December 8, 2025 • 20 mins
In the latest Hollywood in Toto Podcast, we hit pause on politics and dive into the magic of moviemaking with veteran producer Matt Baer. His newest project, the heartfelt romantic comedy “Merv,” brings together Zooey Deschanel (Elf) and Charlie Cox (Daredevil) as a freshly split couple navigating the ups and downs of co-parenting their lovable dog, Merv. But when Merv starts acting… different, the pair must figure out whether he’s mourning their breakup or reacting to something deeper.
Baer shares fun behind-the-scenes stories, including the realities of working with dogs on a movie set, how the team captured Merv’s most charming moments, and what surprised him most about making a rom-com with a canine co-star at the center. And of course, we get the answer to the big question: Did a producer who’d never owned a dog fall in love with man’s best friend during production?
This episode is packed with film industry insights, rom-com storytelling tidbits, and a delightful peek into the making of one of Hollywood’s newest feel-good films. Perfect for movie fans, rom-com lovers, and anyone who can’t resist a heartwarming dog movie.
Keywords: Hollywood in Toto Podcast, Matt Baer, Merv movie, Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox, dog rom-com, behind-the-scenes filmmaking, working with dogs, new romantic comedy, film producer interview, Hollywood podcast, movie industry insights.
--------------------------
"Merv" trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsQXu_9-7qA
Subscribe to HiT's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HollywoodinToto
Read Hollywood in Toto - https://www.hollywoodintoto.com
Lend a hand: Leave a tip! https://hollywood-in-toto.ck.page/products/hollywood-in-toto-tip-jar
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto
Read: "Virtue Bombs: How Hollywood Got Woke and Lost Its Soul" https://www.amazon.com/Virtue-Bombs-Hollywood-Woke-Lost/dp/1637580991
Baer shares fun behind-the-scenes stories, including the realities of working with dogs on a movie set, how the team captured Merv’s most charming moments, and what surprised him most about making a rom-com with a canine co-star at the center. And of course, we get the answer to the big question: Did a producer who’d never owned a dog fall in love with man’s best friend during production?
This episode is packed with film industry insights, rom-com storytelling tidbits, and a delightful peek into the making of one of Hollywood’s newest feel-good films. Perfect for movie fans, rom-com lovers, and anyone who can’t resist a heartwarming dog movie.
Keywords: Hollywood in Toto Podcast, Matt Baer, Merv movie, Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox, dog rom-com, behind-the-scenes filmmaking, working with dogs, new romantic comedy, film producer interview, Hollywood podcast, movie industry insights.
--------------------------
"Merv" trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsQXu_9-7qA
Subscribe to HiT's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HollywoodinToto
Read Hollywood in Toto - https://www.hollywoodintoto.com
Lend a hand: Leave a tip! https://hollywood-in-toto.ck.page/products/hollywood-in-toto-tip-jar
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto
Read: "Virtue Bombs: How Hollywood Got Woke and Lost Its Soul" https://www.amazon.com/Virtue-Bombs-Hollywood-Woke-Lost/dp/1637580991
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm gonna say Kate Hudson helped kill the rom com.
Have you seen How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days? Yikes?
That one is a clunker. And we had a lot
of films like that, these sort of extreme situations and
these wacky premises that just don't match the rom com.
