Akiva Schaffer on Directing Disney’s ‘Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers’ and if There’s a ‘Popstar’ Sequel Coming: ‘Never Say Never’

variety.com:

Clayton Davis Although the feature film “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” was released on Disney+ and not in theaters, director Akiva Schaffer knows the importance of seeing a movie with an audience, as proven by the film’s tastemakers screening at the D23 conference and its L.A.

world premiere.“At home, it’s so easy to have a look at your phone,” he tells Variety. “You can miss half the things because they’re visual in the movie, but then again, as somebody who’s put out those movies and had nobody in the theaters, that’s not any good either.”He’s referencing the poor box-office performance of his last feature, “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” (2016), which he directed and starred in along with the other two members of musical trio the Lonely Island: Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone.

Since then, the film has garnered a cult following. “When people would say ‘Popstar’ has two funny jokes, I’d be like, if you were in a theater, you’d be hearing all the laughs and you’d have to acknowledge hearing the laughter,” Schaffer says. “You’d at least have to phrase it differently and say, ‘The audience was laughing all over but I only found two jokes funny.”Read more: Variety’s Awards Circuit Emmys Predictions Hub.Schaffer has been sharpening his directing skills for some time now, with comedies outings such as “Hot Rod” (2007) and “The Watch” (2012).

For his fourth feature, “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,” he offers a nostalgic bridge for both adults and kids to engage with the Disney+ streaming feature.Oscar-nominated producer Todd Lieberman (“The Fighter”) was a fan of Schaffer’s last film, and the two had a general meeting to discuss the possibility of working together on future projects.