Ok, so, this has the potential to be highly exciting. Through the magic of Twitter I crossed paths last night with Brian McElhaney, who is part of the cast Joss Whedon’s Much Ado : The Movie and one half of the comedy duo BriTANicK. (The other half being Nick Kocher, who is also in the movie.)
“Can I interview you?” I immediately asked.
“Joss said yes, so yes!” he wrote back.
Wicked awesome. (It just dawned on me that I’m now one step away from Joss Whedon. I wonder what that makes my Kevin Bacon number? 😉 )
So, hit me with your questions! I’ll compile and send them over for both Nick and Brian to answer. What do you want to know? The faster we can make this happen the more of a scoop we get ;).
UPDATE – Please note! We are asking questions of Brian and Nick, not Joss. I see some questions directed at, well, the director. Unless Brian and Nick have a direct line to the man and plan on funneling some questions over, you’ll need to keep questions in the realm of what they themselves can answer.
UPDATED — Questions closed! I’ve batched up and reformatted questions as best I can, and sent them off to Brian and Nick. If you want to make sure you see their answers the best way is to either follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
Ask him why he chose Amy Acker to play Beatrice. It seems like a bizarre fit to me.
How long has this been in the planning? And how many people had to die to keep it secret?
Had Whedon intended for you two to have a role in the film for a while, and did he hear of you through your internet antics before casting you?
I actually don't know anything about these actors (or even what parts they are playing) but here goes…
–Who do they find to be Shakespeare's most interesting/compelling characters, and why?
–How do they feel about the decision to set this film in contemporary times vs. "traditional"? What does a modern setting add?
–Which are their favorite film adaptations of Shakespeare plays? What makes them "work"?
–What is the most outrageous thing you have ever done to get the attention of someone you were romantically interested in? (e.g. circulated rumors of your death, wrote a sappy love letter, cross-dressed, etc.)
Great score on getting these interviews – looking forward to them! I'm not a *complete* Whedon fanatic, but appreciate his work, and love Much Ado, so I'm interested to see how this project turns out.
Who do see as Beatrice? What inspired you to try your hand at Shakespeare? "Claire" from Dollhouse??? How did you go from Claire to Beatrice??
I read in the press release and interviews that the movie will have the Shakespearean dialogue/speech. If you can share, where did y'all differ from the text in terms of plot, dialogue, or anything?
Hi Brian and Nick — in scene study class, an actor is asked to find the spine of a specific scene or a provocative action phrase that encompasses what for them the scene is about, and then to do the same for the entire play (at least, in my training). In your opinion, what is the spine or provocative phrase that defines Joss Whedon's film version of Much Ado About Nothing?
Thanks, Tonya.
Did Joss try to get any of his other actors in on the project? If so, who? And why did they turn it down?
No Balthasar?
Which Shakespearean character (from comedy, tragedy, or history) does Joss himself relate to most and why? And no fair picking Falstaff.
CAN IT BE? Can Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker's lips really touch without the world ending? PROVE IT. I WANT STILLS.
Compare a Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse/Dr. H/Firefly character to a Shakespearean character.
Ooh, also, favorite Shakespearean villain?
Joss, you pulled this off…how?!
How is it going to be distributed? Tell him it would be awesome if it were distributed on the web like Dr Horrible, that way more people can access it quicker.
Also, is the fact Amy and Alexis are love interests again a way of making up for their untimely demise on Angel?
Whedon uses the English language in his projects in a very unique and I believe compelling manner.
Is it true that you were reciting Shakespeare as written word for word by the Bard? If changes were made, did it reflect the style that Whedon has developed?
If the original dialogue remained, was simply the tone of the words directed in a more modern, Whedony style?
Thanks so much!
Michael Keaton's Dogberry will be hard to top. Any clues as to how Fillion will interpret the role?
When and how will it be distributed? Can I start lining up now?
Does Alexis use an American or English accent in the film?
How hard was it to keep a strait face in your scenes? I know I couldn't do it with you, Nick, Tom, and Nathan all together!
Really impressed and inspired by Joss and all the cast & crew making the film as a 'side' project in the shadow of Avengers.
What do you see as the differences and similarities between smaller projects like this and the huge Hollywood blockbusters?
Is Nathan Fillion's Dogberry more dumb or more weird? Is he at all like Captain Hammer or different?
Why isn't Nathan Fillion playing Benedick?…(whine) I mean, I love Alexis and all, but Nathan seems like such a good fit for Benedick.. (more whine). OK, I get that you can't really answer this, I'm good now
Can you comment on why it was filmed in "glorious black and white"? Also, given that it's headed for the festival circuit (because it is fancy) what sort of distribution can we expect?
Have you signed a contract, as you usually do when you play a role in a studio movie? Were the actors paid?
And by the way, huge thanks to Shakespeare Geek and the Whedonesque member who posted the opportunity to do this, there. Cheers!
Being the freak of nature that I am, I already anticipate seeing bloopers and behind-the-scenes for this thing, how sad is that? But really, you guys, Nathan, Joss – there had to be some real solid hilarity ensuage, am I right?