Gambar Gambar Lucu - I've never seen the original Death at a Funeral so watching this remake I had no idea what I was in for. I'm actually glad I didn't see the British version because then I'd be bothered with comparing it to the remake which can be annoying sometimes. Especially when the remake is happening just a few years after the original was released.
Gambar Lucu -Almost the entire cast assembled to talk about the remake. Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, Tracy Morgan, James Marsden, Regina Hall, Luke Wilson, Columbus Short and director Neil LaBute discussed everything from doing a remake to black comedies to James being naked. The press conference was actually really funny, unfortunately the studios won't let us video these so you're going to miss out on most of the funny stuff, like Tracy showing off his gut while Martin Lawrence looks in horror.
Still, it's a good read and those who liked ensemble comedies like Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins will hopefully enjoy Death at a Funeral as much as I did. It's a pretty funny and crazy flick.
By the way, if there's a stupid question in here it didn't come from me.
Death at a Funeral press conference
Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Danny Glover, Luke Wilson, James Marsden, Columbus Short, Regina Hall, Neil Labute
Chris Rock: Me, Martin and Tracy announce the new Kings of Comedy tour. Going out, nothin’ but arenas.
The genesis of this project, why you wanted to do this film?
Neil Labute: I guess the genesis for me was twofold. I’d been looking for a comedy for quite some time. Getting people to believe that you are able to do something other than what you’re known for in this town sometimes is difficult. Luckily the effect in this case was that Chris Rock had seen the movie and wanted to make a picture of it in the States. He’d worked with me 10 years ago, had a good experience and also had been a director in the last few years but wanted to act in terms of the production rather than act and direct. So he was interested knowing that I liked working with actors and scripts. Then I’d also worked with Screen Gems who were putting the film together. I’d done Lakeview Terrace with them, had a good experience and so those were an individual and a company or Clint Culpepper the head of that company who said, “Let’s take a chance on somebody doing something different.” There’s always been humor I think in what I do, sometimes unintentionally frankly, but I had never done a comedy other than Nurse Betty which had humor and scalpings coexisting. There’s never been just a straight up comedy, so it’s an expensive medium we work in. So to get a chance to do something, people have to say, “I’ll trust you with $15 million, $20 million.” So it’s a big amount of trust. Luckily, I was able to come into this and get a chance to work on what is essentially more flat out comedy than anything I’ve done before. So it already existed as an idea and even a script, and I came in at that point where Chris was really the only person in place at that time.
Is there such thing as “black” comedy and why is the white character driving a Saab?
Chris Rock: Driving a Saab? That was Neil’s choice. Neil’s in charge of car picking. Is there black comedy? I mean, there’s comedy that black people do. To me, it’s all just comedy to tell you the truth. I consider myself in the same line - - there’s Richard and Eddie and Cosby but I’m also a descendant of George Carlin and Rodney Dangerfield and all those guys like that. So I just mix it all up. When I was a kid, we didn’t think Rodney Dangerfield was a funny white guy. We just thought he was a funny guy.
Chris Rock: I saw the movie, one of the reasons I wanted to remake it, I saw it in an art house. I saw it like in a little theater, Angelica, whatever with like 10 people. Something to me just said this is like a pop movie. Why is this playing at an arthouse? Me and the other 10 people are laughing our asses off. Have you ever been in a theater with no people, “Waaaaa” just laughing. Because you normally need other people around to get rid of your inhibitions but we didn’t care. It was amazing.
Did you think it would take longer to make it and why did you think it would work with an American sensibility?
Chris Rock: I just thought the jokes would work in America. I thought you watch a lot of the movies out right now, comedy, we’re not doing a lot of one guy comedy right now. A lot of things are collaborations, something like Date Night right now or The Hangover is like a bunch of people. So I thought the fact that it had a lot of funny parts was perfect for me, not wanting to have to carry a whole movie. And also perfect, something a studio would really be into. So I thought it would work that way.
Zoe, talk about your scenes with James and working with this crew? Did it influence you?
Zoe Saldana: No, I don't think I’m funny at all. I don’t want to be but I just knew that this was going to be an amazing experience. Everything about the concoction of this project was appealing, from Neil Labute to Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover and the rest of all of us coming all the way down. Then I remember asking my team, “Well, who’s going to be playing the crazy boyfriend that’s high on substances?” And they’re like, “Oh, James Marsden.” I’m like, “Oh my God, yes, I’m totally…” It just felt to me like something I’ve never done before and it was a challenge. I saw the first one and I loved it. I’ve seen it like four or five times. Something about it just felt like, “Oh my God, that’s one thing that the entire world has in common, that’s funerals.” And everyone has a crazy family member. It didn’t matter if it was in England or if it was here in America or whatever. It was still, to me, not because I’m arrogant or anything but I kind of am, it was going to work and it was hysterical.
Funerals are supposed to be somber but often we end up laughing. Have you thought about how you’d like your own funeral to play out?
Chris Rock: I’m not sure. I think I want all the living presidents there. Carter, I want them all to be in shorts. Stanley Cup, you know, somewhere around. I haven’t given it that much thought. I want Jay-Z to rap the eulogy. “That nigga’ dead y’all.” Squeeze Oprah in there somewhere.
Who is responsible for such outstanding casting? What was the criteria?
Chris Rock: Clint Culpepper. I mean, Clint’s the man. I didn’t know Columbus. I didn’t know James. Clint’s like, “They’re in your movie.” I was like okay.
Columbus Short: No one knows me. No one knows me, Chris.
Chris Rock: But when we got Neil, a lot of actors really were like, “Oh yeah, I definitely want to work with Neil.” But when people started hearing Martin was doing it, it was like, “Oh, yeah!” It was like, “Oh, sh*t!” Tracy signed up but once Martin got on, it was like, “I’ve got to get in there! Don’t do that movie without me.” Once we got Martin, it was another movie.
How much of this movie was going off script?
Tracy Morgan: Well, I get to work, these are my champions right here so it was like for me, this whole panel is like the dream team. I’m playing with Barkley and Jordan, those guys so I might get a medal. I’ve got my shirt. I’m on the team. When I’m with Martin and Chris, I’m on the team. I might not start, I might not never play. But that’s okay. I’ve got my shirt. I played pro game. ??? So for me, that’s what it was for me. You know what I’m saying? It was the same thing going back to find my inspiration from the gate. From the gate it was just like what first made me want to do it from the jump was Chris and Martin. So now to actually get here and it’s for real now, it’s solidified. I’m in a movie, just for me to be seen, I’m sharing space with these guys so that’s how I feel about it.
