The third installment to Sony Pictures’ Hotel Transylvania follows Adam Sandler’s Dracula and family as they take a break from planning vacations at the hotel and decide to go on their own–on a cruise ship just for monsters.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is expected to hit theaters July 13, but before the release, The Knockturnal sat down with Kathryn Hahn and Keegan-Michael Key to discuss working with a star-studded cast, getting into the minds of their characters and more.
So what was it like joining this overly, just, talented cast?
Kathryn Hahn: Oh, I know. Well I mean, you know, I’ve seen these movies many many times being a mom and you are always on the hunt for something that will make you laugh as well because there’s a lot of crap out there, gotta be honest, and sometimes you’re just bottom of the barrel because you just need something to put in front of those children that’s appropriate in any way. And we have always been huge fans of these movies, my kids and myself, because, and we were saying this, I love it because they’re so rooted, they’re undeniably funny, but they’re rooted in such a heart, like, there is such a tenderness, and a reality and a sweetness in the relationship, so I was really excited to join this group of actresses. But, bananas, so yeah, I was so thrilled. And to play kind of a villainess, is also something I’ve always wanted to do.
Did you play her as a villain? Because in any other context, it’d be the hero of this story.
Kathryn Hahn: No, no.
So, you all seem to have, like, the entire cast has insane chemistry, but I know you’re not working together, like on a daily basis, so how do you develop that?
Kathryn Hahn: I know, it’s weird. It’s fake.
Keegan-Michael Key: A lot of it’s Genndy. A lot of it is Genndy, the director, Genndy Tartakovsky. He is one of the creators of the world and knows the world so well that you have to attribute his skills with the editors and his storytelling abilities, you have to. It’s right. These kinds of movies all you’re doing is stitching them together, but it is helpful, like you said, you’re in a really good advantage, honey, even though you’ve never done this before, been in this dynamic, you’ve seen these movies so you know the heart and the charm and the group dynamic they all love each other, support each other. It’s a very kind-hearted film.
Kathryn Hahn: It is.
Keegan-Michael Key: So I think the chemistry comes through the creative team that’s on the other side of the camera – I guess we’re all on the other side of the camera in an animated film – the creative team that put the thing globally, that puts the thing together they are, actually, it’s a joke, but they are manufacturing the chemistry. It’s really something else. It’s amazing.
Do you do some sort of table read to kind of get the vibe of the other character?
Keegan: No. I mean, it’s in a vacuum. We do all of it in a vacuum. You came into the booth and you thought –
Kathryn Hahn: I know, I was like, where’s Adam Sandler?! I thought I was… But then, again, he was in there with me and we did the scenes together, so I felt like I had a pretty solid scene partner, actually, he made it really easy. And then we were able to, like, it was fun because it did feel like you were kinda into the void. Also because you can’t imagine there are these huge scenarios you’re just trying to respond to but, it was a really fun acting challenge for me. Really fun. I loved it. And also I was able to show up in sweatpants which I do not normally do.
Keegan-Michael Key: It’s the best job in Hollywood.
Kathryn Hahn: It really is. I get to just show up and my kids are so psyched. I got, like, cred with my kids now, finally.
When you see the finished animation, do you see any personal mannerisms or facial expressions of yourselves in the characters?
Kathryn Hahn: Oh no, you don’t at all.
Keegan-Michael Key: Me not at all. And also quite frankly, the character was not designed for me, it was designed for somebody else. So, for me, not at all. In other projects, one-hundred percent. For a thing that me and Jordan right now they’re designing the characters to look like me and Jordan.
Kathryn Hahn: Oh my god that’s so fun!
Keegan-Michael Key: But that’s also a testament to Genndy is that I’m creating this world these voices are matching these characters. You would even think as close as they all are that Ray and Adam and David have been such good friends for a long time, but you look at Frank, he doesn’t look like that. The characters have their own essence.
Kathryn Hahn: It is really crazy. And Adam, just as Drack, I just think he is so rooted to that character and is just so good as Drack. It’s really great.
Keegan-Michael Key: It just comes to him so naturally.
Kathryn Hahn: You just close your eyes…
Keegan-Michael Key: Transformative.
Kathryn Hahn: Yeah, it really is.
Is there anyone on this cast that you haven’t met yet?
Kathryn Hahn: Mel Brooks. Apparently, he’s gonna… Shemmy… I don’t think I’ve actually ever met Fran Drescher. Molly, I love and know.
Keegan: You’ve never met Fran?
Kathryn Hahn: No!
Keegan-Michael Key: You’ve never met?
Kathryn Hahn: No! I’m so excited! I love Spade, I love Adam, I love you, I love Molly. Like, I mean, it’s a crazy great group of humans. Selena is a doll. Adam. Yeah. That’s great.
Does this movie satirize the actual cruise experience? Because in the news you hear these weird stories about boats tipping over, gangs of families finding each other…?
Kathryn Hahn: Just like shit tubes in the ocean you can’t get off of. Exactly! Like, AHH! No toilets working. Sounds like a nightmare! No, this makes cruises seem like, from what I think is told, I think this makes the cruise feel like a ball. Really really fun.
Keegan-Michael Key: Full disclosure, I have never been on a cruise. To me, it seems like, yeah, I was going to say a positive satire but that’s an oxymoron. It looks like it’s just a non-stop party.
Kathryn Hahn: It’s using a vacation… It’s also a great trap. All those monsters in the middle of the ocean there’s nowhere else they can go. I shot something on a cruise for a short amount of time and I just remember thinking like “Wow. Gotta really talk about Purell.” You gotta keep using that. Gallons of it.
Keegan-Michael Key: Gallons.