It's about boy meets girl, not all these convoluted plans
that would make even Threes Company fans blush. Yes, I'm
(00:22):
dating myself, but anytime I can mention the Regal Beagle
or Three's Company, it's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
I'm old Gundam.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
But now the genre has gone to the dogs literally. MERV,
which is debuting December tenth on Prime Video, follows a
couple that just broke up, and of course they don't
have children, but they do have a dog, and they
share joined custody of the dog, and of course the
dog's name is Merv. Now they're sad about the split,
for sure, but I think Merv is as well, or
(00:49):
he's sick. Something's going on with Murv. He's just not right.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
And Okay, Nerveh, I have something to sell you. The
thing is me and Ross.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Okay, Oh you're gonna be okay.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
You've been a miserable drip lately.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
No, I haven't really enjoying being by myself right now.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I see you next week. I love you, Bud MERV
are you okay? Don't want to play fetch?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Don't want to cuddles.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Dogs are very sensitive to anything that throws their routine.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Like abreka.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
It's a great angle for a rom com, in part
because there are a lot of couples these days, either
by choice or things out of their control. They don't
have any kids, and they may have a dog who
becomes a childlike figure to them, and they love the
dog dearly, and then when things go south and they split, what.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Do you do?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Then I need to speak to my attorney.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
That's why this bonus Hit cast features a chat with
movie producer Matt Bhar Of course, he's responsible for MERV,
and we talk about the film, working with dogs, and
quite a bit more, especially about rom coms and Yes.
I asked Matt one of the harder hitting questions i've
I throw my guest way in recent months, and his
answer is interesting. I think Matt hat might have a
(02:05):
career in politics with bis the way he said, but
it also seemed to come from the heart. So I'm
going to give Matt a pass and that good guy,
appreciate what he's doing with this kind of a movie,
and see what you think about his answer, because I
thought it was rather funny in itself. So the movie
is NERV. It's coming out December tenth on Prime Video,
and of course you'll hope you'll check it out, but
first listen to our conversation, find it behind the scenes information,
(02:27):
all the things you want to know about MERV. Matt,
thank you for joining the show. You know, when you
think about the hook behind MERV, it's it's almost too perfect.
A couple that split, they're co parenting a dog, you know,
if they kind of had this clumsy reunion in the
sense when you first heard about it, and you're a
veteran producer at this point, did it immediately click to you, like,
(02:50):
oh gosh, I want to make this movie. Just tell
me your first impression when you read the script or
heard the pitch.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
My first reaction was, it is so challenging, especially in
the romantic comedy genre, to find something that has a
unique hook. And I thought, okay, well, huh, A split
couple who shares custody of their dog.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
That's unique.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Now, what is wild about my own journey on merv
is it's been eleven years, is that when I started,
that was a unique idea. But now, in particular post COVID,
COVID changed everything with the dynamic of people and their dogs,
and so as a result of that, the idea that
(03:40):
people share custody of their dog is now a societal
norm that I could not have even remotely dreamed of
when I started this. So my initial interest was, Okay,
here's an a interesting road movie, be an interesting dynamic
between a couple who is having real issues. And see
(04:02):
it's a different way of doing a child in the
middle dynamic for a romantic comedy.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah, and I guess in a way it works out
better for you because now it's even more relatable because
there are many families and any couples maybe who are
going through something similar.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
So yeah, the leading mystery of filmmaking as a producer
is that there is such a long gestation project that
I made a film called Unbroken, and Unbroken took seventeen
years to get made.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
So the timing every once in a while, because you
never know when the movie is going to come out,
let alone get made. The timing of MERV being relevant
the way that it is is so fantastically wonderful for
it to reach its journey's conclusion around this time.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Yeah, now you've been You've made many films before. This
isn't a case where there's a cute dog in a
scene or two, or part of the background or sort
of a subplot. MERV is a leading actor here. What
did you learn through this process of working with dogs?
Either oh my gosh, it's actually a little bit easier
(05:21):
than actors, or oh my gosh, I'll never do it again.
Let's tell me a little bit about sort of the
process for you as a filmmaker.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
I could spend literally a day being interviewed about all
the things that I learned about dogs because I'm the
only person on the film in a senior.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Role who does not have a dog.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Oh my, so that became the running joke for me
with everybody involved. But I'm the only one who doesn't
have a dog. So there is such a profound difference
between a trained movie dog and a regularly trained dog,
because Gus is trained beyond comprehension, and so when you
(06:14):
see the ability of dogs to actually hit their Mark,
to be able to sit down, stand up, look like this,
be able to be trained to do.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
A high five. You know the.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Level of detail that it takes to be a dog trainer.
