Zach Galifianakis
Zach Galifianakis reprises his role as Alan in The Hangover III.
Zach Galifianakis reprises his role as Alan in The Hangover III.
Director Todd Phillips on Galifianakis: "When we were writing, we did have [other actors] in mind. Quite honestly, we were writing the brother-in-law as a younger brother whom they had to take along with them — like a Jonah Hill character instead of Zach [Jake Gyllenhaal also was considered]. Then we thought it’d be so much more awkward if it was an older brother who’s still at home. [Thomas Haden Church was strongly considered.] I’ve always been a huge fan of Zach [as a comedian], but Zach didn’t want to come out and meet with me."
From left: Todd Phillips, Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis.
The first Hangover, made for only $35 million with lesser-known stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, shocked Hollywood by grossing $467.5 million worldwide in 2009. Its 2011 sequel outgrossed the original with $586.8 million. The third and final installment — which ditches the blacked-out mystery concept and adds Melissa McCarthy as a love interest for Galifianakis — hits U.S. theaters May 24.
“I just think if you look at a clip reel of [the three movies] cut together with a good song under it, you’d be like, ‘What the f— were they thinking?’ ” says director Todd Phillips.
During THR’s photo shoot at Milk Studios, a TMZ tour bus happened to drive by, leaving the Hangover director and stars to duck for cover. TMZ later aired the footage on its daily show.
Cooper on shooting in Las Vegas: "People did not react to us. That's the one thing about Vegas: They were completely indifferent. We would go in the elevator at 5 in the morning after shooting, and I had huge scratches on my head, full makeup, and they don't give a f–. It was unbelievable."
Todd Phillips on filming The Hangover III: "We have a sequence in the third movie where we had to get six Vegas properties working together. So all of a sudden, the Bellagio is letting us control its fountains, even though we’re based at Caesars and they’re competitors. It’s like Warners and DreamWorks. But all of a sudden they’re all working together because they know that The Hangover is good for Vegas.
Bradley Cooper says, "That’s a difference from the first one. We stole a moment in the first one, like a cool slo-mo walk with the fountains, and we kept trying to time it right. Cut to the third one, and Todd controlled the fountains. He had the f—ing button."
"And guys dress up as Alan for a living," Cooper recalls of the people dressed up as Galifianakis' character while the cast was filming in Las Vegas for The Hangover Part III. Galifianakis adds, "I think his name’s Thaddeus. I went down to see him. He was pretty good. He moved to Vegas to do it."
"I had heard that Ed Helms had one of the three roles. I auditioned for Starsky & Hutch with Vince Vaughn years earlier, and I remember thinking Todd was the coolest guy in the world. Then I sat down [at Chateau Marmont], and he was very nice and cool as hell with the sunglasses. So I actually thought there’s no way in hell I’d get this role because he’s sort of the alpha, really cool guy. But we both love movies. There Will Be Blood was coming out soon, so we exchanged e-mails and went to see There Will Be Blood together at Paramount. And then that was it — I didn’t hear from him. I remember checking in, and they said, 'Yeah, budgetary problems; they’re going to need a name,'" Cooper explains his first interaction with The Hangover director.
Phillips says, "The story is very much a final story and feels wrapped up. The only loose end in the Hangover series, quite frankly, is with Alan’s character, and what’s his deal and is he going to be OK? That’s what The Hangover III is ultimately about, his journey into somewhat normalcy and stability after the loss of his father. Stu has gotten laser surgery [to remove his facial tattoo], but if you look close, you see there’s a little bit of a scar."
With the third film likely to be huge, a fourth would seem inevitable. But Phillips says, "This is the last [one], for sure."
Cooper on Helms' performance in the second sequel: "My favorite moment of all three movies is Ed’s performance when he comes out of there, and he’s talking to [his character’s soon-to-be father-in-law]. I usually don’t break, but I could not stop. (Laughs.) His performance in these movies is so underrated. He does the sickest shit, and people don’t realize that he has to be able to balance comedy with the real circumstances his character goes through, which anchors the entire first movie and the second one, too."