Kathryn, do you have any tips for moms on the best family vacation or how to keep your kids sane or yourself sane?
Kathryn Hahn: We love a road trip. That is my happy place. Being in the car with my hubby and my two kids and just a duffle bag of stuff and just a couple good podcasts and just us. That’s my happy place. I love love it. I love the adventure of it. I love stopping. I just love going on vacation with them anywhere. So, what would we do? They’re really good on airplanes now. You just outgrow it. It sucks for a while, it is what it is, and now they’re, it’s happening too fast and I miss it and my baby when she was so little, now she’s eight, she would sleep on the floor of the airplane because with the vibrations she would fall asleep really fast but I would have to – she would be underneath my feet – and I would have to watch. And it happens like that. Bring extra clothes for the airplane because they will urinate on something.
Keegan, you talked a little bit about getting the mummy headspace so I’m curious for you, Kathryn, how did you get in the head of a monster hunter? Did you watch a lot of ghost hunter types of shows or…?
Kathryn Hahn: I mean I’m obsessed with those anyway. I just kinda tapped into my OCD file of facts using kind of side of my personality. I decided to go toward the cruise director the captain moreso and let the chips fall where they may.
What was your most favorite part about playing that character?
Kathryn Hahn: I think probably the, I mean, just that she’s, it just was so fun to play somebody like that, who has that ulterior motive, that was raised that way from the time she was born, to think of monster sister ___ and just kind of learn something different and just kind of walk away from her legacy was kind of interesting to me, not to make it serious, all serious… AND THE THEATER! But I also really loved, yeah! I took one good look at her outfit and I was like, oh my god this is so fun! I just knew my kids would have a ball.
Has Erica just been taught her whole life that she has to hunt monsters and hate monsters?
Kathryn Hahn: Yeah.
But has she ever really tried to get to know monsters?
Kathryn Hahn: No, never. That’s what I mean, why this was a real eye-opener for her because she sees this group and she wants in. That’s what family is and she realized she didn’t really have family, that these monsters, inhuman, were actually the family that she wishes she could have had. And then it gets really sad.
Keegan, you briefly mentioned the stop-motion. How do you feel teaming up with Jordan again?
Kathryn Hahn: It’s stop-motion? GOD.
Keegan-Michael Key: Yeah, it’s going to be stellar. It’s like, we just did some scratch tracks the other day and it just feels like riding a bike, the most comfortable, fun bike. It really is. Then people ask, I am a very technical person in regard to our craft, and it’s the one thing I can never explain. But, how do you and Jordan…? I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just alchemy. It is what it is. You’re lucky you get that once in your life, to get some kind of relationship or synergy like that, so I’m really looking forward to it. I mean, I don’t know, it’s probably going to come out in 2020, it’s stop-motion, but if it’s Henry Selick, it’s worth the wait.
How have the reshoots for Predator been going?
Keegan-Michael Key: We just finished last week and just about three-quarters of the third act have been rewritten.
Kathryn Hahn: Who directed that?
Keegan-Michael Key: Shane Black.
Kathryn Hahn: Oh, Shane Black. That’s why you were saying that name.
Keegan-Michael Key: And, so, Shane Black is, he is just a consonant professional and a consonant writer. He is a wordsmith and it was a really really exhilarating experience, and I think that he is still one of our most vibrant writers of cinema. We had a birthday party – my fiancée and I were born 10 days apart – and he wrote this lovely email afterwards, I don’t have it memorized, but we just said “thank you for coming to the party” and he wrote this gorgeous, erudite email. It’s pithy, it was, like, three sentences, we were in a public place. He’s just lovely. It’s just beautiful. And you think it’s just going to take a month, it takes about one day to get over “holy shit you wrote Lethal Weapon.” He’s really really really terrific. It was a wonderful experience.
Summer Vacation comes out Friday the Thirteenth and it is going to be Friday the Thirteenth in a couple of days. Are you superstitious at all?
Kathryn Hahn: A little bit. I always forget then I just remember and I’m like, OH! Yeah, alright. That’s all it is. What are you gonna do? It doesn’t usually.
Keegan: I am a little superstitious, but I notice it. Like you say, you’re not superstitious, but if you were walking down the street looking at your phone and you realized you just walked under a ladder you’d be like, Uh! I just did that! The fact that you’re trying not to make a big deal out of it means you’re making a big deal out of it. Oh! Black cat black cat! That cat was black! You know what I mean?
Kathryn Hahn: Yeah. Exactly.
Keegan, what is it like to be a living legend?
Kathryn Hahn: YEAH! I wanna know, too! How does it feel?!
Keegan-Michael Key: I wasn’t expecting that one.
Walking around every day, being a living legend, is it a lot of pressure, or does it come easy to you?
Keegan: I am still trying to come to terms with what even… you’re just living everyday kind of, working. I met one of my heroes last night. I met Gary Oldman last night and in the middle of the conversation, I said, I don’t care. I’m going to gush and I’m going to talk about movies you haven’t made since 1987 because you are one of the reasons I do what I do for a living. So, you get to say that to this person, right? And then that person is having a conversation with you and in the middle of that conversation, you go, oh my god. We’re both just actors who love what we do. He’s really just an actor who loves what he does and talks about, and sometimes you gotta do this movie, and then we start talking about craft, so I don’t know how to answer the question. No one has ever said this to me, I have no sense of myself being what you’re saying, I just go, what’s the next thing I find interesting? Or, what’s the next thing that resonates with me? And, how can I use this gift to help the world? I think if you just keep thinking like that then you won’t feel the pressure. Well, you’ll feel a lot of pressure, but it feels like good pressure.