SALT LAKE CITY — BYU Magazine’s current cover story is, according to the magazine, at least, “flippin’ sweet.”
BYU Magazine released itsspring issueover the weekend, and the cover shows an image of Idaho's young wolverine hunter, Napoleon Dynamite, made up of Tater Tots.
“It's basically the best ketchup work we've ever done,” the magazine said in a Facebook post.
The spring 2018 issue is out—with a flippin’ sweet cover story. It’s basically the best ketchup work we’ve ever...
Posted by BYU Magazine on Monday, April 30, 2018
The issue’s cover article tells the story of “how a bunch of undergrads made themselves a dang cult classic” with 2004's “Napoleon Dynamite."
The article explains the origin story behind BYU graduate and director Jared Hess' sleeper hit, which can trace its beginnings to a short film called “Peluca,” a nine-minute black-and-white film that served a precursor to “Napoleon Dynamite.”
“Peluca” received rave reviews at the 2003 Slamdance Film Festival and investors, taking note of Hess' success, decided to support Hess' next project, a feature length-film.
Hess and his wife, Jerusha Demke Hess, had already begun working on the script for “Napoleon Dynamite” before “Peluca” screened, and with the funding and using mostly BYU grads and students, shot the film that would become a national hit, earning more than $46 million worldwide.
The magazine’s cover story shared some interesting tidbits, including:
- Hess chose the name “Napoleon Dynamite” after meeting an Italian man with the same name while Hess served his mission in Chicago.
- The crew originally wanted Jack Black for the role of Uncle Rico, but Black was expensive and many thought Black wouldn’t be interested in the role.
- The crew only had $200,000 for the film.