Producer/Director Paul Feig, “The Housemaid” based on Freida McFadden’s novel

Summary

Totally Booked with Zibby

Special Guest: Paul Feig on “The Housemaid” Adaptation

Original Air Date: December 19, 2025
Host: Zibby Owens
Guest: Paul Feig (Director/Producer)
Context: Discussion of the film adaptation of Freida McFadden’s bestseller The Housemaid

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Episode Overview

This episode features a lively and insightful conversation between host Zibby Owens and acclaimed director Paul Feig about his new film adaptation of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. The pair delve into the process of translating a popular psychological thriller from page to screen, explore the intricacies of adaptation, discuss class and power dynamics, and reflect on the role of art as both entertainment and social commentary. Paul Feig also shares stories from set, his perspective on the current state of movies, and advice for creative aspirants.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis of “The Housemaid” Adaptation

• Initial Attraction to the Project

  • Feig first read the script, which intrigued him enough to immediately read McFadden’s novel for deeper insight.
  • Quote: “I was really, you know, surprised by everything in it. And then I immediately say, okay, now I have to read the book.” (06:14)
  • The adaptation process required balancing fidelity to the beloved book with necessary cinematic changes.

• Approach to Adaptation

  • Screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine’s script successfully “cherry-picked” structural elements from the book.
  • Feig and the team reintroduced select book details and expanded moments (especially the climax) to heighten the cinematic experience.

• The ‘Nancy Meyers movie gone wrong’ Visual Concept

  • Feig’s vision was to create an inviting, beautiful space that subtly hints at underlying danger.
  • Quote: “This has to be like a Nancy Meyers movie that goes horribly wrong.” (04:27)
  • The film’s set and costumes were deliberately both aspirational and sinister.

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2. Set Design, Symbolism, and Cinematic Touches

• Symbolic Use of Space and Décor

  • Production designer Elizabeth Jones crafted an atmosphere rich in subtext, using art and color for thematic depth.
  • Quote: “Artwork around that was very female centric, but also male gaze at the same time…like the big Gauguin…the living room and his whole history with women…” (04:59)

• Foreshadowing with Color and Texture

  • Red was intentionally used to foreshadow danger and unease in the seemingly pristine environment.
  • Quote: “They really wanted to play with that. That's kind of symbolize that there's danger in this house, even though it looks really, you know, lovely and perfect and pure.” (05:32)

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3. Music as a Storytelling Device

• Feig is known for his meticulous approach to music in film.
• Finding Millie’s Sound: Linda Ronstadt’s music ended up embodying the protagonist’s emotional arc.
  • Quote: “I was very, very hung up on wanting to find what's Millie's sound. And to me, it's Linda Ronstadt.” (08:21)
• Composer Teddy Shapiro started composing before filming began, ensuring character themes felt organic.
• The female vocal motif in the score added tension without falling into horror clichés.
• About music choices: “I'm really hung up on the music in movies. It's really important to me. And to get that right, to not have it be something you're like, you know, get jarred out of the movie.” (09:35)

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4. Storytelling, Power Dynamics, and Social Commentary

• Class and Privilege

  • The contrast between Millie (living out of her car) and the wealthy employers is central, but so is the risk of snap judgments.
  • Quote: “...how the judgments that we make at first that we're so convinced that are right can be wrong and can be horribly wrong.” (16:25)

• Art’s Role: To Entertain, Not Preach

  • Feig dislikes “important” movies that feel like homework, preferring subtle moral undercurrents.
  • Quote: “If somebody has a great time, because that was so much fun, and then they're like, oh, I never thought about this...That's great. What I don't like is I hate when somebody says, this is a very important movie. It's like, I don't want to see an important movie. That sounds like homework to me.” (17:45, 18:17)

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5. The Experience of Moviegoing and Theaters

• Feig laments that the communal aspect of watching movies in theaters can’t be replicated by streaming at home.
• Quote: “When you see a movie that you love for the first time in a theater, you carry that experience...And that just makes a movie much more special to you and makes it kind of a treasured memory.” (22:00)
• On drawing crowds back to theaters: “I think it's up to us as filmmakers to make people want to go...You have to make things undeniable.” (20:36)

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6. Turning Books into Movies: What Makes a Book Adaptable?

