Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

Diary of a Wimpy Kid’s Jeff Kinney Talks Movies & Rodrick Rules Giveaway

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Dubbed the wimpiest saga of all time, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules hits theaters this Friday, March 25.

Here’s a synopsis of the movie from 20th Century Fox: In this sequel to 2010’s surprise hit, Greg Heffley, the kid who made “wimpy” cool is back in an all-new family comedy based on the best-selling follow-up novel by Jeff Kinney. (Kinney’s Wimpy Kid” series has thus far sold 42 million books.) As he begins seventh grade, Greg and his older brother – and chief tormentor – Rodrick must deal with their parents’ misguided attempts to have them bond.




Having recently participated in an interview with author Jeff Kinney, it seemed timely to share his responses about the movie and share an awesome giveaway with you. Read my previous post from the interview where Jeff Kinney talks about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and see below for giveaway details!
 
Question: What do you think about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies? Do you like them? And also, how much input do you have in the casting and the way the movies are made?
 
Mr. Jeff Kinney: I do like the movies. If we made movies that just retold the same stories in the same format, I don’t think that they would have been worthwhile.
 
What the movies do is they bring a totally different dimension into the storytelling. What I’ve really learned is that movies speak in the language of emotion and that if you don’t cause your audience to root for the protagonist, you’re going to lose your audience.
 
I think that the approach is very different. I feel great that we’re making live action movies, with real kids who are actually in middle school. It’s quite different than the rest of the field, which is mostly 3D and computer generated. I think there is something almost retro about these movies.
 
As far as the input I’ve had, I’ve really had a unique relationship with the studio and with the producers. And I’m very involved from the very early stages helping develop the script and I give some input on casting. Then, I’m there for about half of the filming. I get to be there with the actors and develop relationships with them and contribute gags as the movie’s being made.
 
I’m also really involved in post-production with the animation and also a great deal with the marketing. So, it’s a very complete experience.
 
It’s very different than writing a book where you’re in control of the content. It’s purely a collaborative process, which has been edifying. It’s really been a life changer.
 
Question: I got to interview some animated voice actors last week, so it made me have the question, have you thought about an animated series for Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
 
Mr. Jeff Kinney: I definitely have. I’d love to bring these characters to life on the small screen especially. I think that that feels like the next logical step to me.
 
I’ve been really blessed to have success with this series. And this last year, they made a Thanksgiving Day balloon out of Greg Heffley, which was a huge milestone and a lot of fun.
 
I would just love to create something that’s really in lockstep with the series. What’s really great about the movies is that the human actors bring a lot of humanity to the characters and you feel and care for them in a way that you don’t for the drawings in the books. But, I’d really like to do something to complement the movie effort and to make something that feels very organic to the printed page.
 
GIVEAWAY: In honor of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules coming out this Friday, 20th Century Fox has provided a fantastic prize pack for a Wimpy Kid superfan valued at $79 that will contain the following:
TO ENTER: Leave a comment about your child’s favorite moment in either one of the books or in the original Wimpy Kid movie before Friday, April 1.
 

 

For extra entries, you must complete the above and do any of the following”

 


  • Follow Wimpy Kid Movie on Twitter and tweet this daily: @TechSavvyMama has @WimpyKidMovie prize pack #giveaway ($79 value) I want 2 win! Enter here: www.TechSavvyMama.com #wimpykid2.  Leave a link to your tweet in your comment.

  • Change your Facebook status to read: I want to win an a Diary of Wimpy Kid prize pack for my family from www.TechSavvyMama.com! Let me know in your comment that you’ve done so.

  • Like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie on Facebook and let me know in your comment.

  • Leave a comment on the Tech Savvy Mama Facebook page about which book is your child’s favorite in the series.
Fine print: All eligible entries must contain either an email address or Twitter handle in the body of the comment. Winner will be selected and notified via Twitter or email on Friday, April 1 and must supply a U.S. mailing address within 24 hours of being notified otherwise an alternate winner will be selected.

 

 
It was a pleasure to interview Jeff Kinney.  The first two Diary of a Wimpy Kid books were sent to me for review but I was not compensated for my participation in the interview.  I will be receiving a Rodrick Rules prize pack for my family. Amazon affiliate links contained in this post.

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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. gabeluis says

    One of the favorite moments in the books is when Greg goes to visit his grandfather and has to eat the watercress salad (i.e., green beans floating in a pool of vinegar). Also, the mom’s “My Child Attended Cuddly Care Pre-school” bumper sticker got a big laugh.

  2. rajean says

    I’m polling my daughter now for her fav moment. Okay, here goes: She loves when Gregory talks about being so smart & handsome and then gives the other kids his journal and says, “now shoo, shoo!”

  6. mgsoden says

    When I asked, I certainly wasn’t expecting the answer I got: When Greg and Rowley become friends again! at the end of the movie. For a boy with serious potty humor, he sure is showing his sensitive side!

  7. Kim C. says

    My 9-year old son’s favorite moment in the books…is ALL of them. He has probably read every book in the series about 5x!