JAMES GUNN Talks GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY With WAMG

By now, most of you are familiar with the galactic awesomeness that is GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, but for those of you that have been hiding under a rock on Knowhere, you’re in luck because this spunky bunch of A-holes are making their way to Blu-Ray on December 9th.

Last week, I talked with writer/director/animal enthusiast James Gunn about his feelings before releasing the film, the upcoming sequel and, of course, Michael Rooker. Check it out below.

Before the film was released, there were a ton of headlines about James Gunn being terrified to release GUARDIANS. The film’s coming to Blu-ray now, and has done incredibly well, so I’m wondering what scares you now?

JAMES GUNN : Well, I wasn’t terrified of releasing the movie. I was terrified because I didn’t know how I was going to live my life without having Rocket in it everyday. I mean, it’s simple. [Laughs] It really is. I had grown so attached to Rocket and Groot. I’d been with them every day for countless hours on end. They were like my children, and I thought there was a chance the movie would come out – what if the movie came out and it didn’t do very well? I wouldn’t be able to see them again. I was just terrified. I was also terrified that I really just didn’t want to let it go. The movie and the creation of it became a part of the fabric of my existence, and it had become everything that I was doing for two years. It was like, where the fuck was I gonna go when all this was done. Not physically, but emotionally. I didn’t know. That’s what I was afraid of.

At what point did you really start thinking about the sequel? You’ve stated that you always kind of had it in mind when you were creating the first one, but at what point did you really start thinking about it?

JAMES GUNN : I would say… I was sitting with Simon (Hatt, his assistant) in my trailer about halfway through shooting, and I was like ‘Here’s what the sequel is’… [laughs] and I made him sit down and start taking notes.That was really when, I think, the sequel started to come together. I think the next big leap was on the day the movie was released, I sat down and I wrote out all the basic, you know – story of what the sequel would be on August 1st. Those are the two moments where it started to come together.

I was looking today, and I cannot find a single instance where a sequel was announced before the release of the original film. I may be wrong to say this is a first, but does that add any pressure to you? Having the sequel announced before the release of the original film?  

JAMES GUNN : Um… No. Listen, here’s the thing. If the movie didn’t do well they would have just unannounced the sequel. I was somewhat comforted in them announcing the sequel. I think by that time we thought the movie wasn’t going to do as well as it did, but we thought the movie was going to make 60 million on opening weekend. It was tracking for that. I mean, we made 94. Even if it made 50 million opening weekend it probably would have warranted a sequel. Also by that timeframe we knew that the reviews were beyond good. I was happy to know that I was going to have a job for the next couple of years.

At the original junket, I asked [Michael] Rooker about how you made him a monster in SLITHER, covered him in blood during ‘Scream Queens’, and painted him blue for GUARDIANS. Why are you trying to cover up his beauty? He says that you’re just jealous! [Check out Rooker’s full answer and interview HERE]

JAMES GUNN : You know, my turds are jealous of Rooker’s face, but I think that’s all that’s jealous of Rooker’s face! [Laughs] You know who really has it bad is my brother Sean, who I’ve repeatedly killed in movies. In TROMEO AND JULIET we had to shave his head to have three different little ponytails, as ‘Alien Orphan’ in THE SPECIALS we had to shave his head bald, in SUPER he had to have this god-awful guido cut, and as ‘Kraglin’ he has this screwed up mohawk! What I’ve done to Rooker is not as much as what I’ve done to Sean. I obviously have some deep resentment toward him, so… [Laughs]

Most people are familiar that you’re friends with Rooker, Nathan Fillion, and of course your brother, but what a lot of people might not recognize is that you have a couple more of your close friends in the film. What are some of the benefits, creatively, of being able to include friends in your projects? 

 JAMES GUNN : Frankly, directing is a pretty isolating thing. For me, it was cool to just have those moments when things are going crazy that I can go over and just kind of lean on somebody’s shoulder for a second, and that’s what people like my brother Sean, Michael Rooker, and Stevie Blackehart, who’s been in my last couple of movies – those people do that for me. And truthfully Chris Pratt and I did that same thing to each other. So, it’s nice to have that.

Has Kevin Bacon gotten back to you about him being referenced in the film?

JAMES GUNN : Oh yeah! He got back to me immediately. He was delighted. [Laughs] He was very stoked, and he took it as a big compliment. He just thought it was funnier than hell! Not only that, but Krya (Sedgwick) was writing me about how funny it was on Twitter. She loved it. Kevin is just one of the best guys I’ve ever met, not just as an actor but as a human being. I really like him, as an actor especially. He’s just the easiest person I’ve ever worked with. It’s really cool that I got to put him in there.

From Marvel, the studio that launched the epic franchises of “Iron Man,” “Thor,” “Captain America” and “Marvel’s The Avengers,” comes an unlikely new team—the “Guardians of the Galaxy.”  The Marvel Cinematic Universe expands into the cosmos when brash space adventurer Peter Quill steals a coveted orb and becomes the object of a relentless bounty hunt. To evade his enemies, Quill forges an uneasy truce with Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly assassin Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb, he must rally his ragtag band of misfits for a desperate battle that will decide the fate of the galaxy. Featuring amazing new characters and exclusive bonus features, this must-own blockbuster will have you hooked on a feeling… of pure adrenaline!

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY makes its way to Digital SD, 3D Blu-ray Combo pack, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand December 9th