Joining forces like Hulk Hogan and Mr. T from the first Wrestlemania, Collider and IESB.net have teamed up to interview Kyle Newman. In case you are thinking to yourself, who is Kyle Newman? He is the director of the soon to be released Fanboys and the currently-in-development remake of Revenge of the Nerds.Before getting to the interview, let me explain how this all happened. Robert from IESB and I have known each other for awhile now, and when the opportunity came up to interview Kyle, we realized this would be the perfect place to start working together on some interviews. That doesn’t mean that every interview will be a tag-team event like this one what it means is that when we can work together we will. Unlike some websites that hate linking to other sites, or working together to make it easier on the reader, both Collider and IESB do not have that problem. Hopefully both of our audiences will appreciate the sharing of information and energy.Now, back to the reason why we are here. Nerds and Fanboys.

Last week Robert and I got to sit down with Kyle and we spoke about everything. We started talking about Star Wars, as that is the bond we all share. Kyle went on about collecting: what are his favorite toys, what he loves about the movies, we even got him to tell us what are his favorite collectibles (the Master Replicas FX sabers). During this part of the interview Kyle came across as someone who truly loves the Star Wars movies, someone who never got corrupted by his maturation into adulthood, or thinking that Lucas somehow fucked it all up. However, what really got me was his knowledge of the films and the toys. He knows about the variations of Snaggletooth, and how the toys back in ’95 looked like they were all on steroids. He is a die-hard Star Wars fan who got to make a film about Star Wars. Truthfully, I can’t think of anyone better suited to capture what it would be like back in 1998/99, right before Episode 1 came out. I guess I have to backtrack for a moment.The film I am talking about is the brilliantly titled Fanboys, which is about friendship and growing up. Fanboys is being made like a film from back in the 80’s, like The Goonies. The difference is Star Wars is the glue that joins everything together, not pirates and gold. In Fanboys, four friends attempt to drive across the country to try and honor their dying friend’s request, which is to see Star Wars Episode One at Skywalker Ranch. Now, you read that and think the film is all about Star Wars, but it isn’t. After hearing Kyle speak about the film, I know what he is trying to do, or I should say what he is trying to capture. You remember back in the mid 90’s, before the prequels came out? Back then, if you were in your late teens or in your twenties, Star Wars was this thing that was really cool, and with a lot of people, something that you all shared and grew up with. This was a time when merchandise was not on every store shelf, when you had to really look hard to find a t-shirt or toy that had Star Wars on it. If you were a fan of the trilogy, you almost felt like it was your duty to keep the flame alive for others to come back to.Fanboys is about friendship, growing up, and that time in your life when you start to understand what life is all about. When the film comes out, every Star Wars fan will be happy to see references they know and love. But I also think if Kyle does it right, the film will remind us all about growing up and what really is important, friendship and family.Once we covered all of our Fanboys questions, we moved onto a movie that was just announced. Kyle has just been signed as the director of the remake of Revenge of the Nerds. I think the biggest thing that Robert and I wanted to know was what is the difference between a nerd then and a nerd now? Kyle actually answered the question before we could ask, and his answer showed me he has a great handle on how to tackle this remake. He went on to say that a nerd is someone who takes it too far, who doesn’t know where to draw the line. Kyle understands that people who used to be called nerds are now cool. He referenced Adrian Brody’s Seth on The O.C., who only a few short years ago would have been called a nerd like it was a bad thing, but now he is cool and gets the girl. Kyle also answered the big question: yes, we will see Lamda Lamda Lamda in the remake.

While he was willing to talk to us about Nerds, it is so early in the process of getting the film together that he had no casting news to share, and he couldn’t answer if any of the original cast might make an appearance. The truth is, if any of the original cast were to show up, I would think he might want to throw that in as a surprise and not ruin it so far out before filming. Once he wraps up Fanboys, I am sure we will get him to talk Nerds again, especially once the final draft of the script is done. The most important thing is he seems to have a handle on how to do a remake of Revenge of the Nerds, so I am glad he got the gig.The one thing that really came across through the almost fifty minutes of conversation was his love of movies, Star Wars, and the 1980’s. I now understand why he was able to get Fanboys off the ground after years and years in development hell, and how he could also land the Nerds job before Fanboys is even done. When you watch the interview, his enthusiasm for movies really does shine through and I think you will enjoy hearing him speak.Once again, a big thank you to Kyle Newman for sitting down with us to answer some questions.

The interview is in six parts. The first three parts which deal with Kyle’s love of Star Wars, collecting, and part of Fanboys are being hosted by IESB.net and you can view them by clicking here.The second three parts are here on Collider. On our videos Kyle continues talking about Star Wars, casting Fanboys, and the last part is all about his remake of Revenge of the Nerds. Hope you enjoy it.

Part 4 Windows QuicktimePart 5Windows QuicktimePart 6 – Revenge of the NerdsWindowsQuicktime