DEADLINE:Ill start with a softball question, David.
What are your favorite holiday movies?
DAVID GORDON GREEN: The one that immediately hops to mind isElf.
(L-R) Ben Stiller and the Janson brothers in ‘Nutcrackers’, and David Gordon GreenHulu/Getty Images
Right now,ElfandChristmas Storyare the ones that I always have in rotation.
DEADLINE:You had an unusual way intoNutcrackers.
Has any other project of yours come together in such an out-of-the-box way?
In fact, the mother of these boys [inNutcrackers] is an actress in that film.
And its the inspiration of people that help you to safely go to some pretty strange places.
DEADLINE:Your stars, the Janson brothers Homer, Ulysses, Atlas and Arlo are magnetic on screen.
But what assured you that they could lead a movie?
How did you harness the unique energies they bring to the table in service of a fictional narrative?
GREEN: Ive done a lot of work with untrained actors and non-actors.
Ive done a lot of street casting.
And Im not asking them to do Shakespeare; Im not asking them to memorize long monologues.
Im saying, Were going to film it at your house, with your animals.
This is your movie, so you be you.
So thats kind of what we worked to do.
DEADLINE:How did you initially connect with your writer, Leland Douglas?
So I called Leland and said, Hey, Ive got these kids.
Im out on this farm in Ohio.
So he came out, and then we just started talking about it.
Is this a save-the-farm movie likeKidco?
Is it an orphans-looking-for-a-home movie likeSix Pack?
What are our inspirations?
What are the tropes we want to either invite or avoid?
What awareness was there of the project in the local Ohio community?
I imagine there was a level of excitement, when youre filming right out in the town square.
GREEN: Yeah, its amazing.
But here, it was so welcoming, so inviting.
Im not even sure some of them knew what we were making was a movie.
I think they just thought we were doing some performance art in the street.
And when we get to the stage, I just start falling asleep because I love the elements.
We filmedNutcrackers, it was 10 degrees on this farm howling winds and animals everywhere.
Theyre not hitting a mark; you just have to let them be.
But we let them be our guides, and let it just unfold.
What I get so excited about is capturing the authenticity.
DEADLINE:What will your response be if one of these kids ends up pursuing a showbiz career?
GREEN: Be careful.
I was actually texting yesterday with one of the actors fromGeorge Washington, my first film.
Hes getting his masters degree in social work right now.
Or an actor like Tye Sheridan that I worked with when he was a kid, or Jamie Bell.
It ultimately sold to Hulu for eight figures and should rack up plenty of views over the holidays.
But are you ambivalent about your outcome?
GREEN: Thats a great question, probably complicated.
Theyve created the right marketing materials.
Theres a bit of a romantic notion I have for the cinematic experience, and guess what?
They gave it to me at the Murphy Theatre.
DEADLINE:How do you view the future of comedy where filmmaking is concerned?
Theres a couple things I would note on that.
I dont think it needs big action set pieces; it needs funny concepts and funny set pieces.
That seems absurd for something like comedy.
I think all films need to look at their economics a little bit more responsibly.
One is, the chairs are too comfortable and removed from the rest of the audience.
Maybe that works to the advantage of a movie likeNutcrackers, in some capacity.
But for a comedy, I can check in at home.
Its the comfortable chairs that I have the biggest problem with.
It keeps you awake.
And who does it first, to light the fire to [bring about] all the copycats?
Weve seen it in horror, and we will see that.
Im not worried about that happening.
What will it take for you to get more titles like these into theaters?
GREEN: What I think we need is that partnership in a distribution company.
And then when you win, you are alongside all the players saying, We did this together.
Is one in particular on your mind right now?
GREEN: It depends on the day.
Today, I woke up and started working on a comedic script that Ive been working on.
Last week, I put the polish on an action movie that Ive been writing.
Im trying to put together a documentary.
Its just kind of how I like to live and breathe, maximizing shooting days.
Whats been most gratifying about your work on the show?
GREEN: For me, its just discovering a new ensemble of incredible actors.
So I bring a different toolkit to this punch in of project, but its equally as inspiring.
