The Kristian Harloff Show - New Details On The Russos MCU Involvement Post-AVENGERS: SECRET WARS And Interview With Alex Woo

Episode Date: November 12, 2025

On today's episode of The Kristian Harloff Show, we dive into new details on the Russos' MCU involvement post-Avengers: Secret Wars and the ongoing Multiverse Saga struggles. Are Joe and Anthony Russo returning to Marvel Studios after Secret Wars? We break down the latest updates and what it could mean for the future of the MCU. Plus, Kristian speaks with Director/writer Alex Woo for his upcoming Netflix movie In Your Dreams, and we cover some of the biggest stories in movie news — including the teaser trailer for "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," early "Running Man" reviews, Sydney Sweeney's comments on "Christy" boming at the box office, and production updates as "Dune: Part Three" wraps and "Dune: Prophecy" resumes. All that and more on today's show! SPONSORS: RAYCON: Go to http://www.BUYRAYCON.com/KRISTIAN to get 20% off the Everyday Earbuds Classic. BUTCHERBOX:  As an exclusive offer, our listeners can get free protein in every box for a year PLUS $20 off your first box when you go to https://www.ButcherBox.com/KRISTIAN to get this limited time offer and free shipping always CASH APP: Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/76rlxe00 #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.  

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What's going on, everybody? Some new details on the Rousseau's. What is their MCU adventure looking like after Secret Wars and the Multiverse Saga? We're going to talk about that. There was a new teaser for Super Mario Galaxy. Galaxy? Sure, why not? We'll go with that.

The Running Man reviews are in. Sidney-Sweeney talked about Christy. Dune, Part 3, Raps, Alien Earth. getting a season two and my exclusive interview with In Your Dreams director Alex Wu all on today's show guys it's me and you it's our uh it's our lonesome it's our lonesome show i like these shows especially because you guys been asking great questions when i'm by myself i don't know what that is but i guess today we're beaten uh 76 but anyway let's get into it it's the christian harliff show here today on this wednesday i'm ready

You're ready. Amazing. Here we go. What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to the show here today on Wednesday. It's one of our solo shows. I'm down with it. It's cool.

I want to thank you guys. We've got a lot of great suggestions on yesterday's show when it came to the Kickstarter. People are really starting to pay attention and give their thoughts and give their feedback as we get closer and closer to some more information. So I thank you. I think you kind of great, great ideas. on the comments yesterday for the show. So for everybody there. Today, same thing.

I'm going to ask some questions when it comes down to it. You guys want to keep us on for a bit. You can do it. We have a bunch of shows or stories rather to talk about. We're going to talk about this Avengers story. I'm so excited for you guys to hear this interview with Alex Wu, the director of In Your Dreams. I mean, this guy is pretty great.

And his journey on how he got there through Pixar and Lucasfilm and all this stuff, it's pretty extraordinary. So I think it's, you're going to enjoy especially, look, if you comment in this video chat about how animation is everything and you don't watch this interview, then don't ever come here ever again.

Because this is, this is everything you want. This is everything you desire, is this conversation with Alex Wu. So let's start here with this one, because this is a story that is interesting, to say the least. We know that the Rousseau's are back.

We know that they're back. So there's new details on what the Rousseau's MCU involvement in the post-Avender's Secret Wars and Multiverse Saga struggles. Here we go. New details have been revealed about how involved the Rousseau's will be with the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Avengers Secret Wars. We have some additional insights into the multiverse saga struggles. Josh Walding writes, Marvel Studios delivered a masterpiece with endgame,

but recapturing that same magic has been no easy feat since the Infinity Saga ended. been a lot of great movies and TV shows, but even Kevin Feige is admitted to quantity over quality. But by Bob Chapec no longer calling shots at Disney. Marvel Studios looking back to get back to its former glory. That means less content for fans as only three movies will release in the remainder of the multiverse saga. That's Spider-Man, Brand New Day, Avengers Doomsday, and Avengers Secret Wars.

Those people are happy with that. The Russo Brothers, Joe and Anthony, are directing the latter two movies who reportedly stick around post-Secret Wars to help lay foundations of what's expected to be dubbed the Mutant Saga. Cosmic Circus today has shared some insights into what's next for the duo, as well as details on how the Multiverse saga hasn't exactly played out in the way that the Marvel Studios has hoped when Spider-Man Far From Home concluded the previous era of storytelling six years ago. So, as I understand it, Marvel's bringing the Rusas along for the Ride Post-Secret Wars as part of the famous Marvel

Parliament, basically just overseeing the general story for the next saga because they want to avoid the mistakes they made with the multiverse saga in trying to branch out many different story points and having multiple open endings without having a clear direction. Like the main idea of the saga was to basically introduce this idea of the multiverse, so Marvel could play around to the sandbox and do things they never really had a chance to do, even if it was just their main established universe. As they wanted to try out to new elements and explore new corners of the MCU while still trying to find ways to relate it to the multiverse, ultimately to get to this point where incursions are happening, the main universe and the multiverse is about to end. Of course, introduce cameos of previous heroes here and there.

COVID-19 affected those plans. A lot of the eternists, discussions pushed for Marvel to drop their content months and even years before they were ready, and it was also a domino effect that really had a catastrophic mess of a story plot where practically less than half of the projects dropped the last five years actually mattered to the overall plot of the multiverse saga. In their minds, the Rousseau, who have been experienced struggling multiple characters in their movies and tying storylines together would be a good addition to the team. They can provide their input into what works, so it can be introduced now versus what can be introduced sometime and so on. A lot to unpack, but it sounds like we can

expect the Russo's to keep their eye on a far more focused saga built around X-Men as far as the multiverse saga. The pandemic definitely didn't help and needed attempting to tell stories in theaters and on streaming at the same time. 2023 strikes were simply problematic while shift in moviegoers consume content at home and on streaming assured that the one billion worldwide is no longer the norm for any superhero movie. All well said. All well said. So this to me is something that we've been talking about, and I think already kind of known, right, that the Rousseau's going to stick around. And I think it makes a lot of sense where when, and I know you get annoyed with it.

I get annoyed with it too, but looking at it in Star Wars where the problem with the new trilogy was that there was not this and what they're talking about. There was no, let's just have somebody who's in charge of the overall creative of where this story is going to go from episode seven, episode nine. And so we had this whole thing. I mean, Lucas did have a treatment that, but they threw it out. But that's something like that they needed drastically because all three are just, they're just different movies. And that's what started to happen within the MCU is that like they said, there's nothing that really went to some of this plot.

They're throwing things around. They didn't really know they, the multiverse. We can do fun stuff with it. But what was the fun stuff? They didn't really know. So by having the Russo say, okay, look, we're going to be around for this. We're setting this up for you. where we believe that this could go and should go.

We want to collaborate with other directors and writers is here, here, make sure you introduce here. And like I said, and like I heard, they're really going to focus in on Cyclops and that family line, which I think is smart, which has obviously benefited them in X-Men 97, and what a lot of people have been looking forward to seeing in the first place.

So that, to me, I think makes sense. I think you need to have somebody. Look, here's what we're all going to be saying. right now. And this is sometimes, and this isn't an announced thing. This is what I brought up yesterday. This is an announced thing by Marvel. This is something that someone's scooping and hearing. If it is indeed factual, the one thing that we're all going to be saying right now is, well, let's see how secret wars and doomsday is. Because everybody is guilty of the what did you do for me lately, right? And the roosters have done okay stuff on Netflix, but they're pretty much, they've hit everything out of the park when it's come to Marvel. So if they do the same thing with Doomsday and Secret Wars, I don't think there's going to be a Marvel fan on the planet that is going to be like,

oh, yeah, they shouldn't be doing it. It's going to be the opposite. Because if they would have told you in 2019 that this was the story, that the Rousseau's are not going to be directing right after Endgame. And you're lying if you say otherwise, unless you're one of the few people who didn't like the end game, which is fine. But if you loved the end game,

and Endgame came out in 2019, it was over. and then they said, well, brusals aren't going to be directing, but they're going to be ahead of where the story goes within the multiverse. You'd all be very happy. Because he's like, okay, well, those are the guys that set it up. So we're happy with that. So if Secret Wars does indeed introduce the mutants very well,

well, then we're going to be on board, right? It makes sense. However, if it doesn't, we're going to be like, But they didn't really have a lock on these two movies. Why are we entrusting them to the X-Men? So it's going to be tough. They'll absolutely be tough. We'll see.

I don't know. And as far as everything else goes, yeah, I mean, I think anybody who had a business, and I can say this as someone who did, especially in entertainment side of things, everybody was affected by COVID. And some people, I mean, I was talking to somebody yesterday. Some people, their businesses were affected in a positive where there were things that people's people needed. But in entertainment side, a lot of people's businesses were really were hurt, bad. And entertainment for short, because you couldn't see things.

I think, as they said, they put way too much stuff out. Cheapick at the time said, oh, we got a great thing. Let's overproduce it. And that was a mistake. And ultimately give people too much homework. So now we're going to. Now, three movies, I think is good. I remember they're saying like that three movies,

I think is going to be the norm for Marvel in general, a year, I think, coming out eventually, which could be too much. It passed the multiverse saga. It could be too much if it's the X-Men and everything too, because they had earned that two or three movies when the phase one, two, and three were happening. We got to a place for like, okay, two or three,

you guys are, you're on, let's go. you're pushing it. If you go to two and three right now with the movies that just are not hitting right now, but Spider-Man is going to deliver, right? We know that. Avengers, depending on how much it costs, should be a massive profit.

Now, Secret Wars is going to be all relevant on how good doomsday does, because if it's a reason why endgame did as well as it did too because infinity war set up you're like oh where's this going let's go where is it i can't wait to get back in the theater um that's what doomsday needs to do and the roosters have proven they're pretty good at that so you got those two movies three movies within the course of the next year and a half right give or take um that are going to do very very well because i think i and maybe maybe it's maybe it's two because i because i think, and you guys tell me in the comments, I can't remember anymore. I know they moved it around.

I know that they moved doomsday to December of next year. But did they move Secret Wars also? Or is Secret War still in May of 2007? Is it within six months or is it within a year of each other? I'm probably, it's probably December, December, so within two years, I guess. So that could be interesting. Anyway, I like the idea that the Russo are, are, are doing this. I really do. I really do. I think it's a, I think it's a smart move to have them. And I think that they were, I think the ego was, uh, from Marvel was holding back from it. They should have gotten them a long time ago. We don't eat. And he did. You clearly did. Because you didn't know who was going to direct the Avengers movies. And then you, you, you know,

it made sense to go back and get them. So, well, we'll see. We'll see if that was a overspending on their part. Anyway, what do you guys make of it? Put your thoughts in there. I want to know what you're thing and what do you think of the fact that the Russo's are going to be involved more moving forward do you like it do you not like it um should they have gotten somebody else or do we need to wait to pass judgment before we see the movies put your comments in the live put your comments in the replay and put your comments in the clips channel as we always tell you um clips channel is doing pretty well right now guys we're going I think we can I don't know if you're with 20,000 by the end of the year, but we're, uh, we're approaching 20.

And within the next, like, I think three or four months, she gets a 20,000 on that channel, which is great. A little, little channel that could. Um, and we have more to discuss. And look, I got a real good shot at beating Roxy and Mike right now. They have, they have over, uh, what are they? Look at this. We, we are, guys, we're crushing right now.

Uh, they had yesterday, um, 76 questions. Hell yeah, I got two. What do you think about that? Eat it. Eat it. Okay. You know it did very well? Super Mario Brothers.

That movie did well. Well, the new trailer came out today. And it hit. People were talking about it. I did a reaction to it. Nintendo, Universal Pictures and Illumination, that for me, or the official teaser trailer for the Super Mario.

