Diary of a Wimpy Kid creator Jeff Kinney is a busy man. He’s clearly no someone who rests on his laurels. Having created the beloved book series and various spin-offs, as well as served as writer and producer on several adaptations, Kinney’s creative engine is still running strong. This past October, Kinney released the latest book in the series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper. This month, Kinney’s latest film adaptation is set to release on Disney+, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw.
The Last Straw is based on the third book in the series, but is the fourth film adaptation on Disney+. Two years ago, Disney decided to adapt Cabin Fever first, which is actually the sixth book in the series.
In The Last Straw, our favorite “wimpy kid,” Greg, finds himself at constant odds with his father. While the father and son clash repeatedly, both characters eventually realize that the main issue is that the two are more alike than they may be willing to accept.
I had the chance to speak with Kinney in advance of the release of his latest film. In a bit of a personal streak, this was the fourth time I interviewed Kinney, who has made himself available for each of his films.
All of Kinney’s books are inspired by some of his personal experiences, and The Last Straw is no different. This time, Kinney shared that some of the scenes we see in the film are based on his own anxieties as a father.
“In this one, we start off with a scene where Greg doesn’t know how to use a key. And his father’s really troubled by this because he thinks like, ‘Have I not taught my son how to use a key?’ And I think that really goes to the heart of parenting, right? Because we’re trying to prepare our kids for the real world. And sometimes we feel like we haven’t prepared them. And that came straight out of a real life situation where my son didn’t know how to use a key. And so it went straight into the movie,” Kinney said.
The tension between Greg and his father, and the constant way the two do not understand each other, is a consistent theme throughout the film. Greg, as can be typical at his age, tends to mess up in the most public and cringe-worthy ways. As a parent, those kinds of embarrassing moments can feel mortifying, and we often forget that we too were once like that. Kinney explained that from his personal experience, he was more of the troublemaker than his kids are.
“You know, my kids have actually been pretty good. I got to be honest with you, I think I was the one who created disaster out of thin air,” Kinney admitted. “But what’s really fun about that line in the movie is that that’s what Greg’s father says about Greg, and then it’s revealed at the end that that’s the kind of kid that Frank was too as a kid. So it’s bookended, which is kind of fun.”
With the release of The Last Straw, Kinney has had one of his books adapted into a film on Disney+ for four out of the last five years. And given that his just published his 20th book of the series, I asked Kinney if he hoped to eventually help adapt the remaining books into films.
“You know, that’s funny. I think we aspire to that, but the math doesn’t quite work out. You know, I’m not sure. I’m not sure we can actually pull that off, but it’s fun each time,” Kinney said laughing. “You know, I never thought we’d adapt The Last Straw into a film and here we are, and I think it’s a pretty good one. So I can’t wait for people to see it.”
Watch our full conversation below. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw releases December 5th on Disney+.
About Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw:
Adapted from the third installment of JeK Kinney’s worldwide bestselling book series, Greg HeKley returns for his next family misadventure in the new animated feature “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw.” When laid back Greg finds himself at odds with his dad’s outsized expectations, pressure builds to turn his act around. After a series of hilarious near disasters, Greg’s dad presents him with an ultimatum that just might challenge Greg’s wimpy ways for good. Directed by Matt Danner (“Legend of the Three Caballeros”) and written and produced by JeK Kinney, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw” features the voices of Aaron D. Harris (“Matlock”) as Greg HeKley and Chris Diamantopoulos (“Silicon Valley”) as Frank HeKley.
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
