Opening in theaters on June 26th before becoming available On Demand June 30th is the new romantic comedy ’40 Dates and 40 Nights’, which was directed by Andy Delaney (‘Love Is Blind’).

The new film stars Bailee Madison (‘Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin’), Joel Courtney (‘Super 8’), Luxy Banner (‘Lousy Carter’), Jai Rodriguez (‘Bros’), and Annie Potts (‘Toy Story 5’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Joel Courtney and director Andy Delaney about their work on ’40 Dates and 40 Nights’, their first reactions to the screenplay and the characters, and working with Bailee Madison and Annie Potts.

Related Article: Kelsey Grammer Talks ‘Jesus Revolution’ 

Moviefone: To begin with, Andy, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and why you wanted to direct it?

Andy Delaney: I think it’s important when you read a screenplay to read it as a reader and see if you get sucked in. It was just a page turner. I happen to know Sarah (Howard), the writer from a previous film that she didn’t write, but I worked on with her. So, I was excited to see it. It was fun and it’s got layers to it that are subtle and have things to tease out and to say about people and relationships. But it was a page turner. I just thought it was funny and I relished the idea. I’m British. We like to “take the piss” out of things. So, I was like, I can get “take the piss” out of men and they’re stupid dating thoughts. But then at the same time, it was married to this lovely study of female friendship between her friend and her grandmother and exploration of what it means to be a woman in this world and to receive any kind of validation. So, it was a funny page turner, and it was also heartfelt. So, I was like, okay, I’m in, now I must figure out where to put the camera.

MF: Joel, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and your approach to playing your character?

Joel Courtney: I would say that I’m very similar to Andy in that it’s very important for me to read a script for the first time as an explorer and as a fan. Similarly, do I also get sucked into it? Am I turning these pages quickly? I was laughing out loud reading this script. I feel like Sarah’s work transferred so well from the script to the screen. But it’s always an exploration. I think if you have the feeling that you immediately know who this person is, then you’re probably not working deeply enough on who they are. Humans are complicated. They’re dynamic and even a single glance at a phone to see a text message to someone can just ruin your day and that can just throw you for a spin. So, I had a ton of fun working on Mason, and discovering who he is, scene by scene every single day. It was it was an absolute blast.

MF: Joel, just to follow up, was there one thing that you discovered in that process that really informed or helped shape the performance for you?

JC: There was a scene at the bar that Andy and I were particular about where we were looking for, not a specific outcome, because I think that’s too planned. But if you don’t leave room for discovery, then I think you’re overstructured and it can feel stiff. But we found some cool things and there’s just a present moment at the end of that scene at the bar with Leah, Bailee’s character, and we just found this connection between the characters in that moment and a really cool look across the bar. That we were both proud of, I’d say.

MF: Andy, can you talk about working with Joel and Bailee, and did you shoot a chemistry test before you cast them?

AD: We didn’t do a chemistry test, but we certainly hung out together. I mean, they knew each other. I knew they were both incredibly talented. I met Bailee first and I was like, she’s got a Diane Keaton vibe. She was funny and I didn’t know that going in. Then when me and Bailey and Joel all got together, it was like, this is going to be just great. You know, there’s less things going to go wrong if you get the casting right. We struck gold with these two and then all the characters playing the dates and her best friend (Luxy Banner), and Annie Potts. When the script requires lots of comedic moments from different actors to come in and shine, if you’re a day player, that’s tough. I wanted the film to be like a cave of coal with diamonds embedded, and so that scenes would pop because somebody’s come in and it’s just amazing. My concern with the film was to try and not do too many directorial camera movements and lighting setups because I wanted these people to have as much time as possible to play it, and not play at acting. But have a sense of play when acting so that we could just go. I used to do fancy directing when I made music videos, but this was not so much.

MF: Joel, can you talk about Mason and Leah’s relationship and creating that on screen with Bailee?

JC: It was a great time. I’ve known Baliee for a while. We’ve kind of ran in similar circles. We overlapped a few times at LA parties and events. So, we we’ve known each other for three or four years before filming the movie. We were never close, I would say, but we knew each other. Coming together in Houston and getting together on set, it came about very authentically, and very naturally. She’s extremely collaborative and extremely talented. So, working with her was very easy. If it’s not easy to work with Bailee, then you should check yourself out. We just had a blast on set. The script really was our groundwork and Andy would nudge us around a little bit, but he allowed us to be very playful on set and have a lot of fun with it. So, I’m super excited for people to get to go see this movie.

MF: Finally, Andy, you have a relatively young cast of actors in this movie, what was it like having a veteran actress and a real pro like Annie Potts on set?

AD: She is a story and character machine. She cuts to the heart of scenes and where they fit into the story and into character. She also is clear if she thinks dialogue needs to be reworked, or if a scene needs to re-blocked. So, all the scenes we did with Annie, we didn’t get a chance to work with her before the shoot began. So, we scheduled half a day to all hang out in their kitchen and block certain big scenes. It was fantastic to be around her. She is just so clear-minded, lovely, but there is no messing around with Annie Potts, right? She’s a legend for a reason.

What is the plot of ’40 Dates and 40 Nights’?

A struggling romantic (Bailee Madison) accepts her aunt’s (Annie Potts) wager: go on 40 dates in 40 nights to find true love. If she fails, her aunt will cover her rent and student debt. But the journey proves more challenging than expected.

Who is in the cast of ’40 Dates and 40 Nights’?

• Bailee Madison as Leah Jones
• Joel Courtney as Mason
• Annie Potts as Gigi

List of Joel Courtney Movies:

Buy Joel Courtney TV Shows on Amazon