Galaxy movie, the sequel to 2020, He's the Super Mario Brothers movie. The film debuted in April 2023, went on to gross 1.3 billion. He came the second highest grossing film of 2020, the third highest grossing animated film of all time. And the 18th highest grossing film of all time. Chris Pratt, Charlie Day,

Anya Teller Joy, Jack Black, Keegan Michael Key, Kevin Michael Richardson. They're all confirmed we're returning, and it will be a centerpiece of the Mario character's 40th anniversary. In addition, Brie Larson has been confirmed is the voice of Rosalina and Benny Safdi is Bowser Jr. The Super Mario Galaxy Game Story will serve as the core for the new film story, but surprises for fans everywhere Mario era are in store.

Okay, so the same directors, great. Brian Tyler handling the score, which will blind musical team from the game. And then there was a trailer that was released during the Nintendo Direct presentation this morning. I don't know where you guys stand. I know that I hear people and the critics and stuff when I was going to see screenings and stuff, and I was on the opposite page of most of the critics. I really enjoyed this.

I thought it was a lot of fun. I liked having that kind of nostalgia feel. I played the first Mario Bros. And Mario Kart was in college and all that stuff too. And it's just been such a theme. And since the 93 movie, they just didn't really had anything that brought that magic to life. And that movie to me did that. and I liked what they did with it and my kids liked it and I like bringing them to the theater to see it.

I like to watch it on digital with them. I like listening to that music. It was just a feel good experience. So when this trailer hit, I was like this looks like the same thing, which is great. It looks like a continuation. They know what they're doing.

They've got a lock on this thing. This is going to make a lot of money. And it's also going to kind of jumpstart the box office. in April of next year. Because I think it comes out in like April of 2026. And so if you look at when that starts out, and again, I bring that up, April, April 3rd is when it starts. And then there's, I guess, Lee Cronin's the money, the mummy.

And then there's an untitled Disney film on the 17th. And then April 24th is Michael. So April 2026 is going to be a pretty big box office month. in general both michael and super mario galaxy movie and whatever that unsettled disney film is but those two movies mario and then it's uh michael on april 24th and then may first is the devil wears prada too which is an interesting summer movie but yet should probably do decent may 15th mortal combat too they liked it enough they thought it was good enough that they pushed it all way to may so it's going on this year and then may 22nd is the mandolorean and grogo um

Untitled DC film, if that ever is going to happen on the 29th. But I'll tell you, there's another reason you want to go to Mandelorian and Grogu. From where it sits right now, for summertime, it's got a shot to do that $500, $600,000. It's got a shot. But we'll see. It's got to be good.

But as far as Mario, Mario's going to start it off. Remember, before the pandemic, and I used to talk about this, too. Now, I know officially summer is not until like June, but the summer movie season, traditionally has been the first weekend in May leading until the end of August. That's the, that's the traditional summer movie season. Before the pandemic, April was starting to make a play to say, hey, we want to be included in the summer movie season.

And it was Fast and Furious. It was Avengers Infinity War. It was all these different movies that Disney movies were pushing themselves into the second to last week of April. and putting it all the way there. And then pushing into the May, June, July. And it was now a, instead of May, June, July and August, it was now five months of summer season.

That's what was happening. And then once the pandemic hit, and then there was no movies to put out, and then when the box office wasn't coming back to life, when movies started going back to the theater, it really hasn't really recovered to that level of, of power the summer movie season in quite a bit. This year I thought was going to be a big one as far as monetarily and it wasn't really. There was some that did well, but for the most part, pretty lacklesser

overall for this year as far as money goes. But I still think that it were catching up from the strength. I think that there's and I think Avatar's and Zootopia's going to put a lot of money back into the box office. But I mean, I've done this a few times over, but I'll do it again. Just next year in general when you have January 19 28 years later is January 16th um return to silent hills on the 23rd there is whatever K-pop's is don't know February 6th no nothing really so I guess doesn't really February 27th the scream 7 so that one will do pretty damn well um there's a Matt stone Trey Parker movie coming out in March but I think it really once it starts in like April's one because there's a teenager ninja turtle in March.

Yeah, April really is going to start the, I think people will be talking in the first three months going, oh, it looks like a little tough. Then Super Mario could be the first one, actually, that hits big and throws some money into the way that Minecraft did. So Super Mario will be the first one. Then Michael in April 24th, Devil Wears Prada 2, Mortal Kombat 2, Mandalorian and Grogu, Masters of the Universe, Scary Movie 6, Toy Story 5, Supergirl, Minions 3. with Moana live action, the Odyssey, Spider-Man brand new day. That's just by the time you get to the end of April. So by that time, brand new day, Odyssey, Moana, minions, Supergirl, and Toy Story will have all hit and probably hit big, a lot of those. August 7th, you got Paw Patrol, which will probably do pretty damn good.

There's a cliphanger remake. I forgot about that. I don't know if that's going to do good. I'm curious about Coyote versus Acme because it's a story, but behind it, but I don't know how many people really know about it outside of the people who play attention to this movie space. September 11th is Clayface, practical magic two, resonant evil. There's an Inoratu film on October 2nd. The Last Airbender Legend of Ang comes out on October 9th. The Social Reckoning, which is, I guess, the soft sequel to the social network.

Street Fighter on October 16th. Cat in a Hat on November 6th. The Hunger Games on November 20th. Narnia, November 26, December 4th, Violin Night 2, December 11th, Jumangi 3, December 18th is Doomsday, and then the 23rd is Angry Birds. Now, there's still other things and maybe some surprise hits and other things that will be in there. But for the most part, there's some really big movies in there. There's some really big movies that are coming out.

So that could be a huge year for movies. Now, the crazy part is that if those movies don't hit and it's disappointing overall, then there's going to be a serious conversation about if the movie industry is, theater industry is in serious trouble. Because I still think they're catching, like this year we're still catching up from the strikes, the year before we're still catching up from the pandemic, things were being pushed. This is the real kind of, this is the real year, 2026. With all that content out there and all the,

those movies. We'll see. And I forgot, by the way, and I mentioned Zootopia and Avatar, Wicked. Wicked's coming out. Those three movies, those three movies are going to bring some life back to the box office, for sure. So what do you guys think about all of it, about Super Mario. Do you like the trailer? Did you not like the trailer? Put your thoughts in there. Let us know what you I'm going to post my running man review after this show. I'm going to post it, I shot it, is Dunsky, and I will add it up on the channel. It'll be there. I did my out of the theater reaction, but let me read what's going on so far with the other critics who've posted.

The running man reviews, they're in. So let's see. The reviews are in. And so far, the response to Edgar Wright's new interpretation of Stephen King's running man now has met a mixed response. 66 reviews, film sits at just 62% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 59 out of 100 on Metacritic, putting it firmly in the mixed range and the lowest scoring of rights to directorial efforts to date. General consensus, film plays it much more seriously and closer to the King novel. Some of it does. Some of it does. I wouldn't be part of that consensus. I'd say some of it does.

But the approach doesn't necessarily work for Wright's sensibilities and overall production is conflicting tones that are jarring. That I agree with 100%. Sampling of reviews, let's see. Owen Gleberman, the original was a lumbering Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. You could say that Edgar Wright, the director of New Vision, has made it into a decent Bruce Willis movie. It's perhaps Wright's first feature to feel in a positive way like the work of a director for hire. That's fair. Every flourish and trick here isn't a service of a single creative vision.

so much as a great rumbling excitement machine. I mean, I agree with that. I think that a lot of that is there's a movie in there that is his, but it doesn't work with the vision of the director for hire. There's a lot of director for hire work plus his style, which is the mixed tone. For all the targets that Edgar Wright hits with the story's political and media satire, he allows the pacing to go slack,

turning what should feel like an escalating set of stakes into an episodic series of vignettes. That's Alonzo, my buddy. agree with Alonzo 1,000 percent. It's a movie that lives up to its heritage but gets a little tumulty caught between the book

and its first, more Arnoldy adaptation. It does a few different things pretty well instead of doing one thing really well. I agree with a lot of this so far. So I think everybody is kind of on the same page here with this.

110 million dollar budget for this. I like that. I like it. I mean, you hear 110 million. That's a lot. It's really not for these. this day with an inflated 150s, 200, 250s, 110, unfortunately, it's just I don't think a lot of people are going to get in there.

17 to 18 million opening weekend and the reviews could hurt it a little bit. But like I said, I am fully ready for people to come back here on Monday, if any of you were going to see it and say, you know, I had a fun time with this movie. I don't know what people are talking about. It was fun. Definitely fun. But it doesn't take away from the fact that like I'm telling you, Like it just, it's just a bunch of different movies in there. It's like, and the tone and the characters don't earn certain things. There's a lot of questions that you have to ask and go, wait a minute, what?

Oh, I just, I just, I just ignore that. And then there's other times, you're like, oh, that's really cool the way that that fit that in there. There's, there's like a really cool movie in there. It just doesn't come to fruition in the way that Edgar Wright usually does. And maybe he just wasn't the right guy for this movie. That's, I think that that might be it. I love Edgar Wright. And Baby Driver was fantastic and Scott Pilgrim.

I mean, everything. He's great. But I just don't know if he was the guy for this movie. And I think it's because, like I said yesterday, I've been on this Stephen King kick lately, maybe not even intentionally. Like I'm watching It chapter one or chapter two and the long walk and welcome to Derry.

And I really wanted to see, and I mentioned, I love the Arnold movie. I love the Arnold movie. But it's an Arnold movie. And whoever said that in the, I think it was on Gleberman. It's 100% right. That was just made. for Arnold to be, like, let's just turn, let's just kind of give a soft, this softly what the

novel's about, but for the most part, it's going to be Arnold shooting out one-liners and beating up, you know, gladiators and shit, and that's what we'll do and it'll make money. And it did. But I wanted to see that kind of darker tone that I saw like Long Walk, and I was thinking about this, like, Long Walk, I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know anything about it going into it. And I was, and I've seen it twice now. And both times, I'm so engaged in the characters.

And I'm so engaged with that world. And I'm so engaged with the dialogue and the music and everything. And it was what the director did and how that script kind of came to be based off of that material. And I like that movie so much better than this one. So much better. Now it's a very different tone. That's not, Long Walk is not a movie. You go to, like I said, you're not coming out of a movie.

Oh, what a fun movie that was. You're going, ooh, wow. I guess it's heavy. this is fun and there's moments that like you know he really beefs it up so what are you guys going to do about this you're going to go see it you're going to check it out or are you going to wait that's another question are were you planning on seeing it and did you say you know no I'm not going to go check this out now the reviews I'm able to just save my money and wait I'm very curious to hear what you think put your thoughts in and let me know how many you guys

love Netflix animation. Because I know that K-pop demon hunters really started to set the bar for them because I've said this. I think right now that they have surpassed Pixar today. Today, not overall, but today. I think they're putting up better quality than Pixar is. And what also made me go, because I like that fixed movie. I did that movie also. But what really made me go, yeah, yeah, their team probably.

has it a little bit more than the Pixar team currently is when I saw in your dreams, which is coming out, um, no, Friday. Friday comes up this Friday. I got a chance to see it early. I took the family to go see it. And, um, and I also was going to see it because I knew I was going to be able to chance to talk to the director, Alex Wu. Now Alex has some journey, man.

He's got some journey. He, uh, I didn't realize like, you listen to his story of where he came from, the school that he went to, how he was kind of discovered, working at Lucasfilm, one of his, his first job, who he created, helped create during the Clone Wars era, then went off to do all this other stuff in Pixar and the movies he worked on to then start his own shit, his own company,

and then be able to get this movie made in the way that he did. It's pretty fascinating. So let me tell you about Alex Wu. I hope you enjoy. And then we'll see you on the other side. I always love talking you guys about Cash App and you've been smart. You guys have been signing up. Really smart because you don't want to fall for scams.

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member FDIC discounts, and promotions provided by Cash App a block, brand visit cache.app slash legal slash podcast for full disclosure cash app okay so i have a friend who's going to be very happy to hear me say the following thing um for a long time disney was like the premier player in the game when it comes to animation i believe netflix is starting to take a run at that title because not only did um k-pop demon hunters come out and just kind of rock the animation world uh now and i think what they're doing very well is they're able to do things for, whether it's for teens, whether it's for adults, whether it's for families.

