Brief
Adam Sztykiel explains why he directed pregnancy dramedy after big‑budget films
Sztykiel says his new film reflects his own experiences with marriage, friendship and parenthood.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Adam Sztykiel, known for writing large‑scale action and superhero movies, told The Hollywood Reporter why he chose to direct the pregnancy dramedy Let’s Have Kids! after a career of “big‑budget, world‑ending” films.
What happened
Sztykiel recounts a formative weekend in July 1995 when, at age 16, he and friends saw three very different movies—The Net, Waterworld and Kids—in a single day in Royal Oak, Michigan. He says that eclectic experience foreshadowed his later work on romantic comedies, animated features, R‑rated comedies, sitcoms, mystery shows and superhero movies. In recent years he focused on blockbuster spectacles involving monsters and super‑villains, but grew weary of the lack of stories about everyday life.
What the reports add
The article notes that Sztykiel’s co‑writer and wife, Ellie Knaus, helped shape the script, which follows two lifelong friends who attempt to become pregnant together, only for one to succeed. Sztykiel emphasizes that the film’s stakes are personal rather than global, contrasting the “world‑ending” stakes of his previous projects. He also mentions a memorable on‑screen moment where Max Greenfield’s character bites an apple at an inopportune time, a detail he says reflects his own habit of “eating apples like an asshole,” as described by Knaus.
What was said
Sztykiel told The Hollywood Reporter, “I’m not saying big movies don’t make me feel big feelings. I cried when I watched Logan. A hard, ugly cry. On an airplane. A concerned flight attendant asked me if I was okay.” He added that directing Let’s Have Kids! allowed him to explore “marriage, family, parenthood, career, friendship… and how those are all constantly reacting to and working with (and sometimes against) each other.”
How it came about
Sztykiel cites influences from filmmakers such as Cameron Crowe, John Hughes, Nora Ephron, Ivan Reitman, Rob Reiner, Chris Columbus, Amy Heckerling and Lawrence Kasdan. He says the project grew out of conversations with Knaus about their own lives over several years, eventually leading them to write a story that reflects universal experiences of friendship and parenthood.
Key facts
- Adam Sztykiel directed the pregnancy dramedy Let’s Have Kids! after a career writing big‑budget action and superhero movies. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- The film follows two lifelong friends who try to get pregnant together, but only one becomes pregnant. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Sztykiel’s co‑writer and wife Ellie Knaus helped develop the script based on their own experiences. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Sztykiel cites influences from Cameron Crowe, John Hughes, Nora Ephron and other directors of personal‑story films. (hollywoodreporter.com)
Sources
- [1] hollywoodreporter.com — originally reported as “Why I Directed a Pregnancy Dramedy After a Career in Big Budget, World-Ending Movies”
