>>> WELCOME BACK
JOSH DUHAMEL HAS ENJOYED A LONG
CAREER STARRING IN MOVIES AND TV
SHOWS, BUT NOW HE’S DOING
SOMETHING NEW, STEPPING BEHIND
THE CAMERA FOR THE FIRST TIME
WITH HIS DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
"BUDDY GAMES."
>> THE FILM FOLLOWS SIX FRIENDS
WHO HAVE A GET-TOGETHER FILLED
WITH OBSTACLES AND DEBAUCHERY. TAKE A LOOK.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> ENTER THE DRAGON!
[ SCREAMING
>> HEY, BOB.
>> BOB LEFT.
>> I LOVE THIS, JOSH
GOOD MORNING
>> HEY, THAT’S SOME HIGH BROW
STUFF RIGHT THERE.
>> IT CERTAINLY IS
AND WHEN I HEARD THAT THIS MOVIE
IS BASED ON AN ANNUAL GATHERING
THAT YOU HAVE WITH YOUR
CHILDHOOD FRIENDS, I COULDN’T
HELP BUT WONDER IS THE REAL-LIFE
BUDDY GAMES AS CRAZY AS THE
MOVIE?
>> I WISH I COULD SAY THAT IT
WERE
IT’S DEFINITELY GOT LEVELS OF
ABSURDITY AND DEBAUCHERY AND
WHATEVER ELSE.
YEAH, WE DEFINITELY HEIGHTENED
IT QUITE A BIT FOR THE MOVIE
BUT THE SPIRIT OF OUR GAMES ARE
DEFINITELY IN THE SPIRIT OF THIS
MOVIE.
>> SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF
YOUR CO-STARS, JACK SHEPHERD, IS
BASICALLY BASED ON YOU
HE PLAYS A STRUGGLING ACTOR.
HOW DID -- HOW DID YOU COACH DAX
TO GET INTO IT
>> DAX IS A DIRECTOR HIMSELF SO
I LAEPEANED ON HIM QUITE A BIT
BECAUSE WE HAD 18 DAYS TO SHOOT
IT AND NOT A LOT OF MONEY.
SO OFTENTIMES I LEANED ON HIM.
BUT I DIDN’T HAVE TO COACH HIM
MUCH BECAUSE HE, LIKE ME, LIKE
MOST OTHER ACTORS HAVE STRUGGLED
MIGHTILY THROUGHOUT OUR CAREER
SO HE UNDERSTOOD THE PLIGHT.
>> JOSH, BEFORE YOU SHOT THIS
THING, I UNDERSTAND YOU GOT TO
SPEAK TO A DIRECTOR OF MY
FAVORITE CLASSIC BRO COMEDY "THE
HANGOVER."
WHAT ADVICE DID TODD PHILLIPS
GIVE YOU
>> OH, YOU KNEW THAT
YES, I DID
I KNEW TODD A LITTLE BIT FROM
THE PRESCHOOL THAT OUR KIDS WENT
TO
I WOULD SEE HIM AT FUNCTIONS
WE WOULD TALK A LITTLE BIT AND I
JUST SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, I’M
GOING TO CALL HIM.
I’M GOING TO CALL HIM.
WE’VE GOT TWO DAYS BEFORE WE
START SHOOTING
HE WAS SO GENEROUS
HE SAID, FIRST OF ALL,
CONGRATULATIONS FOR GETTING A
MOVIE UP AND RUNNING BECAUSE
IT’S NOT AN EASY TASK.
HE SAID YOU’VE GOT A GREAT CAST.
HE SAID JUST DON’T LET THEM
OUTFUNNY EACH OTHER.
THEY’RE ALL FUNNY.
KEEP IT GROUNDED, KEEP IT
BETWEEN THE RAILS AND THAT’S
REALLY WHAT I TRIED TO DO.
THIS MOVIE IS OUTRAGEOUS, IT IS
WILD BUT IT IS ALSO GROUNDED AND
I THINK THAT’S SOMETHING THAT I
TOOK FROM TODD FOR SURE.
>> THAT’S A REALLY INTERESTING
PERSPECTIVE.
