Interview with "Hamlet 2" director Andrew Fleming

Photo credit: Jeff Vespa/Getty Images

AE: You said it’s a different world, things have really changed and now we’re seeing a lot of people, even actors come out. Do you think it’s becoming a more hospitable place?
AF: I think it’s interesting that the people who came out first are people who are really brilliant actors because they know that if they’re good, I mean having a role, it doesn’t really matter what they do in their personal life whether they work or not.

AE: It’s less of a death sentence for an actor’s career.
AF: Well, I think if you’re an actor and you’re either young, male or female, kind of a heartthrob, your personal life gets mixed up in it and that can work for or against you. I don’t know. If your career is based on your abilities, then it’s really not an issue, but if your career is based on what the tabloids say about you? I mean it’s interesting because I think Lindsay Lohan has been the first litmus test for that. The tabloids are being very careful about her. It’s like they have anxiety about doing the wrong thing.

AE: Do I see that Nancy Drew II is coming up? Is that on your plate?
AF: I don’t really think it’s active at this moment.

AE: Hamlet 2 is so wonderfully profane and out there, is there a concern when you do such a project like this that you can do family films again?
AF: I’m not really a family film guy.

AE: I’m a huge horror fan. Bad Dreams is really great. What’s been your favorite thing to make so far?
AF: I feel like this movie is actually in the zone, where I live. I feel like this is kind of the closest to what I would want to go see the most. I mean, I‘ve never made a movie that I wouldn’t go out and see, but this movie is exactly where I want to be.

AE: It’s as close to the full distilled Andrew Fleming that we have out there so far. 
AF: And I think that, like Threesome, I think those are more projects that I originated. Some of the others are, too, but they’re all a little different.

AE: Do you have anything in the works right now?
AF: Yeah, a couple of different things. I’m just very superstitious about . . .

AE: Nothing you can talk about at this point. In terms of Hamlet 2, it’s great that it’s being promoted like crazy because I really like the film. Who do you think is going to be most offended by this movie?
AF: Most offended? Oh, geez, let’s see. Let’s make a list. Well I think people who haven’t seen it could be offended by it because they might glean that it’s more offensive than it really is because I think at the center it’s a very generous world view, but if you look at each kind of subject matter that it takes on . . . The idea of race, it’s not a racist movie. It’s making fun of the racists in the movie. Even the main character has this sort of idiotic racial preconception about what the Hispanic family is going to be like, and he’s wrong. Even though we do play fast and loose with some language, it ends up trying to break the stereotype of what a Hispanic is in the movie.

And that Jesus thing, I mean it is irreverent to talk about the sexuality of Jesus, but there’s really nothing negative about it. The Catholic Church has been sexualizing Jesus for a couple thousand years now, so it’s kind of nothing new. But I think that there’s something sweet about the movie at the center of it and that it’s not necessarily offensive, it’s just kind of irreverent. On the other hand, I really hope some people get offended. It’s kind of exciting!

AE: There’s probably something in there everyone can find to get offended by. I think the’ raped in the face’ thing is the first time I’ve laughed aloud in the theater in several months.
AF: Yeah, there. That doesn’t mean we just laughed about it. This is not – what are you making fun of here? You are making fun of the anxiety people have when you talk about rape. And he’s a victim, so we’re actually depicting victimhood and that kind of came from this friend of mine. This woman, she made a film about rape. She had been raped and she made this film about it. Parts of it are very funny because a lot of it deals with the aftermath of how do people respond when you want to talk about rape. Which is a real thing, but people get very anxious and clam up. We were having this discussion around a round table with a bunch of reporters and we started talking about it and they all got very still and anxious. And I think that’s funny. We’re certainly not belittling the idea of being a rapist or being victimized.

AE: And then of course it comes back as this little dance number, which is great. One more question, who is the narrator?
AF: It’s Steve.

AE: Oh is it? It’s impossible to find anywhere.
AF: I forgot to put it in the credits, frankly. He’s doing his best Jeremy Irons with maybe a little Ian McKellen thrown in. That was the idea because he references him.

AE: That’s it. Thanks for talking with me.