9 Revelations from the Set of 30 Minutes or Less

As teased in the trailer, there is most certainly a flamethrower scene. Don't think that was all fun and games, though.

"The action comedy factor was really cool to me, but the flame stuff scares me," Fleischer said. "It's much more manageable than I expected it to be, but I was really nervous about all the fire stuff. That was the thing I was dreading during the shooting process. It turned out not to be as scary as perhaps I thought it would be, but lighting a dude on fire is no joke."

It was so serious, in fact, that major safety measures were taken beforehand. "When you're doing it for real, it's serious," Fleishcer said. Stunt coordinators spent some 40 minutes before the scene just making sure everything was safe.

Not that cast member Nick Swardson -- the man tasked with shooting the flame thrower -- was comforted by all the precautions. "I have not yet [fired it], no," he said. "That's coming up soon. And this will probably be my last interview before I die, so, you can tell my mom I love her."

Later that night, Swardson did test fire the flamethrower into an open area at the junk yard where 30 Minutes or Less was filming. The heat could be felt some 30 feet away.

Why did Ruben Fleischer decide 30 Minutes or Less would be his immediate follow-up to Zombieland?

It's all in the script: "The story is just so original and it's really funny on paper. The script was one of the funniest I read. It was a chance to do a smaller movie that I could craft and make my own and try and make an original film. I really feel like this movie doesn't exist already. It's really weird and messed up and dark, but hilarious," he said. "The cast is incredible. It was a chance to do something on my terms and do something I was passionate about."

Speaking of that cast, despite featuring Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari and Michael Pena, 30 Minutes or Less is not an Observe and Report reunion.

"They're just the best people for the roles," Fleischer said about the coincidental casting. "Danny was my first and only choice for that character, but Aziz and Michael -- we had a lot of people audition, and honestly they were just the best. To be honest, I would prefer they weren't all in Observe and Report, because there's no overlap. Pena's character was so different in that then what he's doing here, that I don't think anyone will worry about it; and Aziz was a pretty minor character in that movie, although he was one of the most memorable, but hopefully true hardcore Observe and Report fans might notice. But, ultimately, I don't think anyone will really say that's the same cast. Specifically because Pena is so different.

30 Minutes or Less is most certainly a hard-R.

"I don't know that the subject matter inherently would have allowed it," Fleischer said when asked if he thought about shooting for a PG-13 rating. "It's dark at times so I don't know if that would have even been a possibility. I think The Big Lebowski has the record for the most [fucks] in film; I think we might give them a run for their money. It's embarrassing how much profanity there is. I'm almost a little bit nervous; there are so many f-words, hopefully the audience can sustain it."

There may or may not be an awesome celebrity cameo in 30 Minutes or Less, but if there is one, Fleischer won't spill the beans.

"The great thing about that Bill Murray cameo is that no one really saw it coming," said Fleischer when asked what he had in store for 30 Minutes or Less, "so if there are any cameos in this one I think we should try and maintain that as well."

Pushed further, Fleischer allowed that any cameo won't be as meta as Murray's was. "Whatever suits the story. I think Zombieland was a heightened reality, this is a much more grounded reality so I wouldn't anything to distract from the story being told. Draw your own conclusions from that."

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