UPDATE: We have seen the film, and it’s amazing. We have another interview, in-person, with the writer/director coming soon, so stay tuned by following on Twitter, liking on Facebook, or subscribing here (look to the right of this text) to have the post delivered straight to your inbox!
We here at Nerdlyweds are huge fans of all things Joss Whedon, but that’s not to be the focus of this article. This article is about the Kickstarter project of another awesome writer with equally awesome taste in casting: Stuart C. Paul (Ides of Blood, Convergence, Mankind). Stu cast two of our favorite Whedon alumni as his main (and only) characters for his new film. The Lord of Catan stars Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse, Cabin in the Woods, Much Ado About Nothing) and Fran Kranz (also of Dollhouse, Cabin in the Woods, and Much Ado About Nothing fame) as Krysta and Todd, “an adorable young married couple who find themselves thrust into an apocalyptic rivalry over a game of Settlers of Catan.” Being an adorable married couple who frequently turns to board games ourselves, we know just how quickly, and how dramatically, the tables can turn: We have, in fact, had shouting matches over Settlers of Catan, among other games. Long story short, The Lord of Catan has already been filmed in its entirety, and now they need our help to bring it to fruition in pre-production!
We were sold on backing this Kickstarter project immediately upon hearing even fewer details than we’ve provided here, but we know that some of you might be thinking: “Why should I give up my hard-earned money for some short film indie project?” If a cast (no matter how small) comprised of entirely Whedon alumni isn’t enough to have you throwing your wallet at the computer screen, then we may need to talk about revoking your Nerd Card.
Still, this is your hard-earned money we’re talking about, so we’ll cave and give you more reasons straight from the mouth (or the keyboard) of the writer himself:
“Because you are awesome and you like things that are awesome and want to help bring more awesome things into your world. Besides that?
If you are married, you will love this film.
If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend with whom you have completely retarded arguments, you will love this film.
If you like movies that live on the fringe and push beyond border of reality, you will love this film.
If you think Amy Acker is freaking awesome, you will love this film.
If you want to break into Fran Kranz’s house and wear his face like a hat, you will love this film.
Because if you don’t stand up and support the kinds of movies you want to see, some business major will decide for you.
Also sheep.”
No one expects you to be altruistic. The creators of the movie know that you want something out of the donation deal. Not only do you get to help have this movie made, but “backer rewards” range from cheap “thank you”s, to DVDs/blu-rays, to screen-used props and wardrobe, to producer credits!
We sat down with Stuart C. Paul, Writer/Director of The Lord of Catan, to ask him about his upcoming movie. He told us that the story is largely autobiographical. “I ended up kind of coming back to taking things from our life,” he told us. “I went to my wife, and I was like, ‘Is it cool that I’m just taking stuff and just putting it out there for everyone?” and she was like, ‘Yeah…write what you know.’”
This could be dangerous territory given the amount of shouting that we see going on in the trailer. This is certainly not the type of acting we’re used to seeing from Amy Acker, so can we look forward to more of this in the film?
“I don’t think they get to this place of this kind of fighting really ever. She’s definitely fiery, she’s volatile. And he’s a man child.” We’ve definitely seen Fran Kranz play a man child, but Amy Acker as a fiery, volatile character will be new ground.
When asked what other games could have fit in place of Catan, Paul struggled to come up with something as enabling. Shortly after the interview, however, we received a very ‘to-the-point’ message from him. “Ticket To Ride!” he said, and we have to agree.
Please see below for the full interview!
We’ve already pledged to make The Lord of Catan a reality. Will you?
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You can keep up with The Lord of Catan by liking them on Facebook and following them on Twitter. To find out about another Fran Kranz film (also starring Amy Acker), check out our interview with Lord of Catan writer-creator Stuart Paul. To see yet another Dollhouse reunion featuring Miracle Laurie and the Dollhouse imprint chair, check out our Miracle Laurie/Christopher May interview from Dragon Con! For even more awesomeness to feed your nerdy mind, you can like Nerdy Minds on Facebook and follow Nerdy Minds on twitter! You can even subscribe to have every new Nerdy Minds post delivered straight to your inbox (recommended)!
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