• Strong, engaging characters with a clear narrative drive are key.
• The story must be ‘undeniable’ on screen, not necessarily “big” but unique.
• Quote: “It's got to be great characters that are very engaging, has to be a story that makes you lean in and pulls you through, has a good driver in the middle of it that just drives you through the story.” (23:00)
• Maximalism is more compelling than shock-for-shock’s sake.
• Characters need to be “extreme but not unreal…those are the people we want to watch on the screen or we want to read about.” (23:58)

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7. Creativity, Career, and Advice for Aspiring Artists

• Perseverance and adaptability are crucial; embrace unique personal stories.
• Quote: “You have to really, really want it. You have to be undeterred by things that don't work out…if you're creative, you have to find your own voice and tell your own stories because your stories are unique to you.” (26:35)
• Experience trumps imitation or the “AI” approach to creativity: “That's why I don't worry about AI as much as everybody else does...It doesn't have any experience.” (27:44)

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8. Freida McFadden’s Writing & The Joy of Twists

• Feig connects with McFadden’s prolific creativity and her twists.
• Quote: “What's been fun about doing this movie with Frida is now I'm just reading all of Frida's books, and it's really fun. She's really great. I, You Know, I got to hang out with her a bunch. And I was just like, how do you do it? Like, you know, she...writes a book, like, every three months.” (18:35)
• The adaptation process was collaborative, drawing on McFadden’s techniques for structuring twists.

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9. Future Projects & Hopes for “The Housemaid”

• Feig is eager to revisit Millie if the film finds success, noting the depth McFadden brings to her protagonists.
• Quote: “It depends how the movie does. I would love to revisit Millie. I think Millie’s, you know, we really set her up really well in this movie…And I love the books.” (25:17)
• Favorite way to celebrate? Sneaking into packed theaters on opening weekend to experience audience reactions first-hand. (25:39)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This has to be like a Nancy Meyers movie that goes horribly wrong.” – Paul Feig (04:27)
• “I was very, very hung up on wanting to find what's Millie's sound. And to me, it's Linda Ronstadt.” – Paul Feig (08:21)
• “What I fell in love with is the chance to really mess with an audience in a way that I hadn't done before. Because what's brilliant about Frida's book is...she makes you root for everything you should not be rooting for for the first half.” – Paul Feig (11:08)
• “If somebody has a great time, because that was so much fun, and then they're like, oh, I never thought about this…that's great.” – Paul Feig (17:45)
• “Your stories are unique to you. Don't try to recreate other people's stories…bring your own.” – Paul Feig (26:35)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:08] – Paul Feig joins and discusses set design vision and adaptation
• [06:08] – How and why Feig got involved, collaboration with Rebecca Sonnenshine
• [07:55] – The ending, music choices, and building immersive atmosphere
• [11:08] – Challenges and joys of audience manipulation
• [16:05] – Discussing class, privilege, and societal messages
• [17:45] – Art as subtle commentary vs. overt statement
• [20:36] – Moviegoing, streaming vs. theater experiences
• [23:00] – What makes a book ideal for adaptation
• [26:35] – Advice for creatives, why personal experience matters

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Conclusion

This episode offers a rich behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind The Housemaid, giving listeners an appreciation for the art of adaptation and the emotional and intellectual layers that can be achieved in thoughtful filmmaking. Paul Feig’s wit, candor, and dedication shine through, making the episode essential listening for book lovers, film buffs, and anyone curious about how bestsellers make their way to the big screen.

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(For more author insights, book recommendations, and future episodes, follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram and visit zibbymedia.com.)

