The Matchmaker’s Playbook

By starrymag | March 19, 2018

By: Taylor Gates

 

 

Tosca Musk (Creator of Passionflix and Director of The Matchmaker’s Playbook)

 

Q) I’m so obsessed with the idea of Passionflix. I love that it’s so dedicated to showing the female gaze and hiring women producers and directors. Why was it so important to you to have your production company be so female-centric?

 

Tosca: I’ve been in the industry for a very long time and almost every time I try and make a movie, it’s virtually impossible to even get an interview. So, we created something that focused on showing women in a very positive light—that was really important to us. That was a key element to it. But we also love romance novels and there’s no place to go watch romance novels. It just doesn’t exist. So, we wanted to take something that was near and dear to us and turn those into movies in the same way that an author would envision their movie being made. That’s been our goal. We have such respect for all writers so it was just an exciting idea for us. And to make this answer even longer, it was hard for us to get that sold anywhere. We couldn’t get these kinds of movies sold so we just created our own distribution platform in order for us to release movies, and I think the fans have responded in a very positive way.

 

Q) I love that. If you can’t find anyone else, just do it yourself.

 

Tosca: Absolutely. That is the motto.

 

Q) There are a lot of young women trying to make it in the industry. Do you have any advice for them?

 

Tosca: I think the main thing is keep going, but also find a kind of story that you really resonate with and champion that. I champion love, happy endings and hopeful, positive relationships. Some people might channel mother/daughter stories or best friend stories and resonate with those. I would say if you want to be a filmmaker in the industry, find a specific type of story that resonates with you.

 

Q) And finally, what message do you hope people take away from this story in particular?

 

Tosca: I hope that people laugh and I hope that they are inspired to speak their heart. I really encourage positive communication in all relationships, so I hope that they take all of that. That would be great. But I would even take just laughter!

 

Nick Bateman

 

Q) Passionflix is obviously very dedicated to hiring female directors and producers. Why was it important to you to be part of a project on a platform like this?

 

Nick: First off, I think it’s very innovative what [director and Passionflix creator] Tosca Musk is doing with the new VOD and supporting strong women directors and CEOs. I like that she’s taking these novels that are New York Times bestselling novels—which are women’s favorite books—and turning them in to movies. I’m surprised that nobody’s done it yet because to me it’s a genius idea. Being part of the movie was obviously a great experience as well. I learned a lot from Tosca. She’s a very strong and independent woman who likes women’s rights and women’s strengths. It’s always fun learning from her, both in business and in life.

 

Q) You mentioned that this production company turns a lot of books into movies. If you could choose any book to make into a movie, which would you choose and why?

 

Nick: This is kind of bias, but in the past I was supposed to make a movie called Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover and it didn’t end up happening. It’s something that I kind of put a lot of time and passion into so that’s a book that stands out for me. One day if maybe I could make that happen I think it’d be a fun venture for me.

 

Q) Well maybe there’s a new venue for it with Passionflix! You never know.

 

Nick: You never know! I mean, Tosca knows what she’s doing and I know a lot of people want to work with her, so we’ll see what happens.

 

Q) What do you think is going to draw people to this movie and what do you hope people take away from it?

 

Nick: The fun. It’s a funny movie. In comparison to some of the other Passionflix movies, this one rates very low on the raunchiness scale and that’s because it’s about the fun. The comedy. It’s not as sexual as some of the other movies—as steamy, as you’d say. It’s kind of like Hitch meets Van Wilder, which is what intrigued me to do the movie. But what I want people to take away from it is just seeing a guy not really know where his heart is and kind of be cocky and then find his heart by the end of the movie, which I think is what every girl is kind of trying to do to those types of guys who are cocky. They want to change him and turn him into the good person that they know is in there. Hopefully, at the end of this movie, they can see that deep down everyone has a heart.

 

Tyler Johnson

 

Q) Passionflix is obviously very dedicated to hiring female directors and producers. Why was it important to you to be part of a project on a platform like this?

 

Tyler: To take the zeitgeist into account, to be able to be surrounded by the strong women that Passionflix represents was an incredible opportunity for me to educate myself, both on the causes that are prevalent and present today and also in deepening my compassion for the struggles that women do have in this industry. Along the way, I can’t say enough positive things about [director and Passionflix creator] Tosca’s ability to educate. We’ve dubbed it “Tosca’s School for Gentlemen Callers.” That’s her school for manners. It’s the new etiquette book.

 

Q) I love it. What do you think is going to draw people to this movie and what do you hope people take away from it?

 

Tyler: I think that the relationships will ultimately be the thing that draws an audience to this movie. I genuinely love [costar] Nicholas Bateman. I think his mom and I are the only people who call him Nicholas. He’d be mad if he heard me. But the bromance there was real and his relationship with Caitlin [Carver] on set as actors was fantastic. Their rapport was so strong and the chemistry was something that drew you in even if you weren’t in the scene, so just judging on the relationships I have a good feeling about this one.

 

Q) Are you a romcom fan?

 

Tyler: Most certainly. I have my classics. I come more from the era of Matthew McConaughey romcoms. I gotta say, Fool’s Gold is pretty terribly awesome.

