Opening in theaters on August 28th is the new horror comedy ‘Buddy’, which was co-written and directed by Casper Kelly (‘Mandy’).
The film stars Keegan-Michael Key (‘Wonka’) as the voice of Buddy the Unicorn, Cristin Milioti (‘The Penguin’), Topher Grace (‘Spider-Man 3’), Patton Oswalt (‘Eternals’), Michael Shannon (‘Man of Steel’), and Clint Howard (‘Apollo 13’).
(L to R) Delaney Quinn and Cristin Milioti stars in ‘Buddy’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking exclusively with Cristin Milioti about her work on ‘Buddy’, her first reaction to the screenplay, the unusual tone, the incredible sets, and working with director Casper Kelly, the young actors, and the performer playing Buddy on set.
Related Article: TV Review: ‘The Penguin’
A scene from ‘Buddy’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and did the film’s unusual tone read on the page?
Cristin Milioti: It definitely did. I think the things that stuck out to me at the time when I read it, was that I’d never read anything like it. It was so demented and strange and singular and unique. I was already a fan of Casper from ‘Too Many Cooks’. So I definitely had some idea of what he would do with that based on knowing that short. But it was a real page turner because I just hadn’t read anything like that ever before.
MF: What was it like working with director Casper Kelly on set and watching him execute his unusual vision for this film?
CM: Oh, it was delightful. I adore Casper. I think he’s so special. He has such a demented brain, but he’s so kind and collaborative and excited and curious. It felt like he was so excited to be there. I really loved working with him. I loved his notes. I loved his thoughts. It felt like a very open environment to go if I had questions or ideas come up. He kept it very loose in some of the scenes, which is really exciting, especially when you’re shooting something on this budget in the time that we had where every second counts, to still create an environment where you feel free to play is really rare. So, I adore him.
A scene from ‘Buddy’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
MF: What was it like working on the incredible set they built for ‘It’s Buddy’ scenes?
CM: Our production designer (Anna Kathleen) is a genius. Obviously she did the whole film, so not only did she do Buddy’s World, but she did the house in the real world. I remember when I entered that house, I thought it hadn’t been set up for production yet. It was so lived in. There were scuffs on the walls and things left on the floor, and that was all her. Not only was she able to do that so beautifully, but she was able to do Buddy’s whole universe, which was on a sound stage outside of Cleveland, and you could go from world to world. So you had the main area with the playhouse, and that’s all practical. This was one of the reasons I signed onto this film. I was so interested in what it would be like to make a film with practical effects like that. We’re interacting with every single puppet. With the mailbox, there’s someone operating the eyebrows, and there’s someone operating the face of the wishing well. There was someone in the couch operating it. It was so cool and immersive. Anna was a huge part of that, obviously. I think her work is just outrageous. It’s so incredible what she was able to do.
MF: What was it like working with Sergey Zhuravsky, the performer in the Buddy suit?
CM: Sergey was in the suit and was absolutely extraordinary. He did such an amazing job because that suit is so unwieldy and hot, and he really had to discover ways in which to emote through that suit, literally with the tilt of a head or just how far an arm was raised. He was fabulous. So, him and I were in a lot of communication about what was the best way to sell the scene. Someone’s saying the lines off camera because Keegan wasn’t a part of it yet. So, that also brings a whole different layer to it, but Sergey did such a fabulous job, and that was a really tough shoot on him.
A scene from ‘Buddy’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
MF: Finally, what was it like working with the kids and did they understand what type of movie they were making?
CM: I love those kids. That was another reason I signed on. I was so excited to work with little kids because I was like, “Wow, what an interesting experience this is going to be to be on a practical set with practical effects and a bunch of little kids.” I obviously was raised on Steven Spielberg films, and a lot of what Casper and I talked about in the beginning was that there were some Spielberg homages. I was excited to work with a cast of kids that are excited and curious and game, and they were. They were just such a delightful group. I think they definitely understood, and they also seemed to have a demented type of fun. There were times where it got genuinely scary, and I was definitely worried a couple times, but Casper ran this really friendly set and they were just so sweet and open and game.
‘Buddy’ opens in theaters on August 28th.
What is the plot of ‘Buddy’?
‘It’s Buddy’ is a children’s television show where a group of children play, learn, and grow together by having adventures with a colorful cast led by a gigantic, talking, orange unicorn named Buddy. But when one of the children refuses to play along with the games one day, Buddy’s true nature begins to show through, and the rest of the children must find a way to escape their cutesy prison before Buddy turns his wrath on them as well.
Who is in the cast of ‘Buddy’?
Cristin Milioti attends Netflix’s ‘In Your Dreams’ premiere on October 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix.
List of Movies and TV Shows Starring Cristin Milioti:
Buy Tickets: ‘Buddy’ Movie Showtimes
