The Interview
Short description
The Interview is an action comedy about Dave Skylark, the host of a celebrity tabloid talk show, and Aaron Rapaport, the producer who has grown tired of lightweight entertainment. When the pair learn that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a fan of their programme, they arrange an interview with him, hoping the trip will earn them respect as serious journalists. Before they leave, a CIA agent approaches them with a request that changes the purpose of the visit entirely, and the two men, poorly suited to the task, find themselves caught between their assignment and their hosts.
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg directed the film, following This Is the End in their chronological filmography, from a screenplay by Dan Sterling. Rogen and Goldberg produced with James Weaver. James Franco plays Dave and Rogen plays Aaron, with Lizzy Caplan as Agent Lacey, Randall Park as Kim Jong-un, Diana Bang as Sook and Timothy Simons as Malcolm. The production, backed by Columbia Pictures, LStar Capital and Point Grey Pictures, carried a budget of 44 million US dollars and returned 12 million dollars worldwide.
On IMDb, the film holds a critics' rating of 5.7 out of 10 from 155 reviews, while on TMDB users give it 6.2 out of 10 from 6,381 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- Seth Meyers' cameo scene was filmed during post-production.
- Online sales of "Interview" brought "Sony Pictures" over $40 million, making the film the company's most successful digital release, also earning about $6 million at American box offices while receiving mixed reviews.
- The inscription in Russian on the tank reads "Pan or perish."
- The phrase in Korean on the film's poster, located under the title, translates as "Please don't believe these ignorant Americans!"
- Kim Jong-un actually speaks English well, as depicted in the film. While still a teenager, he studied at English language schools in Switzerland for several years.
- The film opens with the Columbia Pictures logo from the 1960s.
- A jazz version of the song the children play on guitars earlier in the film plays during the end credits. The song was written by Lyle Workman.
- Seth Rogen's character is named Aaron. Aaron is Seth Rogen's middle name.
- The battle scene, shown towards the end of the film, was filmed in one day.
- The idea for this film originated with Evan Goldberg while Kim Jong-il was still in power.
- Nine versions of the script were written.
- The breed of the puppy in the film is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The role of the grown dog was played by Seth Rogen's dog, Zelda.
- Kim Jong-un, according to his unofficial representative Kim Myong-chol, condemned the film. Myong-chol also noted that no matter how much Kim Jong-un condemns the film, he will still watch it.
- In one interview, Seth Rogen said that Matt Damon was considered for the role of Dave Skylark.
- The song playing when Seth Rogen's character travels to China was written by Taiwanese actor and singer Jay Chou.
- Less than a week after Sony refused to release the film, following threats from hackers about attacks on scheduled screenings, the studio put the film back on the release schedule.
- The filmmakers apparently did not obtain permission to use the Air China logo, as the livery on the plane Aaron flies on for his first trip to China closely resembles Air China's livery. Furthermore, the film shows a plane with the name of a non-existent company, Zhangzhou Air, which appears to be a misspelling of the real company ZhengZhou Air.
- During the filming of the movie, Seth Rogen and James Franco filmed a parody of Kanye West's music video for "Bound 2."
- When Dave is sitting in the restaurant at the wake, the cigarette in his hand is whole in the first shot, almost finished in the next, and then whole again.
- While preparing for the role of Kim Jong-un, Randall Park gained approximately 7 kg.
- In late 2014, Sony Pictures studio fell victim to a hacker attack on its computer system, which stored confidential corporate information and several unreleased but completed films. Among other information revealed were facts such as the budget for the film "The Interview" (2014), actors' salaries (specifically Seth Rogen and James Franco), and information that $74,000 from the budget was spent on two tigers, their trainers, and special enclosures for the tigers. Additionally, $250 was allocated for a "table of marijuana, cocaine, pills, and underwear" (only $241 was actually spent from this amount). The FBI later announced that it had evidence that North Korea was responsible for the hack, and that it was done because of the film's plot. This accusation was quickly denied by the North Korean government.
- When a supposedly Chinese train is shown in a wide shot, the logo of Swiss Federal Railways can be noticed on it.
- North Korea lodged a complaint with the United Nations against the filmmakers, accusing them of sponsoring terrorism and “declaring war.”
- The mine shaft featured in the film is located in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada). Seth Rogen's father used to take him there on weekends when he was a child.
- Anatoly Rudenko was considered for the role of the Journalist.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
