Riff Raff Director Dito Montiel details how the ending was almost completely different – and why he opted to keep it the way it was.
During this exclusive interview with Riff Raff director Dito Montiel, he reveals that the ending of the film was almost completely different as well as raves about the incredible all-star cast.
Montiel admits that working with actors like Bill Murray, Jennifer Coolidge, and Pete Davidson was intimidating.
Warning, there are massive spoilers for Riff Raff, which is in theaters now, ahead.
The Riff Raff Ending Was Almost Completely Different
Tessa Smith: Was the ending of Riff Raff always going to have Ed Harris’ character survive?
Dito Montiel: Oh, I thought about getting rid of it, because I thought when we have the other scene with holding the gun, I thought, oh, that’s a great ending. I was worried about the last scene. It’s so weird. Is it like a Twilight Zone? But then, if you could do a slow push in on Ed Harris at the end of your movie, we should all be so worried about that. So I’ll take the chance with that any day.
The All-Star Cast Is A Dream Come True For Dito Montiel
Tessa Smith: Can you talk about working with this incredible cast, and bringing them into Riff Raff?
Dito Montiel: You don’t usually get your first hope for each role. It’s not like that 99 out of 100 million times. This was that situation in the best of ways. I don’t really have the words other than it’s exciting and every bit of it was a really fun trip to be a part of.
Of course, I’m remarkably excited to work with guys like Bill Murray and Pete Davidson and Ed Harris. Jennifer Coolidge, Gabrielle Union, pretty fun stuff. But then people I didn’t know, like Miles Harvey, who plays DJ, when I first read that role, I said, okay, this is a disaster or it’s really good or it’s Urkel. I don’t know who’s going to pull this off because I had to Google half the things he’s saying. And Miles Harvey walks in one day to an open call and I’m like, oh, my God, DJ just walked in, you know? So I’m just as excited to meet Miles Harvey as the other guys, but without having known him.
Dito Montiel Was Intimidated By His Cast At First
Tessa Smith: Is there one scene that you feel was the most challenging to nail down?
Dito Montiel: Well, it’s nuts to put that many personalities into one room. This whole thing originally took place in a room because it was a play. We brought it out of the room with dreams and all kinds of weirdness. But to be in a room with all of them, it was pretty tricky. Not tricky, but intimidating, I guess, because everywhere you look, you’re like, oh, my gosh. Like, OK, I have got to get over this. I’m that guy that if I meet up with Al Pachino, I kind of feel like I have to tell him he’s Al Pachino, like he doesn’t know this. I’m still a fan. So I was feeling that.
But at the same time, it was tricky in the best of ways, because no one showed up here to get paid. These are great actors, as well as celebrities, and you, myself included, tend to forget that they’re also great actors and they want to do something that they feel proud of or something. Clearly, they’ve got enough to be proud of. They don’t need my little movie. But that was intimidating in the sense that you’re like, oh, wow. Being in the room with all of them together was probably the most fun and intimidating at the same time,
DJ Is The Heart & Soul Of The Film
Tessa Smith: I feel like DJ is the heart and soul of this film. Did you feel that way?
Dito Montiel: He’s the only guy asking questions that doesn’t know the answers to them in this movie. I was so concerned. When I first read it, it was originally a play written by John Plano. And I remember thinking this feels like Virginia Woolf but everybody’s Virginia Woolf. And I kept thinking, it’s about DJ for me.
And then Ruth. Who are these two people? They seemed really complicated and it’s really tough to find people that can pull those roles off. I couldn’t have asked for two better. How corny for a director to say that?
Dito Montiel Added A Scene Last Minute That Helps Shape Riff Raff
Tessa Smith: With these comedic geniuses, was there any imporvising or last minute adjustments?
Dito Montiel: I read it as if I’m in the family and mess with the script as if I’m a part of it. I trust that when you have these actors and the situations are pretty odd, hopefully, it’ll be funny. I don’t think about that stuff as much as maybe I should. I could make more money making a big, giant comedy, but I just think of the reality of the situation as much as this is heightened and insane.
But when I first was thinking about Ruth, something that wasn’t in the script was I had this weird thought, I’m thinking of my sister, Didi, because if you could mix Ruth and Fran Lebowitz together, you’d have my sister Didi. But I thought about this scene. And I thought, okay, this is going to be good, at least for me to understand the film. I wanted Ruth to go into Sandy’s room, at some point, Gabrielle Union’s character, and look at all the things she can’t have. Because I thought that that would help, if nothing else, even if it’s an outtake that never exists, for me, maybe the actor, to understand that it’s more than just that.
So we ended up using it in the movie, which is great because we had 15 minutes before lunch one day and we said, Hey, let’s see Jennifer Coolidge go have a look at her fancy makeup. And I love that scene for that, because, again, I just liked the idea of it, whether it made it or not. And it made it, so that’s nice.
Check out the full Riff Raff interview to learn more – including hilarious bloopers that occurred on set.
NEXT: Riff Raff Review: An All-Star Cast Brings Their A-Game
About Riff Raff
Vincent is an ex-criminal who more than anything, just wants a normal, peaceful life. He and his wife Sandy have built a loving family with their son DJ and are spending the winter break in a cabin before he goes off to college.
Chaos ensues when Vincent’s disowned son Rocco, his girlfriend Marina and Vincent’s ex-wife Ruth abruptly show up to spoil the festivities with an ominous warning: the famed gangsters Leftie and Lonnie are coming for them.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.