Transcript

[Paul Feig]

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[Zibby Owens]

Hi, this is Zibby Owens and you're listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to Read Books. In my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling buzziest or underrated authors and story creators whose work I think is worth your time. As a bookstore owner, publisher, author, and obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that's coming out and spend my time curating the best books so you don't have to stay in the know. Get insider insights and connect with guests like I do every single day. For more information, go to zibbymedia.com and follow me on Instagram. Iby Owens. This is a very special episode centered around the movie the Housemaid, based on Freda McFadden's best selling novel. I had the opportunity to attend a press junket, which basically means I got to go to the Essex House Hotel on a floor where every room was inhabited by a different important person from the film the house made. And I was ushered into the room with Paul Feig where there were like, I don't know, 10 cameramen and 10 other people. And I just sat right down in the chair and we had this amazing conversation, which not only was about the movie, but about what makes great movie adaptations from books and some other really important stuff that I thought you all would really enjoy. Here's a bio on Paul and also, I encourage you all to see the Housemaid and read Frieda McFadden's novel. Paul Feek is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known for directing films such as Bridesmaids, the Heat, Spy, Ghostbusters, A Simple Favor, and Last Christmas. He has also directed episodes of the Office. Paul often collaborates with actress Melissa McCarthy. He is also a brilliant advertising director with his Diet Coke spots showing his incredible comedic talents. Enjoy. Welcome, Paul. Thank you so much for coming. I'm totally booked. Delighted to have you.

[Paul Feig]

Thank you. Sibby. So good to meet you.

[Zibby Owens]

Good to meet you too. Congrats. The Housemaid is amazing. Oh my gosh.

[Paul Feig]

Loved it. Oh, good.

[Zibby Owens]

I loved it.

[Paul Feig]

Oh, good. Thank you.

[Zibby Owens]

I feel like we need a shoppable housemate. Like, I would like to get a few of the things from the house.

[Paul Feig]

Yes.

[Zibby Owens]

The outfits. Are you doing? Are you working on that?

[Paul Feig]

Yeah. You know, we should actually get the whole store going.

[Zibby Owens]

Yeah.

[Paul Feig]

Well, it's funny because when, when I, when we were putting the movie together by, my main thing that I said to everybody on the team was like, this has to be like a Nancy Myers movie that goes horribly wrong. So it was really fun to get that, to make that house so bright and, you know, wonder and lovely and then turned it into a hellish prison.

[Zibby Owens]

It's one thing to get it in your mind when you read the book and see what the screening room looks like, but it's another to see how you depicted it and what it looked like and how it feels and the fabrics and think, oh, well, what if I had that couch?

[Paul Feig]

Well, I mean, a lot of credit goes to my production designer, Elizabeth Jones, who just did such a great job. Yeah. And she, you know, she was very into the idea of artwork around that was very female centric, but also male gaze at the same time. And, you know, but there's, like, the big Gauguin in the, you know, the living room and his whole history with women and all that. And so there's such a rich texture to the things that you're seeing on screen that you're not even kind of.

[Zibby Owens]

Aware of all the pops of red and the foreshadowing. I love it.

[Paul Feig]

Yeah, exactly. Definitely. That was red. They really wanted to play with that. That's kind of symbolize that there's danger in this house, even though it looks really, you know, lovely and perfect and pure.

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[Zibby Owens]

By the way, my husband would not have his company if it weren't for you, because he and Austin Rydell, who. Billie Lord is someone, you know. Anyway, so they met when they had a meeting at your office and became business partners and started their company.

[Paul Feig]

Are you kidding me? Yeah. That's. Wow, that's wild.

[Zibby Owens]

So you're like a known. You're like a legend in our. In our home, in the company lore, even though you weren't even there.

[Paul Feig]

I'm honored.

[Zibby Owens]

So why. When did you read the book? I mean, I'm assuming you read the book.

[Paul Feig]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, I read the script first.

[Zibby Owens]

Okay.

[Paul Feig]

Yeah. Because I was doing another simple favor, and they were. Lionsgate was very happy with it, and so they, you know, sent me the script, and I loved the script, and I was really, you know, surprised by everything in it. And then I immediately say, okay, now I have to read the book. And I was glad that I did it that way because Rebecca Sonnenshine did such a good job of adapting that book, which is. It's both a great book to adapt and yet a hard one, because a lot of times books, you really have to change a lot to make them screen worthy. But the structure of Frieda's book is so good that Rebecca was able to cherry pick what she needed to cherry pick. But then I was able to, after reading the book, go like, oh, now let's. Now that we've got this down to size, let's bring this back in. Let's bring this back in. And then we expanded out the, you know, the end of it, which. That was Rebecca's idea. When she adapted it, it was to take it further. And then we were able to add stuff back from the book within that, because, you know, it's. When you're making a movie out of a book that everybody. So many people know, that has so many twists and turns that you need to give them something extra, but at the same time, it's dangerous because you don't want them to go like, hey, you messed with that. But I think we did a really good job at, like, giving you that extra thing that you need out of it and making, well, like, what Millie has to do in the Attic a little more, I almost say cinematic. You want the audience to be so desperate for retribution that what happens up there has to make you that angry.