I think the next movie that I'm about to talk to you guys about is that and more. The movie's called In Your Dreams. It comes out on November 14th. And I have the privilege of talking to the director, writer of the film. Alex Wu, what's up, man? How you doing? What's up, man? It's great to see you.

It's great to see you too. I added a pleasure of seeing this movie last night. I told you with my family. I brought my 13-year-old daughter. I brought my seven-year-old daughter. I bought my wife, who she is, as I told you, not normally an animation fan. All of them left the movie, loving it. It hit the goal.

Tell me, because I said this, I said this to you last night, and I said it to my friend afterwards. The reason why you can tell this movie is going to work in general, you are so passionate about this movie. Oh, thanks. You are. You can just tell. I saw it when you were talking about you. Sometimes you see a director has a job, and sometimes the director is the project. Yeah.

You're this project. What went into it, brother? I mean so much. Yeah, I started this film in 2017. Yeah. So it'll be like basically nine years from when we conceived of the idea to when it launches. I joke, it's like human babies take nine months. Animated babies take nine years.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. And it was definitely a passion project. I mean, it was my first movie. So I wanted to make sure that I put everything I could into it. Because you just, I always sort of approach my work with this idea that I might not get another chance to do. Sure. You know.

Especially in this business. Yeah, especially in business. So I took the privilege of being able to make, you know, movies very, very seriously. And, yeah, just put everything I could. could into making it the best film possible it's such a personal story because um you can tell and especially hearing some of the stuff on the Q&A afterwards but so you grew up in Minnesota yeah I did yeah so in this parts and you see it in this movie because I was like I because there's just parts I'm like well why is it Minnesota oh okay that makes sense and it's

really it's sibling story and you'll be happy I didn't tell you this because I wanted to wait until they're not here so my 13 year old and my seven almost eight year old they consistently and as siblings do, fight Bick or the 13 years. Like, oh, you're in my way all the time. Very similar to what happens in the movie. Throughout this movie, my little one would go over to the oldest sit in her lap and they were hugging. Oh, that's. And it brought out a lot of that.

And my oldest goes, that's us. Oh, that makes my heart just warm. It's music to my ears. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, very much so. This movie is about these two siblings and the power of sibling love and power of sibling relationships. One of my good friends who saw the movie said, you know, this is just a really circuitous

and expensive way for you to tell your brother that you love him. Yeah. I thought that hit you and it's true. I think, you know, I'm two years older than my brother. I'm the eldest sibling. My brother's the younger one. So Stevie is very much based off of me. I'm sort of the obnoxious, like, overbearing, perfectionist, older sibling.

My brother's like the really charming, laid back, really chill, younger sibling. Um, you know, those personality difference can like rub up against each other, especially when you're young, you know, you just don't have like the ability to like suppress your emotions. Did you guys share a room for us? We did share a room. Yeah, that that idea of like the tape down the middle of the room and straight from my life. Yeah. When I was a kid, my brother, I mean, it's cute now, but when he was a kid, like he would always

sneak over to my side of the bed and then sleep and cuddle with me. And I, it's cute now when I think about it. at the time i found it so annoying i was like dude what are you doing go in your own bed um and that's why i put the line down and that's yeah that's where it came from from the which is great there's so much that you take from your life and as you said like you want to do this project that you know this is the one they're giving me a shot here and directed my first movie that it's like from when i talk to people i always make sure that like i want to i'm going to share things about myself with you so you feel comfortable too so why am I telling you everything so I tell you things and the same

with you you do this and you're like okay you're gonna give me this shot I'm gonna dump all the stuff that it's been in here for me that I need to get out as you said there's a love letter to your brother it really is I mean it is like and hearing you say it out loud you're like he hasn't seen it yet right he hasn't so it'll be interesting to see him watch it I think you know we're both two like middle-aged Asian men which are you know we like now are not great at expressing our emotions. So I imagine he's going to be like, cool.

But you know, he, the character is, of Elliot is great. Yeah, thanks. He's great. He's like, you know, and it's funny because when you were talking last time, we did so many, and we'll get into like the many kind of pop culture references that are spread throughout. And I got them, I got the majority of them. But Elliot, like, when I was, I was waiting for you to go, well, it's named after Elliot. I mean he just like of course he is of course he is but your brother I would assume is

gonna be whether he shows you it or not like I'm like it's cool man yeah I know he's got such a great person he could come across as just this stereotypical kind of like okay we get it he's annoying I know but he shows up in the same way do you remember that 80s movie just one of the guys no oh you gotta see it's all it's about as 80s as you get where you have once again Williams Apca playing the the bully but the brother is very similar to where he's like obnoxious getting in the way but then comes through when it's time and that's what happens in this movie and their their dynamic is everything but doesn't work movie does yeah yeah totally yeah i mean that's you know a lot of credit to my brother he's like

he's a very charming guy yeah he was always the most popular kid and still is one of the most popular people i know and he's you know elliots like that he's just so charming obnoxious but charming It's like it does. It's like, it's part of it just drive you nuts, right? But then you're like, but that's what makes him him. Yeah. And that's like, and even though we both, because I'd get into that place too, right, where you're like, if I had those qualities, I would this, but then it wouldn't be me.

Yeah. I wouldn't have this because clearly you're doing all right for yourself. Oh, thanks. Thanks. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, my brother's doing all right for himself too. I think like, you know, what I, a big part of this movie was about learning, me learning

to appreciate the messiness. and the sort of alternative approach to life that my brother takes. You know, and he, you know, he was never the most studious kid. You know, I was much more the studious one. And I always felt like I gave him so much crap for it. I was like, you got to be a better student. You got to like be a good kid, be a good son for mom and dad. But he found his own way to it.

And my parents are so proud of him and I'm so proud of him. He's a restaurant tour now and he's opening his third, fourth restaurant in London right now. I love the way he talked about your family. I really do. You tell there's a strong lock there too, but like, one another reference that I, and I don't know if this was intentional or not, but with the topic of families being together, wanting your family to stay together, that potential like, what happens if they don't? I got to get my family to be strong again. It kind of reminded me of Miss Downfire. Yeah.

That was a huge influence. Okay. Huge influence. Because what I always thought was so phenomenal. about that movie is and this isn't even anything about your movie at all um but like with mrs doubt fire in general it ends and they ain't together yeah i know um and it's like it shows you that because there was this image back then anyway that oh well a happy family means that's what it should be it's like no you can still be okay but you just got to figure out how to get there yeah and you very much

tackle that threat this kind of the premise of it is this kid trying to see she's trying to save family yeah that and that came from again personal experience yeah yeah so um my parents are going to kill me for saying telling the story but i got i got to be honest um yeah so when i was i think maybe six or seven years old um my i woke up one morning and my mom like she had her bags packed and she was at the front door of her house and um me and my brother were like what's going on and she sort of gently had to tell us like oh i'm going to go away for a little bit um i don't know I have to figure things out for our family. And so, you know, when you're a kid, you, first of all, sometimes you think, oh, did I do something wrong?

I'm like, can I fix this? And I remember watching her pull out of the driveway and driving away. And I remember a feeling at that moment that the only thing I wanted was to try and find a way to get her back home and to keep our family together. And I would have done anything to make that happen. But there's obviously it's not, there's nothing I could do as a kid. And so that's that's really where this story came from is it's such a it's such a potent and like relatable and rootable desire for a character. And so we thought, oh, that's like a great, you know, that's great engine for a character.

And that's something that audiences, I think, will really grasp onto and root for her in the entire journey. Oh, they will. And that's where I told you. So my wife, we both, we both come from families of divorce. And so she was, same thing. She's like, I related to that. And she related to that very much.

So, like, my wife and I, very strong. Yeah. Of course we, but we have fights and everything too. And, like, there's been those moments from, I see my kids looking and like, we always try to make sure we don't fight. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's like, and if it does happen, you see it in the eyes and, like, how that moment, as you're watching through, we're not sitting here today.

Yeah. In the, too, so I always say to people, too, like, there are moments in your life that at the times they feel like it's the worst thing yeah but in when you retrospect that you're like wait a minute yeah that moment kind of led me to this which led her to this was let him to this and then here we are today a hundred percent man yeah i think that's really i think what um i tried to do with the film i don't i don't want to spoil it but yeah um yeah i really there's a there's a really sort of a uh positive charge and rightly so in american culture about power of dreams and the positive the positivity of dreams and I think there's a place

for that of course dreams are great and it's it's fantastic to pursue your dreams but I think sometimes when they become the ultimate thing in your life it can be a little bit dangerous that's when things can you know start falling apart right and on the other side of the equation nightmares I think you know things that are challenging in our lives oftentimes You know, we think of those that we want to avoid them at all costs, at all, at all costs. And of course, we should. But when I look back in my life, some of the most transformative experiences for me have been when I've encountered what seemed to be a nightmare at the time.

Right. Right. Right. But it shaped who I was and it made me stronger. And it gave me the strength to deal with uncertainty, deal with the unknown, deal with challenges. And so, yeah, I kind of wanted to sort of. flip the charge on both of those ideas. Isn't a kid that you don't know, right?

You think that that's that moment. It's the end of it. That's everything. No, it's not. It shapes you, turns you into who you are. And it takes, I mean, I don't even know how long. It wasn't too long ago when I really started to have those kind of revelations of wait, that didn't happen my life.

I wouldn't have thought that. I wouldn't have went there. I'm fascinated with time and space and dreams and things. So when you had the dream side of it, that's ultimately where this is. And you mentioned it last night that you really wanted to tackle a full animated feature inside the dream world, which because they had men.

I just watched Inception by the other, again, the other day. So good. It's such a great movie. But I was watching. But this, to say that these are two kids who are exploring this world. And you set up these different kind of cool rules where they got to find the sand man.

They got to find the sand man who's going to make your dreams come true. And there is that. Wizard of Oz kind of feel to it. You can get that, but the dreams, I'm fascinated by dreams in general. I have them all the time, and I feel like, because I'm not even close to smart enough to figure anything about quantum physics and things like that nature, but I want to, right?

Like I always say, what if dreams are a parallel universe and multiverses and things? We don't know. You said it last night. Like, we still don't really know what they are. Yeah. So being able to take these two kids and stick them in the dream world,

Um, that there's gotta be a lot of fun with that, but there's gotta be a lot of challenges. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What do you think those were? Well, the, the biggest challenge, uh, for a movie about the dream world is establishing the rules of the dream. Right. Because, um, you know, one of the great things about a, about the dream world and a movie in the dream world is that anything can happen.

But if anything can happen, nothing means anything, right? So you got to establish rules, but how do you do that in a way that's not boring and expositional and like really clunky and didactic? So that was the biggest challenge I think that we faced with this movie is how do you establish the the rules of this world and how it works? How do you go from the real world into the dream world and how does the dream world affect the real world so that you actually have stakes for what happens in the dream world? Right. So what I'd like to actually jump back in time if we can because your career started with, I mean, you obviously went to New York for school. Yeah, I was at NYU, yeah. You're at NYU, and then you got a job right at NYU into Pixar?

No. So at NYU, my senior thesis film won the Student Academy Award, and that really helped sort of put me on the map. Okay. And one of the producers at Lucasfilm animation saw the short, and he liked it, and he felt like, oh, my sensibilities, you know, were kind of aligned with Georgia's sensibilities. So, so, yeah. I know it was a great compliment so I basically I flew out to Northern California I met with him wait hold on wait so you're at your NYU you're what like 22 years old yeah it's 22 years old you do it you have the short you do this obviously put again

a lot of time to it and then hey by the way George Lucas wants you get more informed like you got to be like it was jumping on clouds yeah it was surreal it was very surreal yeah I didn't I didn't really know what to make of it. What does that job entail? So you get the... How long did you work for Lucasfilm? About a year and a half.

Okay. So they had a Lucasfilm animation at that point was a very small division within Lucasfilm. Yeah. George has like a bunch of different companies under this sort of umbrella, corporate umbrella. So, you know, he's got I-LM, he's got Lucas Arts. He's got the George Lucas Educational Foundation. And then Lucas Film Animation was one small division. Yeah.

