Elijah Wood, Jack McBrayer, & Alison Pill Get 'Cooties' in Horror-Comedy

Hey guys, I'm Brandon Chang for Young Hollywood. I'm sitting down with the amazing cast here of Cooties. We have Alison Pill, Elijah Wood, and Jack McBrayer. Hey guys, how's it going?

It's doing great. Thank you.

We're talking about chickens and and eggs and Alison has chickens. Um and this movie. This dovetails perfectly into.

It kind of does. No, that's what I was thinking as we're talking about chickens. I'm like, actually, there will be no need for an egg white omelet.

You guys started it.

So, um Alison, do you wanna give us a little uh brief of the movie since you're the chicken expert here?

Um it all starts with the nuggets. Yes. Um it really does. Our movie is about a group of elementary school teachers starting the day at summer school like any other, until it becomes clear that the students have ingested a virus through nuggets. They have become flesh eating creatures of terror.

Are they zombies? I was wondering that the whole time cuz I was like, oh, this is a kids zombie movie.

It's an interesting question. I know. It's an interesting question. And not the first time we've had it, but what's your take?

They're not zombies. Um but they are zombie-like. All of their childlike impulses are amplified. So that's the thing that's really, that separates them as well from zombies is that they are kind of not really dead, but they're savage and then every, all of their childlike impulses become really intense. They just wanna play and laugh.

Oh, I like you.

And do you think they're playing? And that's not how I play with my brothers and sisters.

No. Well, I mean, but eventually, like jumping rope with intestines.

Yes.

Or playing marbles with eyeballs.

Yes.

These are all fun activities.

Oh, right. And that's just

You see the juxtaposition. And first we're all kids. After watching the movie, I was like, I don't think I ever wanna have kids and I think I might become a vegetarian.

Everybody says that about the chicken. For real.

Three o'clock, the parents will come to pick up their kids. We can signal them for help.

Who's on?

Go right through the face.

So, I would say you guys are super talented and have very diverse backgrounds. So, what was that kind of like working together and having all sorts of, you know, disciplines, interdisciplinary?

Yeah. Well done. Well, I will say that my background is prominently comedy, and this is my first introduction into any sort of like horror genre. But because of this particular movie, it was such a good balance of the horror and the comedy from the mind of Leigh Whannell, creator of Saw and Insidious. And Ian Brennan, creator of Glee. Two great, that taste great together. But uh so I was of course more comfortable with the comedy parts. Uh but it was so fun to do the scary stuff too. And it got pretty gory, as you mentioned earlier.

Oh, yeah, it did. I don't like scary movies typically because I don't like to be voluntarily scared. I also think that fear and laughter are very, very linked. Because often times if you're afraid, out of that fear, you'll laugh to make yourself feel better.

I think so too. When you're afraid. I was just thinking like just if not last night, night before, somebody startled me and at first you're like, ah! But then immediately you start laughing.

Yeah. I love like hiding and popping out at like my friends and stuff.

You're what we call a mean.

I'm sorry, I've had enough.

And like, and that was the thing though, is at the end we were all laughing.

One too many D M D's.

D M D's.

I'm sponsored.

It's not some new, what's the new thing? Spice. It's not a type of spice. It's just

What the heck is that?

All right, nevermind. Just just

It's like synthetic cannabinoids.

Whatever. Yeah, right, right. Don't worry about it. Yeah. No, you're not on it, Jack.

I've got some internet research to do.

Taking notes.

Go on. I want to take the notes.

For in a real zombie apocalypse, would you guys step up like, cuz your character step up a little bit. They really do. Yeah. Would you kinda take the lead or would you just let somebody save you?

Yeah, I would be going like the Road Runner. One from the cartoon. I was just

First thing you'd have to do is make sure you get a real hero, Jack.

Shut your mouth, Alison.

Gas, right? Like resources like are going to be extremely important. So make sure you have enough gasoline cuz I'd wanna get an automobile and get the hell out of any populated area.

No, I would need some Mountain Dew.

Totally.

And you'd wanna raid like a Walmart for weapons.

Yeah. Right?

You'd wanna get like some guns, crossbows, anything.

The looting time is gonna be really prime time.

I know. I know. I'm excited about the looting time.

Straight to Albertson's. Straight to Albertson's for all the hummus I can carry.

I'm sorry. We have said so many main brands. We have not been paid for any of them.

Uh yeah. hashtag and ad.

The crosses our heart.

Endorsement money. Let's go. We know what I need in a zombie apocalypse. Endorsements.

This Alexis. My zombie game is selling ad space right now. Brought to you by Tesla Motors.

Ew, you're gross.

It's electric, it's great, you don't need gas.

That's true. Changing. I know but, you need charging. The electricity's gonna go out, right?

Is it? How is the grid gonna go down? Who's gonna be running the grid, friend?

Who's gonna be running it?

They're gonna have their faces eaten off, friend. Who's gonna run it, friend?

This is the worst day of my life.

Best day, best day.

By the way, this is out here. This is a total preview of what it was like to work.

No, I'm loving it. I love just like sitting here and observing you guys in your very natural habit. Let's just put you guys on a couch and just see what happens. This is the movie. Really quick because we can kinda see your personalities just you know, in this short time that we've had with you guys.

We're so revealing.

No, it's so amazing. But I wanna give you guys your superlative.

Okay. Uh-huh.

Since, you know, it's kinda the theme of uh schoolyard. So, let's give you guys some superlatives here. Who would be class clown?

Monk?

Out of all of us or everybody in the movie? I was originally thinking cast, but now I'm kinda thinking just the three of you guys.

Li Whannell is class clown.

I think so. Lee wins class clown. Yeah. Um yeah. Yeah.

Best dressed?

Naseem?

As humans or as the characters? Yeah. I mean, Elijah's always put together.

Thank you.

Like very, you know,

But for me it's like there's beauty and simplicity. A smart polo and a pastel short. He's like, so I'm the best one.

Well, I guess what I meant by that was Jack. Jack is clearly the best. No, Naseem. She was very well put together the entire movie.

Most likely to take over the world.

Rain. I mean, come on. It was just there was no debate there.

You guys liked that answer. Most likely to become president.

Elijah.

Really?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, the country would crumble immediately. And it's not to say your horrible policy situation. It would be the end of days, but I vote for him. But I vote for you.

Oh, no sweetie.

Thank you guys so much. It's Elijah with the type of thing. My phone. Yeah. upcoming election. Elijah would be president.

Sorry to announce, there's been a zombie outbreak. Electricity cut off.

Alison was right. She was right. Who's running the grid?

Thank you, guys.

Thank you very much.

I had a lot of fun.