- Title: USA: Alien road trip film "Paul" premieres in Los Angeles
- Date: 15th March 2011
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 14, 2011) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) RED CARPET AT GRAUMAN'S CHINESE THEATRE ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD AND TILT-UP TO THEATRE MARQUEE WITH "PAUL" PAN OF MEDIA PREPARING FOR RED CARPET ARRIVALS TILT-DOWN FROM THEATRE MARQUEE WITH "PAUL" TO MEDIA PREPARING FOR RED CARPET ARRIVALS SETH ROGEN POSING FOR PHOTOS KRISTEN WIIG POSING FOR PHOTOS SETH ROGEN AND KRISTEN WIIG POSING FOR PHOTOS TOGETHER SIMON PEGG AND NICK FROST POSING FOR PHOTOS TOGETHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) NICK FROST WHAT INSPIRED THE MAKING OF "PAUL," SAYING: "Simon and I wrote it, and we'd had this idea for quite awhile, and it kind of started as a problem we'd had in a garden while shooting 'Shaun of the Dead' when it rained a lot. And our producer kind of said 'Wouldn't it be great to shoot a film somewhere where it didn't rain?' And then, you know, we laughed and thought about the desert. And that became Nevada, which became Area 51, and then it wasn't a big jump that these two guys then met an alien." JANE LYNCH POSING FOR PHOTOS SIMON TALKING TO REPORTERS AND PULL WIDE TO BLYTHE DANNER AND JANE LYNCH TALKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SIMON PEGG ON WHY AUDIENCES WILL ENJOY THE FILM, SAYING: "I think, basically it's just a, it's a good adventure. It's very funny. And it's got a wonderful character in the center of it in Paul played by Seth Rogen, who voices this incredible special effect. And you just--he looks so real it's weird. And it's got a lot of heart. And it's a lot of fun. It's a great Saturday night movie, you know. It's a, if you want to come to the cinema for 100 minutes and laugh your head off and leave feeling very happy, than this is the film for you." BLYTHE DANNER HUGGING NICK FROST AND SIMON PEGG (SOUNDBITE) (English) NICK FROST ON CHOOSING THE CAST MEMBERS, SAYING: "We're fairly controlling when it comes to this kind of stuff. And, you know, Greg knew these guys as well. And we wanted to kind of work with people who we have loved watching for years. And who we knew were the best actors and comedians that America had to offer, you know." BILL HADER POSING FOR PHOTOS JANE LYNCH TALKING TO A REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) JANE LYNCH ON WHY THE FILM INTERESTED HER, SAYING: "Well, I think there's just the whole sci-fi element. I think a lot of people do believe--and it would be naive to think I believe that we're the only beings in this infinite universe. And they care kind of motivated by that discovery. And, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are hilarious guys. And they've already got a following. So I think it should probably do pretty well." BLYTHE DANNER TALKING TO MEDIA BILL HADER AND DIRECTOR GREG MOTTOLA TALKING TO REPORTERS ON RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) BILL HADER TALKING ABOUT HOW BRITISH HUMOUR INSPIRED HIS CAREER, SAYING: "Yeah. Monty Python's my favorite thing ever. That's like why I wanted to do comedy is Monty Python. So, they set the bar." BLYTHE DANNER AND JEFFREY TAMBOR POSING TOGETHER FOR PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BLYTHE DANNER ON WHY SHE LIKES BRITISH HUMOUR, SAYING: "The Brits seem to have this lightness, where we go into dark places with our humour. And even though there's lots of F-words and stuff, it's still, they just have a light heart. They're so funny. And I never, ever saw anybody down." "PAUL" MOVIE POSTER CAST PHOTO WITH NICK FROST, BILL HADER, JASON BATEMAN, SIMON PEGG (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEFFREY TAMBOR ON HIS CHARACTER IN THE FILM, SAYING: "He's an ass. Flat out. He is mean, he's mean to the boys. And he's mean to the boys. And he's mean to the boys. And did I say he was an ass? He's an ass. Why are bald men always asses? Why don't they pick guys with hair to be asses? You know, that's true. They're always a principal, or they're an ass. That's true. Or a lawyer. Or a judge." CAST TALKING ON RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) BILL HADER ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAKING A FILM AND DOING LIVE SKETCH COMEDY ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, SAYING: "Yeah, you have a chance to like, play around with it a little bit. But you do in the rehearsal process on SNL. It's just that everything's kind of just shorter, and you're kind or rewriting it up until the point we go out. That's why people are always like 'I can tell you guys are reading cue cards.' I'm like, 'That's because it's being rewritten five minutes--three minutes before you go out and do it. So it's like you got to read the cue cards. Sometimes you're reading the stuff for the first time on air, you know. So." WIDE SHOT OF CAST TALKING TO REPORTERS ON RED CARPET
- Embargoed: 30th March 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa, Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA1EZ9HL2DUD68GSUOMRCQP6H84
- Story Text: A fast-talking alien takes center stage in the new comedy "Paul," starring the British comedy duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
Frost said he and Pegg were initially inspired to pen the screenplay because they were tired of wet weather.