James, we loved your rendition of Amazing Grace. Where did you draw your inspiration?
James Marsden: That was from Chris, I think. That was your addition, wasn’t it? I don't know, I thought it was funnier if it really was a sincere offering of condolences to Loretta. I remember Zoe and Columbus sitting there going, “You’ve got a voice, man. You’ve got to go for it.” I’m like, “I don't know if it’s funnier if he can sing. Maybe it’s better if he doesn’t sing well.” “No, no, no. Sing as gospel and ??? as you can. Just go for it.” That was like all right, all right. That on the last take became like inspired.
Being naked the whole movie, did you worry about catching cold?
Columbus Short: I caught the cold.
James Marsden: I gave the cold to Columbus. I gave the cold to Columbus’s cheek. No, they kept it nice and warm on set. They wanted me to be comfortable. Yeah, that was fun. I’ve always said, nudity’s not a problem for me but it must be in a comedy. I’d hate to be, I don't know, there’s something uncomfortable about asking for the audience, to be sincere to the audience or have to take it really seriously and get naked. If it’s for a joke, I’ll do it I guess.
You never had any doubts or qualms?
James Marsden: No, because I knew it was funny. I read the script on a flight from New York to LA and I didn’t know that there had been a British film already made so I just thought it was this great original kind of chamber piece about all the stuff that takes place at this funeral. I just thought the character was rich and I just kept reminding myself of what this guy has to endure unbeknownst to him and involuntarily. It was just always funny to me so I didn’t think twice about taking it off.
Tracy Morgan: Yeah, but you built like an Adonis.
James Marsden: That was like, is it funny?
Regina, where do you find your humor alongside these guys?
Regina Hall: Well, I was very excited to see the movie. I’d never worked with any of these four so I’ve watched all of them, all these three guys literally. I watched Martin every episode. I was like, “God, I can’t tell him. He’ll be like, ‘She’s stalking me.’” Chris I loved, Tracy on Saturday Night Live so I’ve been a fan. But I have to say they’re really giving and generous so to work with them was pretty easy.
Chris, your wife told an audience she’s the funniest one in the family. Is she funnier than you?
Chris Rock: Yes. Hey, I better not say no, right? I’m not going to get anything from that. There’s no upside to saying no.
Martin, after doing Roscoe Jenkins, what made you want to do another ensemble comedy?
Martin Lawrence: Well, my man Chris Rock gave me a call personally and when he first called, I was like, “Uh, sorry, Chris. I can’t do that.”
Chris Rock: I didn’t have a lot of money when I called him the first time.
Martin Lawrence: But then he sent me the British version and I thought it was very funny. Then when he told me it was about playing his brother, I just said I’ve got to be on board. Me and Chris we see each other probably every year and we’ve always talked about working together, working together. He came on the Martin show, I went on his show on HBO. We just finally got a chance to really do a movie together and it’s because he put it together so I’ve got to give my man the credit for that.
Chris Rock: And I’ve got to give Clint and Michael London the credit for getting Martin’s money. Martin was like, “It’d be a lot funnier if I had some money.” I respect that. Taught me how to negotiate. This script, boy, if you had a few million dollars, this script would be amazing.
Tracy Morgan: All singles in the roll. All singles. Up all night long counting that money. Get the change together, man. You need something strange with that change.
Martin, how does it make you feel that everyone is drawn to a film with you?
Martin Lawrence: It makes me feel good. For your peers to respect what you do and respect that you can bring something to it makes me feel good. Puts pressure on me to deliver but I’ve been doing that my whole career so I look forward to it and I’m very appreciative and thankful to have been a part of it.
Chris and Neil, is it more or less challenging to remake a movie than create something from scratch? Has Frank Oz seen it?
Neil Labute: Frank...
Chris Rock: I have no idea. Well, no one’s seen it except the press so I don't think he’s seen it yet.
Neil Labute: I don’t believe he’s seen it.
Neil Labute: For me I would say it’s a bit of each.
Chris Rock: Yeah, it’s a bit of each. I’ll say this. When you know a movie’s ending works, your life’s so much easier. It doesn’t make the rest of the movie not difficult in parts but boy, when you know. I’ve remade a few movies and they all have one thing in common, great endings. If you’re going to remake something, make sure that ending was tight. I would say it’s a little less challenging if you have a great ending. If you don’t have a great ending, don’t remake the movie.
Neil Labute: You know you’re climbing the same mountain but you want to find a new way to do it as well. You want it to be your own and yet, especially in this case, I think everyone went into it who had seen it really loved it. There was no sense of oh, we can make this better. It’s just we’re going to make it our own. It’s a whole different kind of family. The temperature was already 80 degrees above where this very reticent English family starts in the original. So if the temperature’s here, we wanted to keep that temperature going all the time, ratcheting up the humor. So how do you find those moments? And take big ensemble people. For me, the only drawback of the original is I think a few people are slighted along the way, some of the actors. I think to a person, those that were slighted in the original have much more to do and are funnier as characters in this particular version. And you have a lot to stand up for because people look at the first one as we do and are appreciative and say, “That’s really funny. Why are you remaking it?” Well, for a variety of reasons so I think you do have that to live up to as well. That is a challenge.
Columbus and Zoe both did this and The Losers. Which was first?
Columbus Short: This one.
What was the mindset like, the transition from comedy to ass kicking?
Columbus Short: To be honest with you, this movie prepared me so much to do the movie we did because I got to watch these three guys. To be honest, I signed on the movie to work with Peter Dinklage. No, honestly, to watch these three guys work and to go into an action movie, especially Martin with the movie that we made, me and Zoe, is in that vein, an ode to the Bad Boys, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard. And Martin did it amazing so to watch how he works comedically and his timing really helped me to go into the next project.
Zoe Saldana: And just it really helped that we play brother and sister in this movie because we have yet to find out, we’ve been on an inquisition since last year.
Columbus Short: We have the same father.
Zoe Saldana: We think. We honestly do think that we have the same father. Our mothers just haven’t told us yet. It really helped us because by the time we got to Puerto Rico, then we felt confident enough to push each other as actors. Even though our characters really didn’t have much to do with each other, but we were there as brother and sister sort of off camera and that was pretty awesome, especially at night. No, no, not like that. Guys, that’s it everybody, so nice to meet you all. I mean, in the casinos, you guys. Come on, Puerto Rico’s got a ton of casinos. Oh my God.
