Strays producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller had no intention of doing their R-rated dog comedy by halves – including one of the NSFW moments teased in its first trailers.
Reggie (Will Ferrell), you see, has been a Bad Dog. That’s according to his layabout owner Doug (Will Forte), anyway.
After being abandoned and left in the care of his fellow strays – Bug (Jamie Foxx), Maggie (Isla Fisher), and Hunter (Randall Park) – the mutt sets about subverting the road trip comedy by attempting to find his way home – to bite off Doug’s dick.
As Lord says in an interview with 12DOVE, there was "never any question" on pulling back on the raunchier and more risque side to Strays.
"There was just an all hands-in commitment that if we make this movie, we’re going to go all the way," Lord says. "The audience reception is so strong. They’re so delighted and horrified. They can’t believe we’re going there."
As his producing partner warns, though, Strays isn’t your standard gross-out comedy. Miller says the script, written by American Vandal’s Dan Perrault, was "really sweet and warm".
"That’s something we look for. If you’re doing something as raunchy as this. The bad version is the version that’s just angry at the world and trying to be gross for gross’ sake. This had something to say about toxic relationships and had an innocence to it. That made it funny and appealing and good," Miller says.
Strays is out in UK cinemas on August 17 and US cinemas on August 18. For more from Lord and Miller, here’s what they had to say about Across the Spider-Verse’s divisive digital release. Then read our new interview with Strays director Josh Greenbaum.
