Get Him to the Greek
Encyclopedia
Get Him to the Greek is a 2010 American comedy film
written, produced, and directed by Nicholas Stoller
and starring Jonah Hill
and Russell Brand
. The film was released on June 4, 2010. Get Him to the Greek is a spin-off sequel
of Stoller's 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall
, reuniting director Stoller with stars Hill and Brand. Brand reprises his role as character Aldous Snow from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, while Hill plays an entirely new character. The film also stars Elisabeth Moss
, Rose Byrne
, and P Diddy.
) a man with extreme talent who runs quick, releases an album—and a titular single—"African Child", which is a commercial and critical failure. Despite having been drug and alcohol free for seven years, along with his pop-star girlfriend Jackie Q (Rose Byrne
), when—in an interview—she drunkenly declares they have a boring life, he relapses—which effectively ends his relationship with her, makes him lose custody of their son, Naples, and sabotages his career.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles
, Aaron Green (Jonah Hill
) works as a low-level talent scout at Pinnacle Records, a successful record company. He lives with his girlfriend, Daphne (Elisabeth Moss
), a medical intern. Pinnacle Records is losing a lot of money as a result of poor record sales, and the head of the company, Sergio Roma (P Diddy), asks for ideas. Green proposes that Aldous Snow play at the Greek Theatre
in Los Angeles on the tenth anniversary of his legendary performance there. Sergio sends Aaron to London
to escort Aldous to the performance. Before he leaves, Daphne informs Aaron that she has received a job offer in Seattle and that they are moving there, which leads to an argument resulting in an apparent break-up.
After retrieving Aldous from his apartment, Aaron tries futilely to control Aldous's rambunctious behavior, which causes them to miss several flights. They bar-hop across the city for several hours, leaving a trail of women and alcohol in their wake. Daphne calls Aaron to apologize for the fight, only to learn that Aaron believes that they are broken up. Throughout his partying, Aaron's cellphone accidentally calls Daphne periodically, informing her of Aaron's activities.
Aaron and Aldous travel to New York for Aldous's appearance on Today. To keep Aldous sober for his performance, Aaron imbibes all of Aldous's whiskey and marijuana. Minutes before the performance, Aldous realizes he is unable to remember the lyrics to his most recent and unpopular song, "African Child", and replaces it with an older hit, "The Clap", to cheers and excitement from the audience.
About to embark on a flight to Los Angeles, Aldous forces Aaron to smuggle heroin in his rectum. During their travels, Aaron learns that Aldous has become miserable and lonely, as he misses his son and has been alienated from his own father Jonathan (Colm Meaney
) for years. Aaron suggests he visit him after the show; instead Aldous insists they go to Las Vegas to see Jonathan. Sergio soon arrives, with plans to "mindfuck" Aldous to Los Angeles. Sergio hooks up Aaron with a sexually rambunctious girl named Destiny (Carla Gallo
), who takes him to a hotel room and rapes him. After Aaron tells Aldous that he has been raped, Aldous gives him a "Geoffrey", a joint described as "a Neapolitan
of drugs". Aaron panics and starts to have a bad trip
, believing he is having a heart attack. Jonathan makes the trip worse by agreeing that Aaron is having a heart attack while Aldous attempts to calm Aaron down, primarily by the comforting sensation of stroking the furry walls of the hotel suite. Aldous fights with his father; Sergio (who is also high) jumps in the fight, and inadvertently sets the lounge on fire. Aldous attempts to help Aaron by giving him an adrenaline shot and they run out of the hotel, chased by Sergio, who is hit by a car but comes out unharmed.
Aldous and Aaron flee to Los Angeles, where Aldous visits Jackie Q. She has been sleeping with Metallica
's drummer, Lars Ulrich
(playing himself) and confesses that Naples is not actually his biological son, but instead is a photographer's son. This depresses him even further. Meanwhile, Aaron goes to his home to apologize to Daphne. They are interrupted when Aldous arrives at their house and proposes that he, Aaron, and Daphne engage in a threesome; Daphne (who is mad at Aaron) agrees and Aaron hesitantly goes along. During the threesome, Aaron angrily decides to kiss Aldous, breaking it up. Daphne and Aaron both immediately regret the threesome, and Aaron angrily tells Aldous to go, criticizing Aldous's overall mental state.
