Chaos. Drama. Reset. Happy ending. In a nutshell that is the narrative of Dean Craig's latest Netflix release, Love Wedding Repeat. Now add in best-friends from school, a horrible ex-girlfriend, and man-of-honour and you basically have a new recipe for a Hollywood wedding. When was the last time you witnessed a wedding which happened on a repeated time loop, giving the characters enough time to omit the mistakes which they made three weeks ago or conduct a perfect wedding that could have gone wrong?
The concept came from a delightful French film, "Plan De Table". From there Dean Craig adapted the setting and structure, took characters that were somewhat based on people he has known, and started to build stories that he thought could lead to interesting different outcomes.
Director and screenplay writer Dean Craig grew up in a small town called Mill Hill in North West London. During an exclusive conversation he shared that while he has spent time in various countries especially for work, he has only properly lived in London and Los Angeles.
"My best memory was probably travelling to South Africa for a wedding with a large group of friends. You don't necessarily realize it at the time, but those experiences are rare and precious," Dean told International Business Times.
Before Love Wedding Repeat, he had worked as a writer for the comedy film, Death at a Funeral. "I've been on the sets of many of the films I've written and been privileged to watch some incredible filmmakers at work. But the truth is that you only really learn filmmaking by doing it!," he said.
His passion for filmmaking started at a time when he was expected to prepare for his A-Level exam. "When I was a teenager I wanted to be a singer/songwriter and had a band before deciding that as much as I loved music, the film was more my thing. Since one night when I was 17 years old. I was supposed to be revising for an A-Level exam the next day, and Raging Bull came on the television and I was absolutely glued. I was completely blown away by that film's brilliance on every level, and it inspired me to want to try to contribute to cinema myself in some way," he told International Business Times.
Which time loop would you have chosen for Love Wedding Repeat?
I definitely enjoy chaos and drama, but ultimately I like a happy ending.
Do you have a craze for Italian filmmakers?
Fellini of course. And Sergio Leone, the way he combined his Italian style with American cinema to create something absolutely unique.
Isn't divorce and remarriage another kind of Love Wedding Repeat. What do you think about it?
I love it. I actually think that people remarrying after getting divorced is the most romantic thing there is.
Your favourite Hollywood romances and why?
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward - both Hollywood actors whose relationship lasted through all the many challenges that a life of movie stardom can bring.
Throughout your life have you only attended weddings where the couples say I do? or have you had the chance of witnessing different kinds of weddings as well?
I've been to all kinds of weddings, including a Jewish friend who married a Sikh bride. That was very cool.
Over the years we have seen numerous weddings in a white gown in Hollywood. Isn't it time that Hollywood should become a little more diverse culturally?
For sure. And it feels like the tide is turning in that direction.