I’M INTERESTED IN YOUR TAKE ON
THIS
SO THIS FILM IS OUT IN THEATERS
AND IT’S AVAILABLE ON DEMAND
SO AS A DIRECTOR, WAS IT
IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO HAVE A
THEATRICAL RELEASE AS WELL
A LOT OF MOVIE THEATERS ARE
STRUGGLING
WHAT’S THE BALANCE THERE THESE
DAYS
>> IT IS TOUGH, AND I FEEL FOR
ALL THOSE THEATER OWNERS
I’VE BEEN SPEAKING TO A LOT OF
THEM THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO A
PREMIERE IN MINNEAPOLIS AND
EVERYTHING GOT SHUT DOWN THERE
I SAW FIRSTHAND HOW THESE ARE
REAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE
STRUGGLING ALSO.
SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY
NICE TO DO A BIG WIDE THEATRICAL
RELEASE BECAUSE I THINK ALL OF
US LOVE TO ACTUALLY GO TO THE
MOVIE AND EXPERIENCE IT
COMMUNALLY AND ESPECIALLY A
COMEDY IS A GREAT WAY TO ALL SIT
IN A BIG ROOM AND LAUGH
TOGETHER
UNFORTUNATELY RIGHT NOW WE’VE
GOT TO WAIT UNTIL THINGS GET
BACK TO NORMAL AND THEN WE’LL
GET BACK INTO THE THEATERS
BUT WE DID -- YOU KNOW, WE ARE
ABLE TO BE IN ABOUT 400 THEATERS
RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS HUGE,
BECAUSE I DIDN’T EVEN EXPECT
THAT UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE WE
STARTED RELEASING THE MOVIE.
>> WOW, THAT’S GREAT
AND THE CREDITS IN THE FILM,
YOUR EX-WIFE, FERGIE, GETS A
SPECIAL THANK YOU.
AS TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING,
WHO ARE CO-PARENTING, HOW NICE
IS IT TO STILL HAVE EACH OTHER’S
BACKS LIKE THAT?
>> YEAH.
THIS MOVIE GOES BACK ABOUT FOUR
YEARS, I THINK, IS WHEN I FIRST
STARTED WRITING IT
SHE WAS THE ONE WHO SAID, YOU
KNOW WHAT, YOU CAN DIRECT THIS
YOU CAN DO THIS.
AND I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT THAT
WAS -- AND WHEN WE WERE DOING
THE FINAL CREDITS, I GO, YOU
KNOW WHAT, I’VE GOT TO GIVE FERG
A LITTLE SHOUTOUT BECAUSE SHE
WAS SOMEBODY WHO TOLD ME TO GO
DO IT.
HONESTLY, I WASN’T SURE IF I
COULD.
>> IT’S GREAT TO HAVE THAT KIND
OF SUPPORT
JOSH, YOU’VE BEEN A FRIEND OF
THE SHOW FOR A LONG TIME AND I
THINK I WAS VERY EXCITED TO BE
PART OF A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
WHEN YOU WERE HERE ONE OF THE
LAST TIMES
YOU ACTUALLY CAUGHT A MOUSE --
>> YOU REMEMBER THAT, AL
>> IN OUR GREEN ROOM
>> EMBARRASSING FOR US
>> IT WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
YOUR SKILLS, LIGHTNING CAT-LIKE
REFLEXES
BOOM.
>> YOU GOT HIM
OH, NO, IN THE CUP
IT WAS ALIVE
>> OH, YEAH, I SHOT THAT
>> YOU HAD TO CATCH HIM TWICE.
>> JOSH, WHEN IT FELL OUT, DID
YOU GET IT AGAIN
>> YES, HE DID
>> I GOT HIM BACK IN THAT LITTLE
CUP.
THAT’S JUST MY EXPERIENCE
HANGING OUT AT MY CABIN.
THERE’S A LOT OF MICE OUT THERE.
>> DID YOU LEAVE HERE AND TELL
YOUR FRIENDS, OH, THAT "TODAY"
SHOW, THEY HAVE GOT MICE RUNNING
AROUND.
>> MICE NEED A PLACE TO LIVE
TOO.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> WE ARE IN NEW YORK CITY.
>> NEXT TIME YOU COME, WE’VE GOT
A KOMODO DRAGON.
>> HEY, AL, CONGRATULATIONS.
YOU LOOK GREAT, MAN.
YOU’RE A WARRIOR.
>> THANK YOU
THANKS SO MUCH, JOSH, I REALLY
APPRECIATE THAT.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU, GUYS.
>> NICE TO SEE YOU AS WELL
YOU CAN CATCH "BUDDY GAMES" IN
SELECT THEATERS AND ON DEMAND
RIGHT NOW.
>> JOSH DUHAMEL, WHAT A
RENAISSANCE MAN.
DIRECTOR, ACTOR, MOUSE CATCHER.