Kate Micucci as Claire, Sam Huntington as Paul, and Dan Harmon as Lt. Bloyce J.P. Cartwright in Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss
Interviews

Elijah Wood talks 7 Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss

Kate Micucci as Claire, Sam Huntington as Paul, and Dan Harmon as Lt. Bloyce J.P. Cartwright in Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss. Photo credit: Scott Everett White.
Written by:Danielle SolzmanPosted on:

Elijah Wood answered fan questions during Fan Expo Chicago and touched on producing 7 Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss a few years ago.

While most of the questions dealt with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, a few touched on other titles involving the actor.

Wood joined his SpectreVision partners Daniel Noah, Josh C. Waller, and Lisa Whalen in producing the film through their Company X banner. Vivieno Caldinelli directed the comedy from a screenplay by Christopher Hewitson & Justin Jones and Clayton Hewitson. The hysterical cult comedy stars Kate Micucci, Sam Huntington, Dan Harmon, Mark McKinney, and Taika Waititi.

As of publishing, one could watch the comedy on Hulu or Prime Video. Alternatively, it is available to buy or rent through digital retailers.

Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood attends a Supper Suite pop up at Megu to celebrate the world premiere of 7 Stages To Achieve Eternal Bliss by Passing Through The Gateway Chosen By The Holy Storsh. Photo credit: Thomas Concordia.

Before I get to my question, Vivieno Caldinelli says to say hi.

Elijah Wood: Oh, Viv, of course. Holy shit. Tell him I say hey! Viv doesn’t live here, does he?

No.

Elijah Wood: I didn’t think so.

We’ve stayed in touch since Tribeca.

Elijah Wood: Right, okay.

Speaking of 7 Stages, how much fun was it getting to produce a film watching Taika play this hysterical cult leader and of course, Mark McKinney’s death scene, which is one of the best death scenes in cinema history.

Elijah Wood: It’s very great. Is anyone familiar with this movie 7 Stages? It’s really funny. It’s a comedy about a couple who move into an apartment and that apartment happens to have a curse because a local cult leader had killed himself in their bathtub so it is now a destination for cult followers to also kill themselves in their bathtub. They move in and all of these cultists just keep breaking in and murdering themselves in their bathtub to ascend. Taika Waititi plays the Holy Storsh, who is the cult leader. It’s very funny and we had a lot of fun making it. It’s awesome and yeah, the cast is insane. Mark McKinney was wonderful.

Thank you.

Elijah Wood: Yeah. Dan Harmon is in the movie. He’s so funny. You don’t often see him as an actor. He came and played a cop who was obsessed with writing a screenplay and doesn’t really want to be a cop. He actually wants to get his screenplay made and all of it’s very funny. It’s a much longer title but 7 Stages is the easy way to say it.

7 Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss is currently streaming on Hulu, Prime Video, or available through digital retailers. Fan Expo Chicago will return August 10-13, 2023.

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Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.