I'm not kidding that it is at the level of
like a surgeon. As far as watching how the routine
over and over and over again of training dog was
so the fact you can't make a movie like this
(06:52):
without a seriously trained dog because you would go behind
schedule every single day.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
But mostly it was also about trying to find.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
The right dog that everybody agreed with choosing, because there
are a lot of choices, but ultimately Gus.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Felt like the right person and he is. He's excellent.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
No, I want to get into the chemistry of the
stars in a minute, because I think that's also interesting.
But do you have to do either really, you know,
auditions with a dog and an actor to make sure
that they click or is a well trained dog able
to click with any performer their training is sort of
set in stone.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
That has a great question, And the only thing that
entered into that was when we were talking with our trainer, Mark.
Mark had said as far as casting that we needed
to make sure that it was somebody who liked dog okay,
because the dog would pick up If the person.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Doesn't like the dog, okay, that.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Would make making the movie impossible. So it was the
first time ever that I had to ask the question
of the representative and or the actor, do you like dogs?
And so in the case of Zoe and Charlie, they
(08:30):
both did.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
But they're both.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Incredibly kind and open people who happen to love dogs.
And as the time went on making the movie, then
Gus became even more accessible to them, and they to Gus.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
This is obviously a love story. You've got two actors.
Their track records speak for themselves. We know what they
can do. There's nothing wrong with either were they're good performers.
But when you're a producer and you want to make
sure your cast is clicking, and especially with the romantic
comedy of sorts, they've got to have chemistry. And I
listened as I watched it, I thought, Okay, these guys
they work well together. I'm in But I guess there's
(09:13):
always a chance that you could have two very talented
actors who don't have that chemistry. How do you how
do you navigate that? I mean, I don't know whether
you've had issues within the past or I'm just going
to catch how that in your space.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Yes, I have, okay, and on the first movie I made,
and so I started my career with that exact problem, okay,
And it was challenging. And so the truth is.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
That you don't really know.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
That's the hard truth about this idea of onscreen chemistry.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
You.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
I mean, we had Charlie and Zoe meet and see.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
So whenever you're going to cast a couple, you're going
to do a test, yeah, to.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Be able to see if you.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Can feel, even in the way of a test as
to whether there is chemistry. And most of the time
the actors will say in the room whether they are
feeling stuff, it's not. The more you do it, the
easier it is to connect with whether there is the
possibility of chemistry. And the case of Zoe and Charlie,
(10:21):
since we made the movie in North Carolina, we were
all away from home and so we spent a lot
of time together and they instantly connected.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
They connected with.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Jess our director, and Jessica spends a lot of time
with Charlie and Zoe before we were shooting, doing rehearsals
and getting them to be friendly with each other, and
they became very, very very good friends. That I think
is contributes to the fact that they really do have
(10:55):
good chemistry. I would also say that a large part
of that has to do with are they good actors.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
That's also a part.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Of the dynamic that I think that the movie really
benefits from is that a lot of times with romantic comedies,
the actors are fair or so so. But when you
have real actors like we have, who can navigate the
emotional turns that the movie takes, then I think that
kicks it up a notch as far as why I
(11:26):
think the movie works because there's a reality to their chemistry,
and they're grown ups. They have a sense that they've lived,
that they've lived, and that this is a unique experience
for both of them.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
In recent years, it seems like romantic comedies have been
less in favor. Maybe you're seeing more on streaming platforms
and actual in theaters. Ticket to Paradise Think was with
George Clooney actually was actually really charming. I don't think
we'll ever want I don't think we'll ever not want
these movies. They seem to fit a purpose. It's a
great date night. But Hollywood has seemingly struggled with this
(12:05):
and maybe that's my interpretation, not yours, but anythings on
just this this arena, and did that actually make you
more eager to tend to tell a story like merv.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
It's one of the one of the hardest parts about
being a veteran producer is seeing how genres shift. And
the romantic comedy is the absolutely the leading genre that
has suffered as a result of of streaming and theatrical
(12:40):
being so different. I mean, the list of romantic comedies
from my best friend's wedding and movies that stand the
test of.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Time being big hits.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Theatrically propelled the theatrical whole idea of people going to
the movies to see that, but the idea of what
covid did to people going to the movies had a
(13:12):
tremendous impact on the genre.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And so it's.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
Fortunate that streaming is now allowing romantic comedies to be made.
