Let The Michael Cera-issance Begin, Again

If bread makes you fat, then chew on this: Michael Cera is back in 2023. Still awkward, still charming, and arguably bigger than ever.

The actor, who dominated the mumblecore and awkward teen/young-adult genres with an infamous four-year streak of brilliant movies from 2007 to 2010 — which saw the release of Superbad, Juno, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World — has never really gone away over the last two decades. But still, 2023 is ushering in a realm of new opportunities. 

With his Black Mirror cameo and role in Barbie leaving audiences craving more, Cera is returning to the independent comedy scene this year with the imminent release of Dustin Guy Defa’s The Adults, followed by A24’s Dream Scenario — and his highly anticipated return to the Scott Pilgrim universe with Scott Pilgrim The Anime. 

The late 2000s might have been legendary, but 2023 has a chance to bring Cera to another level entirely.

Despite the busy year, to Cera, it doesn’t feel as though he had to balance all of these different roles in a short period of time. Actually, he’d say it all “felt very far apart,” partially due to The Adults filming two years ago, in 2021.

“The way things shape up always leaves a lot of time,” he told Decider in June 2023 ahead of the movie’s premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, and prior to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.

The new dramedy, opening in select theaters in the United States on August 18, reunites Cera with Defa, who directed the actor in the 2017 drama Person to Person. Cera shared that he considers Defa a friend, and followed along as the latter has been developing scripts over the six years between Person to Person and the upcoming release of The Adults.

Cera recalled Defa sharing an early draft of the script for The Adults and witnessing the changes it had undergone over the years. The movie’s central family, which is now comprised of an older brother Eric (Cera), and his two sisters (played by Hannah Gross and Sophia Lillis), was originally supposed to be two brothers and a sister. “I’m very impressed by him as a writer that he can make such a left turn with a script and throw stuff away,” Cera said. “That was a very interesting process. It was like watching a tree grow.”

In the movie, Eric returns home to visit his two sisters and finds that the three have grown increasingly distant following the death of their mother. What starts as a short weekend trip extends as Eric is surprised by the divide between him and his family. He also embarks on a side quest to become the best poker player in the town, which was inspired by the filmmaker’s pandemic-induced obsession with the game. Commenting on the relationship between the siblings, Cera described it as “quite strained or estranged, and ambiguous,” but teased that it “slowly reveals itself to be containing a great ocean of warmth and love between them.”

As a whole, The Adults is heartfelt and emotional; with a sprinkle of Cera’s renowned awkwardness. That heady mix doesn’t necessarily come from a personal place, despite feeling very present on screen. “There’s a lot that I don’t understand about him as a man… It’s unclear to you as a viewer, but for some reason, I can really sympathize with him,” Cera shared. “Personally, I have a few people in my life who are equally mysterious to me, but they still make me feel a lot for them, and I think about them, and keep them in mind.”

While it’s clear that this indie gem holds a soft spot in Cera’s heart, along with his collaborations with Defa, his eyes truly lit up when it came to talking about returning to Scott Pilgrim to reprise the eponymous character he originated nearly 15 years ago. “It’s strange and very fun,” Cera said about the new Netflix series, which sees the return of the entire cast from the 2010 live-action adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s popular graphic novels, now redone as an anime. “Scott Pilgrim has such a specific energy. The whole project, the whole world of Scott Pilgrim, is very energetic and really funny.”

He went on to praise O’Malley’s script for the series, and the consistency in O’Malley’s voice when it comes to adapting his work for a new format. “Every time I’ve recorded it, I have to send Brian an email saying, ‘I love this so much. I’m so excited about it.'” Beyond that, Cera didn’t have much to add about the project, except that they’re recording picture-to-picture, which allows him to watch the scene play out on a screen and hear “exciting” snippets of other people’s voices.

Another cultural phenomenon that Cera has played a part in this year was Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, which has, so far, grossed over $1.06 billion worldwide since its July 21 release and has been named the second-highest-grossing film of 2023, per Variety. Staying true to character, Cera played Alan, rather than one of the many Kens in the movie, a deep-cut Mattel doll introduced as Ken’s best friend – who can also fit in his clothing.

Appropriately enough, the most memorable part of being on set for Cera was working with costume designer Jacqueline Duran. “She is one of the most impressive people I’ve ever worked with. I just have to speak about her for a second because you’d go into her world for a fitting, or something, and see all these insane, incredible costumes. They’re [her team] just churning them out all day, like a factory, but she was just so relaxed. She’s a person who’s amazing at what she does, and in such a storm of activity and high pressure, but is seemingly having fun and laughing, and is just so relaxed.”

Turning his attention to the director, Cera was in awe of Gerwig’s ability to run such an enormous production with an incredible $145 million budget, and the pressure of Mattel breathing down her back. “I think it’d be terrifying, but she was just so relaxed in that position and so free.”

There’s one more piece of the puzzle for the Ceraissance to truly begin. The actor is eager to get back into the director’s chair after spearheading three shorts and a CBS mockumentary in the early years of his career. “I have ambitions to direct,” Cera shared. “You have to forfeit a lot of control as an actor, whatever it is, a play or a movie. You’re not really in control broadly of how the whole thing is coming across, so you have to not worry about that and just focus on what you’re doing. Focus on your own work and just stay in your lane.”

To that end, Cera told Decider he is currently developing a project to direct and is working on getting financing for it. Though the exact details are currently under wraps, he teased, “It’s like a family story. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s mysterious.”

With eight upcoming projects and his eyes set on his first major directorial project, Michael Cera is ready to define a whole new era of movies — and for a whole new generation to fall in lesbians.

Variance Films will open The Adults will open in select theaters across the US on August 18.