[Zibby Owens]

Yes. And actually, your final scene was, like, the perfect ending for. For the whole thing. It was just. It was just tied up with such a bow. It was perfect. It was just perfect. Even the way you used music in the film, I mean, all of the. It was so richly textured. It felt like completely immersive. And instead of using, like, you know, scary horror music, not that it's a horror movie, but, like, really great music that I'm like, what is this? I want to listen to this, too.

[Paul Feig]

Oh, good. Yeah. Well, I mean, it was a combo of, you know, the songs that we found. I was very, very hung up on wanting to find what's Millie's sound. And to me, it's Linda Ron'. I just, for some reason, Linda Ronstadt's life and her work and her personal story just seemed to kind of feel like Millie to me, you know, and at one point, they were expensive, and so, you know, studio didn't want to pay for them. And so we're trying all these other songs, and nothing worked. It's just like. It's just Millie's sound. So the studio very kindly ponied up the money for those songs, you know, but then all the other needle drops that we have in there were just very. You know, I have a great music supervisor in Erica Weiss, who I work with all the time. And then, you know, my producing partner, Laura Fisher, had ideas on it, and our other producers had ideas, but we audition a lot of songs. I'm really hung up on the music in movies. It's really important to me. And to get that right, to not have it be something you're like, you know, get jarred out of the movie. And, you know, I also don't want it to feel too indie, if you know what I mean. Like, indie movies are really great at putting cool songs in, but then it's kind of sometimes make the movie feel smaller. And then on the other side of it, I've got my great composer, Teddy Shapiro. Who put together that beautiful soundtrack. And, you know, when I work with Teddy, he's done everything with me ever since Spy. And our thing that we have is he starts composing before we even start shooting the movie. And it's just like, what are. What's our little theme? You know, what are our, like, eight notes theme that we do? And each character should have a theme, and so he comes up with those. And then as I'm shooting, he's recording these kind of what he calls suites, which are like a two or three minute, you know, soundtrack that then we can cut up and put in as we're editing the movie. So I'm not putting in music from other movies, which I hate doing, because then you have what we call in the business temp love. So your temp score, you're like, oh. Then the poor composer comes down. Can you make it sound like this? The. That was already in a movie and it's. It's a disaster. Exactly. But. But what I love most about what Teddy did is he this female voice that he. That he brings into it. You know, he brought this female vocalist in who just did a whole day of just, you know, sounds, and he took those and then put them all through. And I think that that really gives it that feel that's like. You say it's not a horror movie, but it's. It's definitely a tense, unsettling score that then, you know, builds in certain places and everybody has their own theme. So it's. It's. I go on and on about music.

[Zibby Owens]

No, it was really noteworthy, the music in this film, for sure. How at this stage in your career, you can do whatever you want. You can pick whatever projects. Why this one? Like, what was it about it that appealed to you so much?

[Paul Feig]

A few things. I mean, Sydney Sweeney was already attached to it when they brought it to me, and I've been dying to work with Sid. So that was at first like a real, like, ooh. Like, I. I hope I like this script because I really want to work with her. And then reading the script, I. I fell in love with it. What I fell in love with is the chance to really mess with an audience in a way that I hadn't done before. Because what's brilliant about Frida's book is you. She makes you root for everything you should not be rooting for for the first half, and then she pulls the rug on you so hard and you regret everything that you rooted for. And I think that just helps with the retribution that happens. Like, you're so angry that you got fooled by these characters. You know, especially the one character that you just say, I just want that person to really go down hard. And it was a play on something that I don't normally do, which is I'm always very hardcore about my movies having to be one person's point of view. I don't like when movies bounce around. And over here, this is happening and this person doesn't know about it. Like, it's more, it's. It's. All my comedies are kind of a thriller in that way because you don't know what other people are doing. And so you're with this person. Like, are these people for real or not? But it was fun to go like, oh, no. This is the one time I'm going to like, do the total switch. Because as Laura Fisher, my. My producing partner says, this movie, the first hour is all questions and the second hour is all answers. And I think it's very satisfying for an audience.