Wanted to get into feature animation. And so they were developing features and original ideas for the feature film format. And so, yeah, this producer was Dan Rounds and Jim Morris was also running the division. They basically said, do you have an idea for a feature film? Because we love your short. And I didn't really have one, but I just made one up on the spot. And they liked it. Were you a big Star Wars guy kind of grown up?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not huge. I was more, you know, Star Wars came out in what, 78, 77? 77. Yeah. I was born in 81, so I missed the first one. I watched Empire, but I was- VHS.

Yeah, I was really young. Yeah, sure. But obviously, I loved it. Yeah, yeah. Was it a Star Wars thing that you came up with for the feature? No, no, no. It was like a totally original property, not connected to the Star Wars universe at all. And then I was there with maybe three other directors that had original projects.

And so we spent, they basically optioned the idea. I moved out to California. We were working at Skywalker Ranch, which was a little. like unbelievable. I don't know if you've ever been. I've been to Lucas film, but not the ranch. No. You gotta go. It's like, it's just on it's it's like the eighth wonder of the world. It's so beautiful. It's great. Yeah.

So yeah, we were working in a small office there and then about six or seven months in, we all pitched our projects, George. And he didn't like any of them. So, so, so, you know, the idea when you're in development is to pitch something to get a green light, right? So you can actually make the movie. So he didn't want to green light anything. So everyone ended up getting laid off. Oh, wow. Except for me. Oh.

Because I was fresh out of school, I was so cheap. They were like, yeah, we can keep this guy. So, and then that's when they turned the division into the television animation studio. So that's when they produced Clone Wars. So they brought in Dave Filoni. You were there during that time. Yeah. So I was there when Dave Flonny joined the company and we were developing Clone Wars, the animated series.

I was helping him with a lot of the design. work so like anything any particular characters I mean I designed an aniken and count do you do you really and obi one and all those characters Asoka was Dave's design okay but all the other characters you know I had a huge hand in designing that's amazing that's just super fun badge of honor there was this yeah huge badge of honor so that was super fun but I really my heart was really in the feature space I really wanted to get into the feature space and so I applied to Pixar and I got in and the first in my work

one was ratatouille which was unbelievable because it's like the best film they've made incredible yeah that that i mean that career path already i know i was very very fortunate well but it also shows i think the reason what we're talking about here today is passion love talent you know and it's like you're going i want to do this you make a short the short gets notice because you put the love and time to it i want to do this you just you need the designs for an an other things too you work in collaborative with some great people you want to move on a feature You work on Ratatooie. I mean, Ratatooie.

I mean, that's great stuff, man. In general, so you're working on quite a few. You worked on, like, Finding Dory. Yeah, I worked. So Ratatooey was my first, then Hawley, which was also a phenomenal movie. Then I worked in Cars 2. A good dinosaur. Finding Dory was my last film that I was at Pixar, like, full time.

And I was a story lead on that. And then I kind of got the itch after Finding Dory to try and do something on my own, Because, like I said, I'd sort of been in a support role at Pixar for 10 years, helping these directors, these amazing directors make their films and achieve their vision. And it was fantastic. I learned so much. But at some point, you want to take those tools and try and apply it yourself. And, you know, there just wasn't opportunities for me to direct. There was never a conversation of you trying to direct or anything over there.

You just, it wasn't. Not really. Yeah. I think, you know, there was, there weren't very many spots to direct at Pixar at that time. And, you know, yeah, all the. slots had been taken and they were all spoken for and so so yeah and then at around 23rd so i left in 2016 in 2013 house of cards came out okay remember this right and we were just talking earlier about how it's so amazing what netflix did they were a DVD mailing company and now they become like basically

the you know the juggernaut of hollywood it's like the ultimate media story i mean it really is it's unbelievable what they've done and so when house of cards came out in 2030 i was a long-time Netflix subscriber because obviously I'm not got film buff so it was yeah you know an incredible product I just got movies all the time that I could watch um has the cards came out and I was and everybody was so blown away that this DVD mailing company made this original series that was so freaking good yeah and I just remember thinking at the time like they are going to change the industry in a huge huge way and whenever there's change there's opportunity right and so I thought like maybe it's a good time to try and

strike out on my own and you started looking around at that point yeah um and so but you know all the other animation studios at the time weren't they weren't doing anything that was that exciting to me because they were still the best i think game in town yeah um did you look into dream works or anything too or not not really yeah it wasn't that excited about some of those stuff that they were doing so i kind of wanted to do something on my own and so that's why we left and started kuku studios yeah so you start so let's talk about that so you start your own studio which again, how does that come about? Because that's, again, kind of a daunting task.

Like starting your own thing, getting into a market where there's like only a few games in town. And you're like, well, we want to be part of that game. Yeah. How do you do that? How do you, like, who do you approach? Because some people are able to self-finance. Some people are able to have friends that some people that worked with. How does your...

Yeah, it wasn't self-finance. I wish I could self-finance. No, it was actually a family friend of mine. And actually, my brother is a big part of this. Oh, really? Yeah. So I have a family friend who he owns a toy company. It's called VTEC.

They're like a Hong Kong based company. So my parents are from Hong Kong. You live there a little while. I live there. I went to high school in Hong Kong. My parents still live there. My brother still lives there. And my brother, he started a running group in Hong Kong and he became really good friends

with the daughter of the guy who owns and started VTEC. we got along so well and I think you found my work really interesting. He wanted to take some of his toys and then turn them into television shows. And so I was like, so he asked me if I would come work for him and I was like, I don't want to work for a toy company. You know, I'm fine working at Pixar like doing my own thing. And so he was so insistent and he said, look, I really want to find a way to work together. I just didn't know how I would do it.

And my brother was like, well, why don't you start a company and you can work with as a client but then you can do your own thing buried the lead on this in the beginning you've got a lot to do with all this too you guys are you guys are like we are we are a good team yeah and so i was like oh that's actually a really good idea so then i told you know our my friend i was like look i can work with you but i would want to start a studio and then we could work together but then i you know i want to be able to focus on the things that i'm really passionate about it's like great well tell me you know what you need to do it And I was like, well, I need some startup capital.

He said, give me a number. And so I gave him a number and he gave us a check. And that's how I started the co-pennies. So I'm telling you that I'm going to Vegas with you. Yeah. From this, from the start leading into Lucas leading to Pixar leading to this, I mean, your instincts. That's the other thing is like this. Let's talk about that.

Instincts, right? Because I always tell people, because people ask certain questions, like whether it's starting a YouTube channel or starting podcasts and things too. And I said, you've got to trust your instincts. Like your instincts, sometimes you're going to be, yeah. But you got to follow your gut. Do you find that to always be? Oh, absolutely.

Yeah. I mean, I think, especially as an artist, but even just I think as a human being, like, learning to listen to your own voice is like a lifelong, you know, journey. And the sooner you can do it, the sooner you can hone that intuition, the better off you're going to be. Because I think you're, you know, your gut, your conscience, I think it knows who you are before you even do. that's why i mentioned i introduced you to my my daughter last night she's my oldest and she's trying to find herself like yeah i didn't know who i was until i was probably like 19 20 and she's still trying to find her things out she draws all the time and i said to you let's say she's trying to figure it out

and she said that and like so last night i introduced my daughter to Alex and he was very kind talked to her for a little bit and she she draws all of the time she draws all the time she's good too you show me some of her drawing thank you thank you and i and i and i and i but i I said, tell, she's like, I want to be a game developer. I'm like, I know what you do. But you tell them like, I do it. I was a hobby. I'm like, that's all you do.

But you're like, we're talking about you got to follow your gut and your instinct. And I'm never going to say, that's what you should do. She's got to find it. Yeah. But you're 100% right. It's about that intuition of like, like for me, it was, we were talking off air as a stand-up comedy. It's like my dad introduced me to stand-up comedy. My good friend, Brian, like the first time I saw George Carlin when I was younger.

And it's like, I just rap. Yeah. I mean, Bill Hicks, like, people had just gravitated towards and like, starts to go, I was class clown, you know, and like, it was my way of going, oh, I like doing that. I like to do that. I like the way that feels when I hear someone laugh after I say something, maybe even when I shouldn't be saying, you know, in the middle of math class. And you've got to follow that road. And I think if you really look for it, it takes you there. Yeah, yeah, 100%.

Yeah, I think, yeah, the intuition is the strongest gift that an artist has. I mean, just a human being has, you know. I think, yeah, it's much more wise than your brain is. It's true. You know, it's just something though, too, that it's like, you and I both, I think, found kind of the places that we were supposed to be, right? And I always wonder, like, you know, depending on whether you think Michael Jordan, LeBron, are the best players in the world there, they found where they're supposed to be.

Yeah. I believe somewhere in the world, at one point in time, the greatest basketball player, the greatest director, the greatest comedian, never picked up the microphone, never picked up the basketball, never did that because they said, I don't know if I'm gonna. Yeah. It's like, well, they would have, they would have found it if they were supposed to be. I don't know if that's always true. Sometimes it's like you talked about your positive influences and your brother. Yeah. The things, we have these to my dad, right?

Those things that we find. Yeah. And so we are lucky. Yeah. We truly are, but intuition, luck, love. Yeah, yeah. Right? Yeah, I mean, to me, love is like the antidote to fear.

Yeah. And actually, it's a lot about what this movie is about. And that's why I was so excited to hear, like, the conversation. You have a brother who helped you with your company. And then so you go and you get the company going. The company's moving. You start these projects. So let's kind of go right to the Netflix aspects.

You have this idea. Yeah. And now you've got to go from someone who was working in Pixar, but not directing feature films. It is not easy to convince somebody to say, hey, let me direct a feature film for you. I know you guys have, as they say, F you money. But it's still an investment. You've been investing. How do you get them to say, okay, this is the guy.

We're going to give you a first time going. Yeah. I mean, I think it was sort of a combination of things. So our first project, our first production as a, as a studio was this preschool show called Go Go Cory Carson. I don't know if you've seen it. I know. Yeah, yeah. But that was actually the show that we partnered with Vitech on because they have a toy line called GoGo Smart Wheels.

And they wanted to turn that into a TV show. I didn't think Go Go Go Smart Wheels is that great of a title. And so we basically created a character that didn't exist in their world in that IP and then built a show around it. And it, you know, first of all, it was first hard to sell that show to Netflix or to anybody because it was, you know, despite what people think about Hollywood being, you know, just purely sort of money driven. I think a lot of the executives are the best ones. They have a lot of creative and artistic integrity. They don't want to make something that's going to feel like, I don't know, a commercial. Yeah.

Right. And so, but because this show was based off of the toy line, we had to work really hard to show them. Hey, this has a lot of artistic merit. And so what we did is we put a really extensive pitch together. We boarded out an entire episode. We actually did a one-minute proof of concept to execute what the final look of the episode would be to show them. This is the quality of the storytelling that you're going to get if you bet on us. They gave us the green light.

We produced six seasons of the show and a bunch of holiday specials. And we ended up winning three Emmys, got nominated for eight. And so that, I think, proved to Netflix that we had what it was. took to do really great content at the highest level and that's when their feature division was ramping up so Greg Taylor and Melissa Cobb founded the Netflix animation feature division and so they were looking for feature ideas and Dominique Boussay who was my executive on the on the show said hey you should really talk to this guy Alex and the guys at Kuku because they have done

fantastic job with us on our show so that gets you in the door so that got us right door and we in that first year of our company, we sort of just spent, you know, that first year dreaming up ideas of TV shows and movies that we wanted to see that we felt like nobody else was making. And one of those ideas was in your dreams. So we pitched in your dreams to Greg and Melissa. And it was, again, like a really extensive pitch. We beat boarded the whole movie. This is your life that you pretty much. Yeah. And like you said, we didn't have any credits to our name, especially in the feature space. I mean, yes, I had been a story artist and a story lead at Pixar. But that it's not the same. It's not the same. same as directing. No, that'll get you a job at the company and not necessarily directing one of the movies. Exactly. So I felt the onus was on us to prove to them that we could direct and that we were really fantastic storytellers.

