We can't think of anybody else to play it.  I said, let me guess.  He's a Nobel laureate/supermodel.  And they said, no, he's an idiot half fish, half ape.  So how do you think I took that news?  Not well!  I destroyed my hotel room, which, $8000 later I was cool about.  But no, there is like that whole thing.  Actually, I joke about it, but it's like, see if you can do this thing.  This guy's a total moron.  Ok.  Great!  I do enjoy cocky and stupid.  The intersection of cocky and stupid.  I've found that it's a good place. 

When you first started, did you think it was a little lbit ike the “Creature from the Black Lagoon”?  Because that's kind of what I thought.

Will:  Um, no.  Cause that creature is trademarked.  So I cannot think that.  Look.  I don't want to have to lawyer up here.  Ok?  (laughs)

Is the creature anything like yourself?  Because Rainn (Wilson) said he saw a little of himself.

Will:  He definitely looks like Rainn, Galaxhar did.  I'm with him on that 150%.  Me, no way!  Well, yeah.  There are certain main characteristics that you're watching, like, are they borrowing that from me?  That's not me, right?  But yeah, when you actually started seeing sequences happening, there are similarities that you see, the way he moves and stuff that he does, you're like, yeah yeah.  I recognize that jackass.  Hey, is that a mirror?  No that's a movie screen. 

I know you're a big fan of video games...

Will:  Yes.

We've talked about “Call of Duty” before.  I hear that there's a “Monsters vs. Aliens” game in the works from Activision.  Would you play as yourself?

Will:  Would I play it?

As your own character?

Will:  In the “Monsters vs. Aliens” video game?

Yeah. 

Will:  I did!  I don't know. Is that a secret?

Not anymore.  Is it good?

Will:  We're not taping this, right?

You've done a tremendous amount of voice over work.

Will:  Thank you.  I took that as a compliment, by the way.  Thank you.  “That wasn't a compliment, by the way.”  Thank you. 

How did all the voice over work that you did in the past prepare you to do this movie?  And was it a lot different than your previous experiences?

Will:  I had done a little bit of animated voice over work before.  Going back 15 years, I've done a lot of voice over work, specifically for commercials, and that's how I made the bulk of my living.  How I kept the lights turned on for many years.  So it did prepare me in that I do understand the relationship and the dynamic of working in a recording studio.  There's kind of a learning curve there and I did have a good understanding of how it works.  Understanding breath management or whatever it is, and all that kind of thing.  Speeding things up or needing to, to kind of adjust or modulate the way you're doing something in order to meet some sort of technical requirements.  “Okay, we need it to be a little bit quicker, and a little bit shorter, really kind of burst it out, and don't pop your p's”, you know.  That kind of stuff.   That's all part of my lexicon, which is that I used to lend my voice to all sorts of products.  And every day I'd just be going from studio to studio, recording studios.

I'm going to switch subjects a little bit.  Recently it's come out that the “Arrested Development” movie is going to happen. 

Will:  Yes.

Thank you Jeffery Tambour and a few other people for confirming that.

Will:  Yes.

How excited are you to go back to that universe and has Mitch called you and said the same thing to you that he said to everybody else?

Will:  I don't know what he said to everybody else.  I can't confirm or deny any of it.  And I'm speaking to my attorneys obviously on a daily basis.  No.  Yeah, we've talked about it.  This is something that we've talked about for a while.  I know it's something Mitch wants to do, and it is something that we are going to do.  And as far as I know I've been told that we're doing it.  I've been working with Mitch on an animated show for FOX.  It's premiering in April.  That's on the FOX network.  It's called, “Sit Down, Shut Up”.  So we've spent a lot of time together over the last six months and Mitch and I are working on pitching a new show, a new live-action show.

Whenever you do a press junket, I'm sure people have been asking you, “Arrested Development”, “Arrested Development”.  Is it nice to be like, yes, it's finally going to happen?

Will:  It is.  It's always like, you'll believe it when you see it.  But yeah, we're doing the movie.  So it is nice to be able to say we're doing it, barring some sort of disaster.

Did you have a chance to work with any other actors in the booth at all?  Anyone in the room with you or no?

Will:  No.  Not really. 

Is that Ok with you or is it harder for you?

Will:  To be honest, it's the best. 

Really?

Will:  Yeah.  Even when I'm shooting a live action movie, I tell people, look.  Just go ahead and tape your headshot to a C stand and take the day off.  Let me just shoot off my coverage, because that's gonna be the best for me.  Thanks.  No. It's all about me. (laughs)  It is a weird experience, actually.  Because you sometimes feel like you're doing it into a vacuum.  They'll have people come in and read with you sometimes if you need it.  Especially for scenes that require more back and forth, or one of the directors might pick up some of the other lines to kind of give you that, establish a bit of rhythm.

Did you learn something about animation while filming the movie?

Will:  Well, it takes a long time.  It's a very long, slow process.  And also I've been able to kind of appreciate the 3D quality of the film.  It's something that I didn't know anything about.  And I've just been absolutely blown away by the technology.  It's just amazing. 

Is there anything different that you did for the 3D while you were filming the movie or was it all done later?

Will:  I just have to add a little, at the end of my sentence, just add a little echo.  Echo, cho, cho.  Just to kind of make it more real.  (laughs)

You have a movie coming out, or at least it looks like it, called “Space Invaders”, a space station love story?

Will:  That's something we were trying to get hopping around over at FOX, and, I don't know if they're having a tough time getting it made.  I don't really know what the deal is.  But it's a really fun script and that was something that we were going to do.  So, I don't know. 

So according to the always accurate IMDB, you are attached to about 18 projects.  What's the real schedule?  What are you coming up with in the next 18 months?

Will:  Um, are you familiar with the company Jack Daniels? 

Oh I am, yeah.

Will:  I'm going to be hanging out with them a lot.  No, (laughs) I'm not entirely sure.  I have a few things that I'm thinking about doing and I've been working on this...I made an agreement with FOX, to the network, to develop a show so we've been working on that.  That's what I've been working on with Mitch Horowitz, so we've been kind of working on that. 

Are you thinking about a pilot in February, March, April?

Will:  Yes.  That's what we're gunning for. 

And you mentioned “Sit Down Shut Up”.  Can you talk a little bit about what you're doing on that show?  And what the show's about for people who aren't familiar.

Will:  Well, it's really shrouded in mystery.  I've just always wanted to say that.  It's going to be less shrouded in anything.  It's a really funny idea.  It's a show about a bunch of, you know, a show about high school, but it's from the perspective of the teachers.  People who are pretty much, who would  seem to be ill-equipped to be teachers.  They have a lot of problems, and they're not necessarily the most mature people.  And they're kind of untethered.   But it's a really fun show and we're getting a great cast.  Jason is doing it, Henry Winkler and Will Forte and Kristin Chenowith is doing it.  And Nick Krull and Cheri O'Teri, and just a really fun group of people. 

Do you play a teacher in it?  How far along is the show?  Have you shot your first season?

Will:  We haven't finished all 13.  We have a couple more to do.

And you play one of the teachers?

Will:  I do, sorry.  Yes.  My character's name is Innis Hofftard.  And he is, as you might imagine, a genius. 

What material has becoming a parent offered you? 

Will:  None yet really, to be honest...I'm sure they'll be opportunity.  Look, this child is going to be in our lives for the next 11 years, so...