Columbus Short: Oh God, Zoe. Way to go.
We’re live streaming.
Zoe Saldana: Are you? No. Okay, so then you know what? Mommy, then you know what, then let’s correct that. When I say at night, I mean because after work we’d always go to the hotel. In the lobby it was like the cast and the crew. We would have a drink and sort of just unwind and talk about the day and everything because we were doing a lot of action sequences.
Columbus Short: You blew it already.
Zoe Saldana: That’s it. It’s out. Columbus and I are having an affair.
Back to casting, was this supposed to be a black version of the film?
Chris Rock: I don't know. It’s weird. I mean, I was the lead I guess. I mean, I was Aaron and I’m black. Okay, it’s me, Martin and Tracy. Can you name three white comedians that more white people would come and see? I’ll outsell any white guy. If I said no black people can go see me next week in LA, I would still sell more tickets ??? So I just consider myself a comedian. I’m a black man and I’m down for the struggle, but I’m a comedian. I’m a comedian. When you say black, it’s like a movie for a certain amount of people.
Tracy Morgan: Splittin’ the market.
Chris Rock: I’ve seen Martin Lawrence in front of thousands and thousands of white people.
Tracy Morgan: And Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans love him.
It’s a black family.
Chris Rock: Yeah, it’s a black family but it’s just when you say it that way, sometimes it feels like it’s smaller. He’s a black guy in Big Momma’s House but would you call that a black movie?
Yes.
Chris Rock: Really? I hope we make that kind of money. Can’t win.
Columbus Short: Who said black movies don’t make money?
Chris Rock: No, I mean like big. Big Momma’s House was huge.
Martin Lawrence: I’m just - - [where did I start on that???] but Runteldat, we’re interested in producing anything that’s good, anything that brings the moolah. I don't know, a lot of things that I’m reading just doesn’t feel worth putting my name on. I’m not going to just produce something just for the sake of producing. I met so many producers in this game and all that and so many people are just faking the funk. They’re not even delivering. They just want the title to walk around Hollywood to get cocktails just to say they’re doing. So if I do it, I want to do it because it’s something I believe in. I believe it’s something that has a potential to be successful and those are the projects that I get behind.
Compare this comedy to others you’ve done like Road Trip?
Luke Wilson: You mean Old School.
[LAUGHTER drowns out more jokes]
Luke Wilson: I don't know, just I like the idea that it was a big ensemble and the fact that Neil was directing. Yeah, you hear that these three guys are going to be in it, it’s just an unbelievable trio. I always think about like a few years ago I was down in the Caribbean. I went to this little island. I walked on the island and everybody was like, “BLUE STREAK!!!” Martin and I had done this movie, everybody down there, that was like their favorite movie. I told a friend, “Wait until you see the reaction I get when you walk on this island. It’s like ‘BLUE STREAK, Martin, his idiot partner, this is the guy!’” So I thought if I could work with all these guys, I could go back and like run for mayor on one of these islands. No, I just love the idea of working with all these guys, all these people and a funny part in something, I don't know if it’s different, but it definitely was a part that appealed to me.
Is it easier or more fun to work in an atmosphere like this as opposed to CopOut where you’re front and center?
Tracy Morgan: For me it was easier because the pressure is really off. You realize that, coming from Saturday Night Live, I worked with all these people so when you have all these people, you know you’re not doing it by yourself. You don’t have to do it so you don’t feel the pressure. Everybody else, we all know our roles in it. It was just bring who you are. Bring your bag of funny and that was it. There’s no pressure for me to hold the whole movie. I’m working with these guys so that’s how it was. You learn to win. You learn that from Michael Jordan. In his first six seasons, he couldn’t win a championship because you’ve got to use your other teammates. That’s what it was. He learned to win once he discovered Scotty and Horace Grant and all those guys so it was a team. Yeah, it wasn’t me, Tracy Morgan movie. This was Death at a Funeral so it was easier.
Martin, would you ever consider a return to prime time TV?
Martin Lawrence: I would never say never but right now I’m really enjoying doing films. I just love doing films and standup so I’d just rather concentrate on that but never say never. I have some other things coming on TV One so make sure you check it out. Love that girl, so you check it out.
James, how much was on the page and how much did you create in the moment? Zoe, did anything he did surprise you?
James Marsden: I had to apologize to Zoe before every take actually because I said, “Zoe, I’m sorry but will you just indulge me? I’m going to try something.” And she said, “Stop it, stop it, stop it. You’re on acid. Do your thing.” The script was always really, really strong and we always went in and did what was scripted because it was great. It was flawless but I thank Neil for this but he afforded me a certain amount of creative license to have this balance of going in prepared but also allowing yourself to remain relatively obtuse or open to finding things throughout the day. So it was a great environment to go in. I was definitely allowed to find things that maybe weren’t necessarily always there but that was just part of - - you had to be open to that to be out there in space like I was.
Tracy Morgan: Can I say something too? I’d like to make an announcement. Me and Luke, we’re going to rewrite The Love Boat. We’re rewriting The Love Boat. We’re going to redo The Love Boat. Columbus is going to play Gopher. You’re playing Captain Stubin. We’re thinking about redoing Orca.
Zoe Saldana: I would watch that. I would totally watch that. Going back to your question, the funniest thing that Jimmy did that wasn’t so funny, but it kind of was too, was that the scene where he’s supposed to be completely naked on the rooftop and I’m supposed to open the window and go, “What are you doing? Come back inside. Blah blah blah.” He didn’t give me any warning that he had taken off his pants. So I’m talking with Luke inside and then Neil yells, “Action.” I open the window and said, “What?” I’m just like, “Look at his eyes.” I just kept looking at his face.
Columbus Short: I think she was a little appalled at the size.
Zoe Saldana: I was just, I could’ve been prepared to know that he was going to be naked so I felt really - - it’s awkward. You’re embarrassed, he’s embarrassed and then they yell cut and I yell at him. I’m like, “Next time if you don’t tell me I’m going to punch you. I just need to be ready.” He’s like, “Thank you so much. You were such a gentleman. You kept looking at me in my eyes.” I wouldn’t look down.
James Marsden: I wasn’t embarrassed.
Columbus Short: I was embarrassed.
Chris, did this film resonate on a personal level, since you’ve lost your father?