Instead of preparing for his show, Aldous goes to the rooftop of the Standard Hotel
in downtown Los Angeles, and calls Aaron, threatening to jump. Aaron rushes to the hotel, and attempts to coax Aldous down from the roof. Instead, Aldous jumps into a rooftoop pool several floors down, accidentally breaking an arm. Aldous tells Aaron that he is lonely, sad and embarrassed, but Aaron reminds Aldous that thousands of fans love him and are waiting just to see him. Aldous decides to perform at the Greek Theatre despite his injury, even though Aaron pleas for him to go to the hospital. Upon their arrival, Sergio offers Aaron drugs to give to Aldous so he will not cancel the concert. Aaron angrily refuses and quits his job on the spot. He walks stage-side with Aldous, trying to convince him to go to the hospital instead. However, Aaron sees how happy Aldous is while performing and heads home to reconcile with Daphne.
Months later in Seattle (where Aaron and Daphne have moved), Aldous, sober once again, has returned to fame with a single "Furry Walls" produced by Aaron (now his official producer) based on events from their night in Las Vegas, performing on the VH1 Storytellers
program.
In addition to Russell Brand's past companion Karl Theobald appearing in the film, Brand's friends Greg "Mr Gee" Sekweyama and Jamie Sives
both appear in the film.
, Universal Studios
announced a new film Get Him to the Greek, reuniting Jonah Hill
and Russell Brand
with writer/director Nicholas Stoller
and producer Judd Apatow
. Variety initially announced the project would focus on "fresh-out-of-college insurance adjuster (Hill) who is hired to accompany an out-of-control rock star (Brand) from London to a gig at L.A.'s Greek Theatre
." In July 2008, Brand mentioned that he would be reprising his Aldous Snow role from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, in a new film from Apatow in which the character was back on drugs.
In an interview with CHUD.com, Apatow would later reveal that Get Him to the Greek was indeed a spin-off
of Forgetting Sarah Marshall with Brand again playing a no-longer-sober Aldous Snow while in a different interview Nicholas Stoller said that Jonah Hill
will play a different character named Aaron Green, a young music executive.
preparing to present the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
, he approached Christina Aguilera
, Pink
, and Katy Perry
about filming cameos for Get Him to the Greek.
Rehearsals began on April 27, 2009 with filming beginning on May 12. The film was shot in New York, Las Vegas
, Los Angeles
and London
, the first Apatow film to be filmed outside America. While filming in Trafalgar Square, Brand was attacked by a passer-by who pushed him into the fountain.
On April 17, 2009, Brand filmed scenes of him performing as rock star Aldous Snow at his sellout comedy show "Russell Brand: Scandalous", at the O2 arena
in London, in front of an audience of 20,000 fans. He performed the songs "Inside Of You" and "I Am Jesus".
Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes
gives the film a score of 73% based on 176 reviews, with an average score of 6.3/10 The critical consensus is: "Thanks to a suitably raunchy script and a pair of winning performances from Jonah Hill and Russell Brand, Get Him to the Greek is one of the year's funniest comedies.".
Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 65, based on 39 reviews.
Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
gave the film three out of four stars by saying that "under the cover of slapstick, cheap laughs, raunchy humor, gross-out physical comedy and sheer exploitation, Get Him to the Greek also is fundamentally a sound movie."
with a gross of $17,570,955. The movie fell to fourth the following week with a weekend gross of $10,100,000.
