Ron and Clint Howard on The Dilemma, Improv and What's Up With Arrested Development

Winona Ryder is kind of a revelation here -- maybe the story of the film. How did she get involved?

RH: She came in to meet on it. I was interested in meeting her, but I was honestly thinking of her more for the Jennifer Connelly role -- the possibility of Vince's would-be fiancée. I met her, and in all honesty -- this kind of shows Vince's out-of-the-box thinking -- he said, "Wow. I wonder what she would be like as Geneva," the one who goes head-to-head [with Vaughn's character]. The character was written in kind of an ice-queen sort of a way, and I immediately thought, "That would be so interesting -- her sensitivity and vulnerability and her dramatic chops. I'll bet that might be very interesting." I actually had her come in and do some scenes with Vince -- basically, an audition.

CH: I'll tell you: When she digs in with Vince at this turning point in the picture -- and I've loved Winona and her performances -- she is so good. At the diner?

RH: That head-to-head scene.

CH: The head-to-head scene! She makes a turn that is so cool. It was like, "Obviously, this was a good choice."

RH: She came in and easily convinced us that she had what it takes to surprise audiences. And the other thing: The key word there is probably "surprise." It's great to have all these comedy stars. I, as a director, wanted to create as many twists and turns as I could in the plot, but also surprise you with the casting: Winona in that role. Channing Tatum playing this kind of out-of-control Zip character -- tattooed crazy guy. Queen Latifah playing this automobile executive. These were casting choices I wanted to make to surprise the audience.

**What do you make of the shift in Hollywood where films with relatively small budgets and expanded creative freedom -- take The Social Network or Black Swan -- are taking over the conversation as well as the box-office? Where do you see this trend going, and how will it affect what both of you do? **

CH: The only sad part about studio business sort of contracting is that there are less roles for sort of character actors like me -- when, for instance, Warner Bros. is only making six or seven movies a year when they used to make 12. The same can be said for all the studios. That's basically 10 or 12 less parts per movie that are available for guys like me. But that doesn't mean that the business is shrinking; it's just changing. The studio pictures are certainly contracting; there are certainly less. But there are other outlets. There are the Uwe Bolls of the world and the cable outlets of the world that are offering actors like myself an opportunity to go do material. I mean, listen: My cup of tea is old-school movies -- movies with stories, like this one. But I also understand that it's changing. And as an actor -- or even as a person in the industry -- if you're unwilling to change, you're just going to get swamped. You've got to be flexible, and you've got to go with the flow. That's what I try to do as an actor.

RH: It definitely is changing. The definition and cost of an A-studio movie is shifting, too. First of all, a character-driven story is riskier in their minds. A comedy, slightly less so. Having a movie that would attract this kind of cast, led by Vince and Kevin, gives the studio a little more confidence, and they're willing to invest a bit more in it. But even this probably cost 25 or 30 percent less this year than it might have cost two years ago. So they are enforcing a kind of discipline that everybody has to respond to, and it's probably a very healthy thing.

But you know, I think it's very exciting what's happening, how people are proving over and over again that you actually can make movies for less -- and make really good movies. Thankfully, audiences are showing up. There's nothing better -- nothing better -- for all of us than a film like Black Swan proving to be commercially viable. I mean, as dark and unexpected... And I happened to enjoy it and be really riveted by it. So it's effective to me. But it's not like anything else, and yet it's finding its audience in a significant enough way that companies feel like they can actually make that a business model and rely upon it. True Grit cracking $100 million is great! That's spectacular for people who still want to get out there and take risks with the movies they make.

And of course the movie we want to see this paradigm impact is... the Arrested Development movie. What is really happening with this?

I should give you Mitch's e-mail so you can all swamp him. Mitch Hurwitz and I spoke very recently, and he's working on it. The fact of the matter is that his television company and his television business and recent series with Will Arnett [Running Wilde] was really eating up a bunch of his time. He loved it, but it's not going to go forward. And I think now, he actually has the window to focus on Arrested Development. But you know, it's going to his first feature-directing situation. It's Arrested Development -- something that is precious to him, and he knows there are going to be high expectations. And he won't go forward to meet some kind of release date. He'll go forward when he thinks he has something cool and funny and fresh.

This interview is an edited portion of an Apple Talk conducted on Jan. 13, 2010.

[Top photo of Ron and Clint Howard: WireImage]

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