Chris Rock: I guess I went there a little bit. My father to the best of my knowledge never f*cked a midget. Let’s hope he didn’t. You know what’s weird. I remember one draft of the script - - yes, I definitely thought about my father and giving a eulogy. I didn’t give the eulogy at my dad’s funeral but I definitely went there a little bit mentally, yes.
Columbus, James and Tracy, did you really touch?
Columbus Short: Yes, I really touched his dangle. The thing about it is it’s funny because I’m not going to say any names but Buke Bilson rhymes with didn’t want to do it.
Luke Wilson: It’s not that I didn’t want to do it. I had a charity event that day. [LAUGHTER]
Columbus Short: So Neil came to me so, so like cocky saying, “Look, Columbus. You wanna, you wanna?” And I said yeah, of course. I’d seen James for a month and a half at that point just making a fool out of himself every day throwing himself out there. Why wouldn’t I do it? It was aggressive. It was aggressive. Like “Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me.” I didn’t want to touch you. I didn’t want to be touched and I’m going to be honest, guys, and I’m a completely heterosexual male, he’s packing a nice little ??? I’m like, “Is your mother’s name Juanita?”
Tracy, was your hand really down there?
Tracy Morgan: It was. I’m a method actor. It was real poop. It was everything. He ate some pork and beans and franks. Chris and Neil slipped him some Ex Lax so the old man went hard on me. Went hard, you know. And he had a bit of chicken loaf.
Luke, how much concentration did it require to play straight?
Luke Wilson: I’ve worked with funny guys before, guys like Will Ferrell so you are conscious of trying to concentrate because you never want to start to laugh during scenes because you will ruin a take. The problem is you get people like Tracy. They see it start in your eyes that you’re going to laugh and then they just start driving you. I would do a thing where if you were Tracy, I’d just kind of look off to the side and be waiting because I’m just waiting for my lines, not even listening to what he’d say just so I could get through the scene. Yeah, you’ve got to focus because these guys are so funny and the script was good and the stuff they’d add was really funny too. So you never want to ruin something.
Tracy Morgan: We had a competition when we were in the car with Danny Glover.
Luke Wilson: We had this competition who could say Mel Gibson’s character from Lethal Weapon.
Tracy Morgan: Riggs.
Luke Wilson: Danny Glover would sleep a lot when he was in the car. The game was he’d wake up and we’d be going, “Riggs.” [LAUGHTER] I’d be like, “No, wait, wait.”
Tracy Morgan: He would wake up and go, “Y’all crazy.” Go back to sleep.
[OVERLAPPING and LAUGHTER]
Tracy Morgan: You’ve got a sack of short shorts. When you go in for rebound, half his ass cheek is hanging out the bottom of his shorts.
How careful did you have to be to make sure you don’t make fun of Peter Dinklage’s height?
Chris Rock: I mean, me and Neil we talked about it a lot.
Neil Labute: We never really wanted to be - - we actually liked the fact that every time they refer to him it’s “the guy in the leather jacket” or “the dude who was over by the coffin.”
Tracy Morgan: You don’t want to get your ass kicked by small folks. It’s down south after that, you know.
How did you blend your personas and make it work so well?
Neil Labute: You have people who have gifts in various areas. They started out in standup comedy, became comic actors and they’re just really actors. So they gravitate toward a part and they want to play that part. Not that they can’t do beyond what’s on the page. They can riff for 20 minutes and get right back into, I think Tracy occasionally would go and do something that was so funny, and then you’re listening to it thinking, “I think he just said he was molested. We can use that for the character” then he would go back to the script and on we would go. One of the great things, I thought, in terms of everybody was the fact that we shot on video. It allowed people to just work and never have to be stopped by the crew running out of camera, hair in the gate, none of the stuff that can happen when you shoot on film. I think the personalities here really threw everything at a take one after the other until they had nothing left to give. Chris would say, “I’m done. I’ve got nothing.” It’s like I’ve given every idea I can throw at this. So you don’t want to be the one to say, “Oh, sorry, we have to cut” and try to get that scene back up. so I think the atmosphere was just they created one. People tended to stay on set. We even put a green room on set where actors could go and stay rather than go to the trailers. So people wanted to see what other people were doing and I think that’s part of what comedy is, getting an immediate reaction from people and your first audience are the people who you’re working with. So you get a sense of how the character is working by what you’re doing.
Luke Wilson: I was around so much on the lot just because I wanted to be around these guys, people thought that I was lying about being in the movie. I’d go up, I’d watch these guys work, go walk around, visit friends. “Luke says he’s working on this Death at a Funeral but we never see him on the set.”
Chris, is there anything else you’d like to remake?
Chris Rock: I’m getting ready, I’m writing a movie actually for Mike Nichols. I’m doing High and Low, getting that together now. That’s a remake of a Kurasawa thing. That may be next, I’m not sure.
Was Tony Cox not available for the Dinklage role?
Neil Labute: This may be one of the first remakes that actually has an actor repeat his very role. We gave him sort of the rough trade version of the original. We gave him a leather jacket and grew a little bit of a bear and he had a slightly nastier attitude to going after the money. But I thought it was a very inspired idea in the first place. As I understand it, it was Frank Oz’s idea in the first place to have that character played by Peter. We thought it was kind of a genius idea to have him come back. It’s always nice to have a nod toward the original. That was a pretty clear one.
Chris Rock: We actually read Tony Cox. Clint always had this trailer line in his head about “So let me get this straight. Dad was having sex with a midget and you’re mad ‘cause he’s white?” So Clint’s like, “I don't care what you do, but you better make sure you can say that line.” It was Clint. It was Clint and Neil brought up Dinklage, I remember that but Clint had this line. He was locked to this line. I think we had to go back and shoot it, like we didn’t even shoot it at first. Clint made us come back to the set.
Any final words?
Chris Rock: I think we made an American family comedy. Despite the R, I think this is a movie you can see with your whole family. This is a movie for absolutely everybody. That’s what I think.
Chris Rock: Big, great cast. Black, white. All the black people that aren’t in a Tyler Perry movie right now are in this movie. If you like it, please spread the word.
Martin, when did you say you’ll start to do work under your own umbrella?
Martin Lawrence: I didn’t say. I just said I want to produce really good movies under the umbrella.
2010, 2011?
Martin Lawrence: You know what? I’ve got Big Momma coming next. Me and Jaime Foxx are doing a movie.
