And for David andNathan Zellner, the cultural impact was very similar.
We loved that show, recalls David.
Theyd cover the Loch Ness monster, everything.
‘Sasquatch Sunset’Bleecker Street
They got really obscure with some of the subjects, but we loved that show.
We loved the vibe of it.
DEADLINE:When did this idea first come to you?
We were like, What else is it doing?
We began with a short, and then we just kept going from there.
DEADLINE:So what was the script like?
I think the more specific it could be, the easier it would be to get people behind it.
So there was more description than maybe a normal script, but less dialogue, obviously.
DEADLINE:And was the trajectory always the same?
DAVID:[Laughs.]
We had a lot of influences on this.
In hindsight, a lot of it was subconscious, just things that wed absorbed growing up.
Growing up, there was a lot of ape cinema that we were exposed to.
DEADLINE:And so Jesse was the first on board?
DAVID:He was the first, yeah.
Square Peg got involved first.
They were the first in, just in terms of being part of the team.
They got on board early.
Weve known Lars Knudsen for a long time, and have always wanted to work together.
He really connected with the script.
But in terms of cast, Jesse got on pretty early.
Weve known him a long time, but we hadnt worked with him.
Well, we hadactedwith him, but hadnt worked with him in one of our films before.
because I didnt know how hed respond.
I mean, hes in [full body] makeup and hes grunting.
But he read it right away and he was all in.
DEADLINE:And how much persuading did Riley Keogh need?
DAVID:Oh, not much.
Yeah, wed met before, but we didnt know her.
We hit it off very quickly once we talked, so she didnt need a lot of persuasion.
She was dialed into the tone of the script.
It was a very collaborative process because of that.
DEADLINE:Nathan, youre directing, writing, and you also play a Sasquatch.
How was that for you?
NATHAN:Well, first of all, thats just kind of how David and I work.
All four actors feel like theyre talking the same language and moving the same way.
That was really key to the believability of what we were trying to do.
So, we practiced eating things.
We practiced grooming each other.
DEADLINE: What kind of reaction would you like to see at the Sundance premiere?
DAVID:Obviously we want people to enjoy it, and laugh, and be emotionally engaged.
I think we really tried to make it work on both the comedic and a more poignant level.
And so we would love it if thats the case with this as well.
DEADLINE:Is that same for you, Nathan?
And seeing it with a thousand people is going to be an exhilarating experience as well as an experiment.
Weve had this with all of our films.
And theyll be absolutely right even if we didnt think of it.
