Walt Becker: Episode 71

It’s the seventy-first episode of On The List with Brett Gursky. This week's guest Walt Becker talks all about his career as a director. Walt and Brett talk about his latest movie “Clifford the Big Red Dog”, which was both the #1 family film at the box office and the #1 trending movie on Paramount Plus. Walt gives Brett behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the live-action film starring a CGI dog. They discuss the history of Norman Bridwell’s iconic Clifford character, which spawned 80 books and an animated series. They also chat about the breaking news that the movie will be getting a sequel. Then Walt takes Brett back to the beginning, from growing up in California and making home movies to attending USC film school. Walt explains how he got to direct his first movie “Buying the Cow”, which starred Jerry O’Connell and a newcomer named Ryan Reynolds, and how that led to Walt & Ryan making their breakthrough movie “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder”. Walt tells Brett how he got his next film “Wild Hogs” and how he assembled the cast that included John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, Ray Liotta, and Marisa Tomei. Then Walt talks about working with John Travolta again on “Old Dogs” and adding the legendary Robin Williams to the mix. They also chat about Walt’s TV shows “Glory Daze” and “Kirby Buckets” and how he started directing family films with the blockbuster hit “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip”. Last but not least, Walt shares his advice for aspiring filmmakers. Be sure to check out “Clifford the Big Red Dog” at a theater near you or on Paramount Plus.