UK: Comedy duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost join co-stars Sigourney Weaver and Jason Bateman at the premiere of their alien comedy, "Paul"

Record ID: 220449

  • Title: UK: Comedy duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost join co-stars Sigourney Weaver and Jason Bateman at the premiere of their alien comedy, "Paul"
  • Date: 8th February 2011
  • Summary: CROWD AT BARRIER SIGOURNEY WEAVER TALKING TO MEDIA (2 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS SIGOURNEY WEAVER, SAYING: "I just love comedy more than anything and to have a comedy that also takes on sort of the history of aliens and their influence on our culture in such a sweet way, in such a witty way I think it's the perfect movie, I really do." ACTOR/WRITER SIMON PEGG ARRIVING ACTOR/WRITER NICK FROST SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS VARIOUS OF SIMON PEGG AND NICK FROST TALKING TO MEDIA (3 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SIMON PEGG, ACTOR/WRITER, SAYING: "I think we (him and Nick Frost) are pretty nerdy. We're kind of high functioning in that we can -- you know some geeks bury themselves in the science fiction world because it offers them a more exciting world than the real one. You know, in a world where they might find themselves marginalised it's a place where a lot of people are accepted so you do get that kind of typical insular nerd and they're out there and we love them but we're kind of nerds but at the same time we've got a little bit more confidence maybe, I don't know." (SOUNDBITE) (English) NICK FROST, ACTOR/WRITER, SAYING: "I think we're quite big (nerds). You know I think he (Simon Pegg) is a bit of a bigger nerd than me because he doesn't like football, I'm a big football fan. So I think the time I could be sitting at home reading comics I think I'm usually out walking the dog and cursing West Ham's luck. So yeah, you know, we're quite big." SIMON PEGG TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) SIMON PEGG, ACTOR/WRITER, SAYING: "I think we all find the same things funny. We might use humour differently socially. I think we (British) tend to be a little drier but, like, Jason Bateman is one of the driest people I've ever met, he's got an incredible ironic sense of humour, I mean Americans are very proficient at irony, it's a myth that they're not. It's just we use it differently, you know. But on set we just laughed all the time - it was a big laugh fest." ACTOR JASON BATEMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) JASON BATEMAN, ACTOR, SAYING: "Somehow we had a very shared sense of humour and that's kind of key in a comedy there's many different kinds of funny an no better no worse but you want to try get involved with a group that has the same sort of funny because otherwise you're doing the wring film you know? And then that can be bad for everybody." JASON BATEMAN TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) JASON BATEMAN, ACTOR, SAYING: "Apparently Mitch Hurwitz ("Arrested Development" creator) made it official a few days ago that he's almost finished with the script and hopes to shoot it this year so I'm really exited about that news." DIRECTOR GREG MOTTOLA TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR GREG MOTTOLA, SAYING: "Oh, I was terrified, yeah. I was absolutely terrified, I thought I could do nothing but fail. I had no way to win in this situation. But Edgar (Wright) wasn't available and someone had to do the job and, you know, Edgar in fact was incredibly supportive and friendly - I've become friends with him over the course of making this film - and, you know, looked at cuts and gave advice and I'm a huge fan of their work together but I decided there's no way I should try to emulate Edgar's style because he does that better than anyone alive. So I just did my own thing."
  • Embargoed: 23rd February 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA1F6P4C4SRMXRF1NBD3009VSFF
  • Story Text: British comedy duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" have teamed up again for another pop culture parody with their latest film "Paul".
    The actor/writer team were joined by co-stars Sigourney Weaver and Jason Bateman for the film's world premiere in London's Leicester Square on Monday (February 7).
    Their latest outing follows a couple of science fiction nerds embarking on their dream journey through the U.S. - a tour of UFO sites, launched from San Diego's famous ComicCon comic book convention.
    Their road trip soon takes an unexpected turn when they meet the real deal: Paul (voiced by "Green Hornet" star Seth Rogan), a shipwrecked alien escaped from a government facility in desperate need of a ride home.
    The two opt to help the stranded alien - but hot on Paul's tail is government agent Zoil, played by "Arrested Development" star Jason Bateman, and his shady, alien-hating boss played by actress Sigourney Weaver.
    Like their on-screen counterparts, Simon Pegg admitted that he and Frost had a touch of nerd about them in real life.
    "I think we are pretty nerdy. We're kind of high functioning in that we can-- you know some geeks bury themselves in the science fiction world because it offers them a more exciting world than the real one," he told Reuters Television on the red carpet. "You know, in a world where they might find themselves marginalised it's a place where a lot of people are accepted so you do get that kind of typical insular nerd and they're out there and we love them but we're kind of nerds but at the same time we've got a little bit more confidence maybe, I don't know."
    Pegg's comedy partner Nick Frost agreed - although rated himself as the slightly less nerdy of the two.
    "I think we're quite big (nerds). You know I think he is a bit of a bigger nerd than me because he doesn't like football, I'm a big football fan. So I think the time I could be sitting at home reading comics I think I'm usually out walking the dog and cursing West Ham's luck. So yeah, you know, we're quite big," he explained.
    The film feature some moments of culture clash - not just of human and alien, but British and American.
    But Pegg said the there was no off-screen cultural clash when it came to humour.
    "I think we all find the same things funny. We might use humour differently socially. I think we (British) tend to be a little drier but, like, Jason Bateman is one of the driest people I've ever met, he's got an incredible ironic sense of humour, I mean Americans are very proficient at irony, it's a myth that they're not. It's just we use it differently, you know. But on set we just laughed all the time - it was a big laugh fest," he said.
    Hollywood co-star and long time mutual fan of Pegg and Frost's, Jason Bateman, agreed.
    "Somehow we had a very shared sense of humour and that's kind of key in a comedy there's many different kinds of funny an no better no worse but you want to try get involved with a group that has the same sort of funny because otherwise you're doing the wring film you know? And then that can be bad for everybody," he said.
    Sigourney Weaver, who has starred in some of the most successful and iconic science fiction films of all time - like the "Alien" franchise and "Avatar" - said she was happy to get in on the comedy act.
    "I just love comedy more than anything and to have a comedy that also takes on sort of the history of aliens and their influence on our culture in such a sweet way, in such a witty way I think it's the perfect movie, I really do," she said.
    As well as their first Hollywood venture together, it is also their first movie project together without their regular third collaborator - director Edgar Wright After the cult hit success of British television series "Spaced", and big screen films "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" the Pegg/Frost/Wright combination was considered magic formula by fans and critics.
    A daunting prospect, then, for "Superbad" director Greg Mottola who joined the team to helm "Paul".
    "Oh, I was terrified, yeah. I was absolutely terrified, I thought I could do nothing but fail. I had no way to win in this situation," he admitted. "But Edgar wasn't available and someone had to do the job and, you know, Edgar in fact was incredibly supportive and friendly - I've become friends with him over the course of making this film - and, you know, looked at cuts and gave advice and I'm a huge fan of their work together but I decided there's no way I should try to emulate Edgar's style because he does that better than anyone alive. So I just did my own thing."
    "Paul" opens across UK cinemas on Valentine's Day.
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