They can’t all be “Headless Body in Topless Bar”.
During today’s delightful press junket for George Clooney’s Leatherheads (due April 4th!), I had the opportunity to pester Mr. John Krasinski regarding his upcoming road comedy with Sam Mendes (costarring Maya Rudolph, and written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida). Happily, he obliged with what I believe to be truthful answers. He also talked a little bit about his directorial debut, an adaptation of David Foster Wallace’s Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. What’s up with the delay (it began shooting back in November of 2006), and will we see it soon? Read on, why donchya…
Q: John, this Sam Mendes project that you’re involved with–
John Krasinski: I know. One of these days I’m going to work with a good director.
Q: It’s supposed to be a comedy, and it’s written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. I’m curious about the tone of the film. It seems like one of those things that could head in either a satirical or whimsical direction.
Krasinski: It’s exactly both of those things. There’s a little darker undercurrent to it, as far as a Little Miss Sunshine tonally. But as far as where the version of America takes place, it’s quite simply a story about two people who don’t feel like they belong anywhere. And when they get pregnant, they decide to go all around the country and visit friends, and wherever feels like home, [that’s] where they’re going to stay the rest of their lives. I think that’s a sentiment that’s sort of a fairy tale and really nice: I think we all would like to belong somewhere. So in that seemingly simple arc, it’s just plenty of opportunity to bring in Dave Eggers’ and Vendela [Vida’] words., which are incredibly smart and incredibly well-written. The interactions between all the characters are going to be really fun to do.
Q: What’s it called?
Krasinski: It’s called Untitled as of now. Untitled Sam Mendes Project. Which I really like. It sounds like it would bring in a lot of people.
Q: What’s happening with the movie you directed, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men?
Krasinski: It’s still in the editing process. Unfortunately, I had to chop up the editing process because of [Leatherheads] and this pesky show [The Office]. We’re still figuring out what’s going to happen with that, but hopefully we’ll be hitting the film festival circuit soon.
At the end of the interview, I asked Krasinski if he’s shown any of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men to Wallace. He hasn’t. In fact, Wallace has insinuated that he may never see the movie; he just gave Krasinski his blessing, and that was that. Interesting. I hear James Patterson is the same way.