[Zibby Owens]

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[Zibby Owens]

And what were you all trying to do in terms of power dynamics, privilege, class? I mean you have someone who is literally eating out of her car and, and then, you know, the top of the pyramid, so to speak, and everybody clashes. And how, what should we take away from that? What is the message there?

[Paul Feig]

Well, I mean it's kind of a classic, you know, like rich people are crazy sort of story, which I think these days is kind of a fun story to tell, you know, because we're so surrounded, you know, everything is so kind of out of balance right now. But what I like most about it is it's sort of like how the judgments that we make at first that we're so convinced that are right can be wrong and can be horribly wrong. And I think Our world right now, everybody's just buying into the first thing they hear, and they're buying a lot of misinformation. We're surrounded by con people. I mean, you know, just watch any documentary on Netflix. It's always somebody's conning somebody and. And I don't know, you know, I feel like I do know why we're there right now, because certain people in power who are lean that way, but I think it's an important story to tell of just like, you know, I don't want. I never want a story of, like, don't trust anybody you meet. But at the same time, like, just be a little more discerning, you know, in if that looks like the shiny object, Is it really the shiny object, or is that shiny object got something terrible behind it?

[Zibby Owens]

So what do you think, then, the role is of art itself and movies and the books that these are based on? Is it to get us to question or just be more aware of some of the pitfalls of society?

[Paul Feig]

I think it's to dramatize or, you know, dramatize in a fun way or not fun way, but should be in a fun way as far as I'm concerned. Little lessons like that. But I also. I don't like things that preach or, like, are in my face. Like, if it's just buried, if you just. If somebody has a great time, because that was so much fun, and then they're like, oh, I never thought about this, or I should think about this. That's great. What I don't like is I hate when somebody says, this is a very important movie. It's like, I don't want to see an important movie. That sounds like homework to me.

[Zibby Owens]

Let me just escape. Yeah.

[Paul Feig]

Let me just have a good time. And then if it's, you know, there's inside the peanut butter, there's a little pill. And it was a good pill. Then great.

[Zibby Owens]

Well, this was like the ultimate escape from a little worried for a while, but escape on edge. That's the best way. And are you a big reader yourself?

[Paul Feig]

Yeah, Yeah, I love reading. I have to read so much for my work that I don't get to read for pleasure as much as I'd like to, and a very slow reader. But when I get into a book that I get immersed in, then I am just in it. And what's been fun about doing this movie with Frida is now I'm just reading all the Frida's books, and it's really fun. She's really great. I, You Know, I got to hang out with her a bunch. And I was just like, how do you do it? Like, you know, she. I mean, she writes a book, like, every three months. I think it is. And it was interesting because I said, how do you get these twists? And she says she just, in her course of her life, has an idea for a twist. And she just keeps this file where she just puts in, you know, writes them down and eventually goes through and go, oh, I can write a book about that. I was like, that's so brilliant. What a great way to do it. Because I'm obsessed with twists. Like, any movie I do, like, I gotta find a twist in here somewhere because it's just fun for an audience to go like, oh, you know.

[Zibby Owens]

And she's like a brain surgeon, right? Didn't she write a lot of these? Med school. I mean, she's literally a brain surgeon.

[Paul Feig]

Yeah. Like. Like a brain trauma. Yeah. No, it's crazy. Well, you also know that, like, she hid her identity and she was in a book group. I love that story. She was in a book group that read her book, and they didn't. She wrote it.

[Zibby Owens]

So funny. Wow. Well, it just shows, like, the right stories get brought to life, Right? Not all the time, but if you just work hard enough.