 

Christina DeRosa

 

Q) Passionflix is obviously very dedicated to hiring female directors and producers. Why was it important to you to be part of a project on a platform like this?

 

Christina: They support women! I got to work with [director and Passionflix creator] Tosca Musk who literally lowers everyone’s blood pressure on set. She just creates such a wonderful energy. She really is such a sweetheart. You feel that love so it was an honor to work with her. There were also female producers. There were so many females on set, and I felt incredibly safe and just wrapped in love.

 

Q) That’s amazing. What do you think is going to draw people to this movie and what do you hope people take away from it?

 

Christina: The fact that it already has a following—I mean, there you go. Passionflix is very smart. They know what they’re doing. I think already the fans are going nuts. They’re so excited to see it. The fact that it’s executed and produced well and the acting is great is just icing on the cake.

 

Q) If you could choose any book to make into a movie, which would you choose and why?

 

Christina: Oh wow, that’s a great question! I already loved Eat, Pray, Love. That was one of my favorite books. I feel like it would need to be something spiritual. Or, you know what? I’m a big fan of biographies. I would love like a Lucille Ball biography.

 

Q) I feel like they’re making one, actually!

 

Christina: Are they?!

 

Q) I forget who they were going to have play Lucille, but I remember it was someone really great. (Note: I looked it up after this interview and it’s Cate Blanchett!)

 

Christina: I know they’re making a Judy Garland biopic and I would love to be involved with that. I sing, I’m petite like Judy Garland and I look like Judy Garland. I would love that. I do have a couple biography books on Lucille Ball so I think that would be a great biopic.

 

Q) I can’t see you and not ask about Bad Moms because it’s one of my favorite movies. What was it like being on that set?

 

Christina: Oh my gosh. I’ve known Christina Applegate for years because we go to the same spiritual center. She’s so easy to work with, so sweet, always taking pictures with her fans and has really great energy. Mila Kunis was on set with her husband Ashton [Kutcher] and the baby so that was amazing. Everything about working in New Orleans. I love New Orleans so the fact that I got to shoot there was such a gift because I’m obsessed with the food and the music—everything about being there was just awesome. It was just one of those dream come true, awesome situations. The first time I read the script I was laughing out loud because it was so funny. I didn’t get to be in Bad Moms 2, but somehow I think it was even funnier. They’re both amazing.

 

Q) I hope there’s a third and that you’re in it!

 

Christina: I know! I have a good feeling. They’re amazing. And Suzanne Todd, the producer of that, is another female that is just as sweet as can be.

 

Caitlin Carver

 

Q) Passionflix is obviously very dedicated to hiring female directors and producers. Why was it important to you to be part of a project on a platform like this?

 

Caitlin: I love anything that stands for female empowerment. Creative, intelligent females are just a joy to work with so that was exciting for me. I loved this script and working with Tosca, who directed it, was just a dream. I haven’t had a chance to work with many female directors so it was exciting to experience that. She’s the best. She’s such a confident person. She has this whole process of how men should treat women and how they should touch them. The guys in the movie had to go through this whole school of how to treat women. It was pretty awesome. I’d never thought about it in that much detail. She’s really respectful and loves females and loves to make sure we’re powerful. It’s cool.

 

Q) Are you a romcom fan?

 

Caitlin: Oh yeah.

 

Q) I know you’re a Mary-Kate and Ashley fan.

 

Caitlin: Oh my god! Wait, I just went down this downward spiral last night of watching interviews with them. I’m not kidding. They don’t do any interviews anymore—only when they children. Except they went on “Ellen” like three years ago and I’ve watched it like five times. But I love them so much and I love Elizabeth Olsen. She’s killing it. I have a serious girl crush on her.

 

Q) What book would you want turned into a movie?

 

Caitlin: There’s this book called The Orphan’s Tale and it’s set during World War II I believe. It follows this girl who’s an orphan and she joins this traveling circus. She’s alone and has a baby—it’s not a romcom. [laughs] But it’s kind of a love story. She falls in love with this guy she shouldn’t be with as she’s traveling with the circus. I keep telling people, “Someone’s got to make this.” I’m sure somebody already has the rights, but it needs to be made.

 

Q) I cannot have you here and not ask about “The Fosters.” That would be sacrilegious.

 

Caitlin: Of course! Let’s talk about it!

 

Q) How do you feel about it ending, and is there any hope that you could appear in the spinoff?

 

Caitlin: Oh my god. That would be wonderful. Honestly, I do have to say being on that show was like the best year of my entire life. It was also when I first started acting, so being able to grow as an actor on that show with those people—I’ve never enjoyed a job more than that one.

 

Q) Well, we loved watching you.

 

Caitlin: Thank you! I know I played kind of a crazy character, but I loved playing her. I can’t say enough good things about it. It was my favorite show in the entire world. And I hope that Brallie is together in the future.

 

Q) You realize when we tweet this interview out, people are going to go crazy. Twitter is going to lose their minds because of that comment.

 

Caitlin: Do it! I still want Brallie! Brallie has to happen. It can’t not happen.