WithUncle Drewnow playing in theaters, I recently sat down with directorCharles Stone IIIto talk about making the film. If you’re not familiar with Uncle Drew – played by NBA All-StarKyrie Irving -he was originally conceived of by Pepsi for a digital episodic series, and after the monster popularity of the character, was brought to the big screen by Lionsgate. In the film, Uncle Drew and his old basketball squad (made up ofShaquille O’Neal,Chris Webber,Reggie Miller, andNate Robinson) are brought out of retirement byLil Rel Howeryto try and win the Rucker Classic street ball tournament over his longtime rival (Nick Kroll).Uncle Drewalso starsTiffany Haddish,Lisa Leslie,andJ.B. Smoove.
During the interview, Stone III talked about how quickly the project came together, the casting process, how he thought about putting bothKevin GarnettandSnoop Doggin the film, what he learned in the test screening process, filming the dance sequence, who came up with the Kobe Bryant joke in the film, his reaction when Lionsgate said they would release the film in the heart of summer, and a lot more. In addition, as a big fan of the band Living Colour, I asked Stone III what he remembers about directing some of their early music videos.
Check out what he had to say in the player above, and below is exactly what we talked about, along with the official synopsis and some images from the film.
Charles Stone III:
Here’s the official synopsis:
After draining his life savings to enter a team in the Rucker Classic street ball tournament in Harlem, Dax (Lil Rel Howery) is dealt a series of unfortunate setbacks, including losing his team to his longtime rival (Nick Kroll). Desperate to win the tournament and the cash prize, Dax stumbles upon the man, the myth, the legend UNCLE DREW (NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving) and convinces him to return to the court one more time. The two men embark on a road trip to round up Drew’s old basketball squad (Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, and Lisa Leslie) and prove that a group of seniors can still win the big one.
For more on the film hit up the social pages:Facebook,TwitterandInstagram. You can also watch my interview withKyrie Irving onUncle Drewhereand he also reveals which sneakers he dropped serious money to own.
