What would motivate any filmmaker to make a film that ends up being a success and then immediately turn around to make that same exact movie again with a different cast?
It’s always seemed like a very strange move to me, and I had the same questions about Ken Scott remaking his 2011 film “Starbuck” as the upcoming Vince Vaughn movie “Delivery Man.” It also seemed like an odd decision to cast Vaughn in the role, as the slacker charisma of Patrick Huard is almost completely different than the manic giant that Vaughn normally plays. I was curious to talk to Vaughn about what he liked in the material and why he signed on.
Vaughn’s been one of those guys I’ve known and chatted with the entire time I’ve been writing about movies online. “Swingers” broke out at the very start of my time writing online, and it’s been fascinating watching Vaughn work to define himself over time. It has not always been an easy process for him, and he has a reputation as a guy who pushes himself and his collaborators very hard behind the scenes. It seems almost unreal that “Delivery Man” would have come together as quickly and evidently painlessly as it did.
Talking to him about the role and the script, it just seems like Vaughn liked the material and trusted Ken Scott, and there’s not much more you can ask of someone as they start work on something. He seems to have handed himself over to the filmmaker more than normal, and I wonder if that’s just because he liked the original so much that he felt confident.
Whatever the case, this is a very different performance by Vaughn, and I’m already fascinated by just how angry some critics I’ve spoken to are about the movie. It’s going to be an interesting week for reviews, and we’ll have ours for you soon as well.
“Delivery Man” opens on Friday.