This post lists information relating to the movie, Funny People. Both Aziz Ansari and Aubrey Plaza have roles in the film. It was released on July 31, 2009.
Official Web site:
Click here
August 2, 2009:
Here’s an exclusive video (courtesy of MakingOf.com) of Aubrey Plaza talking about her character in Funny People and working with the Judd Apatow gang. Hang around to the end to hear her Adam Sandler impression!
August 2, 2009:
Box Office Prophets reports that Funny People earned $23.4 million in its opening weekend, ranking No. 1 at the box office. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince finished at No. 2 with $17.7 million.
Link: Weekend Wrap Up
July 30, 2009:
Courtesy of MTV.com, here’s five things you should know about Funny People before seeing it:
- “One fun fact is that there’s a ‘Green Hornet’ poster in the background. It’s in one of the shots in the apartment. I didn’t even notice that until I was watching the movie. … It’s a poster from the classic ‘Green Hornet.’ ” — Seth Rogen, on Judd Apatow’s friendly wink to Rogen’s upcoming superhero role.
- Rogen’s scene with Daisy (Aubrey Plaza) where he slurps juice off the kitchen table is based on a true event. Says Apatow: “There was a girl that I liked, and I came home one day and she was talking to Adam (Sandler). I accidentally spilt all my orange juice in front of her, and then went to lick it off the table as a way of getting over how embarrassed I was that I spilt it.”
- Jason Schwartzman co-wrote the film’s score. Says Schwartzman: “There was another composer, Mike Andrews, and we did it together. I release records on my own, under the band name Coconut Records, but I’ve never scored a film before. It’s a completely different line of work than making your own music for yourself. … Some of my favorite movies have been ruined by the music, and I don’t like the music for a lot of movies, so when Judd asked me to compose some songs for this, I was really scared. … It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.”
- In the film, there’s video footage of a young George Simmons (Sandler). Really, it’s old tape of Sandler on the late-’80s MTV game show, Remote Control. Says Sandler: “I was on MTV, and I was going to NYU at the same time. That was me, right down the street from my dorm. I was walking back from class, and some girl said, ‘I think that’s that guy from MTV!’ and in my mind I was like, ‘Oh God, I’m going to get girls from all this!’ I got excited; back then my friend used to video everything we did, and he didn’t know what was going on. I think he was drunk that afternoon; it was a very blurry shot.”
- Even though Paul Rudd didn’t make it into Apatow’s film, the actor was still in on the fun. Says Apatow, on a Funny People joke where Simmons’ career is so hot that Rudd wants to do a bromantic movie with him: “We hid it from him for months; he loved it, and he laughed so hard when he saw that.”
Link: ‘Funny People’: Five Things You Should Know Before Seeing It
July 24, 2009:
Video of Aziz Ansari at the L.A. premiere of Funny People
July 21, 2009:
To an L.A. Times reporter, Aubrey Plaza says kissing Seth Rogen in Funny People was like “a roller coaster ride”:
July 21, 2009:
Rashida Jones and Aubrey Plaza were on hand for the premiere of Funny People in Los Angeles on Monday. Aubrey plays Seth Rogen’s love interest in the film.
Link: Aubrey Plaza | Rashida Jones
July 17, 2009:
Live in Chicago? You can see Judd Apatow’s Funny People before its July 31 release date — and for free!
The screening will be July 28 at AMC River East 21. To score your tickets, send an e-mail to FunnyPeople.Onion@gmail.com.
Link: Free Funny People tickets
July 16, 2009:
Comedy Central will air two Funny People comedy specials in preparation for the movie’s July 31 release.
On Monday, July 20, a one-hour, behind-the-scenes special called Inside Funny People will make its world premiere at midnight. Then, on Friday, July 24, Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler host Funny People: Live. The show will take an up-close-and-personal look at stand-up comedy’s role in the new movie.
July 8, 2009:
A new red band movie trailer:
You must enter your age in the movie trailer box. If you’re having trouble with it, please click here.
July 4, 2009:
A photo of Eminem in Funny People.
Link: Eminem in “Funny People” First Look
June 30, 2009:
Aziz Ansari’s character, Randy, now has an official Web site. Check it out!
Link: Laugh Your Dick Off
June 22, 2009:
A preview of Judd Apatow’s Funny People will be shown at the Just for Laughs Film Festival on July 25 — a week before its official U.S. release. Both Aziz and Aubrey will be in attendance.
The 13th annual fest runs July 10-27 in Montreal.
Link: Just for Laughs finds ‘Funny People’
May 29, 2009:
Aubrey Plaza talks to Rolling Stone about one of her scenes with Seth Rogen in Funny People:
We have a make-out scene. It went great — on top of a car. You know how they all go.
Link: Hot Comic: Aubrey Plaza
May 19, 2009:
New TV spots have been added to Funny People’s Facebook page.
Link: Funny People on Facebook
May 8, 2009:
Test screenings of Funny People have the movie clocked in at 2.5 hours, which is longer than most summer comedies.
In the end, though, writer-director Judd Apatow told MTV that the final cut probably won’t be that long:
It’ll probably be a little less than two and half hours. The story covers a lot of ground. I’m a fan of movies that are on the longer side. I never sit in a movie I like and think I wish this was over already. I think people will be very involved with these characters and enjoy the ride. There’s plenty of time to get back home and watch The O’Reilly Factor and do whatever else you need to do.
Link: Judd Apatow’s Funny People Will be 2.5 Hours?? Plus A Panoply Of DVD Extras?
April 7, 2009:
IGN visits the set.
Link: Funny People Set Visit: Part One
April 7, 2009:
A documentary about Aziz Ansari’s character, Randy, will be featured on the movie’s DVD.
Says Aziz:
It’s a profile about Randy. It’s like, “Who is this guy, where does he live?” I asked Judd [Apatow], “I’d really like to see more of who this guy is, is it cool if we did a documentary” and he was like, “yeah!”
Link: Jason Schwartzman And Aziz Ansari’s Characters To Be Spotlighted In The ‘Funny People’ DVD?
March 28, 2009:
A new trailer for Funny People, starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and appearances by Aziz Ansari and Aubrey Plaza, is available here.