Sheneneh and Wanda?
Martin Lawrence: Sheneneh and Wanda, yes. No, it was not a hoax. You guys should check it out.
Gambar Lucu -Almost the entire cast assembled to talk about the remake. Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, Tracy Morgan, James Marsden, Regina Hall, Luke Wilson, Columbus Short and director Neil LaBute discussed everything from doing a remake to black comedies to James being naked. The press conference was actually really funny, unfortunately the studios won't let us video these so you're going to miss out on most of the funny stuff, like Tracy showing off his gut while Martin Lawrence looks in horror.
Still, it's a good read and those who liked ensemble comedies like Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins will hopefully enjoy Death at a Funeral as much as I did. It's a pretty funny and crazy flick.
By the way, if there's a stupid question in here it didn't come from me.
Death at a Funeral press conference
Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Danny Glover, Luke Wilson, James Marsden, Columbus Short, Regina Hall, Neil Labute
Chris Rock: Me, Martin and Tracy announce the new Kings of Comedy tour. Going out, nothin’ but arenas.
The genesis of this project, why you wanted to do this film?
Neil Labute: I guess the genesis for me was twofold. I’d been looking for a comedy for quite some time. Getting people to believe that you are able to do something other than what you’re known for in this town sometimes is difficult. Luckily the effect in this case was that Chris Rock had seen the movie and wanted to make a picture of it in the States. He’d worked with me 10 years ago, had a good experience and also had been a director in the last few years but wanted to act in terms of the production rather than act and direct. So he was interested knowing that I liked working with actors and scripts. Then I’d also worked with Screen Gems who were putting the film together. I’d done Lakeview Terrace with them, had a good experience and so those were an individual and a company or Clint Culpepper the head of that company who said, “Let’s take a chance on somebody doing something different.” There’s always been humor I think in what I do, sometimes unintentionally frankly, but I had never done a comedy other than Nurse Betty which had humor and scalpings coexisting. There’s never been just a straight up comedy, so it’s an expensive medium we work in. So to get a chance to do something, people have to say, “I’ll trust you with $15 million, $20 million.” So it’s a big amount of trust. Luckily, I was able to come into this and get a chance to work on what is essentially more flat out comedy than anything I’ve done before. So it already existed as an idea and even a script, and I came in at that point where Chris was really the only person in place at that time.
Is there such thing as “black” comedy and why is the white character driving a Saab?
Chris Rock: Driving a Saab? That was Neil’s choice. Neil’s in charge of car picking. Is there black comedy? I mean, there’s comedy that black people do. To me, it’s all just comedy to tell you the truth. I consider myself in the same line - - there’s Richard and Eddie and Cosby but I’m also a descendant of George Carlin and Rodney Dangerfield and all those guys like that. So I just mix it all up. When I was a kid, we didn’t think Rodney Dangerfield was a funny white guy. We just thought he was a funny guy.
Chris Rock: I saw the movie, one of the reasons I wanted to remake it, I saw it in an art house. I saw it like in a little theater, Angelica, whatever with like 10 people. Something to me just said this is like a pop movie. Why is this playing at an arthouse? Me and the other 10 people are laughing our asses off. Have you ever been in a theater with no people, “Waaaaa” just laughing. Because you normally need other people around to get rid of your inhibitions but we didn’t care. It was amazing.
Did you think it would take longer to make it and why did you think it would work with an American sensibility?
Chris Rock: I just thought the jokes would work in America. I thought you watch a lot of the movies out right now, comedy, we’re not doing a lot of one guy comedy right now. A lot of things are collaborations, something like Date Night right now or The Hangover is like a bunch of people. So I thought the fact that it had a lot of funny parts was perfect for me, not wanting to have to carry a whole movie. And also perfect, something a studio would really be into. So I thought it would work that way.
Zoe, talk about your scenes with James and working with this crew? Did it influence you?
Zoe Saldana: No, I don't think I’m funny at all. I don’t want to be but I just knew that this was going to be an amazing experience. Everything about the concoction of this project was appealing, from Neil Labute to Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover and the rest of all of us coming all the way down. Then I remember asking my team, “Well, who’s going to be playing the crazy boyfriend that’s high on substances?” And they’re like, “Oh, James Marsden.” I’m like, “Oh my God, yes, I’m totally…” It just felt to me like something I’ve never done before and it was a challenge. I saw the first one and I loved it. I’ve seen it like four or five times. Something about it just felt like, “Oh my God, that’s one thing that the entire world has in common, that’s funerals.” And everyone has a crazy family member. It didn’t matter if it was in England or if it was here in America or whatever. It was still, to me, not because I’m arrogant or anything but I kind of am, it was going to work and it was hysterical.
Funerals are supposed to be somber but often we end up laughing. Have you thought about how you’d like your own funeral to play out?
Chris Rock: I’m not sure. I think I want all the living presidents there. Carter, I want them all to be in shorts. Stanley Cup, you know, somewhere around. I haven’t given it that much thought. I want Jay-Z to rap the eulogy. “That nigga’ dead y’all.” Squeeze Oprah in there somewhere.
Who is responsible for such outstanding casting? What was the criteria?
Chris Rock: Clint Culpepper. I mean, Clint’s the man. I didn’t know Columbus. I didn’t know James. Clint’s like, “They’re in your movie.” I was like okay.
Columbus Short: No one knows me. No one knows me, Chris.
Chris Rock: But when we got Neil, a lot of actors really were like, “Oh yeah, I definitely want to work with Neil.” But when people started hearing Martin was doing it, it was like, “Oh, yeah!” It was like, “Oh, sh*t!” Tracy signed up but once Martin got on, it was like, “I’ve got to get in there! Don’t do that movie without me.” Once we got Martin, it was another movie.
How much of this movie was going off script?
Tracy Morgan: Well, I get to work, these are my champions right here so it was like for me, this whole panel is like the dream team. I’m playing with Barkley and Jordan, those guys so I might get a medal. I’ve got my shirt. I’m on the team. When I’m with Martin and Chris, I’m on the team. I might not start, I might not never play. But that’s okay. I’ve got my shirt. I played pro game. ??? So for me, that’s what it was for me. You know what I’m saying? It was the same thing going back to find my inspiration from the gate. From the gate it was just like what first made me want to do it from the jump was Chris and Martin. So now to actually get here and it’s for real now, it’s solidified. I’m in a movie, just for me to be seen, I’m sharing space with these guys so that’s how I feel about it.