And so the way to do that is in the pitch. So we put these really extensive pitches together. And by the end of the pitch, you know, everybody in the room is crying. That's crazy. And so they basically, you know, they bought it right at like the week after and they gave money to write the script we spent by a year writing the script and then we got the green light in 2020 so the funny thing that i'm glad you brought that up that they were crying in the room because something that i read and correct me if i'm wrong that for people who don't know the name of your

company yeah that comes from yeah it's the chinese word for cry for cry yeah so ku in chinese means cry right um and so kuku is it's sort of inspired by the greek theater masks right so you have tragedy and comedy is like the foundation of drama and that was always really inspiring to me because those are the types of stories that resonate with me. Those are the best stories when you have both like tragedy and comedy and pathos and drama and you're laughing, you're crying tears of laughter, you're crying tears of joy. And so those are the stories we kind of stories we wanted to tell. So that's where the name Kuku came from.

And it delivers in this movie because that's what that we always, my kids and I will always have the bat of, you know, is Mama going to cry here? Yeah. And so, yeah, I asked my little one, I said, do you think Mom and? And she and so she goes, yeah. So I look and it was hilarious because I caught my little one like three or four times going like this. And she looks at it. And it was again, not spoiling it, but towards the end, my wife is is crying. And I look over and I said, are you crying?

And my wife goes, of course. And my little one goes like this. But it was, but it was a nice, it was a nice feeling to everything that you get rewarded. Yeah. I mean, you really do. So you get this movie. What's the experience like as you're working, though, because the pressure now, yes, you do this pitch, you get everybody crying in the room, you got your job, you're excited and you

get to make your passion project. Yeah. But all the weight in the world's got to be on your shoulders. Oh, absolutely. Right? Yeah. Yeah. You just have to, you know, shoulder up and like, just do it.

Just do it. But the year is, when you pitch it is what, 2018? 2019 we pitched it 2019 okay so the so the wake is a lot heavier once 2020 hits yeah right uh yeah so the first year was really just writing the script right um and that was super fun we uh i wrote it with my co-director eric benson actually wrote the first draft um and he did a fantastic job and then we just built off that it was such a solid foundation to build off of it um and then we actually got the green line i think after the first draft or maybe after the second draft yeah and then we started production in 2020 two months before the

pandemic which was crazy yeah do you ever get worried during that time because a lot of people lost productions a lot of people lost things is there and people are cut in costs yeah layoffs are happening left and right do you ever worry to that point like of course yeah i mean i think we were very lucky because i mean especially when you're with the streaming company during that time, actually streaming, you know, stock went up. Everybody was excited about streaming because nobody could go to the theaters anymore. So everybody, all the consumer behavior started to change and shift at that point. It just, I mean, COVID, you know, everybody basically says it accelerated the change in consumer behavior for audiences.

And so we, Netflix was actually growing during the pandemic because they needed more content because they actually could absorb a lot of the movies that were going to go to theaters. they didn't have an outlet anymore so they ended up going with Netflix so they go to Disney streaming you know Paramount Plus it did shift a lot too and I wonder as as a filmmaker so this is something I'm glad we got into too because I on my show every day on our live show we talk about like the impact of streaming and how media has changed like when you and I were kids like going to the theater was like you didn't even know what was coming out yeah you just yeah you just do it what's playing oh that sounds cool let's go see that that doesn't really happen anymore because you literally can watch anything you want on TV anytime you don't have those little shitbox TVs anymore like real TVs and so as a filmmaker though because you hear

two different sides of it you hear people who are going to look I get an opportunity to show like on Netflix right yeah millions people are going to watch my movie I have an opportunity and I believe you don't have to say this and I don't watch this says this movie is um and should be nominated for an animation award I mean it is is phenomenal and it should be nominated that was a different thing back when you should way of the theatrical windows and things of that nature and so as film you get i need people to see my movie in theater not necessarily anymore because i reached so many homes yeah where do you land on like you know as a director like the the film experience yeah the theater experience

rather yeah yeah i mean i um i love both yeah uh i think you know i I think we grew up in the same, you know, generation. I love that big screen communal experience of going to the movies. But I think, you know, times have changed and, you know, people aren't going to the theaters as much. And so you still want to find a way to get your stories across to people. The other great thing about streaming is that you get to reach international audiences in a way that you couldn't before with theatrical.

That's right. And so that has been really exciting, you know, for me, not just as a filmmaker, but also as a consumer, as an audience member. Like I get to watch content from Korea, from, you know, all different parts of the world that I would have normally never had access to or the only way to get access to them was like there was so many obstacles and hurdles that I would have to jump over. I have to find the content, you know, find the theater that's playing it because especially international content used to be just really hard to find international movies so that has been the amazing thing about I think streaming you know I think like squid games for example right it's like the number one most watched TV show on Netflix and it's a you know Korean language Korean produced and K-pop demon hunters even hunter demon slayer

like all yeah all like they're 100% like what's yeah but demon hunters that that to me you've got to be at that point when you're making your movie and that way because no one that's that's a perfect example of a movie that if that movie comes out theatrically with no streaming attached to it maybe it does well yeah maybe it's not the phenomenon it is today yeah way but like as a netflix team member at that point yeah and with a movie upcoming you've got to be like yes when this thing pops right oh man i'm so happy for them of course i keep telling maggie kang that like south kore should give her the key to the country I think she's probably done more for the gross domestic product of South Korea than a lot of large corporations. Yeah. You know, I think I read an article that like travel to South Korea has increased in tourism. Wow. Because of K-pop demon hunters. It's huge.

It's huge. Again, some of my kids are excited. And when I told them, I said, you know, the movie were going to see the same, same studio that did. Yeah. They're like, let's go. Like, because it now carries weight. And I believe that your film will do the same thing, the studio that did this, the studio that did this. So let's skip back into the film and talk about the cast.

Yeah. Because, you know, a lot of times, and I always with when it comes to animation, like there are times when you can put in unknown actors, unknown actresses. Yeah. And it's about the performance. Yeah. And it really is. And you do that in this movie, but you also couple it with known actually. We're talking about Krista Millian.

Yeah, yeah. We were talking about her off air. I mean, you got, when did you guys sign her up? Was this before, after Penguin? Before. So, I mean, I've been a fan of hers since, I don't know if you know this show called The Venture Brothers. No. So it's a show, it's no longer on air.

But it was a show on Adult Swim. It was actually the first show that I worked on when I was still in college. It was my first job in animation. And this guy, Jackson Public is, that's a screen name. Chris McCulloch is the creator. And Doc Hammer, they created the show together. It's such a brilliant show. It's so funny.

And Kristen does, she's done voices for multiple characters in that show. And so that's why, that was my first introduction to her as an actress. And I just remember thinking, oh, this person is really good. And then she did once, the Broadway version of once. And she killed it. I mean, I think a lot of people know she can sing like nobody's business. She did a cover. I think she did a cover album of Bonie Vairs.

I can't remember which album. But she's just a phenomenal singer. So she's just like, I keep saying that she's like, Egot level talent and you know now she's got her Emmy she won a Grammy hopefully we can win her an Oscar for Best Original Song for our movie but yeah I think I've just been a huge fan of her and I just have realized how talented she was just from the very beginning for my first introduction to her it's a good it's again another great talent to have is the skill to have to notice okay we talked about this on offer we're talking about how there are times that actors

I just don't get those roles that really shines the moments that we know that they're capable of. Clearly you saw that in her, we've now... Now everybody sees it. Yeah. And then so another reason that my little one wanted to see, Netflix had sent, so the character in this who's kind of like your Olaf

Bologna Tone. Tony. And voiced by the great Craig Robbins. Oh, man. Genius. Talk about stand-up comedy. Oh, he's genius. Yeah. He's genius. And he's really, really really funny guy. Um, are there, is he the choice right away or is there, or you get a list of names going, oh, wait. Yeah, we actually, we had a bunch of names. Um, and we had to do, what we do is, um, we put up like an image of the character.

And then we just like put different, um, clips, uh, from some of these actors that are in contention. Yeah. Um, against the character to see how the voice pairs with the design of, of the character and what they look like. And we had a couple that were, you know, strong contenders. But once we heard Craig's voice, it was kind of like a no-brainer. It was like, oh, this is this is totally right. And I've been a huge fan of his since like Hot Tub Time Machine. And I mean, obviously he's like brilliant in the office.

But what I also love about him, and we don't use his musical talent in this movie. But, you know, the family is a family of musicians, like mom and dad and had a band together. And so I wanted somebody with that connection to music as well. And you know, his stand-up, he does, yeah, he does a lot of piano playing and he incorporates music into his comedy. He just did the other day. It was where he was, they were like clapping along with him. Yeah.

He's like, I said, use your feet. Yeah. That was great. Yeah. So he, and he, he just, you know, he delivered beyond our expectations. Every time we got him in the room, he would improv so much. And those are usually the takes that we would use because he just elevated the material so much. It's great that our director can do that too, right?

There's a lot of sometimes, like, no, no, no, that's the way it needs to be. It's a man they don't, they don't realize sometimes. Like, no, no, if you trust in the people that you had trusted in the first place to bring these characters alive, they're going to give you some magic. Yeah. It seems like that kind of came along. But I'm sure for you, the most personal thing, and you're like, okay, we really've got to find the right Stevie and Elliot. yeah yeah there's that's yeah there's a heart of the movie i mean they carry us through the whole film yeah that was um it was challenging we auditioned a lot of actors for stevie and elliot um

for stevie once again it was kind of like with craig like once we heard jolly's performance and her audition it was kind of obvious and then when i met her i mean it was just over zoom um personality why she's so much like stevie i mean she's she was like stevie i mean she was I think 15 when we were she was auditioning she is she's an only child but only children are often very similar to elder siblings she's very much like she's very smart she's very mature beyond her years she's um she's definitely a perfectionist she's a type a personality and that's exactly who stevie is so also an NYU student now she's an NYU student which is crazy so she's in the same program that i was in 25 years ago

Yeah. Yeah. So she was, once we heard her and I met her, I was like, this is our stevie. We gave her the role right away. And Elliot, you haven't met him yet, but Elias Jansen, he is, this guy is so talented because he's, his personality in real life is nothing like Elliot's. He's very soft-spoken. He's very, like, demure.

Very like, actually he's very mature for his age. But when he needs to act and turn to him. on that childhood boy's charm, he can do it like that. Yeah. And he was just, yeah, so brilliant. And so much, I mean, so many people tell me that Elliot is their favorite character in the movie because he's so lovable and charming. He's designed that way too. He's designed that way to kind of bring it all together.

I mean, both Elliot and Stevie, they really, like, it's like Yoda in Empire. It doesn't work. And the movie doesn't work. Yeah. And like, it works. So, all right, this movie again, it's going to do what people, are hoping it does as far as emotionally it does it does exactly what your company name wants it to do so now you're going to go through this journey obviously of the you're going to do the press you're going to talk to people about it you're going to share the passion to it have you even thought about what you want to do next have you even thought about i mean i'm sure there's ideas and projects that you got lined up yeah um i have another original feature that i'm very excited about um and yeah i'm That I think is the project I'd want to work on next.

I can't say too much about it. Just premiere in New York, right? I will. I will. I will. Yeah. But the script, we have the script that we wrote. Do you know Mike McCullors is?

Yeah, yeah, I do. Brilliant comedy writer, animation writer. So we were really fortunate to work with him on this script. And he wrote beautiful script, and it does the same thing. It gives you that you're laughing. It's just hilarious, but then it's also got so much heart to it. So it really captures sort of what we try to do as a company and as a studio. So that's something I really, I'm looking forward to doing.

I'm looking forward to seeing it. And I thank you so much for having us at the screening last night. I'm glad we got a chance to see it early. Netflix is the new game in town when it comes to animation you can really tell. So Alex, thanks once again. Thanks, Christian. It's a pleasure. No problem.

