Ben Stiller returns to a lead role for the first time in six years, teaming up with Director David Gordon Green to bring to life the film Nutcrackers. The Hulu original movie debuted at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival and will be available to stream on November 29. We had the pleasure of chatting with Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini, and the four Janson brothers ahead of the film’s release.
Nutcrackers follows Nick, a workaholic forced to travel to rural Ohio to look after his recently orphaned nephews. Stillers’ return to films is met with a warm blanket. The movie isn’t slapstick funny but more of a family comedy. You will want to grab the kids, microwave popcorn, and enjoy family movie night. The Janson brothers will have the kids laughing, and Stiller’s reactions will have the adults laughing. It’s the type of movie that makes you feel like a kid again. And at the root of it all is a story with plenty of heart.
Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini, and the four Janson brothers (Homer, Arlo, Ulysses, and Atlas) talk about the upcoming Hulu movie Nutcrackers
FandomWire: Ben, over the last six years, we’ve seen you more behind the camera with projects like Severance. What made you jump back into the leading role for Nutcrackers?
Ben Stiller: David Gordon Green called me up and had this script that he had fostered with these four kids in mind, and when he started telling me the idea of it at first, I was a little cynical. I was like, oh, is this sort of a take on those old-school comedies or some sort of meta thing?
It’s like, no, this is just heartfelt, not cynical, and hopefully a heartwarming movie. And I was like, oh, okay, that’s kind of different. The more I got into it, I was like, this is beautiful. This is great. To work with David and feel his passion, and be welcomed into their lives (the Janson family. It was the first time they’ve ever acted with all these animals. It’s just a 35-millimeter camera and a small crew. It was a very indie-spirited kind of thing. We just had a great time.
FW: Linda, you’ve been doing this for quite some time. What attracts you to projects like the Nutcrackers?Â
Linda Cardellini: Oh, there are a lot of things. David Gordon Green, for one, I think he’s great. And then, talking with him and reading the script, I thought, how will they get four kids who can connect like this? And didn’t realize that David had sort of written the script around children that he knew and practically like his own family. So, when he told me the story about the farm and the kids, I just thought, what an exquisite way to do a movie.
He said we’re going to keep it small, and it’s going to feel like family. It was just a wonderful experience. It was funny. It was heartwarming. And these guys are so charming and so talented in real life and on screen.
FW: How cool is it that a movie inspired by your family not only comes to life, but you got to star in it?Â
Homer Janson: I mean, it’s such a gift. It feels amazing to even hear those words out of your mouth. Being able to watch this little piece of our lives is such an amazing thing that David and Ben have given me and our family, and I’m so thankful for it.
Atlas Janson: It was so amazing because my mom and David went to film school together and made some movies. Then, she moved to her fourth-generation farm. She had us, got married, and then David came out, met us, and he had that little spark in his eye. I knew something was going to happen. A month later, he brought Leland Douglas, the writer of the movie. Chelsea, his assistant, and they were immediate family to us. And they started making the movie.
FW: How excited are you to have your friends check you out in the movie?
Ulysses Janson: Well, it’s such an amazing opportunity to be on the big screen. So everybody can see all of us. And show the world what we can do and just have fun.
FW: Hollywood is your world, and the dancing aspect is the Janson brother’s world. What was it like seeing that big number come together in the film towards the end as they shoot it?
Stiller: I was really impressed with their talent as both actors and dancers. I saw them do their real Nutcracker performance at the local theater when we were filming. So it’s a very real-life thing, and they’re very serious about it. So, watching that aspect of what they did on stage and in the movie was incredibly impressive for me. And, you know, these guys are super talented.
FW: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
Arlo: Home Alone
Atlas: Home Alone
Stiller: It’s a Wonderful Life
Cardellini: Claymation Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Homer: Polar Express or Home Alone
Ulysses: Home Alone
Nutcrackers will be available to stream on Hulu on November 29.
