Interview: Robots stars Shailene Woodley and Jack Whitehall on their sci-fi rom-com

When you think of romantic comedies, odds are you are not picturing films like I Robot or The Terminator. That is because science fiction tales about androids and artificial intelligence are typically fodder for terrifying thrillers and action movies. But, in an unexpected blend of genres, we now have a movie that combines the raunch of a sex comedy, the love of a romantic film, and the concepts of science fiction into a movie replete with humor, machines, and a dose of politics.

Directed by Casper Christensen and Anthony Hines, Robots is “Set in an era where advanced robotics have enabled humanity to utilize lifelike androids as servants and manual laborers, affluent suburbanites Elaine and Charles use android doubles of themselves to avoid the time constraints of dating. But when the imposters realize that they are actually falling in love, they steal the identities of their owners and go on the run, forcing Elaine and Charles to team up and get their lives back.” This makes for a funny misadventure that aims to hit the right notes for all types of audiences.

I chatted with the two stars of Robots, Shailene Woodley and Jack Whitehall, about their new film. Shailene discussed the political elements of the story as well as what it was like playing multiple characters in her first comedic role. Jack talked about whether using his native accent was always a part of the film as well as what it was like working with one of Sacha Baron Cohen’s closest collaborators. Check out the full interview in the embed above.