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It’s a time honored comedic formula – an eccentric-but-kind-hearted misfit attempts to ingratiate himself into a conservative family, much to the chagrin of an unwavering father. Look no further than Meet the Parents or What About Bob? or even Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Bryan Cranston and James Franco step into this well-worn comedic template in Why Him?, Franco (cast to type) as the lovable loon and Cranston as the crotchety ‘adult’. The duo has an easy-going repartee, somewhat at odds with the conventions of the genre. In Meet the Parents and What about Bob?, there are times when it honestly seems like Robert De Niro & Richard Dreyfuss may just murder their annoying co-stars; but in Why Him?, you can sense deep down Cranston & Franco really do actually like one another. It gives the film a warmer and softer edge than its more caustic predecessors.

In the following interview with James Franco and Bryan Cranston, they discuss how their characters changed when they joined the film, looking back to particular comedic archetypes and the rehearsal process. In addition, James Franco briefly touched upon how he was cast in the upcoming Alien: Covenant. For the full interview, watch below.

Here’s the official synopsis for Why Him?:

Over the holidays, Ned (Bryan Cranston), an overprotective but loving dad and his family visit his daughter at Stanford, where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend, Laird (James Franco). The straight-laced Ned thinks Laird, who has absolutely no filter, is a wildly inappropriate match for his daughter. The one-sided rivalry-and Ned’s panic level-escalate when he finds himself increasingly out of step in the glamorous high-tech hub, and learns that Laird is about to pop the question.