Jemaine Clement 'Is Not Being Funny' In 'Men In Black 3,' Director Says

The summer season is almost upon us, which means we'll be hit with wave after wave of blockbusters over the coming weeks and months. "Avengers" is, unsurprisingly, a top priority for geeks everywhere at the moment, but don't forget about the return of a not-so-little franchise: Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones' "Men in Black."

The third installment of the series is out in theaters on May 25, and well ahead of that, we have an interview with director Barry Sonnenfeld as part of our Summer Movie Preview coverage. He talks about the film's story, the casting of Josh Brolin as young Agent K, the reported problems plaguing production, and much more.

My favorite bit is this piece on Jemaine Clement's villain, Boris, and what we can expect from the Flight of the Conchords funnyman's performance. Hint: it ain't so funny.

Sonnenfeld said:

Jemaine delivers a totally villainous performance. If there's any comedy at all, it's just through frustration. [Laughs] The great thing about Earth is that it can be a frustrating place for aliens. We don't think clearly, we're not logical all the time. But Jemaine is not on board this movie for comic relief. His performance is really strong and really villainous. Think about it: If you had not seen the first "Men in Black," and people had told you that Tommy lee Jones was funny, you wouldn't have believed it. This is the same thing — no one is trying to be funny. I want my actors to be real. If it's a funny situation, I want it to be funny. But I don't want anyone to play to the comedy. Let the audience find the comedy; I don't want to tell any [of the cast or crew] where it is. So, Jemaine does not deliver a comedic performance. While there are moments of humor that the audience will find funny, Jemaine himself is not being funny, if you get that.

Check out more of the "Men in Black 3" interview over here!