Melissa McCarthy & Octavia Spencer Interview: Thunder Force
Netflix gets into the superhero genre with Thunder Force, landing on April 9. The action comedy stars two incredible actresses, Melissa McCarthy (Life of the Party) and Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), as estranged best friends who are reunited when fate calls on them to form a super team.
Written and directed by McCarthy's husband and creative partner, Ben Falcone (Tammy), the film imagines a world where a gene for extraordinary powers is all too often combined with a tendency towards criminal behavior. In other to stand up to this miscreants, it takes the scientific expertise of Emily (Spencer) and the accidental gumption of her best friend Lydia (McCarthy) to make heroes out of ordinary women.
The two stars spoke to Screen Rant about their lifelong friendship and chemistry on set, as well as the collaborative process with Falcone.
Octavia, the superhero genre isn't something that is usual for you. What was your reaction when you were first approached with this?
Octavia Spencer: I don't think the superhero genre is usual for a lot of us who are actors. It's just a small world, and I've always wanted to play a superhero. I mean, that was a dream that I kept locked inside, because who would ever write it? And then comes my dear friend, Ben Falcone, who wrote the most amazing superhero character.
It was a it's a gift for me, because I got to play opposite one of my dearest friends in the world; one of the most gifted actresses in the world. So, it was a gift.
Melissa, you and Ben make such a great creative team. What is it like growing with him both an actress and comedian?
Melissa McCarthy: It's remarkable. I think about when we started at the Groundlings Theatre together; we loved writing together, and we loved performing together. Those were three minute sketches, and getting to do something on this scale with the stunts and the action - everything was bigger this time.
Ben is such a comic, fantasy fan. Our house is covered in comic books. He's the one that if you say something, he's like, "Oh, 1971 was when they first introduced..." Like, I don't know what you're talking about. But he loves it, so for him to get to build this world, it was done with such love and such reverence.
And then his kind heart to put into it, not just a rock 'em sock 'em thing, but the fact that Emily's character; her entire life's goal was to become a superhero, not for revenge - which would have been exciting too - but to to help other people not go through the same devastation that she did. She lost her parents. And then he tells this really beautiful love story of these two friends within this action superhero world that blends to me.
It was a dream. It was a dream to watch him work on that level, and I think he did it beautifully.
Octavia, it was also really lovely to see you work with Emily's daughter, Tracy. What was it like working with Taylor Mosby?
Octavia Spencer: Taylor was just the cutest. It was a lot of fun. And also, just to be able to take that journey, you understood what Emily was going through and that she was just one of those parents who really wanted to protect her daughter from any harm. But yeah, it was a lot of fun. She's a great actress.
Melissa McCarthy: She's great. She's just great across the board. She's so fun. She's so talented, and I can't imagine that movie without her. It was so important for all of us, and for all the relationships. She was such an integral part.