In the UK, Get Him to the Greek opened at #1 grossing £1,569,556 in its first week before dropping to #2 the following week with takings of £1,048,898. Get Him to the Greek had one of the best runs ever for a Rock n' Roll based comedy, second only to School of Rock
. It has collected $60,974,475 in the United States and Canada
as well as $27,400,000 overseas bringing its worldwide total to $88,374,475.
and Blu-ray
on September 28, 2010. AllMusic gave the album three-and-a-half out of five stars.
said that Brand and Universal Pictures "felt very strongly about doing something like this as opposed to a traditional soundtrack," and that they "wanted to release it like we would an actual rock band's album." Several songs are featured in the film that were not included on the soundtrack were:
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
written, produced, and directed by Nicholas Stoller
Nicholas Stoller
Nicholas Stoller is an English–American screenwriter and director. He is known mainly for directing the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and its 2010 spin-off/sequel, Get Him to the Greek.-Life and career:...
and starring Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
and Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
. The film was released on June 4, 2010. Get Him to the Greek is a spin-off sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
of Stoller's 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand...
, reuniting director Stoller with stars Hill and Brand. Brand reprises his role as character Aldous Snow from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, while Hill plays an entirely new character. The film also stars Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Singleton Moss is an American actor. Her notable roles include that of Zoey Bartlet, the third and youngest daughter of President Jed Bartlet, on the NBC television series The West Wing , and secretary turned copywriter Peggy Olson on the AMC original series Mad Men .-Early life and...
, Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne
Mary Rose Byrne is an Australian actress.Byrne made her screen debut in 1994 with a small role in the film Dallas Doll...
, and P Diddy.
Plot
British rock star Aldous Snow (Russell BrandRussell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
) a man with extreme talent who runs quick, releases an album—and a titular single—"African Child", which is a commercial and critical failure. Despite having been drug and alcohol free for seven years, along with his pop-star girlfriend Jackie Q (Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne
Mary Rose Byrne is an Australian actress.Byrne made her screen debut in 1994 with a small role in the film Dallas Doll...
), when—in an interview—she drunkenly declares they have a boring life, he relapses—which effectively ends his relationship with her, makes him lose custody of their son, Naples, and sabotages his career.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Aaron Green (Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
) works as a low-level talent scout at Pinnacle Records, a successful record company. He lives with his girlfriend, Daphne (Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Singleton Moss is an American actor. Her notable roles include that of Zoey Bartlet, the third and youngest daughter of President Jed Bartlet, on the NBC television series The West Wing , and secretary turned copywriter Peggy Olson on the AMC original series Mad Men .-Early life and...
), a medical intern. Pinnacle Records is losing a lot of money as a result of poor record sales, and the head of the company, Sergio Roma (P Diddy), asks for ideas. Green proposes that Aldous Snow play at the Greek Theatre
Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
The Greek Theatre is a 5,700-seat amphitheater, located at Griffith Park, in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1929, opening on September 29 of that year...
in Los Angeles on the tenth anniversary of his legendary performance there. Sergio sends Aaron to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to escort Aldous to the performance. Before he leaves, Daphne informs Aaron that she has received a job offer in Seattle and that they are moving there, which leads to an argument resulting in an apparent break-up.
After retrieving Aldous from his apartment, Aaron tries futilely to control Aldous's rambunctious behavior, which causes them to miss several flights. They bar-hop across the city for several hours, leaving a trail of women and alcohol in their wake. Daphne calls Aaron to apologize for the fight, only to learn that Aaron believes that they are broken up. Throughout his partying, Aaron's cellphone accidentally calls Daphne periodically, informing her of Aaron's activities.
Aaron and Aldous travel to New York for Aldous's appearance on Today. To keep Aldous sober for his performance, Aaron imbibes all of Aldous's whiskey and marijuana. Minutes before the performance, Aldous realizes he is unable to remember the lyrics to his most recent and unpopular song, "African Child", and replaces it with an older hit, "The Clap", to cheers and excitement from the audience.
About to embark on a flight to Los Angeles, Aldous forces Aaron to smuggle heroin in his rectum. During their travels, Aaron learns that Aldous has become miserable and lonely, as he misses his son and has been alienated from his own father Jonathan (Colm Meaney
Colm Meaney
Colm J. Meaney is an Irish actor widely known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael Dorn in most appearances in Star Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law & Order to The Simpsons...
