Richard Curtis had to get permission from one of Hollywood’s biggest stars to make one of the best jokes for his new Christmas film Genie.
The 67-year-old filmmaker, who wrote the new comedy with Melissa McCarthy, imagined his star falling in love with Tom Cruise after watching one of his Mission: Impossible films as her very first film.
But to cement Cruise’s image in McCarthy’s bedroom, he had to turn to the star.
“We definitely had to ask him.” [for permission]’ Curtis admitted to People on Wednesday.
“I mean, we asked him about his people,” he quickly clarified.
Getting the OK: Richard Curtis, 67, who wrote Melissa McCarthy’s new Christmas film Genie, told People that he had to contact Tom Cruise for permission to use his likeness; seen in 2019
Love at First Sight: Melissa’s character falls in love with Cruise after seeing a Mission: Impossible movie – her first film ever – and fills her room with posters of the actor; Still from Top Gun: Maverick
“I’m lucky enough to know Tom a little,” Curtis continued. “He was always very nice to me.” And we worked on a film for a while, but it didn’t happen.’
Curtis is best known as the writer and director of the controversial but ever-popular Christmas film Love Actually, but has also written numerous classic romantic comedies, including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Diary of Bridget Jones ” and “The First World War” by Steven Spielberg Drama War Horse.
“I don’t know if it’s a favor for me and Melissa or if someone in the mailroom said, ‘That sounds okay.’ “But it means that after all these years I’m finally doing a Tom Cruise movie have,” he joked.
“There’s a 3-second clip from Mission: Impossible. That’s why I’m so excited that it’s here,” Curtis added.
McCarthy’s character is drawn to the film “Mission: Impossible” because she has never seen a film before in which she plays a ghost who has just been released from captivity by a struggling husband and father.
After Bernard (Paapa Essiedu) unwittingly frees her, McCarthy’s ghost Flora begins granting him limitless wishes in order to strengthen his relationships with his wife and daughter.
But when Flora catches Cruise in her first film, she becomes obsessed with him, covers her new bedroom with posters of him and dreams of having a life together.
Bernard even keeps her obsession going by giving her a sweatshirt decorated with Tom’s face for Christmas.
Friendly: “I’m lucky enough to know Tom a little bit,” Curtis said. “He was always very nice to me.” And we worked on a film for a while, but it didn’t happen. seen in Sydney in July
Supernatural: McCarthy’s character Flora has never seen a movie because she is a ghost. After Bernard (Paapa Essiedu) frees her, she grants him unlimited wishes to support his family
During a conversation with People, Curtis admitted that McCarthy came up with some of Genie’s best gags.
An example: a section of the film in which Flora is asked if she likes cats.
“I love them, they’re delicious,” McCarthy’s character replies.
“If Melissa thought up a new funny joke, she would do it, and that would be great.” But then of course you have to do it four more times. You need to make sure you did it right. “You have to make sure you get the right speed from the right angle,” Curtis explained with a laugh. “So it’s always a mix of mischief and very conscientious behavior in films.”
He also explained the importance of balancing the tone in “Genie,” directed by Sam Boyd.
“In my films I want it to be emotionally true and silly at the same time.” So [Melissa] “I vacillated between being mischievous and just being a really decent, serious actor,” he shared.
“Genie” is a remake of the 1991 television film “Bernard And The Genie,” which Curtis also wrote the screenplay for.
Collaboration: Curtis added that McCarthy helped create some of her character’s most controversial jokes
In this project, Alan Cumming played the role now played by Essiedu, but Cumming reteamed with Curtis to play Bernard’s stingy boss (previously played by Rowan Atkinson in the original TV movie).
Curtis described the Eyes Wide Shut actor as “sweet and interesting” and admitted he only joined the production “as a favour”.
“We were just thinking, is Bernard the cutest guy in the world, and we contacted him and said, ‘Do you want to play the meanest guy in the world now?’ [whether he would]“, the screenwriter recalled. “And he’s played a few villains along the way.”
He added: “So it was nice to see Alan again. “I think he’s aged well.”
Genie is now available to stream on Peacock.