The gang from Hot Tub Time Machine return to the big screen on February 20. . . for the most part, anyway. Stars Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, and Craig Robinson reprise their roles — as Lou, Jacob, and Nick respectively — while Adam Scott takes the place of John Cusack, playing Adam Yates Jr., the son of Cusack’s character. The four of them participated in a conference call and answered questions from various campus newspapers.
Perhaps in the most challenging role as the newcomer to the series, Scott noted that he tried to take certain things out of Cusack’s performance in the first film, saying, “I think that Adam’s character in the first movie has sort of a thirst for knowledge, and I think that Adam Jr. is looking for his dad, he wants to find his dad whom he’s never actually met. And so, I think they have a similar sort of adventurous [side]. And somewhat similar eyebrows,” added Scott jokingly. “And also made a lot less. The difference would be only monetarily.”
One of the other main differences between the two films is the filming location. The first movie was filmed locally here in Vancouver, as well as a city in the southeast corner of British Columbia called Fernie, while the second one was filmed in New Orleans.
“[The attitude on set] was the exact same which was really comforting and fun and made it an easy work environment,” commented Corddry. “The difference was we were in New Orleans. So, there were a few more parties, the first time was in Vancouver.”
“It was cold,” added Robinson.
“And it was cold,” responded Corddry. “This was New Orleans, the height of the summer. And so, you know, alcohol and heat.”
“Our trailers were not as good on this movie because the budget was short,” said Robinson.
One thing that remained the same was the willingness to let the actors run with improvisation. “[Director] Steve Pink allows us to play around, and he encourages it, everybody is pitching jokes to each other,” said Corddry. “So the first Hot Tub there was barely a script, it was like we would come and we would say, ‘OK, we’re doing the scene in the [ski lodge].’ And then we kind of improvised it. I mean there was a script but we really did a lot of heavy improv. This one was a little more solid, except we got to play around a lot.”
“Neither film had a written ending. Not a joke,” noted Robinson.
“All the great films have no ending,” chimed in Scott.
With the last question, one student reporter asked if there would be a third film — interesting given that, though the first one wasn’t a huge box office success, it fared well in DVD sales.
“I think the real answer is, if this makes money, yes. If it doesn’t, then no,” said Scott rather bluntly. Robinson was a bit more diplomatic, saying, “If you’re asking will we come back together and work together, you’re goddamn right.”
