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James Gunn is known for putting his brother, his friends, and even wife Jennifer Holland in the movies and TV shows he creates and produces, and I had to know more about why. In an industry where Hollywood nepotism is always making headlines, Holland offered a different explanation as to why Gunn puts people he likes in his movies.
CinemaBlend caught up with Holland, who spoke to us on behalf of Milkbone about their dog, Ozu, being the inspiration for Krypto in Supergirl and Superman. Holland, who plays Emilia Harcourt in the DCU and voices one of Superman’s robots in the Fortress of Solitude, told us exclusively that casting friends helps James Gunn feel less lonely in filmmaking:
It really just comes about because James loves to have his friends and family around him all the time. It’s hard to make movies; it’s lonely. You’re stuck in like a place that’s not your home for a very long period of time. He’s made great friends with a lot of the crew that he’s been able to continue working with over and over again, luckily, because they keep trying to pull us out of the United States, but fortunately we keep getting to stay.
James Gunn casting his brother, wife, and others isn’t just done to boost their resumes. I’d never considered that the tremendous amount of time he spends making movies takes away from time with his loved ones, so he makes sure he can work with them as much as possible. In the meantime, them being on set means he can spend some time with them in between the days spent toiling on a movie, which is really smart.
Holland continued talking about how much Gunn enjoys bringing in people he knows to work on movies, and how that factored into Supergirl. She spoke about their rescue dog, Ozu, and how the real-life story of their experiences with him inspired him to create Krypto’s storyline:
I don’t know if that’s gonna continue, but I hope it does, because we’ve created such a bond with all of these people, but it is still very lonely. You don’t have all of your friends and family with you, so as much as he can include friends and family in his movies he tries. That gives them an excuse to be around and he really thrives on that. As much as he is a loner when it comes to sitting in an office, you know, typing on his computer, writing the, the movies and all of that stuff, he, he really is inspired by and revived by true relationships just like he was inspired with Krypto by his relationship to Ozu and all of that.
Krypto the Superdog is one of the most entertaining characters of the DCU thus far, as as Jennifer Holland mentioned, that’s because he’s inspired by James Gunn’s real-life pet Ozu. As a rescue pet, the dog had some habits that would give most owners trouble, especially if he had superpowers. Even without superpowers, Holland confirmed that Ozu could be quite feisty, but stressed that his rambunctious behavior didn’t mean he was a “bad dog.”
In many ways, Krypto represents a theme of Supergirl. In that, one doesn’t have to be perfect to still be a good person. Milly Alcock’s character may not be quite as polished as her cousin, but her unique style and brand makes for an engaging character which Gunn finds interesting. If the goal is to make each hero have their own distinct personality, I can only imagine how a future Justice League movie will look.
Of course, the DCU is a hot topic as of late, as Supergirl‘s box office take has some questioning how long the ride will last. I’m hoping the movie doesn’t slow the momentum of Gunn building this universe, though ultimately, I think most studios know a stumble or two is to be expected on the way to creating something bigger.
Supergirl still has a chance to bounce back, and people can see it in theaters right now. Go to see Krypto, and see just how wild Jennifer Holland and James Gunn’s pet Ozu was, with some additional special effects.