Exclusive First Look: 'Land of the Lost'

Visiting the set of 'Land of the Lost' on the Universal lot felt a little bit like being sucked into the same time and space vortex the movie's characters get transported through.

After walking through a sea of incredibly good-looking sleestaks (see below -- it's not just me who thinks they're hot), the soundstage doors opened and immediately welcomed us into the Land of the Lost. And not the campy '70s TV version either -- we're talking giant 100-foot rock formations, an altar with a fiery pit at the center of it and, of course, the movie's stars Will Ferrell, Anna Friel and Danny McBride.

Before the movie premieres on June 5, take a look at our video interviews with all the stars, as well as director Brad Silberling and charming co-creator Marty Krofft, and keep reading for our behind-the-scenes sneak peek. -- By Maggie Furlong



Kiss and Tell
So what about the romantic sparks we saw between Will Ferrell's character Rick Marshall and Anna Friel's character Holly? Ferrell dished the good stuff: "This is part of the climactic end of the movie. It was basically ... I got to make out with Anna Friel. Not a bad day at all. And she's a decent kisser, I'm happy to report. I was a little skeptical at first, cuz I'm an amazing kisser."

Which Way?
Is Danny McBride's tough-guy character Will anything like Fred Simmons, the inept karate teacher he played in 'The Foot Fist Way'? "That's another guy that could cause a lot of pain -- to himself," McBride laughed. "I haven't incorporated too much Tae Kwon Do into this. I'd say it's more professional wrestling maneuvers."



Character Development
Anna Friel explained that a few things have changed from the original TV series: "We can imagine the blogs going, 'Holly? She's not only English, but she's not 14, and she's not blonde!" And the same with Will [played by Danny McBride] -- he was the brother. So we all change somewhat. But Holly's, I think, is the biggest change."

Kitsch Factor
While there were laughs in the original show, co-creator Marty Krofft says it wasn't because of jokes: "We didn't have the comedy, but the way the show looked was kind of funny. The show cost $1.98, and this [movie] cost more than everything we did in our whole careers. So this is pretty cool."

Getting Technical
When deciding what device would be used to get the gang back to Earth, things became a little more high-tech than they were on the show. "It was a pylon," explains Ferrell, "but Rick Marshall has invented this tachometer -- which is also a NASA instrument. So we have to try to get that in order for us to get back, but now [Enik] has it, and then Grumpy the T-Rex shows up, so now I have to go fight a T-Rex." All in a day's work ...

Early Influences
"As a very young amoeba, 10 or 11 years old, I was watching the show on Saturday mornings," admits director Brad Silberling. "I thought the dinosaurs were remarkable, I thought the acting was stupendous -- it's the gift of the imagination of young children. You go back and you look at the show and you so appreciate how much there is to enjoy, and at times you look back and go, 'Wow ... OK, I filled in a whole story that might not have ever happened.' [Laughs]"

Steestak Appeal
Friel's daughter Gracie might just be a toddler, but she proves you're never too young to appreciate the sleestaks: "She's only 2, but she strokes the sleestaks," Friel admitted. "They're quite handsome underneath those suits ... [laughs] they're very tall. Hot sleestaks!" One fun fact that Gracie might be too young for: those tall, hot men got the sleestak costumes on every day with the help of a spray bottle of KY lubricant.

Job Perks
"One of the producers on the film got Jorma [Taccone], the guy playing Chaka, a Wii, because he has to sit through makeup," McBride dished. "I thought that was kind of bullsh** because I also have to do a lot of the stuff that's not cool. [Laughs] So me and Will complained to him that it's not really fair [and] he asked us what we would like. Will said he'd like a miniature pony and I'd like a go-cart. Yesterday there was a miniature pony outside of Will's trailer and a go-cart in front of mine. I mean, he only rented it for an hour, but that was the best hour I've ever had."