Tiny Fugitives is hitting theatres this weekend. The new comedy follows a group of 12-year-olds who never want their time at summer camp to end. They devise a plan to stay at sleepaway camp all year round, but a relentless camp counselor gets in their way. The film stars Benjamin Pajak, Isa Bernal Steiner, and Aaron Harris as the main trio of kids, while Johnny Knoxville plays Bob the camp counselor. In honor of the new film, That Hollywood Show had the chance to chat with the cast as well as the film’s director and co-writer, Michael Lewen. During our conversation with Lewen, we brought up the fact that while the movie stars kids, it’s rated R.
Kids Love Tiny Fugitives
Tiny Fugitives might be rated R, but a bunch of kids have already seen it. We asked Lewen if he’s hoping youths will sneak into the movie, and he had a surprising answer.
“I mean, yesterday, Johnny [Knoxville] and I took a bus of, like, a hundred twelve-year-olds to go see the movie, and he acted as all of their guardian, and they loved it,” Lewen revealed. “They had fun.”
The film is also filled with references that might go over some kids’ heads. We asked Lewen if he had to explain certain things to his actors. For example, one kid makes a Charles Manson reference in the movie.
“There’s some for the grown-ups,” Lewen explained. “I mean, most of it, we try to keep it pretty dialed into their voices, but sometimes we can’t help ourselves, or something just really makes us laugh. Also, you know, that young one is precocious enough. I think he has a different knowledge base than your average child.”
Pop Culture References
We also spoke with Harris, whose character makes a lot of pop culture references. We asked him if he had to do some research to get into his character’s knowledgeable mindset.
“I mean, a lot of the stuff I already knew,” Harris shared. “I mean, especially with, like, the curse words. I think my parents were a little bit shocked at how much I knew. But I think a lot of the pop culture references I understood. People tell me I’m an old soul. I barely know what that means. But apparently that’s what I am. But I mean, the pop culture references- this kid is wild, both at camp and at home. And, you know, I think it’s very fitting for him to be kind of a little bit of a nerd.”
Meanwhile, we asked Pajak about playing the son of Jay Baruchel. This led him to watch a classic Baruchel film that’s rated R.
“I hadn’t watched Tropic Thunder up to that point,” Pajak explained. “When I found out that I was working with him, my mom went on a deep dive with him, and I loved him, and I love Seth Rogen [who produced Tiny Fugitives]. We watched that movie, and it’s one of my top four movies of all time. I was so excited to meet this guy, to work with him, and he’s so sweet.”
Turns out, Baruchel was there to provide more than laughs.
“He checks in with me all the time through Instagram, and he makes sure that I’m just doing okay,” Pajak said of his onscreen dad. “And he was so much fun to work with. He’s a hilarious person on screen, off screen, and just really cared about me, which was really sweet. He’s a great guy.”
The Verdict
So, can you take your kid to see Tiny Fugitives? It seems like plenty of 12-year-olds came out of Tiny Fugitives unscathed. However, take your kids to see the movie at your own risk. The film earned its R rating for “language throughout, crude sexual references, and drinking – all involving children.”
Tiny Fugitives is heading to theatres on September 18th. You can buy tickets here. The movie stars Johnny Knoxville, Benjamin Pajak, Isa Bernal Steiner, Aaron Harris, Jai Soundar, Alyssa Gervasi, Blake Anderson, Jay Baruchel, and more. You can watch our full Tiny Fugitive interviews below:
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