[Paul Feig]

Yeah, yeah. No, it's true. And, yeah, it's really. To be that inventive, I think, is great. And, you know, for us in movie land, you know, we're just always desperately looking for new stories and interesting ways to tell them. And, you know, there's a million thrillers out there, and a lot of them are really great. Is just. They have to have that thing that merits being on the big screen. And sometimes that's something that we bring to it. But if the bones aren't there in the story, then what's the point?

[Zibby Owens]

Yeah. What are your thoughts on getting people into movie theaters? I know this is going to drive people, but some people don't. You know, as, you know, the industry is changing. What are your thoughts about it?

[Paul Feig]

Well, I think it's up to us as filmmakers to make people want to go to the movie. You know, and people just, you know, there's so much. It's not like the old days. We're just gonna default, go to the movie on a Saturday night. It's. They have to go, like, I heard this is great. Or, that trailer is so cool. I want to see that. Or, oh, my God, they made this out of my favorite thing. I have to go see it. You have to make things undeniable so, you know, a lot of it is on us that for a long time, Hollywood got lazy, you know, and would just kind of, oh, yeah, people just show up. It's like, that's why I really, like. I always say Jordan Peele is really brilliant because when you see a trailer for one of his movies, you're like, I gotta go see that. I don't know what. I didn't know what that's about, but that just looks like something I have to see opening weekend so that I can see it first and nobody can spoil it for me. So if we do our job with something that is undeniable, then people will come back. And I think being people, seeing movies together is the most important thing in the world for us in movies. Because, you know, you know, I come from the comedy world, and I consider all my movies both to be comedies, and I also consider all my comedies to be dramas that just happen to be funny because the emotional stakes have to be, you know, very serious at the bottom of it. But, you know, when you see a movie that you love for the first time in a theater, you carry that experience. Experience with you every time you watch that movie.

[Zibby Owens]

Yes.

[Paul Feig]

By yourself, in your house. And that's why it's so hard to kind of get a streaming movie to be. To mean something as much as like a movie in the theaters do to an. To audiences. Because, you know, look, a movie has to stand on its own, obviously. But when you watch at home, oh, that was really great. But when you watch it with a bunch of people, you carry that like, oh, my God, I remember everybody laughed here and. And I remember everybody, like, screamed here. I remember everybody gasped here. And that just makes a movie much more special to you and makes it kind of a treasured memory. And so to be back in movie theaters, you know, my last movies were streamers, and it was. I was thankful we got to make them, but it just wasn't the same experience. And audiences didn't have the same experience that they normally do with my movies.

[Zibby Owens]

So I talk to authors all the time, and every author wants their book to be a movie. Of course, obviously, twists is one way to get there and to capture interest. But when you're evaluating books or when people are writing books and really want them adapted, what is it about a book that has. That gets them over the finish line?

[Paul Feig]

Well, it's. It's a great question. It's a number of things. It's got to be great characters that are very engaging, has to be a story that Makes you lean in and pulls you through, has a good driver in the middle of it that just drives you through the story. It doesn't necessarily have to be big and, you know, splashy as far as, you know, production value. And it's actually probably better off if it's not because, you know, books going to be too expensive to make, but it has to, again, have that undeniable thing where it's unique and you're like, I got to see that on the big screen. And then it's going to let. Allow a filmmaker and a bunch of actors be at their best. So it is a hard thing to quantify or qualify, but it just has to be. It has to mean. I won't say it has to mean something because I'm. That sounding like that's pretty important.

[Zibby Owens]

No, it's true. I mean, why do something that doesn't mean anything?

[Paul Feig]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. But it just has to be something that just is so grabs an audience. Whether it grabs them because it's so much fun or because it's so tense or it's so, like, heartbreaking, you know, just. I think everything needs. I'm a maximalist, so you're getting it from my side of this, which is. I think everything just needs to be extreme but not unreal. It just like the most interesting people we know are like, kind of. You're like, wow, that person for real. But they are for real. Versus if you meet somebody like, putting on I'm Crazy. And you're like, no, you're just. Just trying to act like you're crazy or you're trying to be outrageous and shock everybody, that's not fun. But people who are just like. You're like, wow, that person is really out there. Those are the people we want to watch on the screen or we want to read about, you know, and so I think if you can put characters that are those kind of extremes into a situation that is itself extreme but real at the same time, I think that's what makes an audience go, oh, I'm leaning into this.

