Director Tyler Spindel talks new film, The Wrong Missy
Manchester native Tyler Spindel made his Netflix directorial debut in 2018 with Father of the Year, a comedy starring David Spade. On May 13, Netflix released The Wrong Missy, another comedy directed by Spindel, also starring Spade. At one point it was the No. 1 most-watched film on Netflix, and it was still in the Top 10 at No. 7 as of May 26. While quarantined in his apartment in Los Angeles, Spindel — who graduated from Central High School and is the nephew of Adam Sandler — talked about his latest directorial success.
What is The Wrong Missy about?
It’s about a guy who goes on this horrible blind date, and then, later, he meets the girl of his dreams. He wants to invite the girl of his dreams [to go] on this corporate retreat with him to Hawaii but [she and the girl from the blind date] have similar names, and he accidentally invites the wrong girl, who is basically a terror. … There are a lot of ridiculous situations and crazy, zany characters. It’s a really silly, outlandish movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
How did you end up directing it?
Kevin Grady, who produced the movie and is also from Manchester … found the script and sent it to me, and I really liked it and thought it was funny. We thought David Spade would be really good for the lead guy, Tim. We sent [the script] to him, and he liked it. Everything started to fall into place after that.
What appealed to you about the script?
I thought it was a relatable situation, because I think a lot of people have texted the wrong person, including myself; I’ve done it many many many times.
Where was the film shot?
We shot it all in Hawaii, in Oahu. It’s gorgeous there. Getting to shoot a movie in Hawaii was amazing; it was a dream.
What was it like working with David Spade again?
It’s awesome. We have so much fun together and are good friends. Nobody’s a nicer guy, and nobody’s a sharper comedian. He’s a really good actor, too. His instincts are really good, and his innate [acting] ability is really good. If you give him [a directorial] note, he always interprets it perfectly. He’s one of the best [actors] I’ve ever worked with.
Why did you think Spade would be a good fit for the lead role in The Wrong Missy?
It’s interesting, because in this movie he’s playing the straight man, whereas in Father of the Year he’s playing the comic foil. … One of my favorite movies of all time is Tommy Boy, which is an old David Spade [and] Chris Farley movie, and in it … Spade played this sarcastic, straight guy, and I always thought he was really good in it. That’s why I thought he’d fit really well with this character [in The Wrong Missy], and it was cool to work with him in a different capacity … and to see how broad his skill set is.
How did you feel when you heard that The Wrong Missy had become the No. 1 most-watched movie on Netflix?
It’s a trip. It’s surreal. I’ve been getting messages from people around the world, and I go online and see videos of people in different countries watching the movie, and it’s really amazing. I can’t believe it’s happening.
How have you grown as a director between Father of the Year and The Wrong Missy?
After [directing] your first movie, you learn so much. You learn how to incorporate more movement into the camera work. You get better at working with the crew and the actors. You get better at knowing what you want and knowing what’s possible to do. You only have a limited amount of time [to shoot a film], so you learn a lot about what’s important as far as what you want to spend your time on, and what’s a waste [of time]. [Directing] is like anything else: you get better with experience.
How have you been spending your time in quarantine?
Mostly, I’ve just been really excited about the movie, but I’ve also been reading a ton of scripts, and I’ve been doing some writing for a couple different projects. There’s one script I’ve been working on a lot. … It’s a comedy, but it’s a little more grounded and has a little bit of a different tone [than Father of the Year and The Wrong Missy].
— Angie Sykeny