After finding loads of success in “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” the dynamic duo from across the pond has teamed up yet again. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost star in “Paul,” alongside Jason Bateman, Bill Hader and Seth Rogen, who provides the voice for the extraterrestrial Paul. This time around, the British buddies not only took two of the leading roles in the film but also developed the idea and wrote the script together, “Paul” being the first project of the Frost-Pegg team to be produced.”Paul” features Pegg and Frost as British sci-fi enthusiasts Graeme and Clive, who come to the colonies for a tour of the most famous UFO hotspots the southwestern states can offer. Their trip is soon interrupted and their RV boarded by Paul, a stereotypical looking alien with a unique demeanor who is on the run from the FBI.
Along the way, the trio contacts and drags a one-eyed Christian named Ruth (played by Kristen Wiig) into their situation. The group’s vision of the universe is broadened throughout their travels, as Paul shows off his special abilities and reveals just how influential on pop culture he has been: Paul looks familiar as the image was steadily leaked to the public in order to prevent adverse reactions during initial contact, and much more.
Their adventure is filled with close encounters, whether it is running into a few old enemies or the pursuits of the ever-annoying and antagonistic U.S. government. With an all-star cast backing them up and a few surprise cameos, Pegg and Frost have already found success at home, where the film was released in mid-February.
During a brief trip to Chicago, The DePaulia was lucky enough to sit down with both Pegg and Frost who recounted the writing process, the challenges of interacting with a CG character and the differences, or lack thereof, between British and American comedy.
While his most notable roles involve a script which he co-wrote with writer/director Edgar Wright (“Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz,” “Scott Pilgrim”), Pegg says he had no difficulty writing with long-time friend and former flatmate Frost.
“Edgar and I were good friends as well before we started writing,” Pegg said. “I got used to that situation of writing with a friend. I think it kind of helps in a way, to know each other and be on the same wavelength and. be able to read into each other. Nick and I had written stuff before but it had never really come to fruition. We’d had a go at it before, a dry run, but then this idea came about when we were doing ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and it never went away.”
“The writing process was great fun. We had a laugh. Edgar and I are more like. Edgar is very studious,” Pegg said. “He likes to direct when he’s in the writing room while Nick and I just kind of ass around.”
“We piss around and are amazed that anything gets done,” Frost said. “There’s no right or wrong way, just as long as it gets done.”
Of course, with any movie where one of the main characters is generated in post-production, there will be challenges to overcome. “Paul” was no exception, but the director and actors found a very clever way to ensure the interactions would seem conversational and organic.
“It was an incredibly complex process and the weird thing, now that I’m looking back at it, is I try and remember that [Paul] wasn’t there because when I see the film now I’m like ‘Was he there?'” Pegg said. “What we worked out, and we had to figure this out on the way. how can have a very physical CG character which had a very improvisational feel, conversational speech pattern and we had to ask, ‘how do we do that?'”
With actor Joe Lo Truglio serving as a stand-in for Paul, as well as appearing in the film as an FBI agent with Bill Hader, the conversations were partially improvised by Lo Truglio with some parts being pre-planned and recorded by Seth Rogen. The improvised was then taken back to the studio for Rogen to perform in post-production.
CGI isn’t the only thing which seems to differ from the past comedic efforts of Pegg and Frost. The humor in “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” has a decidedly British flavor. “Paul,” on the other hand, seems to gravitate more towards American comedic sensibilities.
Pegg and Frost spoke of a desire to create something which would be more “streamlined”, an idea they kept in mind while writing the screenplay. It wasn’t made clear whether or not their intentions caused them to look at the humor in the script a little differently. However, both Pegg and Frost dismissed the notion that there exist such vast differences between “British” and “American” comedy.
“There are two schools of thought,” Frost said. “One is that everyone finds a fat man falling through a fence funny no matter where you live. And then the other answer is. it’s just cultural specifics that change. You would say Don Rickles where we would say Bruce Forsyth. It’s just people.”
“The old cliché you get from old British comedy snobs that Americans don’t know comedy. it’s so ****ing untrue because you only have to look at ‘Larry Sanders,’ ‘Arrested Development,’ ‘Community’. We all have the same sense of humor, I think. I should have said, ‘we have the same sense of humor,'” said Pegg, who then laughs.
But, perhaps most importantly, do Pegg and Frost believe in aliens?
“Yes,” said Frost immediately.
“Yes,” said Pegg, “but not that they come visiting.”
“Paul,” rated R, crash landed in theaters on March 18.