James, we loved your rendition of Amazing Grace. Where did you draw your inspiration?
James Marsden: That was from Chris, I think. That was your addition, wasn’t it? I don't know, I thought it was funnier if it really was a sincere offering of condolences to Loretta. I remember Zoe and Columbus sitting there going, “You’ve got a voice, man. You’ve got to go for it.” I’m like, “I don't know if it’s funnier if he can sing. Maybe it’s better if he doesn’t sing well.” “No, no, no. Sing as gospel and ??? as you can. Just go for it.” That was like all right, all right. That on the last take became like inspired.
Being naked the whole movie, did you worry about catching cold?
Columbus Short: I caught the cold.
James Marsden: I gave the cold to Columbus. I gave the cold to Columbus’s cheek. No, they kept it nice and warm on set. They wanted me to be comfortable. Yeah, that was fun. I’ve always said, nudity’s not a problem for me but it must be in a comedy. I’d hate to be, I don't know, there’s something uncomfortable about asking for the audience, to be sincere to the audience or have to take it really seriously and get naked. If it’s for a joke, I’ll do it I guess.
You never had any doubts or qualms?
James Marsden: No, because I knew it was funny. I read the script on a flight from New York to LA and I didn’t know that there had been a British film already made so I just thought it was this great original kind of chamber piece about all the stuff that takes place at this funeral. I just thought the character was rich and I just kept reminding myself of what this guy has to endure unbeknownst to him and involuntarily. It was just always funny to me so I didn’t think twice about taking it off.
Tracy Morgan: Yeah, but you built like an Adonis.
James Marsden: That was like, is it funny?
Regina, where do you find your humor alongside these guys?
Regina Hall: Well, I was very excited to see the movie. I’d never worked with any of these four so I’ve watched all of them, all these three guys literally. I watched Martin every episode. I was like, “God, I can’t tell him. He’ll be like, ‘She’s stalking me.’” Chris I loved, Tracy on Saturday Night Live so I’ve been a fan. But I have to say they’re really giving and generous so to work with them was pretty easy.
Chris, your wife told an audience she’s the funniest one in the family. Is she funnier than you?
Chris Rock: Yes. Hey, I better not say no, right? I’m not going to get anything from that. There’s no upside to saying no.
Martin, after doing Roscoe Jenkins, what made you want to do another ensemble comedy?
Martin Lawrence: Well, my man Chris Rock gave me a call personally and when he first called, I was like, “Uh, sorry, Chris. I can’t do that.”
Chris Rock: I didn’t have a lot of money when I called him the first time.
Martin Lawrence: But then he sent me the British version and I thought it was very funny. Then when he told me it was about playing his brother, I just said I’ve got to be on board. Me and Chris we see each other probably every year and we’ve always talked about working together, working together. He came on the Martin show, I went on his show on HBO. We just finally got a chance to really do a movie together and it’s because he put it together so I’ve got to give my man the credit for that.
Chris Rock: And I’ve got to give Clint and Michael London the credit for getting Martin’s money. Martin was like, “It’d be a lot funnier if I had some money.” I respect that. Taught me how to negotiate. This script, boy, if you had a few million dollars, this script would be amazing.
Tracy Morgan: All singles in the roll. All singles. Up all night long counting that money. Get the change together, man. You need something strange with that change.
Martin, how does it make you feel that everyone is drawn to a film with you?
Martin Lawrence: It makes me feel good. For your peers to respect what you do and respect that you can bring something to it makes me feel good. Puts pressure on me to deliver but I’ve been doing that my whole career so I look forward to it and I’m very appreciative and thankful to have been a part of it.
Chris and Neil, is it more or less challenging to remake a movie than create something from scratch? Has Frank Oz seen it?
Neil Labute: Frank...
Chris Rock: I have no idea. Well, no one’s seen it except the press so I don't think he’s seen it yet.
Neil Labute: I don’t believe he’s seen it.
Neil Labute: For me I would say it’s a bit of each.
Chris Rock: Yeah, it’s a bit of each. I’ll say this. When you know a movie’s ending works, your life’s so much easier. It doesn’t make the rest of the movie not difficult in parts but boy, when you know. I’ve remade a few movies and they all have one thing in common, great endings. If you’re going to remake something, make sure that ending was tight. I would say it’s a little less challenging if you have a great ending. If you don’t have a great ending, don’t remake the movie.
Neil Labute: You know you’re climbing the same mountain but you want to find a new way to do it as well. You want it to be your own and yet, especially in this case, I think everyone went into it who had seen it really loved it. There was no sense of oh, we can make this better. It’s just we’re going to make it our own. It’s a whole different kind of family. The temperature was already 80 degrees above where this very reticent English family starts in the original. So if the temperature’s here, we wanted to keep that temperature going all the time, ratcheting up the humor. So how do you find those moments? And take big ensemble people. For me, the only drawback of the original is I think a few people are slighted along the way, some of the actors. I think to a person, those that were slighted in the original have much more to do and are funnier as characters in this particular version. And you have a lot to stand up for because people look at the first one as we do and are appreciative and say, “That’s really funny. Why are you remaking it?” Well, for a variety of reasons so I think you do have that to live up to as well. That is a challenge.
Columbus and Zoe both did this and The Losers. Which was first?
Columbus Short: This one.
What was the mindset like, the transition from comedy to ass kicking?
Columbus Short: To be honest with you, this movie prepared me so much to do the movie we did because I got to watch these three guys. To be honest, I signed on the movie to work with Peter Dinklage. No, honestly, to watch these three guys work and to go into an action movie, especially Martin with the movie that we made, me and Zoe, is in that vein, an ode to the Bad Boys, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard. And Martin did it amazing so to watch how he works comedically and his timing really helped me to go into the next project.
Zoe Saldana: And just it really helped that we play brother and sister in this movie because we have yet to find out, we’ve been on an inquisition since last year.
Columbus Short: We have the same father.
Zoe Saldana: We think. We honestly do think that we have the same father. Our mothers just haven’t told us yet. It really helped us because by the time we got to Puerto Rico, then we felt confident enough to push each other as actors. Even though our characters really didn’t have much to do with each other, but we were there as brother and sister sort of off camera and that was pretty awesome, especially at night. No, no, not like that. Guys, that’s it everybody, so nice to meet you all. I mean, in the casinos, you guys. Come on, Puerto Rico’s got a ton of casinos. Oh my God.
