Opening this week is director Rawson Marshall Thurber’s (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) R-rated comedy We’re the Millers.  The film centers on a single, small-time pot dealer (Jason Sudeikis) who ends up in debt to his supplier (Ed Helms).  In order to bring the next shipment of drugs up from Mexico, he puts together a fake family comprised of his stripper neighbor (Jennifer Aniston), an eager teen (Will Poulter) and a streetwise punk (Emma Roberts).  The supporting cast also includes the hilarious Nick Offerman and Kathryn Hahn.  For more on the film, watch seven clips or read Matt’s review.

At the New York City press day, I landed an extended video interview with Marshall Thurber.  He talked about balancing the gross, raunchy material with a lot of heart, the casting process, what he learned from working for screenwriter John August, whether there will be an extended cut on Blu-ray, deleted scenes, the test screening process, future projects, what happened with the Magnum P.I. movie, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch.

were-the-millers-poster

Rawson Marshall Thurber:

  • :18 – Balancing the gross, raunchy material with a lot of heart.
  • 2:04 – The difficulty of casting the young male role, Kenny, played in the film by Will Poulter.  Says Poulter brought a sweetness to the character that wasn’t there originally.
  • 3:05 – What did he learn from working for screenwriter John August?  Talks about his apprenticeship with August.
  • 4:40 – His advice for aspiring screenwriters that he gained from working with August.  Says write what you love, not what you know, and don’t write to sell something.
  • 5:59 – Talks about the length of his first assembly cut of We’re the Millers and the process of editing the film.
  • 7:32 – Will an unrated or extended cut be on the Blu-ray?
  • 8:17 – Was there anything that went too far or jokes that were too gross that didn’t make the film?
  • 9:07 – What he learned from his test screenings.
  • 11:17 – Creative freedom and the involvement of the studios.
  • 13:03 – Casting the supporting roles, specifically Nick Offerman. Says the only time he saw Sudeikis break was in a scene with Kathryn Hahn.
  • 14:59 – Talks about getting the actors’ permission to put outtakes at the end of the film.
  • 16:35 – Deleted scenes.  Says they have around 10 minutes of deleted footage that should be on the Blu-ray.
  • 17:18 – Scripts that he’s written that he wants to get made.  Says he wrote a script for a Magnum P.I. movie that he really wants to make that’s funny but closer in tone to Beverly Hills Cop.  “No mustaches, no short shorts, no cameos,” were his rules in writing that script.
  • 19:32 – Talks about hoping We’re the Millers opens and the draw of Jennifer Aniston.
  • 20:53 – Future projects.  Says there’s nothing he’s writing presently, but he’s working on a couple of things on television and has some stuff bubbling up at studios.  He’s hoping to do another studio comedy soon.