They're not saying any of the leading streamers, they're not saying, oh,
we want nothing but romantic comedies, but they are open
to doing them. And so and keep in mind also
(13:37):
that the cost of marketing movies is so astronomically high
that the studios now will say, okay, am I going
to spend thirty forty million dollars on marketing a movie
theatrically that's a romanza comedy. So the streaming universe, it
doesn't have that amount of money that has to be
(13:58):
poured into marketing the movie, which makes it easier via
social media to promote the film. So as far as
the for me, the fact that the movie is made
is somewhat is a major victory on its own.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
As far as the fact that it's existing. But I
certainly know that the.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Audience is always going to be there for them, and
in the case of MERV I think it's an elevated
form of the genre.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Right now, Yeah, I want to just circle back on
some of you said about the cost of marketing a
movie exploding in recent years. My only thought is that
maybe because there's so much clutter and there's so much
noise in the media marketplace to slice through that requires
more blood, sweat and tears. Is that part of it?
Why do you think that has changed?
Speaker 4 (14:53):
It is purely it's purely financial and the I'm learning
in the course of being a part of marketing and
promoting the movie.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
This is the first time for me that I've been
working on a film for a studio that has such
massive access in Amazon's case of being able to explore
all of the social media elements of marketing now. So
if you talk to any marketing head at any studio now,
(15:30):
they'll tell you that sixty percent of their campaign is
now built around social media and so less television ads.
The whole way that I grew up with movies being
marketed is very very very much change.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
And the idea of the influencer as somebody that audience
is paying attention to, that's a new thing.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
So it down to.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
Will the studio feel that they are spending this amount
of money and get their money back. It's different if
you have Wicked or movies that have such enormous scope.
Where do you say, Okay, I'm going to invest one
hundred and fifty million dollars total into a movie to
(16:23):
get people to come to the theater. And the way
people are viewing going to the theater now to the
movies is just different.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
It just is different.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
And Netflix and Amazon and the various streamers are now
the avenue for movies that do not have to cost
two hundred million dollars.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Yeah, and that's a great thing, by the way, And
I think we need more more movies like nerv because
they're sweet, they bring people together. It's enjoyable and if
you could just cuddle up on a couch and watch it.
I love the theatrical experience. But you know that's not
so bad itself. By the way, one last quick important question,
did make in this movie make you more or less
likely to break your code and actually adopt a dog?
Speaker 4 (17:12):
The The the best answer that I can give is,
I have two sons, a twenty eight year old and
a twenty four year old, And so as far as
my having unfettered love and something that I pay attention
(17:38):
to deeply are those are my sons. And I love
and understand dogs more than I could ever imagine. And
the hilarious thing was was, and my wife wouldn't notify
tell me about this all the time, was that whenever
we were at somebody's house, whenever one one hundred percent
(18:00):
of the time, the dog would come up to me
and because they were somehow sensing that I was a
decent person. So I do have this connection the dogs.
But I've never, I've never felt the urgency to have one.
(18:22):
And also I think it's been driven by the fact
that I do feel an incredible amount of love and
affection in my life from my family. But I also
understand that more than ever, how dogs can also fill
that role of love and people's lives and and and
(18:44):
really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
My dog is sitting next to me. He does listen
to what you had to say, and he understands your
reticence and he appreciates your your honesty in that regard.
