Paul Feighasrange.Drawing a straight line fromFreaks and GeekstoA Simple FavorandLast Christmasmay seem at first odd—these are disparate stories, tones, and even styles. But while Feig has worked within a number of different genres throughout his career, there’s a common thread at the heart of most of the writer/director/producer’s stories: outsiders.Freaks and Geeks, obviously, is the story of the “uncool” kids in high school, butBridesmaidsis the story of a woman who feels so alone she’ll do anything to cling onto her one friendship.The Heatis the story of two very different kinds of outsiders who develop a kinship. The entire conceit ofSpyis that of a woman who’s not supposed to be in the espionage world, but succeeds anyway.Ghostbusters, obviously, is about a group of outsiders who team up to save New York City in spite of how almost everyone else feels about them. Time and again, Feig’s characters are underestimated and rise to the occasion, showing personal growth in the process.
EvenLove Life, the new HBO Max original series that Feig produced, is filled with feelings of loneliness as the series follows a woman played byAnna Kendrickthrough every relationship in her life—from her first, to her last. Each episode focuses on a different relationship, but in doing so the show charts the character’s growth and evolution throughout her twenties and thirties (with a flashback to her teen years for good measure).
The fact that these themes stick out in all of Feig’s films is a testament to his talent as a filmmaker. He not only makes funny and joyful films, but they’re built to last precisely because they’re so deeply rooted in character and emotion. Which is why we at Collider were thrilled to have Feig as our latest guest on our remote interview seriesCollider Connected, in which we take a deep dive into a person’s career over the course of an extended video chat.
In this installment of Collider Connected, Feig talked about howFreaks and Geekssolidified his love for being behind the camera instead of in front of it, and recalled the many struggles with the network throughout that show’s short-lived (yet critically beloved) tenure. He also addressed why aFreaks and Geeksreunion is unlikely, and talked extensively about his time on NBC’sThe Officeand how his episode “Office Olympics” was critical in re-shaping the Michael Scott character into an empathetic person instead of a prickly bore.
On the feature side, Feig was candid about howBridesmaidscame about and was seen as a make-or-break film in his career after directing two previous box office disappointments, and how the film faced pressure to succeed as a “female-driven comedy.” Feig also discussed howThe Heatcame about, and the disappointing critical response that film received despite the fact that Feig was trying to create a film that was very different fromBridesmaids. The filmmaker then talked about howSpymaterialized because he’s a massive James Bond fan, and how a key scene inThe Heatinfluenced his desire to make the stakes serious despite how silly a movie’s comedy might get.
We also talked aboutGhostbusters(a film that is Good, Actually and incredibly fun! Shut it, haters), as Feig explained exactly how he came to be involved in the reboot (after turning it down) and why he decided to reboot the franchise instead of making a sequel. Feig addressed the toxic fandom that decided they hated the movie without having even seen it yet, and the joy he felt when kids responded enthusiastically to this new take on the franchise.
We also got into Feig’s evolution as a visual stylist and how films likeGhostbusters,A Simple Favor, andLast Christmassaw him pushing himself in terms of cinematography and shot design. He also discussed how he first became involved withA Simple Favorbecause the studio had no idea how to approach the tricky tone.
Finally, Feig talked about his role as a producer onLove LifeandZoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, his hopes to get his Universal monster movieDark Armyoff the ground, and potential sequels toSpy,Ghostbusters, andBridesmaids.
Feig was delightfully candid and eloquent over the course of this hourlong interview, and I could have easily peppered him with questions for another hour. It’s rare for a filmmaker to have a filmography this diverse but also this high in quality, and as I said I think the key to Feig’s talent is his keen understanding of character and emotion—as well as his desire to entertain audiences.
I do hope you enjoy watching the full interview above, and below is a full list of what we discussed. For more Collider Connected, check out our previous chats withRoger Deakins,Michael Giacchino,Kaitlyn Dever,Will Forte,
When did he realize he wanted to be a filmmaker?