Thank you anytime. Make sure that you check this movie out again, November 14th, in your dreams. Alex Wu, ladies and gentlemen, a man himself. Thank you so much. Thanks, Christian. I'll tell you, it's ready Christmas time for me. I had word that Butcher Box was back, baby. Oh, I love Butcher Box.

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always and includes member only perks. It's got recipe inspirations, got tips and exclusive deals. You make the most out of it. So as an exclusive offer, our listeners are going to get free protein in every box for a year. Plus, you're going to get $20 off your first box, but you have to go to butcherbox.com slash Christian. If you go to butcherbox.com slash Christian, you get a limited time offer and free shipping always butcherbox.com slash Christian you have to use our link that way they know that we sent you and they say hey this guy was the line he does love us and his listeners love him too happy to have you guys happy to um really have Alex Wu on this show and man I loved loved loved speaking with him.

He was great. He really was great. And, you know, like I said, to me, my passion is always to have conversations with people and good people and try to inspire people. There are some dopey people sometimes. There's some dopey people who, you know, when it comes to stuff like this and they're always asking questions about being inspired and wanting to start stuff. And then, well, I don't know who it is not going to listen. You're not paying attention because you're going to be a sheep. You're going to be a sheep when you start to hear the name.

Oh, now I want to listen to what they say because other people are listening to them. Don't do that. Don't do that. And not everybody has to listen. You're not in interviews. You're going, okay, I'll come back for the news stories. But just realize that people are people. And you could sit down and have a conversation with someone at a bar, restaurant,

coffee shop and be like oh i didn't even know that person i started talking to them and wow i'm inspired today i'm going to do something else open your mind a little bit that's all i'm saying so open your minds though check it out guys it's it's coming out on uh friday and i'm excited for you all right so hey man and there's the other thing i saw there's somebody who who was in the comment section was like i came here with a live stream well you can keep me on for the live stream but there's 15 questions. So we'll be short live stream, which is fine. But that's how it goes. So we're going to read these questions out. You want to stay longer? Ask me some questions. We'll figure it out. If not, we'll be back here tomorrow. First one is AH become a new YouTube member. I love that.

Thank you for becoming a member. Good time to be a member today. Greenie from Oz. McPhile, Endgame, Winter Soldier, writer, and Waldron writers are writing Doomsday. I think we're in good hands, folks. I'm with you. What percentage of the film do you think Robert Dangerer rocks the Doom Mask? I hope it's 70 Mask 30. For the first one, Doomsday, I'm going to say 90% mask, 90% mask, 10% face. That's what I'm going to say.

And I told you already, you kind of heard some of that too. And now I want to clarify something too, because people were, and I know where Snyder comes from, what happens to him sometimes, too, man. People are saying, oh, the first thing they were saying, as President Arnold says that in Doomsday and in Secret Wars, Scott Summer is going to be featured. I said, no, no, in the new mutant saga. That's where they're leaning on in that, not in these movies. And then they said, he says, no mask whatsoever.

Or sorry, no face. Robert Dengrenz, he will not show his face in the whole movie. I said, didn't say that. He said the movie would be heavily featured with the mask. Now, you're probably going to see him a few times. but it's heavily featured in the math. I don't know about Seeker Wars, but in this one, again, watch the misquotes sometimes.

It happens. I know, it happens. 17 questions. Can we make a huge comeback here? We shall see. We shall see, as Barnaby says. It is now 17 questions as we get to the next one. Thank you again to Greeny from Oz on that one.

Okay. keep on moving down the line. Moving on, moving on, moving on the road. That was definitely not even close to the song. Johnny Petriza, I am taking my six-year-old son to his first concert in December to see all-time low. Do you remember what your first concert was?

Yeah, I was I was older. I remember my first concert, I think I talked about this was like Def Leopard and Brian Adams or something. But yes, Madison Square Garden, I believe that was my first concert ever, which was, again, I was older.

But my oldest, her first was Rod Stewart and she was like six or seven dancing dog 60 and my little one hasn't gone yet so we're going to want to take her she really wants to see Taylor Swift my god you gotta like give a kidney to go see her

dancing dog 60 the Russo's and MCU are like Shaq and Kobe winners so far hard to argue with that but so far yes absolutely true 17 question moving on here's the next one a lily Yankee

solo show support. Thank you. Sure hope the Rousseau's haven't lost their Marvel sauce. Nothing to adding yet. The great Kickstarter ideas thus far. Can't wait. It's been some really good ideas, man. And let's start with the Ruses. Rousseau's, yeah, let's hope that they haven't lost it. We don't know yet.

It's been a while. It's been a while. They're also, you know, the other thing, though, that has to be taken into account that they were given a lot to work with leading into Captain America Winter Soldier. Here's this. here's this here's this here's this go now they had to you know it was a different story from

the first movie and they had more time periods of play but they what everything was building to they had to say here we have all this stuff that we're working on now go and then there's a little bit more that they were able to lead up to and do more so they had more room to play as where now it's like it's there wasn't really anything that has come before that you really need so much except the you know the the the acknowledgement of the multiverse So, you know, another little things to Thunderbolt stuff. Fantastic Four. The last few movies have set things up more so than any of the stuff that came before it.

Like, I want to see Shang-ji, but if you don't, it won't hurt the movie. But I hope he's in it, but it won't hurt it. Yeah. Dancing Dog 60. Christian, have you ever seen the horror movie teeth? Yes, about the woman who has teeth in her hoo-ha. It's biting satire. hilarious scenes.

Yeah, yeah, it was one of the, you know, we don't have it. I think we were on current TV when we were reviewing it, but when did it come out? It must have come out. I'll tell you, if you tell me in the comments, I bet you that movie came out in either late 2007 or before October of 2008. That's my guess. And the reason why is because the YouTube channel Shmoh's No, was not a thing yet. And I believe that we reviewed it on current TV, but we did review it a long, long time.

go. So, all right. Let's see. Now, 21 questions. Okay. You guys are keeping me on the air. I dig it. And please, let's do the same thing we did last week. Whereas I told you, I am relying on all of you to help me design this Kickstarter. I'm relying on you because I need to know, like I said, like even if, if every single person here today that's watching live on the replay, put in like that. We're adding up tears. And again, I understand like when you say 25, 50, whatever, you say, well, someone's a disaster. And I want to give, I wish I had the person's name.

I want to give props to them because they were, they were awesome. They said, hey, do you think 25 might be too much for people? I said, well, taking consideration that the bear costs 1.1 million to make. I said, we're not shooting for 1.1, but taking consideration that what we're going to do is include people on an actual television pilot being involved. in the writer's room, in the casting, like, you can essentially go to film school, and you're paying 25 bucks for it during that time.

He said, that makes sense. He's like, I understand when you clarify it like that. It's all about clarification. You can't expect people to just understand. Like, I would never be arrogant enough to go, yeah, that's what it is. Deal with it, fools. Like, no, no, no, listen, this is why. I understand your question.

Your question is valid, but here's why. And the person goes, oh, it's actually a deal. That's what you got to do. You got to let people know. Seattle, K.O. Good to the choppa. I don't know if I can tell the story, but McCougas sent me a text yesterday about something Arnold related that was hilarious. And it was really fun. I just, I just, it's his story, so I don't want to tell it.

Johnny Petriza, rewards idea may be a sign still from the pilot. I love that. If people are digging that. And I think that that's, once we get, again, as I clarified last week, if you weren't on the stream, our goal is. is going to be here, right? This is our goal. And if we hit this goal, that means we make the show. Now, obviously, we want to overperform and get to here because let's say there's a DP on there that we really want. But if we hit here, we probably can't afford that DP, but we can still make the show. If we hit here, then maybe also not only get that DP, if we hit here, we can get, you know,

so-and-so that we have on the list to play that person. Well, we'll, We can't offer them what they would even consider because we hit this. But if we hit this, we can offer them the role. And they might take it because it's, it's their rate. But like I said, there's here. This is make the show. That's just we're going to make the show. That's we're going to make the show at a different level, if that makes sense.

But we just got to get here. So whatever that might be, signed stuff from the pilot, but imagine we get, let's say we get here. And we get that person. a few people that we really want the show that was on the list that we didn't even think was attainable, but you guys make it happen. Who wouldn't want a signed pilot still from all that? And even just in general,

it would be great. Dancing Dog 60. If you were Paramount, would you reboot Star Trek with the new generation characters or the Kirk Crew again, or new features to crew set beyond Picard event? Picard event or even. I am not the right person to ask about Star Trek. I'm just not. I just don't get it. I never really have gotten it. And the only things that I like are the three movies in the Star Trek ones that JJ did and then the last one beyond. And I know if you're if you're hardcore, I feel like how Roxy does. You know, Rocky talks about Star Wars when she's like, I'm just the kind of casual fan that like I, I, people talk about Star Wars and all these things that they want. I'm like, I don't care. It doesn't really matter to me. It's it's it's I'm not as invested.

I tell you I am with Star Trek. So I don't know. I would be the worst person. Like, if you hired me, if you hired me to run Star Trek, then you should be fired. Because I know nothing about Star Trek. So that's just, I wouldn't really know what to do. I have the wrong answer. I'd say, you have to focus on Kirk, I guess, right?

I don't know. I don't know the answer to that. I really don't know. I'm sorry. Aaron Ambrose, have you seen Muggen Train by now? Early teaser thoughts. Will you interview? Vecna again before season three, season five of Stranger Things.

Absolutely love the one of you. Thank you. You know, I want to, I want to reach out to his people because I really liked him. He was a good interview, a good conversation, rather. I like talking to him. He was a cool dude, chill dude. So I don't want to say no. I like to, you know, have a conversation in person.

That'd be amazing, if that's the case. But as far as moving train, yeah, Winston, I watched it on Monday. day. Thoughts? It's awesome. We're going to post it on Saturday once it's done and it's edited. So people have been asking for that one. I feel like, I feel like that one's going to do the best. That all the demon slayer stuff we did, I feel like that one's going to do the best. The other ones have just eaten dog shit, as they kids say in France.

Karam Potts, I appreciate all that you do. Thank you. I hope that whenever I can make it to New York, it be one of your stand-up shows loving the it reactions thank you so much um gonna have the the latest it one come out the welcome to dairy and then it chapter two it's funny it chapter one kind of started off slow as far as views and people catching it but now more and more people are checking it out um but i will be i will be um doing more of that stuff for sure it i really am excited because i've I've started, my daughter is now obsessed with Welcome to Derry. She loves it. She loves it. It's all she talks about. She loves the show. So it's going to come like our thing now. We watch it together as well

after I watch it. As far as stand-up goes. I actually just spoke to Mark about that. We might be doing a show somewhere in Long Island. And it was funny because my friend reached out to me and she asked me if we were doing a show and she kind of like got it moving. So Mark and I actually in discussion about doing a show in York. I'll let, I'll let people know for sure when we, when we do it. Absolutely, 100%. The other thing is what people were talking about, um, is part of the, the Kickstarter tier, which is, and I can't remember, I can't remember who it was, and I apologize, but, um, had brought up the great idea about having access to when, or, you know, if we make the show that when we have a premiere party, it gives you access to that premier party, which would be great too. Uh, okay.

So thank you guys so much. All right. Ralph, no Sam's reaction to seven and Shutter Island. No, not necessarily. I think that right now we have for her next one, she's got Wicked coming out. That's the next one. Then I think we're going to do Deltore's Frankenstein because I haven't seen it either. So we're going to do that one. And then we probably, maybe we do seven and Shutter Island.