But of course, the movie is MERV comes out December
tenth on Prime Video. Do check it out. Romantic great cast,
including Patricia Heaton. By the way, he didn't get the
chance to talk about her. She is a legend in herself.
So that thank you so much for your time. You're
(19:08):
a candor, And maybe make another move with the dog.
Maybe that'll be the next baby step for you.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
I somehow suspect that will happen. Thank you, Okay, you
got to thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Well, Thanks for joining well, thanks for checking out this
bonus episode of the head Cast. And by the way,
another apology. The audio on our last show was a
little bit wobbly during the interview segment we had an
echo issue, so I think everything is ironed out at
this point. But again I apologize. Never want to kind
of put out an inferior product, but I also wanted
to stay true to the people I interview to make
sure that their word got out as well, so I
(19:39):
kind of weigh that above the technical glitch. So again apologies,
but the things should be smooth going forward. Right now,
Fingers crossed. Technology is a wonderful thing and also a
demon at times. But of course, if you enjoy this show,
and if you forgive me for that audio glitch, I
hope you'll share the show around, maybe you know, give
it a like a subscribe to all the things you do,
(19:59):
or just check out Hollywood intoto dot com. It is
my website, and like the show, it is the right
taket entertainment. But you know, we can have a political
moments here and there nothing wrong with that. My chat
with Matt bhar of nerv Fame is just that, you know,
we don't always have to wallow in the mud of politics.
Sometimes we could just talk about movies and entertainment. That's
aokay and actually quite refreshing. Now, go out there and
(20:21):
have the very best week possible. MIRVs orders
I'm gonna say Kate Hudson helped kill the rom com.
Have you seen How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days? Yikes?
That one is a clunker. And we had a lot
of films like that, these sort of extreme situations and
these wacky premises that just don't match the rom com.
It's about boy meets girl, not all these convoluted plans
that would make even Threes Company fans blush. Yes, I'm
(00:22):
dating myself, but anytime I can mention the Regal Beagle
or Three's Company, it's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
I'm old Gundam.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
But now the genre has gone to the dogs literally. MERV,
which is debuting December tenth on Prime Video, follows a
couple that just broke up, and of course they don't
have children, but they do have a dog, and they
share joined custody of the dog, and of course the
dog's name is Merv. Now they're sad about the split,
for sure, but I think Merv is as well, or
(00:49):
he's sick. Something's going on with Murv. He's just not right.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
And Okay, Nerveh, I have something to sell you. The
thing is me and Ross.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Okay, Oh you're gonna be okay.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
You've been a miserable drip lately.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
No, I haven't really enjoying being by myself right now.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I see you next week. I love you, Bud MERV
are you okay? Don't want to play fetch?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Don't want to cuddles.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Dogs are very sensitive to anything that throws their routine.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Like abreka.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
It's a great angle for a rom com, in part
because there are a lot of couples these days, either
by choice or things out of their control. They don't
have any kids, and they may have a dog who
becomes a childlike figure to them, and they love the
dog dearly, and then when things go south and they split, what.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Do you do?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Then I need to speak to my attorney.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
That's why this bonus Hit cast features a chat with
movie producer Matt Bhar Of course, he's responsible for MERV,
and we talk about the film, working with dogs, and
quite a bit more, especially about rom coms and Yes.
I asked Matt one of the harder hitting questions i've
I throw my guest way in recent months, and his
answer is interesting. I think Matt hat might have a
(02:05):
career in politics with bis the way he said, but
it also seemed to come from the heart. So I'm
going to give Matt a pass and that good guy,
appreciate what he's doing with this kind of a movie,
and see what you think about his answer, because I
thought it was rather funny in itself. So the movie
is NERV. It's coming out December tenth on Prime Video,
and of course you'll hope you'll check it out, but
first listen to our conversation, find it behind the scenes information,
(02:27):
all the things you want to know about MERV. Matt,
thank you for joining the show. You know, when you
think about the hook behind MERV, it's it's almost too perfect.