) for years. Aaron suggests he visit him after the show; instead Aldous insists they go to Las Vegas to see Jonathan. Sergio soon arrives, with plans to "mindfuck" Aldous to Los Angeles. Sergio hooks up Aaron with a sexually rambunctious girl named Destiny (Carla Gallo
Carla Gallo
Carla Gallo is an American actress notable for roles in the television series Undeclared, Carnivàle, and Bones, and in the indie film Spanking the Monkey.-Filmography:-External links:...
), who takes him to a hotel room and rapes him. After Aaron tells Aldous that he has been raped, Aldous gives him a "Geoffrey", a joint described as "a Neapolitan
Neapolitan ice cream
Neapolitan ice cream is made up of blocks of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream side by side in the same container ....
of drugs". Aaron panics and starts to have a bad trip
Bad trip
Bad trip is a disturbing experience sometimes associated with use of a psychedelic drug such as LSD, Salvinorin A, DXM, mescaline, psilocybin, DMT and sometimes even other drugs including cannabis, alcohol and MDMA....
, believing he is having a heart attack. Jonathan makes the trip worse by agreeing that Aaron is having a heart attack while Aldous attempts to calm Aaron down, primarily by the comforting sensation of stroking the furry walls of the hotel suite. Aldous fights with his father; Sergio (who is also high) jumps in the fight, and inadvertently sets the lounge on fire. Aldous attempts to help Aaron by giving him an adrenaline shot and they run out of the hotel, chased by Sergio, who is hit by a car but comes out unharmed.
Aldous and Aaron flee to Los Angeles, where Aldous visits Jackie Q. She has been sleeping with Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's drummer, Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
(playing himself) and confesses that Naples is not actually his biological son, but instead is a photographer's son. This depresses him even further. Meanwhile, Aaron goes to his home to apologize to Daphne. They are interrupted when Aldous arrives at their house and proposes that he, Aaron, and Daphne engage in a threesome; Daphne (who is mad at Aaron) agrees and Aaron hesitantly goes along. During the threesome, Aaron angrily decides to kiss Aldous, breaking it up. Daphne and Aaron both immediately regret the threesome, and Aaron angrily tells Aldous to go, criticizing Aldous's overall mental state.
Instead of preparing for his show, Aldous goes to the rooftop of the Standard Hotel
Standard Hotel
The Standard Hotel brand is a part of Andre Balazs Properties. It is a group of four boutique hotels in Los Angeles , Miami and New York.- History :...
in downtown Los Angeles, and calls Aaron, threatening to jump. Aaron rushes to the hotel, and attempts to coax Aldous down from the roof. Instead, Aldous jumps into a rooftoop pool several floors down, accidentally breaking an arm. Aldous tells Aaron that he is lonely, sad and embarrassed, but Aaron reminds Aldous that thousands of fans love him and are waiting just to see him. Aldous decides to perform at the Greek Theatre despite his injury, even though Aaron pleas for him to go to the hospital. Upon their arrival, Sergio offers Aaron drugs to give to Aldous so he will not cancel the concert. Aaron angrily refuses and quits his job on the spot. He walks stage-side with Aldous, trying to convince him to go to the hospital instead. However, Aaron sees how happy Aldous is while performing and heads home to reconcile with Daphne.
Months later in Seattle (where Aaron and Daphne have moved), Aldous, sober once again, has returned to fame with a single "Furry Walls" produced by Aaron (now his official producer) based on events from their night in Las Vegas, performing on the VH1 Storytellers
VH1 Storytellers
Storytellers is a television music series produced by the VH1 network.In each episode artists perform in front of a live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat similar to MTV Unplugged...
program.
Cast
- Jonah HillJonah HillJonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
as Aaron Green, a record company internInternInternship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
. - Russell BrandRussell BrandRussell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
as Aldous Snow, an out-of-control rock star with a faltering career who first appears in Forgetting Sarah MarshallForgetting Sarah MarshallForgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand...
