Netflix Used CGI For Kissing Scenes In Its Biggest Movie?
Comedian Andrew Schulz says the kiss between Jonah Hill and Lauren London in You People was CGI'd after the fact.
Jonah Hill and Lauren London, stars of the Netflix romantic comedy You People, didn’t actually kiss in the final scene of the movie. The sweet moment was achieved by GCI. The revelation was made by comedian Andrew Schulz during an appearance on The Brilliant Idiots podcast. “In the final scene, they don’t even kiss. It’s CGI. Swear to God,” he said.
Shultz also joked about how the lead stars don’t make a great on-screen couple. The actor, who portrayed Cousin Avi in the Netflix movie, then detailed how the CGI kissing scene in You People was filmed. “I’m watching the wedding and I see them go in for the kiss and their faces stop like this far,” he explained, gesturing a distance of about six inches.
Wondering how Netflix would rework the You People scene, Shultz assumed it would just cut right there. “But in the movie you see their faces come close and morph a little bit into a fake kiss,” he continued. Although CGI may have killed the romance for some viewers, the scene still works. Ezra and Amira are shown kissing in a slow-motion shot as flower petals fall around them after their wedding.
However, using CGI for a kiss in a scene with seasoned actors is a little strange. One theory doing the rounds on social media is that the stars of Netflix’s You People simply didn’t have any chemistry. Interestingly, this was a real concern for Lauren London when she was offered the role. Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar, the actress admitted that she was reluctant to take the part.
London said she worried that the bond between Ezra and Amira wouldn’t feel genuine. “I thought, ‘Why would these two people really like each other?’” she told the publication. “We have to showcase a real connection. They’re from two different worlds, and if you see them, you would never think that they would meet or hang out, whatever the case is,” the star of Netflix’s You People continued.
But she eventually took the role because it sparked a conversation about genuinely connecting with people on a soulful level. London also admitted that she was surprised at how well she got along with Hill while filming Netflix’s You People. “I’m a Black woman and he’s a white man… [But] we have a lot in common in our lives,” she said.
Despite their differences, the Madea’s Big Happy Family star said they have a lot of shared experiences and see life similarly. “Also growing up in LA, though we grew up in different areas… We’re both LA kids,” she continued. So far Netflix has not responded to requests for comment on the CGI kiss in You People.
Created for Netflix, You People is directed by Kenya Barris from a script he co-wrote with Jonah Hill. The story follows an interracial couple whose families have to deal with cultural clashes, societal expectations, and generational differences leading up to their wedding.
Starring alongside Jonah Hill as Ezra Cohen and Lauren London as Amira Mohammed is a stellar ensemble cast that includes David Duchovny, Nia Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Eddie Murphy. Netflix’s You People was released in select theaters on January 20th, before its streaming release on January 27th.