Columbus Short: Oh God, Zoe. Way to go.
We’re live streaming.
Zoe Saldana: Are you? No. Okay, so then you know what? Mommy, then you know what, then let’s correct that. When I say at night, I mean because after work we’d always go to the hotel. In the lobby it was like the cast and the crew. We would have a drink and sort of just unwind and talk about the day and everything because we were doing a lot of action sequences.
Columbus Short: You blew it already.
Zoe Saldana: That’s it. It’s out. Columbus and I are having an affair.
Back to casting, was this supposed to be a black version of the film?
Chris Rock: I don't know. It’s weird. I mean, I was the lead I guess. I mean, I was Aaron and I’m black. Okay, it’s me, Martin and Tracy. Can you name three white comedians that more white people would come and see? I’ll outsell any white guy. If I said no black people can go see me next week in LA, I would still sell more tickets ??? So I just consider myself a comedian. I’m a black man and I’m down for the struggle, but I’m a comedian. I’m a comedian. When you say black, it’s like a movie for a certain amount of people.
Tracy Morgan: Splittin’ the market.
Chris Rock: I’ve seen Martin Lawrence in front of thousands and thousands of white people.
Tracy Morgan: And Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans love him.
It’s a black family.
Chris Rock: Yeah, it’s a black family but it’s just when you say it that way, sometimes it feels like it’s smaller. He’s a black guy in Big Momma’s House but would you call that a black movie?
Yes.
Chris Rock: Really? I hope we make that kind of money. Can’t win.
Columbus Short: Who said black movies don’t make money?
Chris Rock: No, I mean like big. Big Momma’s House was huge.
Martin Lawrence: I’m just - - [where did I start on that???] but Runteldat, we’re interested in producing anything that’s good, anything that brings the moolah. I don't know, a lot of things that I’m reading just doesn’t feel worth putting my name on. I’m not going to just produce something just for the sake of producing. I met so many producers in this game and all that and so many people are just faking the funk. They’re not even delivering. They just want the title to walk around Hollywood to get cocktails just to say they’re doing. So if I do it, I want to do it because it’s something I believe in. I believe it’s something that has a potential to be successful and those are the projects that I get behind.
Compare this comedy to others you’ve done like Road Trip?
Luke Wilson: You mean Old School.
[LAUGHTER drowns out more jokes]
Luke Wilson: I don't know, just I like the idea that it was a big ensemble and the fact that Neil was directing. Yeah, you hear that these three guys are going to be in it, it’s just an unbelievable trio. I always think about like a few years ago I was down in the Caribbean. I went to this little island. I walked on the island and everybody was like, “BLUE STREAK!!!” Martin and I had done this movie, everybody down there, that was like their favorite movie. I told a friend, “Wait until you see the reaction I get when you walk on this island. It’s like ‘BLUE STREAK, Martin, his idiot partner, this is the guy!’” So I thought if I could work with all these guys, I could go back and like run for mayor on one of these islands. No, I just love the idea of working with all these guys, all these people and a funny part in something, I don't know if it’s different, but it definitely was a part that appealed to me.
Is it easier or more fun to work in an atmosphere like this as opposed to CopOut where you’re front and center?
Tracy Morgan: For me it was easier because the pressure is really off. You realize that, coming from Saturday Night Live, I worked with all these people so when you have all these people, you know you’re not doing it by yourself. You don’t have to do it so you don’t feel the pressure. Everybody else, we all know our roles in it. It was just bring who you are. Bring your bag of funny and that was it. There’s no pressure for me to hold the whole movie. I’m working with these guys so that’s how it was. You learn to win. You learn that from Michael Jordan. In his first six seasons, he couldn’t win a championship because you’ve got to use your other teammates. That’s what it was. He learned to win once he discovered Scotty and Horace Grant and all those guys so it was a team. Yeah, it wasn’t me, Tracy Morgan movie. This was Death at a Funeral so it was easier.
Martin, would you ever consider a return to prime time TV?
Martin Lawrence: I would never say never but right now I’m really enjoying doing films. I just love doing films and standup so I’d just rather concentrate on that but never say never. I have some other things coming on TV One so make sure you check it out. Love that girl, so you check it out.
James, how much was on the page and how much did you create in the moment? Zoe, did anything he did surprise you?
James Marsden: I had to apologize to Zoe before every take actually because I said, “Zoe, I’m sorry but will you just indulge me? I’m going to try something.” And she said, “Stop it, stop it, stop it. You’re on acid. Do your thing.” The script was always really, really strong and we always went in and did what was scripted because it was great. It was flawless but I thank Neil for this but he afforded me a certain amount of creative license to have this balance of going in prepared but also allowing yourself to remain relatively obtuse or open to finding things throughout the day. So it was a great environment to go in. I was definitely allowed to find things that maybe weren’t necessarily always there but that was just part of - - you had to be open to that to be out there in space like I was.
Tracy Morgan: Can I say something too? I’d like to make an announcement. Me and Luke, we’re going to rewrite The Love Boat. We’re rewriting The Love Boat. We’re going to redo The Love Boat. Columbus is going to play Gopher. You’re playing Captain Stubin. We’re thinking about redoing Orca.
Zoe Saldana: I would watch that. I would totally watch that. Going back to your question, the funniest thing that Jimmy did that wasn’t so funny, but it kind of was too, was that the scene where he’s supposed to be completely naked on the rooftop and I’m supposed to open the window and go, “What are you doing? Come back inside. Blah blah blah.” He didn’t give me any warning that he had taken off his pants. So I’m talking with Luke inside and then Neil yells, “Action.” I open the window and said, “What?” I’m just like, “Look at his eyes.” I just kept looking at his face.
Columbus Short: I think she was a little appalled at the size.
Zoe Saldana: I was just, I could’ve been prepared to know that he was going to be naked so I felt really - - it’s awkward. You’re embarrassed, he’s embarrassed and then they yell cut and I yell at him. I’m like, “Next time if you don’t tell me I’m going to punch you. I just need to be ready.” He’s like, “Thank you so much. You were such a gentleman. You kept looking at me in my eyes.” I wouldn’t look down.
James Marsden: I wasn’t embarrassed.
Columbus Short: I was embarrassed.
Chris, did this film resonate on a personal level, since you’ve lost your father?
