Do you think thats why the film struggled to find an audience in America?
Well, I think everything has to fight hard to get an audience in America.
I think the reason why critics and websites didnt like it was obviously the religious element.
I think some people felt cheated that they werent warned.
But I dont know what you do with that.
Whether I should put a warning contains atheist material.
There are door-to-door Bible salesmen.
Its taught in schools as fact.
Children are indoctrinated with it from the age of four.
And Im the one shoving the ideas!
Surely, we can have a discussion about it?
It seems a little bit unfair.
And I put that in a film.
Id be a hypocrite to say anything else.
Did you sense that reaction was going to come?
But I didnt think that intelligent people would be so worried about it.
I tell you why I think that the film is actually more subversive than most other films.
Its because it was couched in quite a sweet Hollywood rom-com.
It wasnt a dark indie film that was a terrible existential damning sort of film.
It was a really sweet, uplifting Hollywood rom-com.
It just happened to be a film where there was no God.
And I think thats what youve got to think of.
You have to think of these things in terms of 25 years.
A flop is a film that took less money than it cost.
Now were $30m up.
And I think that its just growing.
The DVD sold, I think, 70,000 copies in the first hour [in the US].
It was also the number one comedy both sides of the Atlantic for a week.
But it was never going to beAvatar.
And I think weve got to put this in context.
You should have madeThe Invention Of Lyingin 3D with blue people in it?
Its in 90 countries, itd been remade in seven.
The American remake is going into syndication now.
And I think the sames just happening withExtrasnow.
They want to remake it in Korea and China.
I think if you put everything into it, itll find an audience.
They dont have to go and see it on a Friday night and forget about it by Saturday morning.
Everything Ive done has been hated initially.
Every review when I first started, every stand up Ive ever done has been hated.
But then Ive got a record for the fastest selling tour of all time.
Do you know what Im saying?
I make this for me and like minded people.
I love people loving my work.
But I dont care if they hate it either.
I dont want to do that.
I want as many people who see it to hate it as love it.
Thats what makes something interesting.
It was a film where you also picked some fabulous comedy talent for the cast…
I just picked all the people Ive always wanted to work with!
Its not how the trailer portrays it, just as people being honest.
Its, for me, people consistently answer questions that theyre not asked.
But you had a cast who were very improvisational too…
Yeah, but they couldnt improvise.
If someone went Oh, Jesus, we were like stop, cut that, you cant say that.
It was so difficult to improvise.
Thats what I figured.
The script seemed very lean…
Yeah, very script driven.
But then everything I do is.
People thinkThe Officeis improvised, but it wasnt.
It was really tightly scripted.
There have been some awful British films that were all improvised.
And people go its just like Christopher Guest.
And you go no, its not like Christopher Guest.
Its a load of terrible sitcom actors trying to talk over each other.
Theyre the ones that stand the test of time.
One thing about the film.
I love the old Dudley Moore movieCrazy People…
Is that the one where they advertise the cars…?
Did Pepsi ever get in touch?
So I think Pepsi came off worst!
With Coke we said it was brown sugary water, and I think thats all true.
But for when they dont like Coke is more damning!
But theyre bigger than us, they can take it!
What I also found interesting is that you co-direct.
Usually, co-directors have been brothers, life-long friends of directors of Disney movies.
Wheres the appeal for you?
Youve now worked with two different co-directors in such a short space of time.
How does that work for you?
Well, its luck, isnt it?
I found Stephen Merchant and it worked a treat.
And the same with Matt Robinson.
You make your own luck, and I think it comes from respect.
I think you respect each other and trust each other.
But I have a rule, and it started with Steve and I used it with Matt as well.
And thats this: if one of us doesnt like something, its vetoed.
It needs two votes to stay in the film.
That way, youre left with a film that both of you like from beginning to end.
Its twice the compromise.
Its as much as I ever want to compromise.
You do it for yourself and like minded people.
Was it Patrick Stewart doing the voiceover on the caveman prequel film in the DVD extras?
Thats right, yeah!
It was probably the most expensive DVD extra of all time…!
I thought it was better than the entirety ofYear One…
[Laughs] I havent seen that!
How have you found the reaction to the Golden Globes?
Well, I dont know what people around the world thought of it.
But in the room it was great, and afterwards everyone seemed to like it.
And I went over to New York last week, and Ive never had a reaction like it.
People on the street coming up and saying they loved it.
It was like I was a returning war hero!
OneGhost Townquestion: we loved the giant molar keyfob you had in it….
Did you keep it?
I dont know where that is.
I think David Koepp kept it.
That was a David Koepp special joke.
I loved it as well…
Finally, your next projects.
How areCemetery JunctionandFlanimalscoming along?
Cemetery Junctionis the best thing me and Stephen [Merchant] have ever done.
Im so excited about it.
That will have people saying its the worst thing Ive ever done.
Thats all I can say.
Whether people like it or not is out my hands.
But its turned out exactly how I wanted it to.
Flanimalswere starting casting next month!!
Ricky Gervais, thank you very much…
The Invention Of Lying isout now on Blu-ray and DVD.
