WWTW Interview: ‘Battle of the Smithsonian’ director Shawn Levy Pt. 2

Think big movie stars and the usual names rocket to mind – Adam Sandler, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie.

But what about Ben Stiller, a comic actor with just as many hits – if not more – than most of them?

Shawn Levy, who directed Stiller in “Night at the Smithsonian” and its sequel, now out on DVD and Blu-ray, says not every actor can pull off what Stiller does on a regular basis.

“Many comedic stars have tried to a do a ‘Night at the Museum’ type film, in which an every day Joe reacts to insane circumstances,” Levy tells WWTW. “Many flat out failed.”

Stiller brings something naturalistic to projects like “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” Levy says.

“It allows us to see ourselves in his performances,” he says.

It also helps that the actor knows his limitations.

“Ben has a keen sense of what he’s good at, and what he’s less unique at,” he says. “He chooses his movies and calibrates his performance to hit his sweet spot.”

Stiller was probably the least manic actor on the “Battle of the Smithsonian” set, what with natural scene stealers like Robin Williams and Hank Azaria running wild on Levy’s behalf.

“You’re barely in control,” he says of the situation he found himself in. So he just stood back and let it happen.

“Why hire these geniuses if they’re forced to stick with the script? You want to empower your actors as collaborators,“ Levy says, adding plenty of the on-set riffing made its way onto the DVD and Blu-ray extras.

While “Museum’s” actors let loose, Levy tried throughout the creative process to “serve two masters” – young and old ticket buyers.

“I’m always definitely aware of both audiences. I’m looking for how I can cross back and forth between them,” he says, which he considers throughout the entire script writing process.

Levy, whose next film “Date Night“ veers into PG-13 territory, says he’s open to taking another trip to the “Museum.” And even though the film earned more than $177 million during its theatrical release it might not be enough to jump start a threequel.

“Let’s see how our DVD fares,” he says.

(Photo: Ben Stiller convenes a meeting with Abraham Lincoln in “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.”/Fox Home Entertainment)

Related posts:

1. WWTW Interview: ‘Battle of the Smithsonian’ director Shawn Levy Pt. 1
2. WWTW Interview: ‘ClarkWORLD’ director Deren Abram – Part I
3. WWTW Interview: ‘Not Quite Hollywood’ director Mark Hartley
4. WWTW Interview: ‘Everybody’s Fine’ writer/director Kirk Jones