A couple that split, they're co parenting a dog, you know,
if they kind of had this clumsy reunion in the
sense when you first heard about it, and you're a
veteran producer at this point, did it immediately click to you, like,
(02:50):
oh gosh, I want to make this movie. Just tell
me your first impression when you read the script or
heard the pitch.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
My first reaction was, it is so challenging, especially in
the romantic comedy genre, to find something that has a
unique hook. And I thought, okay, well, huh, A split
couple who shares custody of their dog.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
That's unique.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Now, what is wild about my own journey on merv
is it's been eleven years, is that when I started,
that was a unique idea. But now, in particular post COVID,
COVID changed everything with the dynamic of people and their dogs,
and so as a result of that, the idea that
(03:40):
people share custody of their dog is now a societal
norm that I could not have even remotely dreamed of
when I started this. So my initial interest was, Okay,
here's an a interesting road movie, be an interesting dynamic
between a couple who is having real issues. And see
(04:02):
it's a different way of doing a child in the
middle dynamic for a romantic comedy.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah, and I guess in a way it works out
better for you because now it's even more relatable because
there are many families and any couples maybe who are
going through something similar.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
So yeah, the leading mystery of filmmaking as a producer
is that there is such a long gestation project that
I made a film called Unbroken, and Unbroken took seventeen
years to get made.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
So the timing every once in a while, because you
never know when the movie is going to come out,
let alone get made. The timing of MERV being relevant
the way that it is is so fantastically wonderful for
it to reach its journey's conclusion around this time.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Yeah, now you've been You've made many films before. This
isn't a case where there's a cute dog in a
scene or two, or part of the background or sort
of a subplot. MERV is a leading actor here. What
did you learn through this process of working with dogs?
Either oh my gosh, it's actually a little bit easier
(05:21):
than actors, or oh my gosh, I'll never do it again.
Let's tell me a little bit about sort of the
process for you as a filmmaker.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
I could spend literally a day being interviewed about all
the things that I learned about dogs because I'm the
only person on the film in a senior.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Role who does not have a dog.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Oh my, so that became the running joke for me
with everybody involved. But I'm the only one who doesn't
have a dog. So there is such a profound difference
between a trained movie dog and a regularly trained dog,
because Gus is trained beyond comprehension, and so when you
(06:14):
see the ability of dogs to actually hit their Mark,
to be able to sit down, stand up, look like this,
be able to be trained to do.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
A high five. You know the.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Level of detail that it takes to be a dog trainer.
I'm not kidding that it is at the level of
like a surgeon. As far as watching how the routine
over and over and over again of training dog was
so the fact you can't make a movie like this
(06:52):
without a seriously trained dog because you would go behind
schedule every single day.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
But mostly it was also about trying to find.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
The right dog that everybody agreed with choosing, because there
are a lot of choices, but ultimately Gus.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Felt like the right person and he is. He's excellent.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
No, I want to get into the chemistry of the
stars in a minute, because I think that's also interesting.
But do you have to do either really, you know,
auditions with a dog and an actor to make sure
that they click or is a well trained dog able
to click with any performer their training is sort of
set in stone.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
That has a great question, And the only thing that
entered into that was when we were talking with our trainer, Mark.
Mark had said as far as casting that we needed
to make sure that it was somebody who liked dog okay,
because the dog would pick up If the person.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Doesn't like the dog, okay, that.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Would make making the movie impossible. So it was the
first time ever that I had to ask the question
of the representative and or the actor, do you like dogs?
And so in the case of Zoe and Charlie, they
(08:30):
both did.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
But they're both.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Incredibly kind and open people who happen to love dogs.
And as the time went on making the movie, then
Gus became even more accessible to them, and they to Gus.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
This is obviously a love story. You've got two actors.
Their track records speak for themselves. We know what they
can do. There's nothing wrong with either were they're good performers.
