In the early days of the Jennifer Lopez action comedy Shotgun Wedding’s production, “nightmare” seems to be the word that summed up the last minute drama that saw Armie Hammer leave the project. But in the face of that unexpected scandal came the inspired casting of Transformers franchise alum Josh Duhamel in his stead. That switch-up looks to have done the trick, as Duhamel’s comments on working with Lopez have him saying that between their friendship and the awesome shooting locales, it was a dream to work with her on the project.
Speaking with ET in honor of his new Netflix series Jupiter’s Legacy, the actor had nothing but good vibes to report when it came to the Shotgun Wedding experience. Naturally, when you’re cast to play alongside Jennifer Lopez in an action-comedy where a destination wedding turns into a gigantic arms race, that sounds like it’s going to be fun on its own. But as Josh Duhamel explained in this interview, that was only the beginning:
It was one of the most fun experiences I've had shooting, or working in this business. First of all, we're in the Dominican Republic, which is absolutely beautiful. Jen was a dream to work with, she's an absolute pro and totally engaged and loved the project.
Duhamel’s casting in Shotgun Wedding was practically heaven sent, as he was reported to land the role at the beginning of February. With the movie heading into production towards the end of that very month, it was an eleventh hour miracle that seemed to have kept director Jason Moore’s shooting schedule on track. As the film wrapped towards the end of April, it sounds like a lightning fast pace helped Shotgun Wedding blaze through the process.
Of course, it also helps when people like Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Lopez get along when making a movie. Sure enough, Duhamel partially credits Shotgun Wedding’s fast and fun experience to being good friends with his co-star. The rest though is a recipe that can’t be beat, as he proudly cites the entire team as another huge reason it all came together:
We had a great relationship. I've known her forever so it was easy for us to get in lock and step. The crew, the cast, we have a great cast and Jason Moore, the director, it was one of those situations that everything kind of fit perfectly. I'm very proud of the way it turned out and I can't wait for it all to come together.
Fate truly seemed to smile on Shotgun Wedding, as the entire scenario had the potential to fall apart really quickly. But thanks to Josh Duhamel being game to throw down alongside his friend Jennifer Lopez, it seems as if it couldn’t have run any smoother. It’s a beautiful story, but it kind of makes the fact that Shotgun Wedding won’t walk down the aisle until June 29th, 2022 a bit of a disappointment.
If you happen to be a Josh Duhamel fan, don’t fret. He can be spotted in the magnificent cast of Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy, which takes flight on May 7th, dropping the entire first season. Though if it’s any consolation, Jennifer Lopez’s other wedding comedy, Marry Me, premieres on February 11, 2022. It’s not much sooner, but it’s certainly something.
