Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg recently chose to debut their comedy series, The Studio, at South by Southwest. Noteworthy, the iconic festival is known for celebrating film culture while poking fun at Hollywood’s quirks. As a sharp satire of the modern film industry, the show premiered with two episodes on Apple TV+, drawing waves of laughter from the audience at Austin’s Paramount Theater. That said, how will audiences around the world feel about the new series?
Seth Rogen Talks Chaotic Filmmaking Business
During the post-screening Q&A for The Studio, Seth Rogen reflected on its premise, noting that the ability of Hollywood to create good films despite its many bad films is a mystery. The series aims to explore this paradox through a comedic approach, while also offering an incisive look at the chaotic, mostly absurd world of filmmaking. By providing industry insights, Rogen and Evan Goldberg deliver a show that resonates with insiders and audiences at the same time.
Star-Studded Cast
In Studio, Seth Rogen takes on the lead role, playing Matt Remick, who receives an unexpected promotion to run the fictional Continental Studios, which shares similarities with major film studios, including Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and Paramount. Along with Rogen, the film boasts a talented team of veteran actors, including:
- Catherine O’Hara
- Kathyrn Hahn
- Ike Barinholtz
- Chase Sui Wonders
In addition to these renowned actors and actresses, its A-list cameos feature top stars playing versions of themselves. In the first episode alone, its impressive lineup includes:
- Paul Dano
- Peter Berg
- Nicholas Stoller
- Martin Scorsese
- Charlize Theron
- Steve Buscemi
As these Hollywood heavyweights become entangled in Matt’s life, his efforts to achieve his dreams become more challenging. Moreover, he’s looking to secure a director for his first major project, a feature film adaptation of the beloved Kool-Aid brand.
Easy Casting Process
According to Seth Rogan, he and his partner Evan Goldberg aimed to fill The Studio with various impressive top-tier talent. Specifically, they wanted to create an authentic portrayal of a Hollywood movie studio that showcases the caliber of stars that industry insiders would genuinely choose to work with. Drawing inspiration from the 2015 film adaptation of the HBO series Entourage, he found the movie’s depiction of a high-profile Party that had Bob Saget as the most prominent guest somewhat hollow. To create a more realistic view of Hollywood’s elite, Rogan populated his series with A-listers who’d be more believable as the life of the party.
Evan Goldberg discussed The Studio’s casting process, particularly how they got A-list actors and actresses to join. He said that while reaching out to friends and colleagues, not only did they agree to help, but so did other unexpected participants whose involvement was puzzling. Notably, Seth Rogan was surprised that Martin Scorsese agreed to join the project as they’d never met. Together, Rogan and Goldberg emphasized their commitment to creating roles that were funny to the audience while also staying appealing to the actors. Ultimately, they discovered that actors and actresses of all statuses were drawn to the opportunity of delivering a good joke.