. - Elisabeth MossElisabeth MossElisabeth Singleton Moss is an American actor. Her notable roles include that of Zoey Bartlet, the third and youngest daughter of President Jed Bartlet, on the NBC television series The West Wing , and secretary turned copywriter Peggy Olson on the AMC original series Mad Men .-Early life and...
as Daphne Binks, Aaron's girlfriend. - Rose ByrneRose ByrneMary Rose Byrne is an Australian actress.Byrne made her screen debut in 1994 with a small role in the film Dallas Doll...
as Jackie Q, a scandal-plagued pop star, Aldous's on and off girlfriend and Naples's mother. - P. DiddySean CombsSean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
as Sergio Roma, a record company owner who assigns Aaron to court Aldous. - Colm MeaneyColm MeaneyColm J. Meaney is an Irish actor widely known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael Dorn in most appearances in Star Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law & Order to The Simpsons...
as Jonathan Snow, Aldous's father who mooches off his son for his own personal gain. - Kali HawkKali HawkKali Hawk is an American actress, comedian and model.Hawk was raised in Manhattan. She is of African-American, Native American, and German Jewish ancestry...
as Kali Coleman, one of Aaron's co-workers. - Aziz AnsariAziz AnsariAziz Ansari is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He currently stars as Tom Haverford on the NBC show Parks and Recreation....
as Matty Briggs, one of Aaron's co-workers. - Nick KrollNick KrollNick Kroll is an American actor and comedian best known for appearing in television shows such as Best Week Ever, Cavemen and Sit Down, Shut Up. He co-stars in the shows The Life & Times of Tim and The League....
as Kevin McLean, one of Aaron's co-workers. - Ellie KemperEllie KemperElizabeth Claire "Ellie" Kemper is an American actress, comedian and writer best known for her role as Erin Hannon in NBC's The Office.-Personal life:...
as Pinnacle Executive, one of Aaron's co-workers. - Karl TheobaldKarl TheobaldKarl Theobald is an English comedian and actor, best known as Dr. Martin Dear in Channel 4 sitcom Green Wing, and for his physical comedy style....
as Aldous's assistant. - Carla GalloCarla GalloCarla Gallo is an American actress notable for roles in the television series Undeclared, Carnivàle, and Bones, and in the indie film Spanking the Monkey.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Destiny, a groupieGroupieA groupie is a person who seeks emotional and sexual intimacy with a musician or other celebrity. "Groupie" is derived from group in reference to a musical group, but the word is also used in a more general sense, especially in casual conversation....
. - Alyssa CooperAlyssa CooperAlyssa Cooper is an accomplished stand-up comic, writer, actress, and passionate activist for the environment and alternative health movements. She released her first full length album entitled Within...
as Girlband member. - T. J. MillerT. J. MillerTodd Joseph Miller , better known as T. J. Miller, is an American actor and stand-up comedian.-Life and career:Miller was born in Denver, Colorado. He attended East High School. Miller then attended the George Washington University in Washington, D.C...
as Brian, a drug-dealing hotel clerk. - Lino FacioliLino FacioliLino Schmidek Facioli is a Brazilian child actor, who lives in London since 2005. He is known for his roles as Naples in Get Him to the Greek , Lino in the Daniel Florencio short film 'Awfully Deep' and...
as Naples, Jackie Q's son. He was thought to be Aldous's son but later in the film it is revealed that his biological father was a photographer. - Kristen SchaalKristen SchaalKristen Schaal is an American actress, writer and comedienne, best known for her role as Mel in the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, as Louise in Bob's Burgers and as a contributor on The Daily Show.-Early life:...
as Today Show production assistant. - Kristen BellKristen BellKristen Anne Bell is an American actress. Although her first film role was an uncredited appearance in Polish Wedding, Bell previously acted in stage and musical productions. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer...
as Sarah MarshallForgetting Sarah MarshallForgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand...
, an actress who used to date Aldous. - Dinah Stabb as Lena Snow, Aldous's mother.
- Lenny J. Widegren as Infant Sorrow guitarist.