But when you're a producer and you want to make
sure your cast is clicking, and especially with the romantic
comedy of sorts, they've got to have chemistry. And I
listened as I watched it, I thought, Okay, these guys
they work well together. I'm in But I guess there's
(09:13):
always a chance that you could have two very talented
actors who don't have that chemistry. How do you how
do you navigate that? I mean, I don't know whether
you've had issues within the past or I'm just going
to catch how that in your space.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Yes, I have, okay, and on the first movie I made,
and so I started my career with that exact problem, okay,
And it was challenging. And so the truth is.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
That you don't really know.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
That's the hard truth about this idea of onscreen chemistry.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
You.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
I mean, we had Charlie and Zoe meet and see.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
So whenever you're going to cast a couple, you're going
to do a test, yeah, to.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Be able to see if you.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Can feel, even in the way of a test as
to whether there is chemistry. And most of the time
the actors will say in the room whether they are
feeling stuff, it's not. The more you do it, the
easier it is to connect with whether there is the
possibility of chemistry. And the case of Zoe and Charlie,
(10:21):
since we made the movie in North Carolina, we were
all away from home and so we spent a lot
of time together and they instantly connected.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
They connected with.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Jess our director, and Jessica spends a lot of time
with Charlie and Zoe before we were shooting, doing rehearsals
and getting them to be friendly with each other, and
they became very, very very good friends. That I think
is contributes to the fact that they really do have
(10:55):
good chemistry. I would also say that a large part
of that has to do with are they good actors.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
That's also a part.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Of the dynamic that I think that the movie really
benefits from is that a lot of times with romantic comedies,
the actors are fair or so so. But when you
have real actors like we have, who can navigate the
emotional turns that the movie takes, then I think that
kicks it up a notch as far as why I
(11:26):
think the movie works because there's a reality to their chemistry,
and they're grown ups. They have a sense that they've lived,
that they've lived, and that this is a unique experience
for both of them.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
In recent years, it seems like romantic comedies have been
less in favor. Maybe you're seeing more on streaming platforms
and actual in theaters. Ticket to Paradise Think was with
George Clooney actually was actually really charming. I don't think
we'll ever want I don't think we'll ever not want
these movies. They seem to fit a purpose. It's a
great date night. But Hollywood has seemingly struggled with this
(12:05):
and maybe that's my interpretation, not yours, but anythings on
just this this arena, and did that actually make you
more eager to tend to tell a story like merv.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
It's one of the one of the hardest parts about
being a veteran producer is seeing how genres shift. And
the romantic comedy is the absolutely the leading genre that
has suffered as a result of of streaming and theatrical
(12:40):
being so different. I mean, the list of romantic comedies
from my best friend's wedding and movies that stand the
test of.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Time being big hits.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Theatrically propelled the theatrical whole idea of people going to
the movies to see that, but the idea of what
covid did to people going to the movies had a
(13:12):
tremendous impact on the genre.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And so it's.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
Fortunate that streaming is now allowing romantic comedies to be made.
They're not saying any of the leading streamers, they're not saying, oh,
we want nothing but romantic comedies, but they are open
to doing them. And so and keep in mind also
(13:37):
that the cost of marketing movies is so astronomically high
that the studios now will say, okay, am I going
to spend thirty forty million dollars on marketing a movie
theatrically that's a romanza comedy. So the streaming universe, it
doesn't have that amount of money that has to be
(13:58):
poured into marketing the movie, which makes it easier via
social media to promote the film. So as far as
the for me, the fact that the movie is made
is somewhat is a major victory on its own.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
As far as the fact that it's existing. But I
certainly know that the.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Audience is always going to be there for them, and
in the case of MERV I think it's an elevated
form of the genre.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Right now, Yeah, I want to just circle back on
some of you said about the cost of marketing a
movie exploding in recent years. My only thought is that
maybe because there's so much clutter and there's so much
noise in the media marketplace to slice through that requires
more blood, sweat and tears. Is that part of it?
