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Happy Sad Confused

James Gunn

Happy Sad Confused

Josh Horowitz

Tv & Film

4.51.5K Ratings

🗓️ 4 August 2021

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Three years ago James Gunn thought his career was over. Fired by Disney, he pondered his future and well, things didn't look good. What a difference a few years make. On this first visit to Happy Sad Confused (at last!), James reflects on the low-point of his career, his resurrection thanks to THE SUICIDE SQUAD, and why the only Superman movie he wants to make is about his dog. Don't forget to check out the Happy Sad Confused patreon here! We've got exclusive episodes of GAME NIGHT, video versions of the podcast, and more! For all of your media headlines remember to subscribe to The Wakeup newsletter here! And listen to THE WAKEUP podcast here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused, begins now.

0:09.0

Today on Happy, Sad Confused, James Gunn, on the Suicide Squad, the future of Guardians, and much more.

0:17.0

Hey guys, I'm Josh Harrow. It's welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused.

0:22.0

We've got a great filmmaker on the podcast today, and one that we've been trying to get on for a while.

0:28.0

So, I've known James Gunn for like a decade, talking to him in every different capacity, except here on the podcast.

0:35.0

Somehow, the timing has never worked out. We've talked about doing it for a while, and I'm thrilled that finally, the ships lined up, the schedules lined up, and we have James Gunn on Happy, Sad Confused.

0:48.0

And the weight was worthwhile. The conversation is great. He is a fantastic guy to chat with and nerd out with on all things film, specifically comic book films.

1:00.0

And his new one, as you've probably heard by now, the Suicide Squad is getting exceptional reactions and justifiably so.

1:08.0

I really dug this movie. I've seen it twice. Don't worry, this is not a spoiler conversation. Nothing in here really is not in any of the trailers or anything.

1:16.0

There's maybe an allusion to a specific kind of action scene, which shot, but I don't think that's a huge spoiler.

1:23.0

So, feel free to go into this, you know, and not worry. Just enjoy the conversation with James, who has had quite the journey as a filmmaker.

1:34.0

If you don't know the background of James Gunn, like the short version is, he was a trauma disciple.

1:41.0

Obviously, that famous kind of B-movie studio from Lloyd Kaufman, kind of like down and dirty way of making films and kind of really dark, funny, twisted, horror action.

1:56.0

So, he came out of that world and then made films like Super, and Slyther, and seemed to be on one path when Guardians of the Galaxy came around and seemed to just

2:10.0

utilize all of his talents in a way we didn't even understand at the time. And obviously, Guardians of the Galaxy became just a phenomenon.

2:17.0

Guardians of the Galaxy, by him, too, followed. And then things got a little weird, a few years back, three years back.

2:24.0

James Gunn lost the Guardians' volume 3 gig. He was booted by Disney and Marvel because of past tweets.

2:33.0

And it seemed like James Gunn might be over for a second. Certainly James Gunn thought so. And he's really honest in this conversation, thinking his career was done.

2:44.0

Of course, his career was not done, and thankfully, cast members from Guardians and others came to his defense,

2:52.0

Disney did the right thing and reinstated him. He is going to be directing Guardians 5.3, but in the meantime, DC came calling.

2:59.0

Warner Brothers came calling and offered him basically the pick of the litter of what he wanted to direct. They wanted him to direct Superman for God's sakes.

3:07.0

He said, no, I want to do the Suicide Squad. I know it was just made. David Ayers, kind of famously embattled production, came and went.

...

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