Playing themselves
- Tom FeltonTom FeltonThomas Andrew "Tom" Felton is an English actor and musician. He is best known for playing the role of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series, the movie adaptations of the best-selling Harry Potter fantasy novels by author J. K...
- Christina AguileraChristina AguileraChristina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
- PinkPink (singer)Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
- Kurt LoderKurt LoderKurt Loder is an American film critic, author, columnist, and television personality. He served in the 1980s as editor at Rolling Stone, during a tenure that Reason later called "legendary". He has contributed to articles in Reason, Esquire, Details, New York, and Time. He has also made cameos on...
(as Kurt F. Loder) - Meredith VieiraMeredith VieiraMeredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She is best known for her roles as the original moderator of the ABC talk program The View and co-host of the long-running NBC News morning news program, Today...
- Mario LopezMario LópezMario Michael Lopez, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway. He is best known for his portrayal of the character A.C. Slater on Saved By The Bell, which he also portrayed as a regular on Saved by the Bell: The College Years...
- Pharrell
- Paul KrugmanPaul KrugmanPaul Robin Krugman is an American economist, professor of Economics and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, Centenary Professor at the London School of Economics, and an op-ed columnist for The New York Times...
- Lars UlrichLars UlrichLars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
- Rick SchroderRick SchroderRichard Bartlett "Rick" Schroder, Jr. is an American actor and film director.He debuted in the 1979 hit film The Champ, going on to become a child star on the sitcom Silver Spoons...
- Zöe SalmonZöe SalmonZöe Salmon is a television presenter who hosted the children's television show Blue Peter from 23 December 2004 to 25 June 2008. She also appeared on Dancing on Ice in early 2009.-Life and career:...
- Katy PerryKaty PerryKaty Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
(deleted scenes) - Johnny DeppJohnny DeppJohn Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
- Owen WilsonOwen WilsonOwen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
- Dee SniderDee SniderDaniel "Dee" Snider is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider is most famous for his role as the frontman of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister...
(uncredited) - Holly WeberHolly WeberHolly Beth Weber is an American actress and model. She has appeared on television programs such as Modern Family and Men of a Certain Age. She began her film career being featured in several films such as Roger Corman's Supergator and the short film Room Service, starring Howie Mandel...
(uncredited) - Billy Bush
In addition to Russell Brand's past companion Karl Theobald appearing in the film, Brand's friends Greg "Mr Gee" Sekweyama and Jamie Sives
Jamie Sives
-Filmography:-External links:...
both appear in the film.
Development
A week after the release of Forgetting Sarah MarshallForgetting Sarah Marshall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand...
, Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
announced a new film Get Him to the Greek, reuniting Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
and Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
with writer/director Nicholas Stoller
Nicholas Stoller
Nicholas Stoller is an English–American screenwriter and director. He is known mainly for directing the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and its 2010 spin-off/sequel, Get Him to the Greek.-Life and career:...
and producer Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well known for his work in comedy films, especially for films he has been involved with throughout the latter half of the 2000s. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, a film production company that also developed the...
. Variety initially announced the project would focus on "fresh-out-of-college insurance adjuster (Hill) who is hired to accompany an out-of-control rock star (Brand) from London to a gig at L.A.'s Greek Theatre
Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
The Greek Theatre is a 5,700-seat amphitheater, located at Griffith Park, in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1929, opening on September 29 of that year...
." In July 2008, Brand mentioned that he would be reprising his Aldous Snow role from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, in a new film from Apatow in which the character was back on drugs.
In an interview with CHUD.com, Apatow would later reveal that Get Him to the Greek was indeed a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of Forgetting Sarah Marshall with Brand again playing a no-longer-sober Aldous Snow while in a different interview Nicholas Stoller said that Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
will play a different character named Aaron Green, a young music executive.
Filming
While Russell Brand was backstage at the Paramount studio lotParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
preparing to present the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
2008 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008 live from Paramount Pictures Studios , honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were announced on the MTV program FNMTV after being selected through viewer online voting at...
