Overview of The Town with Phil Lord and Chris Miller
This live USC episode of The Town features filmmakers and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller discussing their creative partnership, the making of Project Hail Mary, their experience on Solo: A Star Wars Story, the state of studio comedies, and what makes a great studio executive. The conversation is candid and wide-ranging, with a consistent theme: the best movies come from flexibility, collaboration, and executives who back bold ideas rather than fear them.
Key Takeaways
- Lord and Miller describe their partnership as highly collaborative but intentionally inefficient: they outline together, split scenes when writing, then repeatedly swap and revise each other’s work.
- They view filmmaking as a team sport where the best idea should win, whether it comes from a director, actor, producer, or studio executive.
- They argue that studio comedies are due for a comeback, especially low- to mid-budget ones that can succeed through volume and audience response.
- Project Hail Mary was shaped by extensive testing, iterative editing, and lots of creative problem-solving—especially around the design of Rocky.
- They speak positively about their Lucasfilm/Disney experience overall, even after being removed from Solo, and emphasize that the crew and cast deserved support after the change.
- They believe great executives are partners who make decisions out of “greed” and enthusiasm, not fear.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Creative Process
How they work together
- They start with outlines and big-picture conversations together.
- When it’s time to write scenes, they split up and each tackles different sections.
- Then they trade pages, revise, and refine together until the draft is ready.
- On set, they operate as a single unit, usually both behind the monitor and aligned on the overall vision.
Handling disagreements
- If they disagree, they often shoot multiple versions rather than argue endlessly.
- They like to preserve options for the edit room instead of forcing one answer too early.
- Their philosophy: it’s faster to shoot another take than to debate for too long.
Project Hail Mary: Development, Design, and Testing
Why it took so long
- The film took years because of development, the strike, and the challenge of building a fully original visual language.
- A major part of the process was figuring out what Rocky would look like and how he would work on screen.
Designing Rocky
- They explored hundreds of design variations before landing on the final look.
- The chosen design had to feel appealing, emotionally readable, and “pet-like” in a way audiences could connect with.
- The reveal of Rocky was deeply emotional for Ryan Gosling during testing.
How the movie changed
- They cut about an hour from the movie through testing and iteration.
- The film’s tone was carefully calibrated to balance humor, science fiction, stakes, and emotion.
- They stress that audience feedback is essential to understanding what really works.
The karaoke scene
- One of the film’s most memorable moments was not originally scripted.
- Ryan Gosling noticed Sandra Hüller singing between takes and suggested she should perform a karaoke farewell scene.
- Sandra chose the song herself, and the moment became one of the emotional centers of the film.
- They didn’t rehearse it much and didn’t tell the cast in advance, which made the reactions real.
Studio Comedies and the Current Market
Their outlook
- Lord and Miller believe studio comedies may be entering a new phase, especially lower-budget ones.
- They compare comedy’s future to horror: if a few succeed, they can support a whole slate of riskier projects.
Why comedies are hard to make
- Higher-budget comedies often get folded into other genres like action, family films, or animation.
- They think younger audiences are still hungry for funny movies, especially if they feel fresh and culturally current.
- They point to internet comedy talent as a source studios may increasingly mine for low-cost, high-upside projects.
What they admire
- They praised Bottoms as a fresh, energetic comedy, even if it wasn’t a massive box-office hit.
- Their view is that comedy is a volume business: keep making them and one good one can pay off the rest.
Disney, Lucasfilm, and Solo
Their long relationship with Disney
- They recount how they were initially discovered through a bizarre chain of events involving a Dartmouth magazine article and Disney leadership.
- They had an early positive experience at Disney, including work on Clone High and mentorship from Bill Lawrence.
Their perspective on Solo
- They say they learned a lot from the experience and were fortunate to work with an elite crew.
- Rather than focusing on the breakup, they frame it as part of the path that led to later successes.
- They say they wanted Ron Howard to succeed when he took over and even encouraged the crew to support the production.
On Alden Ehrenreich
- They’re enthusiastic about Ehrenreich and say he remains someone they admire.
- They also worked with him again on Cocaine Bear.
Would they do another Star Wars movie?
- Their answer is “never say never.”
- They joke that Dave Filoni would need to get them a cool hat.
Their view of Star Wars
- They say Star Wars should retain its original independent, scrappy spirit.
- They believe the franchise should be spiritual, funny, and rooted in the energy of the mid-’70s DIY filmmaking culture.
What Makes a Good Studio Executive
Good execs vs. bad execs
- They reject the idea that executives are just abstractions or obstacles.
- Good executives are creative partners who understand the material and know when to push.
- Bad executives, in their view, make decisions out of fear, which leads to blandness and sameness.
Examples they gave
- Amy Pascal:
- Initially hated the animatic for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs but liked Lord and Miller and the material enough to support them.
- Helped connect them with key collaborators who shaped their careers.
- Tom Rothman:
- Gave notes on Spider-Verse that materially improved the movie, including a crucial emotional scene.
- Their bottom line: the best execs help make the movie better without trying to flatten its personality.
Other Notable Highlights
On IP and adaptation
- They’re drawn to properties that pose a creative challenge.
- They like taking something familiar and finding an unexpected angle.
- They mention The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street, and Murder, She Wrote as examples of projects with unusual potential.
On animation and Spider-Verse
- They explain that each Spider-Verse film had to invent new visual rules and new software workflows.
- The third film is described as especially ambitious, with a more live-action-like camera pipeline and a distinct visual language.
On feedback and collaboration
- They repeatedly emphasize the importance of testing, listening, and adapting.
- They want to be the kind of filmmakers who say “yes” to good ideas rather than defaulting to “no.”
Lightning Round Standouts
- Their favorite hidden in-joke: a cough from Chris Miller hidden in the rear right surround sound at the start of their films.
- Most ridiculous IP pitch they passed on: Slinky.
- Best joke cut from Solo: Phoebe Waller-Bridge improvised a joke while her character was dying.
- Most regretful pass: Guardians of the Galaxy — though they say James Gunn made a better version than they would have.
- Where they keep their Oscar: on a shelf in Phil’s office.
- The real Lego Oscar tweet prop was made by artist Nathan Sawaya.
- Biggest movie star?
- They refuse to choose between Ryan Gosling and Channing Tatum, praising both as deeply creative and funny.
Final Thought
The episode paints Lord and Miller as unusually candid Hollywood veterans who still approach filmmaking like students: curious, collaborative, and willing to let the best idea win. Their core message is simple but powerful: great movies happen when creative teams, stars, and executives all work from belief rather than fear.