ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke with Family Switch director McG about the upcoming comedy movie. The director discussed what it was like bringing back the family comedy genre, paying tribute to classic body-swapping movies, and more. It will begin streaming on Netflix starting November 30.
“Jess and Bill Walker are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent, and more distant,” reads the movie‘s synopsis. “When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, can the Walkers unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout? Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers and Brady Noon star in this family comedy directed by McG and based on the book Bedtime For Mommy by Amy Krouse-Rosenthal.”
Tyler Treese: I really enjoyed Family Switch, and it seems like the type of movie we don’t really see enough these days, which are these fun family comedies. I feel like the good thing about streamers is they are releasing these types of movies. How exciting was it to get to kind of do this throwback comedy with a lot of good laughs that the whole family can all enjoy together?
McG: Oh, it was a thrill for me. I mean, I grew up on Home Alone and Big and some of the great body switch movies of our time, from the original Freaky Friday to the second one with [Lindsay Lohan] and Jamie Lee. And I just love this genre and I think that there’s room to do things in an excellent capacity in any sort of genre. Our goal was to make a live-action Pixar movie, if you will, that worked at a very high level for parents but also worked for kids.
You make an excellent point, theatrical proves to continue to be tricky. It’s hard to get movies made that get released in a theatrical capacity. And thank goodness for all of us that the streaming era has allowed us to have so much great content, including movies like this.
You kind of pay tribute to some of the classics in the body swap genre. There are references to Big, 17 Again, and obviously 13 Going on 30, which is really fun. But to people who haven’t watched the film yet, how would you sell Family Switch? What makes it unique within the genre?
I mean for us, it’s the six-way switch. Father, son, mother, daughter, baby, dog. Haven’t seen that one done. So that was the remix. I tried to contribute to the genre, and hopefully people will spark to that, but at the end, the message is empathy of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes and trying to understand where they’re coming from first before you want them to understand you.
The baby and the dog switch. I have to ask about that. That was so hilarious. And Matthias Schweighöfer is so great as Rolf in the movie. Those scenes are just so hilarious. Where did this idea of switching a baby with a dog come from? Because every moment just kills with them.
Well, that was just born of development. We were banding about the ideas of how we could create separation from all the rest. And it’s funny because you mention all those movies, The Change Up, 17 Again, Freaky Friday, aren’t they all good? I can scarcely think of one that’s not entertaining. There just must be something deep in the psyche of humanity where we must fantasize about what it would be like to be somebody else. I think it’s why the genre’s so sticky in that regard.
But yeah, working with a baby and a dog was interesting because both of ’em were rather method. I tried as hard as I could to get the baby outta the doghouse, but he kept going there to take a nap.
How did you get Rivers Cuomo as part of Dad or Alive? That was such a fun cameo.
Straight stalking. I grew up on Weezer. Spike Jonze was always sort of Mozart to my Salieri, and Weezer was my favorite band. I just really appreciate everything he would do lyrically, musically, and sonically. So when we had the chance to say, “Hey, who’s Dad or Alive gonna be?” We reached out to the guys in Weezer, and we got super lucky that they’re in the mood to be playful, and they like to keep their audience guessing. So they were a perfect fit. And Ed ;Helms] and Rivers and Brian and all the guys got along great.