[Zibby Owens]

I love that. That was a good, good answer. There you go.

[Paul Feig]

I'm nervous with you because you're so smart.

[Zibby Owens]

Are you going to continue on with the Frida books or what's going on next?

[Paul Feig]

It depends how the movie does. I would love to revisit Millie. I think Millie's, you know, we really set her up really well in this movie. And, you know, and I love the. The books. So. Yeah. I mean, I love so much that Frida did. Has done so, yeah, I'd love to. I love making these kind of movies.

[Zibby Owens]

And how are you going to celebrate when the book, when the movie comes out? Like, what is. What do you do that day?

[Paul Feig]

If anything, we. The favorite thing to do is to drive around the movie theaters and sneak in the back and see if. See if there's anybody in there. Sometimes it's the most horrifying thing you can do when you walk into this town, 10 people in the audience. But, you know, when it. When it's. A movie's working, you know, like when we had bridesmaids come out, you know, just. We thought it wasn't even going to do well, and we were told it wasn't going to do well. And then suddenly that night, they're like, it's doing really well. So Melissa McCarthy and her husband and my wife got in the car and went down to the Arc Light, what was then the Arc Light, and came in the back. The place was like a rock concert and packed and sold out. And so that's the joy that makes me feel good. That's the joy. That's a joy. You don't get out of a studio streaming movie because you can't drive around people's houses and look through their windows. I mean, you could, but then you get arrested.

[Zibby Owens]

Maybe that'll be your next movie.

[Paul Feig]

Hey, there you go.

[Zibby Owens]

Do you have any advice to aspiring creatives in any field? You've turned your art into a career and all that, how do you do it? What's the advice?

[Paul Feig]

I mean, you have to really, really want it. You have to be undeterred by things that don't work out. You have to be able to pivot when the thing you think you want is unattainable and you discover maybe it's not exactly what you should be doing, but you can. If you go a little to the left, that's what you might be good at. If you're creative, you have to find your own voice and tell your own stories because your stories are unique to you. Don't try to recreate other people's stories or get, oh, this is really popular. So let me do something in this direction. I mean, if it's a genre, sure, if you got a story that works in that genre, of course, but bring your own. It comes from when I was. I was so dumb when I was starting out as a creative, because I thought in my head, for some reason I would. Like when I heard Norman Rockwell, like, had models and he, like, painted the models, I was like, well, that's cheating. Like it has to come all from your head. You have to imagine all. And so as a writer, I was like, it has to be something you have to make up out of whole cloth. Because, you know, I've read a lot of science fiction and all that and then realized when I did Freaks and Geeks is like, oh no. The thing that is most personal to me, that's the only thing people really care about because I have an experience that nobody else has. They might have a similar. So they relate to it. But the specifics of my, you know, what I've done is unique to me. That's why I don't worry about AI as much as everybody else does. Because AI is just recreating everything that's happened before and it doesn't have any experience. You know, it's just sure it can mix a million different people's things as they're data scraping everything we've ever done, which I have my opinions about that. Did any of us ask for AI? I don't think so. Hate AI So I refuse to use any of it. But I don't. I don't worry about it because sure you can. They can kick out scripts and. But they're going to be sort of rehashes of things that have already happened versus, you know, these unique stories that are happening for billions of people every single day. Any person you talk to ever will have some story where you're like, oh my God, really? That happened to you? And that's, that's where it all comes from.

[Zibby Owens]

I love that. Well, thank you so much. Congratulations on the film and just so exciting. Thanks for the time.

[Paul Feig]

No, I'm so glad this worked out.

[Zibby Owens]

Me too. Thank you.

[Paul Feig]

Thanks.

[Zibby Owens]

Okay, thank you for listening to Totally Booked with Zibi, formerly Moms don't have time to read books. If you loved the show, you tell a friend, leave a review, follow me on Instagram, ibbeowens and spread the word. Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books.

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[Zibby Owens]

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