Maybe we do those two. That's what Luke, if you're listening, maybe we, maybe we, we put those on list for November because December is going to be crazy. Once we launched the Kickstarter, we're going to do a ton, a ton of stuff. So, but seven and Shutter Island are, or definitely, she doesn't see either one. So that would be great to do. She'll be, yeah, those are great reactions. She'll, she'll lose her mind in seven for sure, both of them probably. And I haven't seen Shutter Island in quite a while. Wiley Tye, what's up, bud? Edgar Wright is my favorite director because of his touch with needle drops. Does running man have that at least? P.S. Eddie

Murphy doc is out on Netflix. I have to see it. And you know, I didn't pay attention enough to it. Maybe so as far as the needle drop. I, if you're paying attention to it, you might know. And I don't, I didn't pay attention to it in the past. Um, so I don't know if he does. I'm going to tell you no, but you can come back and call me a liar after you see it. As far as Danny Murphy doc goes, I definitely want to see that. But McGaright is, is great. I really, I mean, I was, I was, I That's why I was bummed, I think, because I was expected so much. And I think that there was such a great thing that they said. He was a director for hire, but it's like, it's two movies.

This is the director for hire movie. And then there's the Edgar Wright movie. And then you combine them. And it's like, this, this doesn't work. I wonder, though, if you're going to feel differently, widely, especially if you're a fan. It's almost like, you know, some people when you go to see like Dr. Strange, right, multiverse of madness. Sam Ramey fans love that movie.

They love them. They love them. I do not. Because I think the people who weren't big ramy heads, thought it was just fine. But I don't know if that's the same case with this. Curious to find out. 28. 28 questions as we're moving on down the line.

Can we get that victory again here this week, guys? What do you think? I'm going to see if everybody puts in one question here, for the remainder of it. Put in a question. If you all put in question right now, not only would break the record. You guys can ask me whatever the hell you want.

I'll stay on for a little bit. I don't have to be off until 2.30 my time because Steph and I are going to do a reaction to Killer of Killers, which I've never really seen. I saw like the first bignette. That was it. So it's kind of like our first, no,

I shouldn't have dropped the interview separately. No, because then you don't click on it. And you doesn't get the love of the deserves. Stop that. Don't tell me how to do it. It should not have done it separately. So you could just, it doesn't, no,

I wouldn't do that. Makes no sense. The Lil Yankee. Or I wouldn't have a show. Or there would be no show today. That's what I'm trying to tell you. There'd be no show today. You're on the show and we're talking.

We're having a conversation now. Stop that. Stop it. That's what Wednesday is. It's what we play. We play on Wednesday. And I talk to people. I could have do that with Famke Yonson last week.

I probably should have, but I didn't. Lil Yankee, great interview Christian. Go, pal. Concur, great interview. Thank you. I appreciate that very much. Go, pal. I finished Amstair Empire.

They stuck the landing. Yeah, it's solid, man. It's solid. She's so good. She's so good. Tara Ortiz. Let's see. Great interview.

Thanks for putting this film on my radar. Terry, it's really good. It's solid. It's a really good animated film. I love, absolutely loved it. And I think you will too. And thank you, Tara. It's very kind to you to say.

Appreciate it. All right. Let's see. Next. We have 31. We're building. re-building. Tara Ortiz, 50 characters are not enough. That's fair. You got, but, but I heard what you said. Ralph, Nolan rewatch made me miss Tom Hardy in good movies. What was the last one he was in? What was the

last movie he was in? I mean, Venom, I guess, right? I'd like to see him in something pretty great. I'd like to see, I'm with you. I think he needs to be something pretty solid. He's just such a good actor. Revenant was pretty damn good too. I haven't watched. I didn't seen that in a while. Go pal. I saw Chris Cornell twice in 03 with audio slave. It's absolutely criminal. That Soundgarden was inducted into Rock and Hall fame until now. But at least it happened. At least it happened.

You're not wrong, but at least it happened. So there you go. Mr. Nerd Fanatic. Would you do a live show for a premiere or pilot? So like I think what you mean is at the premiere, we actually do a live show at the premiere, like a live like podcast? Is that what you mean? I don't know because I don't know if, I mean, it's weird because what the show is essentially

is about is you could potentially do that, but I don't know if we would do it at the premiere. At the premiere, I'd probably want to just relax and hang out and talk to people and especially meet the people who help back it, you know. So I don't know if I would do a live show. I'm not sure if that's what you meant, but I don't know if I would do a live show. Ralph Harloff watched one battle with Sam Also potential if not maybe Ming

Because it's just a matter of who's going to have It's a matter of who's going to have The time So we'll see And Ralph also says you have to finish Eddington The last 45 minutes are insane bloody bonkers Also did you finish die my love Now yeah last night I got what did I do last night?

I was working here I was in the office until I was doing What the hell do we watch last now? We watched Wicked. Sam and I watched Wicked. It's going to be up on Friday. So we watched Wicked. She had never seen it before. So it's a long movie.

It's like 240. So I didn't get out of here in time. Then I had to go get my dog some food. I didn't get home until 8.30. Went hung out with my oldest for a little bit. And yeah, I had to walk the dog, do other stuff. By the time, it was 10 o'clock. I was exhausted.

I'm going to sleep. So I went to bed. I need to watch shit. So I'll probably watch some stuff. I'll probably, I'm going to, I really need to watch. No, Makugia did not meet Arnold. people are asking. So, um, okay, let's see. What is what's next? I'm trying to see what else. Hold on a second. Next. I apologize. Thank you, Ralph. You rule 38 so far, guys. 38. Amazing.

Everybody asked, ask me, somebody put in like, I want to hear what you think of it. Like, you know what I want to hear from? I want to hear somebody right from somebody right now. who at this moment is probably not going to, doesn't want to help with the backing of the pilot. Or doesn't, isn't interesting. I want to hear from them and I want to hear from them saying, probably not going to, but I'll tell you, if you did this, there's a possibility because that would intrigue me.

I'd be intrigued. That's what I want to hear. I got to hear from everybody. I got to hear from everybody to go, oh, I didn't think about that. Matthew Garrett, Taylor Sheridan and Star Trek. We could have had it all. Was that a thing that was going to actually be a thing?

Garrett? I don't know. Trey Porter, just watched a new Eddie Murphy documentary and Netflix was really great watch. He had me dying laughing the whole time. He's forever hilarious. He really is. I'd love to see it. I'll be honest.

I remember hearing about it, but I haven't until you guys just told me it was on. I totally forgot that it was coming out. So I'm glad that you told me. Matthew Garrett. So Gunn is doing more non-Batman WW Wonder Woman content. Watch one of the biggest highly weird fumbles of all time before I's malpractice. Not yet. Not yet. I mean, I'm, I'm with you that I don't think that the crime show with Jimmy Olson should be the next thing. I'm with you on that.

But I think again, Matt, you're spinning around in the chair, letting it rip because you can't, you're part of the other team that there's two teams and, and I'm watching from over here, watching both teams, and you're on that side saying everything that he does, it doesn't matter if he puts out a billion-dollar movie, you're going to say it's crap and you hated, right? And it doesn't matter if he, if he loses $80 million on a movie. Oh, it was good. It was great. It did great. See, you're on that side, though, man, unfortunately. It's just, so I can't take that comment too serious about the biggest fumbles. You don't know that yet. It could be. I don't disagree with that. It absolutely could be. If this peacemaker, to me,

was a fumble, season two, by going, you should just left it alone. So that was a fumble. but the reports of 150 million that Superman made, and they're still making another one, they're still going forward. And as I said yesterday, there could be a show here, this crime show that actually shows you more of what the DCU is actually is, and you're introducing new characters inside of this investigation place,

and if it's solely focused on Jimmy Olson, as great as I thought Skyler was, who cares? Fumble's going to be, if they continue to make movies, not leading to the big three. And they start eating shit. You could be a big fumble, but right now, and not yet, no. Shea Markell, support.

Thank you, shit. 43. It's hilarious. Find out that A's favorite TV show is ridiculousness. I don't know. What is ridiculousness? Oh, my God. I'm telling you, I probably know what it is,

and then they don't know what it is. Let's see. Ralph. I want to see Tarantino, Adam Driver, Carrie Russell, Rambo movie, Kurt Russell, Kerry Russell, very different movie. Kurt Russell, Rambo movie. Okay.

Me too. Is that who's supposed to be in that remake of the book? Is that the cast that was supposed to be there? Go pal. I think Dan alluded to needle drops in his review. Okay, makes sense. Like I said, I'm, look, sometimes detail goes right over my head, certain things like that.

Like, sometimes I'm, I'm real locked in on certain things and I bring up little things that nobody else notices. And they wouldn't even bringing that up at the needle drop stuff until you brought it up. Now I'll probably hear it every time I see it. But like you're talking to a guy that one time looked at his, there was something, there was something that was hanging up in my place. And I said,

oh, that's great. When did you put that up? That's great. She was about five years ago. Eclipse. When it comes to the Kickstarter tier, can you share what ideas are already in consideration? I'm not sure what has and already been proposed.

That's also fair. I mean, like right now, consideration are signed posters, dailies from, you know, the set, being involved in the casting process, letting people know lists, seeing versions of the script. I'm going to say, if I get in trouble, I get in trouble. We have a casting director on board, which is I'm very excited about. And being involved in that process and seeing how that works. talking and having conversations with the director, getting access that you would never be able to have, producer updates on what's happening,

videos from the set itself, watching people come in and be there, certain things, just is access to actual the production of television. Like I am, this is a confident that once we get this thing done, shot, edited,

the people we have on board have the access to get it to people, like, sometimes you're like, oh, we hope we can get it to Netflix. We hope we can get it to Apple. We hope it's going to get there. It is going to get there. The question is whether or not they like it. It's another question,

but it is going to get there once it's done. So we shall see. So that's what's currently available. It's watching that actual process. I think what happens sometimes, and rightfully so, and this I'm not taking away at all from, because I'll tell you,

if we didn't get this director and this producer involved, then what I'm about to say is probably where we would have been. We probably would have made this at a lower scale, put it on YouTube, and hope that it caught fire, right? And we wanted to make it. We made it. We're in a different ballgame right now that if we can get here and the idea of,

let's get them all involved. Like it's past film school you pay so much money to be involved in, this, whatever the tier might be, you're going to have access that you just wouldn't have. And we don't think a lot of Kickstarter have done that. Haskell, yo man, Sturger's coming to New York City for a comedy show on Saturday. I don't know when she's getting here, but any chance you can get her in studio. I didn't know she was coming in. She got a text me.

Tweet at her. Tell her to text me. Depends on when she's coming in. I don't know. Because, you know, Friday actually, which is cool, recording an episode with Chris Van Bleet, not for me, but for Sarah. They're going to have a conversation, which is pretty great. So I'd love to see Jen.

Harves K. Predator of Killers has an epilogue to see before the main credits for all the end. Be sure not to miss that. Thank you for letting me know. That's good to know. You're going to be watching that pretty soon. Go pal. Hardy was great as the twin gangsters in legend.

Yeah, you know what? I didn't love legend. I didn't love it. I did like that Capone movie. I think I'm the only person that did, though. Joshua Gonzalez saw Christy yesterday. Sweenie became Christie completely, totally. Do you think the box office will affect award chances?

Unfortunately, I think maybe so. And I also think there's some politics involved that probably will not help her, which it shouldn't. It shouldn't. And politics should have nothing to do with consideration on awards, again, both sides of it. But it does. I don't care what anybody says.

It does. And people don't vote for other people because look at that article that they had. People didn't want to see. there was some there was those academy of voters that were anonymous that said he wouldn't see movies so they didn't like that person it's that's that's that's that's why it's a flawed system i do think she should she should be nominee she 100% should be nominated and i think that there'll be some stuff that that that hurts joy peddress what up christ you said christian i said what's up to is there a PR email or something i can send some kickstarter promo ideas to would love to help any way i can

I always at Shmose Contact at gmail.com. That's the best one. That one is the one that we always say. So, um, so yeah. So please. Uh, please do that,

Joe. I'd love to get your ideas. Legend, MM 600. Dude, you said today's show is off yesterday. What did I say? I said it was off?

