TORONTO — Jason Schwartzman strides into a Toronto hotel room and immediately takes matters into his own hands.
Locating the air conditioner, he promptly shuts it off with nary a word to his two castmates or the entourage that accompanies them.
Next, it’s to the bathroom to locate a sufficiently plush bathrobe to wrap around his slim frame.
“Hi, J-Bones,” he says by way of introduction before taking a couch alongside co-stars Anna Kendrick and Brandon Routh to discuss Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.
The tone for an off-kilter, amiable interview has been set for the Canadian homecoming of the comic-book inspired comedy, starring Michael Cera as a 22-year-old Toronto slacker who must battle his new love’s seven evil exes.
Cast members of the sprawling action-comedy took over the city with a rare red-carpet premiere last week, holding court with interviews that strayed from movie talk into private jokes, Canadian cold remedies and childhood passions.
Such random banter is the norm in the world of Scott Pilgrim, an action-packed love story pulled directly from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s indie book series.
Set in a snow-covered Toronto, the fantasy traces the sweet but self-obsessed Scott as he literally fights to win the heart of doe-eyed Ramona Flowers, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright says he spent a lot of time trying to incorporate the comic books’ imaginative storytelling.
“I loved the artwork. And I loved the idea of a character having to literally fight for love,” says the shaggy haired Wright. “The thing is, most comic book movies and most video game adaptations, they jettison all the things that are most famous about comics. Because this was a comedy and it’s imaginative, and (there’s) even the idea that it’s kind of playing out in Scott Pilgrim’s head, it was the perfect kind of excuse to let your imagination run riot, basically.”