Why do you think that has changed?
Speaker 4 (14:53):
It is purely it's purely financial and the I'm learning
in the course of being a part of marketing and
promoting the movie.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
This is the first time for me that I've been
working on a film for a studio that has such
massive access in Amazon's case of being able to explore
all of the social media elements of marketing now. So
if you talk to any marketing head at any studio now,
(15:30):
they'll tell you that sixty percent of their campaign is
now built around social media and so less television ads.
The whole way that I grew up with movies being
marketed is very very very much change.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
And the idea of the influencer as somebody that audience
is paying attention to, that's a new thing.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
So it down to.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
Will the studio feel that they are spending this amount
of money and get their money back. It's different if
you have Wicked or movies that have such enormous scope.
Where do you say, Okay, I'm going to invest one
hundred and fifty million dollars total into a movie to
(16:23):
get people to come to the theater. And the way
people are viewing going to the theater now to the
movies is just different.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
It just is different.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
And Netflix and Amazon and the various streamers are now
the avenue for movies that do not have to cost
two hundred million dollars.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Yeah, and that's a great thing, by the way, And
I think we need more more movies like nerv because
they're sweet, they bring people together. It's enjoyable and if
you could just cuddle up on a couch and watch it.
I love the theatrical experience. But you know that's not
so bad itself. By the way, one last quick important question,
did make in this movie make you more or less
likely to break your code and actually adopt a dog?
Speaker 4 (17:12):
The The the best answer that I can give is,
I have two sons, a twenty eight year old and
a twenty four year old, And so as far as
my having unfettered love and something that I pay attention
(17:38):
to deeply are those are my sons. And I love
and understand dogs more than I could ever imagine. And
the hilarious thing was was, and my wife wouldn't notify
tell me about this all the time, was that whenever
we were at somebody's house, whenever one one hundred percent
(18:00):
of the time, the dog would come up to me
and because they were somehow sensing that I was a
decent person. So I do have this connection the dogs.
But I've never, I've never felt the urgency to have one.
(18:22):
And also I think it's been driven by the fact
that I do feel an incredible amount of love and
affection in my life from my family. But I also
understand that more than ever, how dogs can also fill
that role of love and people's lives and and and
(18:44):
really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
My dog is sitting next to me. He does listen
to what you had to say, and he understands your
reticence and he appreciates your your honesty in that regard.
But of course, the movie is MERV comes out December
tenth on Prime Video. Do check it out. Romantic great cast,
including Patricia Heaton. By the way, he didn't get the
chance to talk about her. She is a legend in herself.
So that thank you so much for your time. You're
(19:08):
a candor, And maybe make another move with the dog.
Maybe that'll be the next baby step for you.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
I somehow suspect that will happen. Thank you, Okay, you
got to thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Well, Thanks for joining well, thanks for checking out this
bonus episode of the head Cast. And by the way,
another apology. The audio on our last show was a
little bit wobbly during the interview segment we had an
echo issue, so I think everything is ironed out at
this point. But again I apologize. Never want to kind
of put out an inferior product, but I also wanted
to stay true to the people I interview to make
sure that their word got out as well, so I
(19:39):
kind of weigh that above the technical glitch. So again apologies,
but the things should be smooth going forward. Right now,
Fingers crossed. Technology is a wonderful thing and also a
demon at times. But of course, if you enjoy this show,
and if you forgive me for that audio glitch, I
hope you'll share the show around, maybe you know, give
it a like a subscribe to all the things you do,
(19:59):
or just check out Hollywood intoto dot com. It is
my website, and like the show, it is the right
taket entertainment. But you know, we can have a political
moments here and there nothing wrong with that. My chat
with Matt bhar of nerv Fame is just that, you know,
we don't always have to wallow in the mud of politics.
Sometimes we could just talk about movies and entertainment. That's
aokay and actually quite refreshing. Now, go out there and
(20:21):
have the very best week possible. MIRVs orders
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