, he approached Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
, and Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
about filming cameos for Get Him to the Greek.
Rehearsals began on April 27, 2009 with filming beginning on May 12. The film was shot in New York, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the first Apatow film to be filmed outside America. While filming in Trafalgar Square, Brand was attacked by a passer-by who pushed him into the fountain.
On April 17, 2009, Brand filmed scenes of him performing as rock star Aldous Snow at his sellout comedy show "Russell Brand: Scandalous", at the O2 arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London, in front of an audience of 20,000 fans. He performed the songs "Inside Of You" and "I Am Jesus".
Critical reception
The film has received generally positive reviews.Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives the film a score of 73% based on 176 reviews, with an average score of 6.3/10 The critical consensus is: "Thanks to a suitably raunchy script and a pair of winning performances from Jonah Hill and Russell Brand, Get Him to the Greek is one of the year's funniest comedies.".
Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 65, based on 39 reviews.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
gave the film three out of four stars by saying that "under the cover of slapstick, cheap laughs, raunchy humor, gross-out physical comedy and sheer exploitation, Get Him to the Greek also is fundamentally a sound movie."
Box office
In its opening weekend, the film debuted at #2 behind Shrek Forever AfterShrek Forever After
Shrek Forever After, taglined as The Final Chapter, is a 2010 animated fantasy-comedy film, and the fourth and final installment in the Shrek film series, produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film was released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas on May 20, 2010 in Russia, and on May 21 in the United...
with a gross of $17,570,955. The movie fell to fourth the following week with a weekend gross of $10,100,000.
In the UK, Get Him to the Greek opened at #1 grossing £1,569,556 in its first week before dropping to #2 the following week with takings of £1,048,898. Get Him to the Greek had one of the best runs ever for a Rock n' Roll based comedy, second only to School of Rock
School of Rock
School of Rock, also called The School of Rock, is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike White, and starring Jack Black...
. It has collected $60,974,475 in the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as well as $27,400,000 overseas bringing its worldwide total to $88,374,475.
Home media
A 2-disc and 1-disc unrated and theatrical version of the film was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on September 28, 2010. AllMusic gave the album three-and-a-half out of five stars.
Soundtrack
Kim Garner, the senior vice president of marketing and artist development at Universal RepublicUniversal Republic
Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman...
said that Brand and Universal Pictures "felt very strongly about doing something like this as opposed to a traditional soundtrack," and that they "wanted to release it like we would an actual rock band's album." Several songs are featured in the film that were not included on the soundtrack were:
- "And Ghosted Pouts (Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt)Scabdates-CD pressing:-Source of recordings:05/12/2004 – Wiltern Theatre – Los Angeles, CA* "Haruspex"* "Cicatriz"05/13/2004 – Wiltern Theatre – Los Angeles, CA* "Caviglia"05/05/2005 – Roseland Ballroom – New York City, NY* "Abrasions Mount the Timpani"...
" by The Mars VoltaThe Mars VoltaThe Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and... - "London CallingLondon Calling (song)"London Calling" is a song by the British punk rock band The Clash. It was released as a single from the band's 1979 double album London Calling...
" by The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly... - "Anarchy in the U.K.Anarchy in the U.K."Anarchy in the U.K." was covered by American thrash metal band Megadeth for their third album So Far, So Good... So What!, released in 1988.Notoriously, the song has incorrect lyrics...
" by The Sex Pistols - "20th Century Boy20th Century Boy"20th Century Boy" is a song by T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan. It was released as a single in 1973 and reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart. The song did not feature on an original studio album but was included as a bonus track on a reissue of 1973 album Tanx.It later returned to the UK Top 20 in...
" by T.RexT. Rex (band)T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name... - "Rocks OffRocks Off"Rocks Off" is the opening track on the Rolling Stones' 1972 double album Exile On Main St..Recorded between July 1971 and March 1972, "Rocks Off" is one of the songs on the album that was written and recorded at Villa Nellcôte, a house Keith Richards rented in the south of France during the summer...
