There was a time when the title of the new romance comedy on Netflix starring Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron was not A Family Affair.
“In the beginning, it was going to be called something else,” Kidman, who is 57 years old, says to PEOPLE as she and her partner discuss their next film. According to Efron, who is 36 years old, “It was called Motherf——.” “Beeped out,” Kidman then continues. “Somehow that didn’t make it onto the Netflix title.”
The arresting title, on the other hand, had an effect on the two of them when they were first considering the idea. “That made the script stay at the top of the pile,” according to Efron. “It’s like, what on Earth could this be about?”
A Family Affair brings together Kidman and Efron for the first time in twelve years, twelve years after they made their debut on the big screen together in the frightening thriller The Paperboy, which was released in 2012 and in which they also portrayed lovers. This time around, Efron plays the role of a movie star who is preoccupied with himself and falls in love with the writer mother (Kidman) of his personal assistant (Joey King).
It was a leap. It seems like we both did it in a way. When asked about the pair’s eagerness to collaborate once again, Efron declares, “We jumped at the chance.” It seemed as if, this is the ideal situation. What could be a more effective approach to reconnect? Also, we get to enjoy ourselves.
The fact that the movie’s May-December romance is inverted brings to light the fact that “there isn’t enough” of films that challenge the standard, according to Kidman. Her statement is that “there is a dearth.” “We’ve had it from way back with older men and younger women, that’s just always been the norm — it’s okay, it’s completely acceptable.”
“The difficulty is that we have not had the equivalent from all of the many points of view, with women sharing the experiences. “And we need men who are game,” she continues. “[Zac] came in and makes the film because he was like, ‘I’m here to have fun, to play, and to very much be a part of this and be there for you’ — for both Joey and I.”
It is still somewhat of a dream come true for Efron to be able to work with Kidman on another film a dozen years after the first time they collaborated on a project together. Additionally, his preparations to portray a wrestler in The Iron Claw, a wrestling drama that received critical praise the previous year, came into conflict with the filming of the romantic comedy.
According to Efron, “I’m still so enamored with Nicole.” I have a part of me that pinches me whenever I am aware of the people with whom I am collaborating a great deal. On account of the fact that I was a lot younger at the time, I believe it was more evident during The Paperboy. I remember being quite anxious at that time.