All eyes in the sports world are on the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, as Patrick Mahomes tries to lead his team to its third consecutive Super Bowl victory. But while the NFL’s first “three-peat” would be a sports moment for the history books, Super Bowl weekend is also a major event for the entertainment world — no matter how little you might care about football. From Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show to the slew of blockbuster trailers that will inevitably drop, the film, TV, and music industries all converge for the most-viewed event of the year. And the exorbitantly expensive commercials are sure to feature plenty of Hollywood talent on both sides of the camera.
What is it like to direct Super Bowl commercials in your spare time between movies? Speaking to the Playhouse Post, a newsletter associated with the soon-to-be-reopening Southampton Playhouse from Artistic Director (and former IndieWire editor) Eric Kohn, Green detailed the surreal process of working at the apex of the advertising industry.
“It’s crazy to think you can make something that lasts between 30 and 90 seconds, and costs 40 times more than your movies, and 100 million more people will see it,” Green said. “Those budgets really let you get all the toys out and get the time to do it right.”
Green recalled directing Clint Eastwood in Chrysler’s iconic 2012 Super Bowl ad “Halftime in America,” which saw the “Dirty Harry” star deliver a monologue about the country’s ability to rebuild its manufacturing industry. He revealed that the voiceover was initially set to be performed by Al Pacino, but Eastwood replaced him at the last minute and performed 30 takes of the three-minute monologue, giving Green the chance to get to know one of his cinematic heroes.
“It was amazing because every time we reset the shot, we had this bonding experience,” Green said. “I guess it’s not just the toys you get to play with, but the people, too.”
This year’s Super Bowl will feature plenty of such people, with the likes of Barry Keoghan, Tim Robinson, Matthew McConaughey, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crystal, and Meg Ryan all confirmed to be appearing in ads.