" by The Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up... - "Another Girl, Another PlanetAnother Girl, Another PlanetIn December 2004 Blink-182 recorded a cover of this song for the opening track of Travis Barker's MTV reality show Meet the Barkers. It was later released in 2005 on their Greatest Hits album...
" by The Only OnesThe Only OnesThe Only Ones are an English rock band. They were initially active in the late 1970s and were associated with punk rock, yet straddled the musical territory in between punk, power pop and hard rock, with noticeable influences from psychedelia... - "Strict MachineStrict Machine"Strict Machine" is an electronic dance song written by British group Goldfrapp and Nick Batt for their second studio album Black Cherry . It was produced by Goldfrapp and describes laboratory rats in neuroscience experiments...
" by GoldfrappGoldfrappGoldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory .... - "Ghosts N StuffGhosts N Stuff"Ghosts 'n' Stuff" is a house song produced by progressive house and electro house artist deadmau5 featuring Rob Swire from Australian drum and bass/electronic rock band Pendulum...
" by Deadmau5Deadmau5Joel Thomas Zimmerman , better known by his stage name deadmau5 , is a Canadian progressive, electro, and house producer based in Toronto...
featuring Rob SwireRob SwireRob Swire , is an Australian record producer, singer and keyboardist. Swire is best known as lead singer and producer of Australian electronic band Pendulum and is sometimes referred to by the stage name Anscenic... - "Personality CrisisPersonality crisisPersonality crisis may refer to:* Identity crisis , undeveloped or confused identity* Midlife crisis* "Personality Crisis", a song by the New York Dolls* Personality Crisis * Personality Crisis , by The Bear Quartet...
" by The New York Dolls - "Girls on the Dance Floor" by Far East MovementFar east movementFar East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
- "Come on EileenCome on Eileen"Come On Eileen" was a single released by Dexys Midnight Runners in 1982. The song was written by Kevin Rowland, "Big" Jim Paterson, and Billy Adams; it was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. It also appeared on the album Too-Rye-Ay...
" by Dexys Midnight RunnersDexys Midnight RunnersDexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.... - "Cretin Hop" by The Ramones
- "Stop Drop and Roll" by Foxboro Hot TubsFoxboro Hot TubsThe Foxboro Hot Tubs band is a side project of Green Day. All members of the band perform live with Green Day . Their debut album, Stop Drop and Roll!!! was released on April 22, 2008....
- "Touch My BodyTouch My Body"Touch My Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written and produced by Carey, along with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson and Terius "The Dream" Nash, and was released as the album's lead single on...
" by Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993... - "Love TodayLove Today"Love Today" is the Grammy-nominated third single released by London-based singer Mika, taken from his album Life in Cartoon Motion. The song was produced by Greg Wells at Rocket Carousel studios and engineered by Drew Pearson. It was released in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2007 as a digital...
" by MikaMika (singer)Mika is a British singer-songwriter.After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007. Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a Brit... - "Fuck Me I'm Famous" by DJ DougalDJ DougalDJ Dougal is a British UK Hardcore and happy hardcore artist and DJ.He first became involved with the dance music scene at the age of 15, while setting up sound systems for some of the first acid house parties, as part of work experience assignment to a music shop.His style is a mix of euphoric...
and GammerGammerGammer is a UK hardcore and Hard Dance producer and DJ.Gammer made his first appearance in the Hardcore scene during 2002 and since he has gone on to be a very successful and prolific producer, being best known for his extensive discography on the revamped Essential Platinum label... - "What Planet You On" by Bodyrox featuring Luciana
- "Inside of You" by Infant Sorrow (which was originally featured in Forgetting Sarah Marshall).
- "Licky feat. Princess Superstar (Herve Remix)" by Larry TeeLarry TeeLarry Tee is a New York City-based DJ, club promoter, and music producer who coined the musical genre term Electroclash and helped launch the careers of such artists as RuPaul, Scissor Sisters, Fischerspooner, Peaches, W.I.T., and Avenue D, and has collaborated with Amanda Lepore and Princess...