Malin Åkerman (Billions) stars in Nicol Paone's (Chick Fight) new comedy Friendsgiving, which is available in theaters, on demand, and Digital on October 23rd before its DVD and Blu-ray release on October 27th. It's an absolute riot, and the impressive ensemble also includes Kat Dennings (WandaVision), Chelsea Peretti (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), and Jane Seymour (Smallville).
In the movie, Abby is looking forward to a laid-back Thanksgiving with her best friend Molly. But the friends' plans for a quiet turkey dinner go up in smoke when they’re joined by Molly’s new boyfriend and her flamboyant mother. Throw in some party crashers including Molly’s old flame, a wannabe shaman, and a trio of Fairy Gay Mothers, and it’s a recipe for a comically chaotic holiday no one will ever forget - even if they wanted to!
We recently caught up with Åkerman to discuss her role in Friendsgiving, and will bring you the full interview later this week. Of course, while we had the actress on the phone, we had to ask about how she looks back at the legacy of Watchmen, a movie we mentioned was arguably ahead of its time.
"I feel so lucky that I got to be a part of that project," Åkerman started. "It was a real big experience for me. You're right, I think that the material itself is so interesting and intricate, and thoughtful and thought-provoking. Now, would have been the time [for it], but at the same time, I'm sometimes glad it was before its time. It's something to be proud of, and I think Zack Snyder did a fantastic job."
"Visually, it's just a masterpiece. As an actor, I struggled with it because it was a big undertaking and a big project for someone like myself who hadn't done many projects just yet. I didn't have much under my belt to draw from. I felt like I was out at sea a little bit among all these veteran actors, these beautiful, wonderful, theater actors, but looking back, I'm super proud, I think it's beautifully executed, and has a really interesting message. It's a powerful film."
We also asked whether Åkerman has had chance to check out Jean Smart's take on Silk Spectre in HBO's Watchmen, to which she replied: "It is next on my list because HBO turned into HBO Max and I don't have it and need to get it to see it! I've yet to do that, but can't wait. Every time I talk about Watchmen, people are like, 'Have you seen the show?' Of course, I need to see the show, and I want to. I just haven't gotten around to it yet!"
The Friendsgiving star has previously talked openly about how difficult it was to work on Watchmen as an inexperienced actress, but it's great to know that she looks back at the project with such fond memories. Zack Snyder's movie is one that generates conversation even twelve years on, and it is hard to escape the feeling it would have been a much bigger hit had it been released in this era.
Check out the trailer and poster for Friendsgiving below: