Best-known for cult comedy Hangover (2009), Director Todd Philips has a penchant for exploring male relationships in his films whether it is Old School (2003), Starsky and Hutch (2004), School for Scoundrels (2006) or his latest release, Due Date. The director says he finds relationships between guys to be "intrinsically awkward". "When I watch a movie like Sex and the City, I like it and it’s fun, but I notice that the women have such an elegant way of interacting with each other. And guys just don’t have that elegance. So it’s just funnier to me to explore that ‘unelegance’," says Phillips.
About his favourite Indian actor Anil Kapoor, the director says he happened to watch Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and believes "he was absolutely brilliant".
When told that a lot of Hollywood movies are being shot in India, Phillips, who has shot in South-East Asia for his upcoming Hangover 2, says, “I have seen a lot of India of late in movies and must admit the beauty India exhibits is truly wonderful. I am sure I will shoot in India soon.”
Phillips reveals the much-awaited Hangover sequel will release in mid-2011. Talking about why sequels work, and Phillips feels that “audiences are sometimes eager for more stories about popular characters or settings that do well.” He adds, “It’s fun not to over-analyse why something’s a success and then to get shy about doing it again. So I never think of it like, ‘Oh, it has to be as big as The Hangover or it won’t work.’”
{{/usCountry}}Phillips reveals the much-awaited Hangover sequel will release in mid-2011. Talking about why sequels work, and Phillips feels that “audiences are sometimes eager for more stories about popular characters or settings that do well.” He adds, “It’s fun not to over-analyse why something’s a success and then to get shy about doing it again. So I never think of it like, ‘Oh, it has to be as big as The Hangover or it won’t work.’”
{{/usCountry}}Talking about his recent release Due Date, Philips agrees that lead actors Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis are fantastic actors. “I think we have still not explored everything that Zach has to offer even in Due Date,” says Phillips.
Talking about chemistry between his protagonists, he adds, “The movie takes tonal shifts especially in the scene when you’re in a bathroom scene and Zach has a breakdown. This guy’s actually feeling emotional; something that’s not very normal in our films. And for the audience to continue to stay with us is what makes the movie connect and work.”