How filmmaker Jorge Gutierrez got Guillermo del Toro to produce his feature debut, "The Book of Life"; A look at Brad Pitt's WWII drama, "Fury," and other new films out today; and musician Marissa Lauren talks about opening for Lena Dunham.
How director Jorge Gutierrez got Guillermo del Toro to produce 'The Book of Life'
It’s no surprise that an animated family film about death and reincarnation would be a tough sell to a major Hollywood studio.
But filmmaker Jorge Gutierrez was determined to make his feature debut with a story about Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), the celebratory Mexican remembrance of family and friends who have passed away.
For more than a decade, after Gutierrez said he was told by studios that there's no market for "Latin content," the director persevered. Despite a bad pitch session — punctuated by some very loud leaf blowers — he got famed director Guillermo del Toro to sign on as a producer. The resulting film, “The Book of Life,” opens today in theaters across the U.S.
Gutierrez stopped by The Frame to talk about pitching the film to his dream producer, how he got Diego Luna to sing, and what it was like to screen the film in his hometown of Mexico City.
Interview Highlights:
On watching the film with his father in Mexico City:
I was very overwhelmed. I almost threw up before the screening, I was so nervous. My father sat next to me, he put his hand on my arm and we watched the film. And every time there was a big moment he would just squeeze my arm. I joked with him afterwards, that was the best conversation we ever had.
On the development of the feature film:
I believe this is a dish that took a lot longer to cook than usual, but the flavors were magical. I developed this right out of school. I went to CalArts, and so I made a little short about this theme and with this look. The short did really well, it won a student Emmy I got to show it at the Cannes Film Festival. At that point a producer said, "Hey you should turn this into a feature." So I went to a bookstore and I bought "How To Write A Screenplay In 21 Days." I figured, well it might take me longer than 21 days, but I'll do it.
On why it took 15 years to finally make the film:
They sent me to every studio in town and every place told me the same thing: You're just a kid out of school, you don't know what you're doing. Two, there's no audience for this type of film. It's just too weird. We're looking for funny talking-animal movies. They honestly said there's no audience for Latin content.
So my heart broke every time, and every time the door shut I said, I'll be back one day. A studio in Texas — of all places — called Real FX, said, "We're a young studio, we'll take a chance on your movie." They said, "Who would be your big name producer?" I said, "Guillermo del Toro!" Every young filmmaker dreams of Guillermo del Toro producing their movie. So, like the Mexican Santa Claus, he appeared
On the worst pitch session ever with Guillermo del Toro:
I've been pitching this thing to him through his people for many years, and he always said no. He had gotten so many pitches about what he thought were really crappy Day of the Dead movies. Someone told him, "Well before you say no a fifth time, just meet Jorge. Just sit down with him and meet him." I guess he felt bad, so I got to go to his amazing house and we had what we joked is perhaps the worst pitch of all time.
So we show up with all this artwork and I'm super nervous. As soon as the words are going to come out of my mouth, my people next door betray me. I'm not kidding you — about 15 gardener guys with the loudest lawnmowers I've ever heard and leaf blowers. It was like a wave of sound just hit us and Guillermo says, "Just keep going!" So I'm yelling the most tender heartfelt story of my life. Guillermo just keeps looking at me, laughing — and he's not laughing at the story, he's laughing at me.
The pitch finishes, I go inside, I'm drenched in sweat and I'm just ready to shake his hand and thank him, and he [says], "Jorge that was a terrible, terrible pitch." I said, "I know." And he goes, "But, there's something magical here. Of course I want to produce your movie!" So that was it! The dream came true.
On how he got Diego Luna to sing:
I wrote the movie for Diego Luna, I had no idea if he could sing, he had no idea if he could sing. Our Oscar-winning composer, Gustavo Santaolalla, was like a doctor and he said, "I'll find out if he can sing." So Diego took lessons and when the day came, I was like an expectant father outside of the doctor's office waiting to find out if he can sing. And finally I get the call from Diego, "Jorge, I can sing!" And we both cheered and that was it!
On how he got Channing Tatum to sign on:
I remember in the beginning thinking we need a superhero. Basically a larger-than-life man — every man wants to be him, every woman wants to hang out with him. So when we finally pitched him the movie, I didn't think he'd say yes. I went through the whole thing and he loved it, but at the end he took me aside and he said, "Jorge, you know I'm not Mexican right?" So we laughed and laughed. I told him, "You are not Mexican, but you are machismo personified. You're all these supermen in one. You are Captain Latin America!" He got it and that was it.
Listen to "The Book Of Life' Soundtrack:
Lena Dunham gives a boost to local singer-songwriter, Marissa Lauren
Marissa Lauren is a 20-something singer-songwriter from Redondo Beach who got a big boost this week from Lena Dunham. The creator and star of HBO's "Girls" chose Lauren to be her opening act at the Pasadena tour stop for her book, Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned."
Dunham was criticized for originally not planning to pay her opening acts, but Lauren told The Frame that hadn't bothered her. She was just excited to get in front of Dunham's fans, who she believed would respond to her music. But she was just as happy when Dunham e-mailed her to say she would get paid.
Lauren says she ekes out a living mostly doing background vocals for others. Now she's just launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund the production of her first EP so that one day maybe she'll be the star of the show.