Opening this weekend is director Alex Kurtzman’s (co-writer of Star Trek and Cowboys & Aliens) feature debut, People Like Us.  Inspired by true events from his own life, the film follows Sam (Chris Pine), a debt-ridden salesman who learns that his father has suddenly died, leaving behind a secret 30-year-old daughter (Elizabeth Banks) and a sizable amount of money meant for her.  As he struggles with the decision of whether or not to share the money, he forges a relationship with his unsuspecting sister and her young son.  For more on the film, here’s eight clips and my video interview with Michelle Pfeiffer (she plays Pine’s mother).

At the recent Los Angeles press day, I was able to speak with Pine and Banks.  We talked about making the film, how the studios have moved away from making talking dramas, t-shirts, video games, how they prepare for their roles, and the sequels to Wet Hot American Summer and Star Trek.  Hit the jump to watch.

In the hilarious new comedy Wanderlust, over-extended and over-stressed Manhattanites George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) leave their over-priced micro-loft in the West Village and stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by very colorful, sexually adventurous characters. While the couple embraces a refreshingly different way of looking at things, they begin to question how they should live the rest of their lives.

At the film’s press day, Collider spoke to director/producer/co-writer David Wain, in both a roundtable and a 1-on-1 interview, about how the idea for this film started, the collaborative process he has with Ken Marino, what made Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston the right pair for these roles, why he wanted Judd Apatow to produce the film, strategically placing the genitalia to make it most effective, how much the story changed from first draft to final draft, and “The Bizarro Cut” that you can expect on the DVD. He also talked about juggling multiple projects in various stages of development, working on a sequel for Wet Hot American Summer, and having just directed an episode of the Fox comedy series New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

If you’ve never seen David Wain’s (Role Models) absolutely ridiculous comedy Wet Hot American Summer, your life is incomplete. In addition to being absurdly hilarious, the 2001 film features an all-star cast of comedy greats, many of them on the cusp of stardom at the time of the film’s release: Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks, Janeane Garafalo, David Hyde Pearce, Michael Ian Black, Molly Shannon, Christopher Meloni, Joe Lo Truglio, Judah Friedlander, Michael Showalter and yes, Bradley Cooper. The film wasn’t a huge hit, but has gained a cult status over the years, so much so that director Wain has been mulling over an equally absurd prequel/sequel. Appearing on The Q&A Podcast (via The Playlist), Wain offered an update on the follow-up:

“The prequel would be the same summer so they would be 20 years old for the part yeah, but not younger. So it would be 40 year olds playing 16 year olds. And yeah, we’re in the early stages of thinking about that.”

While this idea of 40 year-olds playing 16 year-olds has been floating around for a few years, it’s reassuring to know that those involved are still thinking about the sequel. While it sounds like a bit of a logistical nightmare to get the entire main cast back together, it would most definitely be worth it. And now that Meloni’s out of a job, he can reprise the greatest character he’s ever played, ever.