Producer Will Packer Talks Think Like A ManBy Wilson Morales
April 18, 2012
For producer Will Packer of Rainforest Films, he’s been riding high lately with his string of films. His last four films (Stomp the Yard, This Christmas, Obsessed, and Takers) have each brought in over $50 million from the box office while the production cost was small compared to other studio films.
Not only is the Florida native doing well on the big screen, but his TV network Bounce is starting to make strides in the industry as it’s growing and gaining more audiences.
Coming out next for Packer is the hilarious, smart romantic comedy ‘Think Like A Man,’ starring a bevy of talent which includes Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Terrance J, Romany Malco, Gary Owen, Gabrielle Union, Lala Vazquez, and Arielle Kebbel.
Directed by Tim Story and based on Steve Harvey’s best-selling book, Think Like a Man follows four interconnected and diverse men whose love lives are shaken up after the ladies they are pursuing buy Harvey’s book and start taking his advice to heart. When the band of brothers realize they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book’s insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own.
Blackfilm.com recently spoke with Packer about the casting of this film, his next projects and the economics of black films in the business.
How did you put this cast together without having someone being left out from making their mark in the film?
Will Packer: That’s the material. The material was good enough that it gave each actor and each couplet especially a chance to breathe. Each couplet had the time to showcase who they were and what they were doing. For me, it was about getting a cast that was good looking, funny, and relatable. A movie like this, you want to go in and know that you that character, this character, and this guy’s entertaining. I needed people who could bring that.
For those who didn’t read the book, is it supposed to be a comedy since you cast Kevin Hart first before the rest of the cast members?
WP: The book is a series of advice, self-help style responses from Steve (Harvey) to women about common issues. Steve is in film and he does it in his voice, as only Steve can. It’s hilarious. The book definitely speaks to the way Steve relates and talks. I had to make this a comedy because it’s his brand and core audience. Bringing Kevin in the film was a no brainer. He’s the hottest guy doing it right now.
With so many cast members and cameos, did anyone say no?
WP: What was crazy was figuring who was going to do what roles. I knew who I wanted and when you think about it, you can’t look at this film and say that Gabrielle Union couldn’t play the independent woman that Taraji was in the movie. Or Regina Hall couldn’t pay the role that Meagan Good has. They are all so good, it was about figuring out who could do what. Taraji really wanted the part of Lauren. She said she hasn’t had the chance to play that character and felt that was the role for her. We went back and forth about for a minute, but Taraji’s my girl and she won. I’m so glad that we went in that direction because everyone brought life to their character.
What was the thought process with so many talent making cameos in the film?
WP: I’ll be honest with you. This is the type of film that lends itself to those celebrity cameos. I just called people and everyone. I was like, “Who’s in town?” From Keri Hilson, Kelly Rowland, J.B Smoove and others, I asked them if they had a day where they could be in the film. They read the script and said they were in. It was really fun anc cool to bring all those people in.
What made Tim Story the right choice to direct this film?
WP: He was awesome. His sensibility. He’s a great puppet master. He knows how to put his actors in position where they can become themselves and really take advantage of their skill set. Tim was great and he and I will be working together again after this.
From ‘The Gospel’ to ‘This Christmas’ to ‘Obsessed’ and ‘Takers,’ how do you decided what film you want to make next?
WP: I want a diverse slate. Seriously. That’s what I want to do. This is my first out and out comedy and this is a film that’s universal and universal in themes. I hope that all audiences will respond, but when you talk about black film, we get a lot of comedies. It’s tough to make those other genres, but I have had some success doing dance movies and thrillers, and drama. I finally got the chance to comedy, which is something I wanted to do for a while.
What’s your next film, ‘No Good Deed,’ going to be?
WP: Different. Unexpected. You haven’t seen actors that look like Taraji P. Henson and Idris Elba in these roles.
What sets ‘Think Like A Man’ apart from the other black ensemble films we’ve seen recently and in the past?
WP: It’s tough. Economics is a business that’s constantly changing. It’s tough to make films aimed at African American audiences that feature a predominant African American cast. Tyler Perry famously came out and said that black films with black actors are becoming extinct. The challenge is that the perception, which has become a reality, is that these films don’t travel well internationally. What that means is that we make all our money on films like these domestically. For these types of films, home video was a savior. It was a revenue stream that you could count on to balance out the theatrical loss. Theatrical is not where you make your money. Now that DVD has been cannibalized, it’s become very hard for some black films to get out there because studios can’t justify the cost. Some say that they can’t sell the film in Australia or Asia or the other worldwide territory, and it doesn’t make sense for them to spend the money and put those films on 2000 screens just for a domestic gross. It’s tough.
I know you’ve been asked several times, how realistically can we get a sequel to ‘Takers?’ Did it do well overseas?
WP: Not as I hoped it should have. That’s part of the challenge. That’s my burden as a producer. Without getting too deep into specifics, I’ll say that economics and the economic models makes doing a sequel to ‘Takers’ challenging, but I haven’t given up on it. We’ll see.
Whatever happened to the Kemba Smith story you were looking to produce?
WP: It’s still there. Don’t say it like it’s dead. It’s not dead. It’s tough to get these movies made. This film was two years in the making. ‘Takers’ was 10 years in the making, but the Kemba Smith is still a project that I’m passionate about. I have to figure it out. That’s my job as a producer. ‘No Good Deed’ came to me about two plus years ago. Films take time to come about.
We have an influx on African American TV channels coming our way. What makes your channel Bounce different from the others?
WP: Bounce is very different and I wish everybody well from Diddy, Magic Johnson, BET, TV One and Centric. With Bounce, we are going after 25+ demographic. We’re doing programming that you can’t see anywhere else. We have a lot of cool movies. Bounce is now in 75% African American households. It’s not a cable channel. It’s a broadcast channel, so we fly a little bit under the radar, but people that have found it are really enjoying it. I feel good about the future.
What’s your end game?
WP: There’s no end game. I want to continue to make movies that speak to people on some level and in some way. I want to continue to taste that sweet spot of commercial success and critical acclaim. I’m loving life right now. I can’t complain at all.
Think Like A Man opens nationally on April 20
