After 2011’s Bridesmaids and his June 28 release The Heat, Paul Feig will continue to dominate the female-driven comedy realm with a new project, the just-announced Susan Cooper. The film is said to be a “realistic comedy about a female James Bond,” but one that steers clear of spoof territory as opposed to films like Get Smart and Johnny English. Feig penned the script himself and looks to produce at Fox through his Feigco Entertainment banner.
While in New York City promoting The Heat, Feig elaborated on the balance between comedy and realistic spy action in Susan Cooper and also touched on the possibilities for a Bridesmaids sequel, a project now entirely dependent on Kristen Wiig.
ComingSoon.net: I’ve read a bit about “Susan Cooper” and it’s being described as a comedy, but a serious spy movie, too, so where exactly does it fall on that spectrum?
Paul Feig: Well, I mean, it’s honestly the exact same tone as “The Heat,” you know? Because I don’t consider “The Heat” – what I don’t want people to think is like, oh, it’s just one of these parodies where it’s kind of like, you know, she’s pretending to be James Bond or something. It has to be like a real character who goes on this kind of real situation, but then it’s how she interacts with the world and with the people around her, that’s where the comedy comes from.
CS: Are you able to reveal anything about the character at this point? Maybe even just an age so we can start picturing her?
Feig: No, because I’m still figuring out cast-wise who we’re gonna go with. I have ideas of what I want, but yeah, I don’t want to define it until it is defined by an actual person. [Laughs] But they’ll be funny!
CS: I know you’ve heard this quite a bit, but “Bridesmaids 2” just seems like a no-brainer. “Wedding Crashers” never got a sequel and then Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson reunited for “The Internship” and it didn’t do so well, so really, you need to just go for it now.
Feig: Talk to Kristen. It really does fall to Kristen that one because that’s her baby and also she’s so great in it. I can’t imagine doing it without her, so that one’s not in my court. That is not in my hands.
CS: How about a spinoff? The adventures of Megan and her puppies.
Feig: Now that I’d watch! [Laughs] That’s a TV series you’re giving me.
Look for the rest of the interview with Feig before The Heat opens on Friday, June 28.
(Photo source: Dave Bedrosian/Future Image/WENN.com)
