Bottoms Interview: Emma Seligman on Working with Rachel Sennott & Ayo Edebiri

It’s been far too long since we’ve seen a movie like Bottoms - and in some respects, we’ve never seen anything quite like it. Sure, we’ve seen some recent high school comedies that venture into ranch territory, but Bottoms jumps feet first into that zone without even an ounce of hesitation, and once there, delivers non-stop hilarity while also deconstructing the high school comedy classic and highlighting what the formula’s been missing (and often getting wrong) all these years.
Emma Seligman's sophomore feature reunites her with Shiva Baby's Rachel Sennott who stars in Bottoms and also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Seligman. Sennott headlines Bottoms with The Bear breakout Ayo Edebiri playing PJ and Josie respectively, the “ugly, untalented gays” of Rockbridge Falls High School. Eager to get with the girls of their dreams, PJ and Josie start a new school club - a fight club. What begins as an extremely bold move to get cheerleaders to notice them turns into a community that gives school outcasts a sense of belonging and ignites a ferocious fire to stand up for themselves.
Bottoms is an Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott movie. There’s no other creative duo who could have brought this concept to screen quite this way, and the folks at Brownstone Productions and Orion Pictures knew it. With Bottoms now playing in theater nationwide, Seligman joined me for a Collider Ladies Night interview to recap her journey in the industry thus far and to discuss how she found the perfect creative partners for the film, ones who believed in her vision and her ability to execute it her way.
Hear all about it on this edition of Collider Ladies Night!
Listen to this conversation uncut in podcast form here: open.spotify.com/episode/3phX...
#bottoms #interview #filmmaking
00:00 Dicey Questions
02:45 Introduction
03:05 Wanting to Become a Film Critic
05:00 Studying at NYU
06:52 Fighting for Her Bottoms DP
08:14 Meeting Rachel Sennott
09:29 Going from Shiva Baby to Bottoms
11:05 Bottoms: Getting the Green Light
13:03 Rachel Sennott & Ayo Edebiri
15:22 Casting the Bottoms Ensemble
16:44 Rooting for Characters Who Are Assholes
18:50 First Cut vs. Final Feature
20:19 Bottoms Deleted Scene
21:24 Test Screening Response
24:41 The Final Shot of Bottoms

[@ColliderLadiesNight]

Thanks for watching this edition of Collider Ladies Night with Bottoms director Emma Seligman!
You've seen the film right? We want YOUR answer to the zombie apocalypse question. If you could pick one Bottoms character to fight zombies with, who would it be and why?

[@Horror_Film_Aficionado]

I rather fight zombies with perry ! 🤘

[@sld99944]

“We didn’t want this movie to be 2h30” dude i would watch this movie for 3h straight

[@orksca5459]

why didn't they make it 2 and a half hours 😭I would've happily watched all of it
PLEASE release directors cut

[@ChrisTheAspergerGuy]

If the director's cut was 2 and half hours, then she cut out an entire hour of stuff. Christ, I don't think she had to cut that much out of it. I certainly hope she does release the full version on blue ray at some point. Nevertheless, I very much want to see it, but it's not playing anywhere near me. I hope it expands in the coming weeks and makes it to my area.

[@Violetalee00]

whats blue ray

[@hammyrock]

Go head and release that directors cut- please and thanks!

[@mango646]

this interviewer did a really good job and asked great questions. bottoms and shiva baby were both so good

[@JonnySuite13]

Haven't lost your touch, Perri!!

[@Spartan-pd7by]

Another great interview, Perri! Thank you! 🙏🏾💪

[@orksca5459]

always love her questions!

[@goodcitizen6334]

Seen bottoms 4 times! As a gay person, it just makes me so happy. Side note…Emma is so cute. 😍

[@letstalkaboutit3195]

Wow. What an interview. Every question was so well thought out and unique and thought provoking. And Emma really took the time to think them through and answer sincerely. I loved this AND BOTTOMS

[@ashnmeadows]

last shot made me cry

[@mememefinally]

I want a sequel!!!

[@brookebashaw8975]

DIRECTORS CUT PLEASEJFHSH

[@ginofrancejr555]

Bottoms is one of those films that you will see and like what is this. This is incredible. Emma Rachel and ayo are the female equivalent of wright peg and frost

[@orksca5459]

you can't just watch it once

[@chantaljansenvanvuuren3054]

Absolutely so amazing and funny hope there will be more especially ruby cruz ❤❤❤❤

[@monochromaticlex]

But I need to know her curly girl hair routine