"Simon and I wrote it, and we'd had this idea for quite awhile, and it kind of started as a problem we'd had in a garden while shooting 'Shaun of the Dead' when it rained a lot. And our producer kind of said 'Wouldn't it be great to shoot a film somewhere where it didn't rain?' And then, you know, we laughed and thought about the desert. And that became Nevada, which became Area 51, and then it wasn't a big jump that these two guys then met an alien."
The story follows the adventure of two science fiction aficionados who decide to rent an RV and visit the famed Area 51, a U.S. military site in Southern Nevada which has become central to UFO folklore.
The trip takes an unexpected turn when they meet a creature from another world named Paul and agree to help him find his spaceship.
Pegg talked about why he thinks audiences will enjoy the movie.
"I think, basically it's just a, it's a good adventure. It's very funny. And it's got a wonderful character in the center of it in Paul played by Seth Rogen, who voices this incredible special effect. And you just--he looks so real it's weird. And it's got a lot of heart. And it's a lot of fun. It's a great Saturday night movie, you know. It's a, if you want to come to the cinema for 100 minutes and laugh your head off and leave feeling very happy, than this is the film for you."
The ensemble cast includes many familiar faces in comedy.
Frost noted he and Pegg had a hand in choosing who would play each part.
"We're fairly controlling when it comes to this kind of stuff. And, you know, Greg knew these guys as well. And we wanted to kind of work with people who we have loved watching for years. And who we knew were the best actors and comedians that America had to offer, you know."
Jane Lynch of "Glee" fame shared why the film interested her.
"Well, I think there's just the whole sci-fi element. I think a lot of people do believe--and it would be naive to think I believe that we're the only beings in this infinite universe. And they care kind of motivated by that discovery. And, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are hilarious guys. And they've already got a following. So I think it should probably do pretty well."
"Saturday Night Live" star Bill Hader explained why he especially liked the British humour in the film
"Yeah. Monty Python's my favorite thing ever. That's like why I wanted to do comedy is Monty Python. So, they set the bar."
Blythe Danner, Gwyneth Paltrow's mother, said she also enjoyed being part of a movie which was inspired by comedy from across the pond.
"The Brits seem to have this lightness, where we go into dark places with our humour. And even though there's lots of F-words and stuff, it's still, they just have a light heart. They're so funny. And I never, ever saw anybody down."
Jeffrey Tambor commented on his character, and pondered the reason for a certain typecasting he has to endure at times.
"He's an ass. Flat out. He is mean, he's mean to the boys. And he's mean to the boys. And he's mean to the boys. And did I say he was an ass? He's an ass. Why are bald men always asses? Why don't they pick guys with hair to be asses? You know, that's true. They're always a principal, or they're an ass. That's true. Or a lawyer. Or a judge."
The cast also includes Jason Batemen, Kristen Wiig, David Koechner and Sigourney Weaver as a voice character.
Pegg and Frost are known for their prior films "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz."
They said their latest offering, "Paul," is an homage to "E.T." and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" director Steven Spielberg.
Director Greg Mottola also helmed "Superbad."
"Paul" will be released across North America on Friday, March 18, 2011. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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