Chris Rock: I guess I went there a little bit. My father to the best of my knowledge never f*cked a midget. Let’s hope he didn’t. You know what’s weird. I remember one draft of the script - - yes, I definitely thought about my father and giving a eulogy. I didn’t give the eulogy at my dad’s funeral but I definitely went there a little bit mentally, yes.
Columbus, James and Tracy, did you really touch?
Columbus Short: Yes, I really touched his dangle. The thing about it is it’s funny because I’m not going to say any names but Buke Bilson rhymes with didn’t want to do it.
Luke Wilson: It’s not that I didn’t want to do it. I had a charity event that day. [LAUGHTER]
Columbus Short: So Neil came to me so, so like cocky saying, “Look, Columbus. You wanna, you wanna?” And I said yeah, of course. I’d seen James for a month and a half at that point just making a fool out of himself every day throwing himself out there. Why wouldn’t I do it? It was aggressive. It was aggressive. Like “Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me.” I didn’t want to touch you. I didn’t want to be touched and I’m going to be honest, guys, and I’m a completely heterosexual male, he’s packing a nice little ??? I’m like, “Is your mother’s name Juanita?”
Tracy, was your hand really down there?
Tracy Morgan: It was. I’m a method actor. It was real poop. It was everything. He ate some pork and beans and franks. Chris and Neil slipped him some Ex Lax so the old man went hard on me. Went hard, you know. And he had a bit of chicken loaf.
Luke, how much concentration did it require to play straight?
Luke Wilson: I’ve worked with funny guys before, guys like Will Ferrell so you are conscious of trying to concentrate because you never want to start to laugh during scenes because you will ruin a take. The problem is you get people like Tracy. They see it start in your eyes that you’re going to laugh and then they just start driving you. I would do a thing where if you were Tracy, I’d just kind of look off to the side and be waiting because I’m just waiting for my lines, not even listening to what he’d say just so I could get through the scene. Yeah, you’ve got to focus because these guys are so funny and the script was good and the stuff they’d add was really funny too. So you never want to ruin something.
Tracy Morgan: We had a competition when we were in the car with Danny Glover.
Luke Wilson: We had this competition who could say Mel Gibson’s character from Lethal Weapon.
Tracy Morgan: Riggs.
Luke Wilson: Danny Glover would sleep a lot when he was in the car. The game was he’d wake up and we’d be going, “Riggs.” [LAUGHTER] I’d be like, “No, wait, wait.”
Tracy Morgan: He would wake up and go, “Y’all crazy.” Go back to sleep.
[OVERLAPPING and LAUGHTER]
Tracy Morgan: You’ve got a sack of short shorts. When you go in for rebound, half his ass cheek is hanging out the bottom of his shorts.
How careful did you have to be to make sure you don’t make fun of Peter Dinklage’s height?
Chris Rock: I mean, me and Neil we talked about it a lot.
Neil Labute: We never really wanted to be - - we actually liked the fact that every time they refer to him it’s “the guy in the leather jacket” or “the dude who was over by the coffin.”
Tracy Morgan: You don’t want to get your ass kicked by small folks. It’s down south after that, you know.
How did you blend your personas and make it work so well?
Neil Labute: You have people who have gifts in various areas. They started out in standup comedy, became comic actors and they’re just really actors. So they gravitate toward a part and they want to play that part. Not that they can’t do beyond what’s on the page. They can riff for 20 minutes and get right back into, I think Tracy occasionally would go and do something that was so funny, and then you’re listening to it thinking, “I think he just said he was molested. We can use that for the character” then he would go back to the script and on we would go. One of the great things, I thought, in terms of everybody was the fact that we shot on video. It allowed people to just work and never have to be stopped by the crew running out of camera, hair in the gate, none of the stuff that can happen when you shoot on film. I think the personalities here really threw everything at a take one after the other until they had nothing left to give. Chris would say, “I’m done. I’ve got nothing.” It’s like I’ve given every idea I can throw at this. So you don’t want to be the one to say, “Oh, sorry, we have to cut” and try to get that scene back up. so I think the atmosphere was just they created one. People tended to stay on set. We even put a green room on set where actors could go and stay rather than go to the trailers. So people wanted to see what other people were doing and I think that’s part of what comedy is, getting an immediate reaction from people and your first audience are the people who you’re working with. So you get a sense of how the character is working by what you’re doing.
Luke Wilson: I was around so much on the lot just because I wanted to be around these guys, people thought that I was lying about being in the movie. I’d go up, I’d watch these guys work, go walk around, visit friends. “Luke says he’s working on this Death at a Funeral but we never see him on the set.”
Chris, is there anything else you’d like to remake?
Chris Rock: I’m getting ready, I’m writing a movie actually for Mike Nichols. I’m doing High and Low, getting that together now. That’s a remake of a Kurasawa thing. That may be next, I’m not sure.
Was Tony Cox not available for the Dinklage role?
Neil Labute: This may be one of the first remakes that actually has an actor repeat his very role. We gave him sort of the rough trade version of the original. We gave him a leather jacket and grew a little bit of a bear and he had a slightly nastier attitude to going after the money. But I thought it was a very inspired idea in the first place. As I understand it, it was Frank Oz’s idea in the first place to have that character played by Peter. We thought it was kind of a genius idea to have him come back. It’s always nice to have a nod toward the original. That was a pretty clear one.
Chris Rock: We actually read Tony Cox. Clint always had this trailer line in his head about “So let me get this straight. Dad was having sex with a midget and you’re mad ‘cause he’s white?” So Clint’s like, “I don't care what you do, but you better make sure you can say that line.” It was Clint. It was Clint and Neil brought up Dinklage, I remember that but Clint had this line. He was locked to this line. I think we had to go back and shoot it, like we didn’t even shoot it at first. Clint made us come back to the set.
Any final words?
Chris Rock: I think we made an American family comedy. Despite the R, I think this is a movie you can see with your whole family. This is a movie for absolutely everybody. That’s what I think.
Chris Rock: Big, great cast. Black, white. All the black people that aren’t in a Tyler Perry movie right now are in this movie. If you like it, please spread the word.
Martin, when did you say you’ll start to do work under your own umbrella?
Martin Lawrence: I didn’t say. I just said I want to produce really good movies under the umbrella.
2010, 2011?
Martin Lawrence: You know what? I’ve got Big Momma coming next. Me and Jaime Foxx are doing a movie.
Sheneneh and Wanda?
Martin Lawrence: Sheneneh and Wanda, yes. No, it was not a hoax. You guys should check it out.
