Exclusive: Tim Story Talks ‘Think Like A Man Too‘Posted by Wilson Morales
June 18, 2014
Coming out this week is ‘Think Like A Man Too,’ which is directed by Tim Story, and starring Kevin Hart, Terrence Jenkins, Regina Hall, Taraji P. Henson, Michael Ealy, Gabrielle Union, Jerry Ferrara, Romany Malco, Gary Owen, Meagan Good, Jenifer Lewis, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Adam Brody, and Dennis Haysbert.
In the highly anticipated sequel, which was inspired by Steve Harvey’s best-selling book Act Like a Lady, Think Like A Man, all the couples are back for a wedding in Las Vegas. But plans for a romantic weekend go awry when their various misadventures get them into some compromising situations that threaten to derail the big event.
“Too” basically picks up where the first film left off, happily ever after for all the fine couples involved. Michael (Terrence Jenkins) and Candace (Regina Hall) are getting married and have decided to have their bachelor and bachelorette parties on the same weekend in Las Vegas. Great idea, right? Then everyone can make bad decisions together. The group splits into guys vs. girls, and they decide to have a friendly competition to see which gender can party hardest.
For Story, who also directed the first film, it’s his fourth franchise that he’s helped jump-start, after helming the first ‘Barberbershop,’ ‘Fantastic Four’ and its sequel, ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,’ and most recently ‘Ride Along,’ which will have a sequel.
In speaking with Blackfilm.com, Story talks about the joys and challenges of doing a sequel, working with Kevin Hart, and what’s in stored for ‘Ride Along 2’.
What are the pitfalls you try to avoid when doing a sequel?
Tim Story: First, you have to make sure you don’t do the same movie. Then, don’t stray too far from what made the first film work. That’s mainly with the chemistry of the characters. If you can keep that going and put them in a different situation that also allows them to grow, but not too much, I think you can create something that’s amazing.
Coming back, what did you want to do differently?
TS: I guess I wanted to find different combinations. I have such a big cast that you want to find different relationships to explore. Last time, you knew that Michael Ealy’s character and Romany Malco’s character lived together. They had a certain closeness because they were roommates and Kevin was always inside their house, but this time I wanted to see what relationship Mike Ealy and Terrence J had and what their characters might have and so on. What’s great about the girls is that they weren’t together as a group the last time, so now I got to explore them as friends and that’s fun. You have to look for those combinations to move things forward.
The setting of the film takes place in Las Vegas. How much of the city and all it has to offer did you want in the film?
TS: All of it. Normally, people do films where they start at home and then go to Vegas, but we started it in Vegas from the beginning. It’s one of those things where Vegas is such a backdrop and such a playground, that everything is there for you. You have everything at your disposal. All of these locations that are famous from the casinos, the strip clubs, and it sort of writes itself. I didn’t want to get in the way of letting Las Vegas be what Las Vegas was and just my people around it and let them have a good time and let them flourish in it.
Was there any character that you had a tough time making more or less scenes for?
TS: No. The good thing about this group of characters and actors is that they intertwine so well. As the audience sees the film, they will see that everyone got a proper amount of scene time. I also believe that with each couple’s stories, you have certain beats that you have to work out throughout the film of those couples; and when you’re able to do that successfully and when you’re able to put it together, you’ll find that everyone had as much time as they needed. I think we were able to pull that off with this film.
One of the things that new is the music video scene where you went full throttle. Can you talk about creating that?
TS: I come from that world. I used to make music videos and I remember two days before we shot that sequence, the girls were supposed to be performing, but they weren’t going to do much. They were going to be on the stage and lip-synch to the song and since they were highly impaired, I thought about putting them in a world where it’s not reality, and it came to me about doing a music video. I went for it 100%. The great thing is that all the actors went for it and it’s great when that happens.
With ‘Ride Along’ grossing over $100, the third film in your career to do so, what does do for you, coming off the success of the first ‘Think Like a Man’?
TS: The biggest thing that it does is that it lets me make more movies. At the end, and don’t get me wrong and everyone loves when their movie is successful or seen by the widest audience, but it does allow to do more films; and at the end of the day, that’s what I’m in this for. I love what I do and hopefully if it has the biggest impact that it has, it allows me to stick around a little longer.
What can we expect with ‘Ride Along 2’?
TS: Bigger action. Kevin’s character is now a cop and he will have a gun. Kevin Hart with a gun at all times is scary, but I think that’s what’s going to make it really fun. Kevin gets to tell people what to do and pull his gun and even shoot in the direction of people. It’s going to be fun to watch what his cop would be because it’s no longer a dream. Now it’s a reality. I’m pretty excited about exploring what that can be with Kevin, so we’ll see.
How much do you let the actors improv?
TS: A lot. The cool thing about actors like Kevin is that he’s got the gift of doing ad-libs and he doesn’t go off-course. He continues to tell the story the way it should be told and that is what I enjoy about working with Kevin. He’s very focused on what the storyline of the movie is and a lot of times, that is my job. My job is to keep everything in the right direction and Kevin is great at not going outside the bounds. With this film, the cast is so good, it allows me to allow them to go for it.
What do you make of the new Fantastic Four film?
TS: I’m excited. I can’t wait to see that movie. I think they are going to do an amazing job with it and I’m going to be a fan like everyone else. I can’t wait to pay my money and go to the theater.
Was doing the first two films just a job or do you still keep up with the comics?
TS: I don’t keep up with them as much now. In doing movies and having kids, it’s hard to find the time to do that. When I was doing the first film, I only had one child at the time, and she was six months; and before then I had a lot of time on my hands so I could continue to follow the stories. Now recently, and I must admit, my relationship with comics are the movies that are made about them.
What else would you like to do?
TS: Good question. At some point, I would like to try my hand at a biopic. I would like to get back to the visual effects of it all, but I like where I am now. It feels good with who I am and what I do best. I’ll chill where I am until the right opportunity presents itself.
Could there be a third film with ‘Think Like a Man’?
TS: I definitely think there could be a third. Knowing how the film is and hopefully we do well, yes, there can be another film.
