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When it comes to making movies about funny women, Tracy Oliver might be Hollywoods first call.
You have the power to write it.
And the thing about writing is that its free.
You dont have to raise money to write.
Theres no one telling you you cant do it.
Oliver makes it seem easy, but the job isnt without its hurdles.
How, exactly, do you remake movies that a generation grew up rewatching moviesyougrew up rewatching?
And what happens when you dont get all the control you thought writing would help you regain?
Were all very different women and for some reason that movie brought us together.
Its really feel-good, really fun.
I think a lot of comedies right now are not leaning into fun.
Theyre almost like dramas.
With this, I really want people to laugh women in particular.
And it was really important for me to keep all of the women over 40.
People were saying to me, Divorce isnt what it used to be.
People are getting divorced in their 20s.
People are getting divorced in their 30s.
And thats true, you could totally do aFirst Wives Clubwhere everyones younger.
Thats part of the movie that I dont want to undo.
Theres that great You Dont Own Me rendition at the end of the original movie.
I cant say specifically what we did, but its in our finale.
It was inspiring seeing Ariana, honestly, because we were shooting the show.
She shouted outFirst Wives Club!
Everyone was like,Oh my God, Ariana Grande is aware of the show.
Did you grow up really loving the movie?I did.
I loved it so much that this project scared me, if I can be completely honest.
Tell me why.Paramount approached me to do it.Clueless, for me, was so unique to the 90s.
Everybody in it was so perfectly cast, and Amy Heckerling is just a genius.
I think shes incredibly underrated as a writer and a filmmaker.
My initial reaction was,Absolutely not.
They basically said that its not a remake, per se, but areimagining.
What is your writing process, typically?
Then once you feel like you have a movie, I will kind of translate those cards into outlining.
The outlining process is really extensive for me.
I like to spend less time on the script and more time in the preparation phase.
When I get to the script I have a really good road map.
Ill just find an Airbnb and I literally just stake out a location.
Last year youtold Rookiethat writing is the most powerful currency you’re free to have.
As much as I enjoy performing, youre always auditioning for someone.
Theres nothing you could do about it.
I felt like I was always at someone elses mercy.
As long as you have an idea and a vision, you’ve got the option to write.
you could teach yourself.
I thought that was really powerful, that I dont have to get permission to write.
I can do it whenever I feel like it.
If you end up being good at writing its even more powerful.
Once I realized how powerful that was, I kind of became addicted to it.
I mean, yes.
But everyone would say, But inBridesmaidsthose are white women.
Maya Rudolph was in it, but it was mostly white.
Until you create the thing that you could then point to, theres no example for it.
Where I was told, Well, we dont really have examples of that.
And then of course,Get Outcomes out.
So my experience now is that because we haveGirls TripandGet Out, the landscape is much friendlier.
Thats not to say that we dont have a long way to go.
Since weve been talking about women in their 40s, Im wondering how you see yourself in your 40s.
What will Tracy Oliver be doing, feeling, seeing?I hope Im a boss.
Thats so vague, but really what I mean is that I want my own company.
