A few days ago I attended the Get Him to the Greek press day and in the coming days I'll have full interviews with the cast and writer-director Nicholas Stoller.  But for now, I wanted to get what Russell Brand said about some of his future projects as I was working on the transcript and realized he talked about a project that isn't on IMDb.  The project is called Bad Father and according to Brand, "I’m making a film that Adam Sandler’s producing where I play a con-man posing as a priest called Bad Father, set in the south, which is here in the states, that I’ve got to make next year."

He also talked a lot about Arthur which starts filming this July with Helen Mirren playing his nanny.  While talking about Arthur, Brand acknowledges that attitudes towards alcohol have changed since the first Arthur was released.  More after the jump:

During the very funny interview (I'll have the audio online with the full transcript), Brand talked about how busy he's been and how he recently wrote another book and has a few projects getting ready to come out (Hop, Despicable Me, The Tempest).  And regarding Arthur, I don't think his remake is going to stray too far from the original Dudley Moore film as he said Arthur is about wish fulfillment and he's still playing a drunk billionaire.

Here's what he said about his future projects during the roundtable interview.  Check back for the full transcript soon:

Question:  I’m curious, with the success you’re having right now is there a lot of debate, for you, what is my next project or what is my next choice because it might impact the success I’m having? Or are you sort of like I’m going to stick with my gut with…because it’s been working?

Brand: Yes, I did the latter  because I know what I’m doing next, I’m starting Arthur in July. The Dudley Moore movie, you know, like that billionaire guy got married for money or choose love/fairy tale. So I’m playing Arthur. I’m up for that. And that ‘s starts in July. I’m doing it with Helen Mirren. She’s got an Oscar already, so she must be brilliant. That’s the way I see it.  So like that’ll be good I think. So I’m doing that. I’ve read another book. It's 85,000 words.  It’s boring writing on your own. Finished it and that’s coming out soon as well. So that’ll be happening and I’ve got loads of things I’ve already shot. This thing where I’m the Easter Bunny called Hop. That comes out next year. I’ve got another thing called Despicable Me or Evil Me or something. I’m in that and that’s coming out. The Tempest which I’ve done with Helen Mirren, that’s already been shot and coming out. The I’m making a film that Adam Sandler’s producing where I play a con-man posing as a priest called Bad Father, set in the south, which is here in the states, that I’ve got to make next year. So I’ve got all sorts of different things. I can’t really do stand up though because of the autonomy in the control and the authenticity it affords you. So things are all right as long as nothing goes wrong. I hope I haven’t jinxed it.

How much are you taking from the first movie or are you guys doing your own path?

Brand: Very much our own path. I mean as demonstrated by the decision to have the butler as a female/nanny played by Helen Mirren. So that’s already a distinction. We’ve taken some of the best lines from the script, but even that I’ll go…hmm it’s dodgy doing that. Like there’s some just such amazing lines in it that…what’s that….oh how did you end up being a prostitute? My mom died when I was 6 and my father shot himself when I was 12.  So you had 6 relatively good years? I wanted to keep that. What can I say? But like I…so the spirit of it like you know Dudley Moore he’s sort of innocent isn’t he? So you’ve got to have that innocent vulnerability. That’s got to be maintained and the sort of sadness of somebody that’s a drunk or whatever. And the optimism, the affability and all that. Keep all those things. But it’s sort of different because it’s a different time and look what’s happening economically and all these things. A billionaire. Wish fulfillment and he can do anything. He’s got so much money. I like that sort of stuff.

Well, it’s funny because Arthur came out right at the end when you could be a cute, funny drunk.

Brand: Yeah, exactly. You can’t. It’s serious.

You can’t be a cute, funny drunk anymore. Now it’s like everybody has to change now. You have to learn at the end of the movie and really go….so are you going to have to do that or are you going to still be a cute, funny drunk?

Brand: Yes, no. You can’t be, as you have correctly observed, attitudes towards alcohol have changed now. Now being a drunk is…hey he’s a loveable party guy! I think he’s dead! it’s really sad that someone is drinking. So there has to be sort of a more sophisticated approach to the problems of alcoholism to which I’m actually sensitive as a person in recovery. But I don’t want to lose the fun. I like when also in Arthur was it like you’re the guy with all the money, right? Yeah. What’s it like? It’s brilliant. I don’t want to lose that. Like you don’t want to lose that. But like yes, you have to be a little more responsible. Particularly because like studios and things are big conglomerates and that if they’re responsible you can’t have people around pacing around spreading the wrong message. Everyone’s got to remain conditioned citizens at all cost, but for God’s sake don’t think.

I imagine there’ll be a really different sort of feel to the movie because in the original, now that you have a really attractive older woman as your nanny, that’s probably a different…

Brand: Yes, it’s a very different dynamic isn’t it? Because that’s the thing about Helen Mirren is she’s a powerfully sexual animal even into like a part of her life where that would not be typical. What I’d like is for her to give me a bath and I’m planning for that to be in the script. You know when you find some women, I don’t know how it works with homosexuality, but with me, what it is is I want women like older to sort of look after me a bit, but then it goes a bit sexual. First it was “come on, I’m really hungry”. Get in the bath. Oh you silly boy. Just wash it properly.  And then it gets all sexy. That’s what I want.

That sounds artistically valid.

Brand: I think that should be in the movie!

Get Him to the Greek movie image Jonah Hill, Russell Brand slice