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a14 people & arts
Wednesday 23 august 2023

Behind 'Bottoms,' the wild, queer and bloody high school sex

comedy coming to theaters

By LINDSEY BAHR to take notes from a direc-
AP Film Writer tor as actors.
"Gay High School Fight "I feel like we all helped
Club" was the working title each other forward," Sen-
of the script that Emma nott said. "Some things you
Seligman and Rachel Sen- can only learn from doing."
nott sent off to a producer "Bottoms," which is being
a few years ago, riding released by MGM's Orion
a surreal wave of virtual Pictures, is coming at a time
goodwill after their film "Shi- when its stars are having a
va Baby" became a kind moment too, with Edebiri
of cult sensation during the now a household name af-
pandemic. ter two seasons as Sydney
This story was about two in Hulu's "The Bear" and Sen-
unpopular friends, PJ and nott having recently co-
Josie, who are eager to starred in the conversation-
lose their virginity (ideally provoking HBO series "The
to two beautiful cheer- Idol" as well as last year's
leaders). The only way they wild horror "Bodies Bodies
can figure out how to get Bodies."
close to said cheerleaders, Seligman and Sennott
however, is to form an all- have a library of referenc-
female self-defense class es that helped inspire the
that quickly devolves into tone of "Bottoms," from "Su-
a bloody fight club. They perbad" and "Drop Dead
knew it had the potential Gorgeous" to "Scott Pilgrim
to be riotously funny, slyly vs. the World" and "Attack
insightful and boundary the Block," but it's also just
pushing for queer teen rep- its own thing too and there
resentation. But would any- were many, many discus-
one want to make it? sions about exactly what
Though the cinematic reality this world existed in.
misadventures of horny, The answer isn't abundant-
flawed, straight teenage ly clear – the town is a kind
boys may essentially be of "Anytown," the sets and
its own genre with doz- costumes and props are
ens of films spanning de- rooted in the 21st century
cades, there has not been but not anything hyper spe-
an equivalent for queer cific, and the intensity of a
girls. Thankfully, though, rivalry with a local football
the producer who got the Emma Seligman, center, director/co-writer of the film "Bottoms," poses for a portrait with cast team is one that reaches
script was Alison Small, the member/co-writer Rachel Sennott, left, and cast member Ayo Edebiri, Thursday, June 29, 2023, in absurd heights.
head of film at Elizabeth West Hollywood, Calif. And then there's the fight
Banks and Max Handel- Associated Press club, which they had to
man's Brownstone Produc- keep reminding everyone
tions (also behind another who directed, said. "Taking your acting classes to work maybe are more estab- wasn't just a joke. It was
wild hit this year, "Cocaine people from all walks of life with the film students and lished? There aren't classes supposed to be very, very
Bear"). Instead of liabilities and all kind of industries — meet the writing students for that. real.
in untested concepts, Small people who could make and pushing to do stuff to- We were trying to figure "Once we actually started
thought it was the funniest fun of their personas." gether and make sketches out the answers while we to shoot it and talk to other
thing she had ever read. It Seligman and Sennott have outside of school," Selig- were still in school. So then departments, we had to
was smart, weird and origi- been working on "Bottoms" man said in a joint interview as soon as we graduated, be clear that it was a real
nal. They were in. since around 2017, writing with Sennott and Edebiri. "I we could just hit the ground fight club and we were go-
The film, now called "Bot- the part of Josie for Edebiri don't know what you were running, like jump into it ing to have real stunts and
toms," is on its way to the- specifically. skipping to go audition for and do it together." real blood," Seligman said.
aters Friday (and expand- The three, who spoke to The 'Shiva' and make that hap- And they all stayed true "I think some people still
ing next week), featuring Associated Press in June pen, but I'm glad you did." to their word, even if they thought it was just going to
"The Bear" breakout Ayo before the actors strike, The class, Sennott said, was weren't directly working to- be a fun comedy. … As we
Edebiri as Josie, Kaia Ger- met as students at New Shakespeare. gether. kept on coming up against
ber as the cheerleader York University. Though they "Nobody knows what When Edebiri got a writ- people asking, 'Wait, so
Sennott's character PJ is said the school didn't ex- they're doing once they ing job, she told her friends are there going to be real
lusting after, "Red, White & actly foster extracurricular graduate," Edebiri said. what it was like. When stunts?" And for us it was
Royal Blue's" Nicholas Galit- collaboration between de- "Even if you think you have Seligman started working like, 'What did you think this
zine as a toxic quarterback, partments, Sennott helped everything lined up, you're on sets, she passed on her was going to be like?'
and former NFL player Mar- create an environment still in the real world and experiences. When Sennott "It became even more im-
shawn Lynch as a very un- where that was possible, there are still practical and Edebiri teamed up for portant as we were filming
conventional teacher. encouraging people to things like how do you get a short form (and short- that we made clear that
"We thought a lot about help one another instead representation? Submit to lived) Comedy Central se- we wanted these girls to
camp casting and, like, of just venturing out alone. festivals? How do you meet ries "Ayo and Rachel are actually look really good as

John Waters," Seligman, "You were like skipping up with producers who Single," they learned how they were kicking ass."q