No, I didn't say that. And I said we were going to have Alex. I said it was going to run the Alex Woothing today. I said last week that I was taking off. And that's what you're saying. I'm not sure. 47 guys 47 can we we just need how many more we need just about 30 to beat mike and roxy let's do it shea

back old son won't you come and wash away the rain there you go dancing dog 60 is glen powell the new garret headland he'd look potentially look i like seeing a garret headland when he pops up now right it's the same look garret headland and not even now i always liked him but i just he he falls into the same category like the Sam Worthingtons and what's his face, Jai Courtney's and all of them. It's not their fault. People want, inside the system, want to

build and manufacture movie stars all the time based off of a talent. All those guys that I just mentioned extremely talented. But they get forced down our throats. We don't want, we don't, they haven't earned it yet. They're movie stars yet. Like, Glenn Powell to me is

really solid. And he's good in running men. I don't know if he's a movie star yet. I don't know if he's earned the leading man guy yet. I don't know if he has. I like him. I don't mind seeing him. You know, I'm not always people that are,

oh, they don't want to watch this guy, but I like him. And Garrett Heedlin said, look, Garrett Helling showed up in Tulsa King. I'm like, nice, Garrett Edland. And I missed him in the new Tron movie.

Wished he was in that. So I don't know. This is a great comment, by the way. Maybe a usual sponsor's likes him. advertisement in your project. Well, we're definitely 100%. That's kind of the goal there, Mike. The goal is because, like I said, we're aiming for this, right? In order to get here, I can't just rely on that we're going to overperform. I can't. I just can't. We've got to get here to make Asha. Get here somehow. We've got to be able to go, okay, we hit here and now let's

get that DP, let's get that cast, let's get everything that we want to get. Let's get the locations we want. Let's get everything that we want. You bet, Bet your ass, I'm going to reach out to sponsors and say it. Hey, what if we fit you in? I mean, the guy's a podcaster in the show. So it could work. So we'll see. 47.

47. Okay, let's say. Matthew Garrett, I like Superman. Okay, fair enough. Soul, stylish jukebox. Any chances of a sack off cameo in your pilot? Potentially. Potentially.

Initially, I said, I don't know if there's a role for her yet and I wouldn't want to just give her like, you know, I would want to reach out to her and say, hey, look, she's amazing. How do you not want her in your stuff? There was a new character in one of the new drafts that people are actually really responding to.

Roxy really responded to it. Mike responded to it. The director, producer, associate producer, everyone really responded to this character kind of popped off the page. Smaller role for the first one, but is going to ultimately have a really big, roll. So I would absolutely, she could, she could do it, you know, whether or not she does. I don't know, but so chance, yes, chance. Ralph, not interested in the pilot Harloff, but if you got Scracessi

directing, I'd be down. Also, yes, you would love Shutter Island on, on second watch. So we'll Sam. That's not, that's, Ralph, I love you to death, but that's not what I mean. We're going to get Scraise to direct. That's how you're going to, come on. Saying what, what, what he, what he, What do you think in general? And by the way, I already have a director and a great director. And not that, the score says he's in great, but you know what I'm saying? Give me something real, Ralph. Aidan, what's up, Aidan?

You know, Aidan, when we spoke last time on our, when we came into the member stream, he had mentioned one thing. And I was like, and I remembered after we were, I think, you know, Aiden, are you a big scores guy? Are you a big music person? Because that would, that would then remind. me of something. But if not, whatever, a great conversation with Eden on the live chat. Aidan says, Batman, no money, Wonder Woman, no Amazon, Superman, no cans, great stuff so far. Also, butcher box rules. I've been using them for four months. So good. If you're still using them,

you know, if you want it, you want to get a little deal there, Aiden, use that, use that code, man. Because it's, I told, I told my wife again that they were back on board and she was, she's, she's pumped. Delicious. Page. idea the top tier donors get to go at dinner with you and the director that's an you know i think you know what's funny about the page i just did a screenshot of this um so the director mentioned something like that and maybe and maybe that adds to it so let me put that i'm putting that in the idea thing so that's also something that's potential that's a great idea great idea so 49 is 50 50 i'm just kid idea when you raise enough money uh you can if you have enough to pay for the

pay for a trip for the two for the premiere also something that could i think has been discussed and should be discussed even more so maybe like at a certain i mean there's only so many of those you can do right maybe have to be like it's almost like a patreon like exclusive kind of tier not we're not patreon but you know i mean like an exclusive tier the only x amount of people can sign up for because there's only so much that we can do um but that's again great ideas Mr. Nerd Fanatic. Oh no, I didn't know you were going to do an in-person premiere for the pilot. I'll be there.

Also, shout out, Princess, for the great Discord. She started. I hear the Discord's great. Everyone raves about it. I'm just, I'm between Discord, Monday, Slack and all that. I just, I'm so bad at that stuff. I'm just, but I love it. How many people are in it?

How many people are in it? Curious. It just scares, it scares me. But yeah, I mean, I'm pretty sure we, if we make the show, we'd want to do a, an in-person premiere for sure that we would be able to you know meet the the backers and stuff and that would be great so um yeah absolutely go pal man i hate political text i text stop back to everyone that i get regardless whether i support the candidate i just had eight new ones don't subscribe yeah they're bad they're bad there's eclipse again what's up can there be a tier where

donators are given a personal shout out at the premier and or their names in the credits yeah 100%. And it's a great, absolutely 100%. And it's a great suggestion. I just screenshot that one as well with clips, but yes. Absolutely. Okay. And then that's the other things. By the way, someone mentioned music, right? So Wiley Todd is an example of someone who knows music so well. So one of the things that we could do, what I realize again, using this as an example, I'm going to use this. You're going to get tired of it, but I'm going to use this so people, because I think people understand more when I say it like this. again, when we're going here and we're trying to aim here to make the show, if we hit here and just here, we make the show. But what it probably means is the music that I have selected, we're probably not going to be able to get because you're going to have to, like if you're going to have to sacrifice,

well, I'd rather have this than the song. We'd have to probably come up with another song in order to do that. However, overperform and get here. It's like, hey, we have this now. could we spend that to get that song, but elevates the scene? Yeah, we can. Does it start to make a little bit more sense now

when I say it that way? I hope. Chef Brooklyn, thoughts about hollering at Kevin Smith. I mean, not yet. And I say this loving. I don't need to right now. Like, I'm telling you, like, I haven't, and it's more than fair to ask,

we have a really experience, team on board right now. And they don't, and it's not, what I don't want to do is because if I reached out to Kevin, be kind of like a favor right now. And I want this to be more of like, people are involved in it because they believe in. Like we got the director, producer and casting director around because they read this script and like, holy shit, I want to be part of this project. And because of what we're doing with the Kickstarter, of getting people involved to see how

the process works. It's intriguing to people. So that's, that's what, that's what we're doing. Okay, 51 guys. Dancing Dog 60. Christian, when an actor gets candle, is there a way back into the industry or are they gone forever? Spacey, Nate Parker, Majors, Hammer.

I don't think they're gone forever because I think James Franco is he starting to make a comeback, I think, and other people. I mean, it depends on what certain people, like, I guess it depends on what he did and where, what people think about you in general. And who gives you that first opportunity back? Let me, Mel Gibson. He made it back in.

there are people that make it back in. So I don't know. I guess there is a way. I have no idea. But yeah, the ones that you mentioned, Hammer's starting to try to make his way back in, doing podcasts and stuff. And I think that majors,

out of those four names, I feel like majors will most likely be the one who is going to have a full-on comeback. I think he'll have a full-on comeback. It'll probably take just a little bit bit more, but he will. So I think the allegations against the others were, and not that Majors wasn't serious, but the allegations against the others were, I think, more serious.

Or I don't want to take away the equal, but pretty bad, we'll say that. Pretty bad. Okay. Let's see. Right now, 51. That's it. All right. That's fair.

I think we had a pretty damn good, pretty good. here on today's show. So thank you to all you guys for being here on the show today. Oh, no, we got one more, 52. Oh, just kidding. Go pal. Just saw Sabrina Carpenter's making an Alice and Wonderland movie. Do you think she can open a film? Who's directing it? Who's writing it? How does it look in general? Are they going to go so far off that you're going to, off the map that you're going to piss off the original fan base. You can't do that. They've done that so many different times. Is it a Disney Wonderland movie? Is it based off of just the original material? There's too many questions to answer to that. Does she do it just on her own? No, I don't think anybody can really do

that just on their own name. Nobody can really do that anymore. But who else is involved is my, is my question. Aidan, Kostic, definitely a score guy. I thought so. We'll support the show. I really, I'm telling you, man, I really, really appreciated our, our conversation on the live chat. I thought that was, I thought that was, it just shows you that, it just shows you when, when people are face-to-face, how human beings can actually speak to one another. I appreciate it. Go, pal, don't call it a comeback. I've been here for years.

That's true. That's true. All right. Thank you. You guys rule. Really appreciate everything that you did here today. I like these solo shows. Appreciate it.

It's, I don't know, it's something about it. I like, so thanks again for being here. Tomorrow we'll be back with myself and Steph. I think, I think that we're going to have the reaction up for Killer of Killers tomorrow. Wicked will be on Friday. Saturday will be a Mugentrain. And then Monday. Um, potentially could be it chapter two.

And, uh, we'll, we'll see, we'll see from there. I got, what other things? I did other, I did other, there's another, other movies. What's coming out this weekend? Because I reached out to Lionscape, but the reaction, the, the, the screening was already happened for, um, now you see me. And they're like, so I, I didn't have a chance to see it. So I'll probably just react to that when it comes out.

Um, Wicked for good, actually. No, no, I'm going to have it out of the theater reaction for that. I'm going to see that this weekend. So that I'll have on Saturday. I'll look it for good reaction this Saturday. And Zootopia 2 will be coming up soon and waiting for that screening. So that'll be the end of the, I mean, a big, big night, no, or big month for November. Five nights at Freddy's is going to be in December, Part 2, and then Silent Night, Deadly Night.

And then obviously December 19 is Avatar Fire and Ash. I'm going to watch the Avatar movies with my wife. Yeah. Hold on. I want to make sure that I got everybody's comments. Okay. This is the last one. Prince is positive.

Dollar tier to be a background actor for a scene. I think that's a definite. Yeah, I'm doing a shot on this one too. I think that's a definite. That one will be in there too. That could be a lot of fun. I'm trying to think there was a scene that we had initially that would have probably could

have filled like, you know, 30, 40 people in there. But now that seems gone. But I still think there's, there's other places to have that for sure. Absolutely. 100%. There's quite a few. And there's actually something at the, at the end that we can make work also. And there's a thing at the very end that happens, where people are like tweeting out

about the events that have just happened. And, you know, not I mean just tweets, but like TikToks and other things, too, that there could be, this could actually be backers as well, like in their actual usernames, if so they wanted to. Casey Grant, I know you say over and over, you want feedback. What exactly do you want to hear? I mean, it's not just feedback. It's like, like I said, Casey, it's a matter of like, okay.

So I feel like you've said this already that you are going to, that you are going to support. Maybe you didn't, but I feel like you said you were going to. But if you are, like I am and I would really like to, if I was going to be, be involved. One of the things I would really want to, uh, you know, see, be involved in watching how a television show gets made, like those things. This is what I would really hope is there for me an offer to me to have me invest in this thing overall. Um, you know, I want this to be our pilot. I want this to be our thing to say like, you know, when the story will be, like, let's say, we make this thing that we want to make it. We have this team in that we want. We get the cast that we

want to make. We do and we get that story of, look, they did this, they raised this, they made this happen. They got so-and-so to be in this. They got so-and-so to be in this. They got the director of photography from this to do it. How did this happen? Well, it happened this way. This person was involved. This person was involved. And if I'm doing press on it, look, I got a thing on my live show that said we should be doing this. And we did that. And because we did that, we were able to involve the people this way. And people really wanted to make sure that they were involved in that they did it. That's the story I want to tell as far as the making of this thing.

So that's kind of the feedback that I'm talking about. Let's see. I think that's it for now. Cool. I appreciate it. Thank you guys. Let me know how that Discord's working out for you. Please and thank you.

There you go. Prince has opened it up. So I don't know how it works. I'm not sure. It scares me. me, but that's fine. Thanks, guys. See you on the flip side. Be back here tomorrow with Steph. Thanks, everybody.