The members of The Lonely Island covered the costs themselves for the penis scene in Popstar.

      It can now be disclosed that a significant moment in The Lonely Island's film Popstar, featuring a tense reunion between former Style Boyz members Conner and Lawrence while a fan presses his penis against the limousine window, was personally funded by the Lonely Island creators.

      Akiva Schaffer, the film's co-director, revealed this information during a Q&A with Oscar-winning director and The Lonely Island enthusiast Daniel Scheinert, who is part of the directing duo known as The Daniels. Popstar centers on Andy Samberg as connor4real, a boastful pop star who has abandoned his fellow members from the pop trio Style Boys. These roles are portrayed by Samberg’s Lonely Island companions, Schaffer and Taccone, the other director of Popstar.

      This Q&A, which was made public this week on The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers podcast, was conducted in April to commemorate a 10th anniversary screening of Popstar (officially titled Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping), a comedic tour de force chronicling connor4real’s rise, decline, and resurgence.

      In a pivotal scene, Taccone’s character Owen orchestrates a reunion between Conner and Schaffer’s character Lawrence in the rear of a limousine. The performance by Samberg and Schaffer takes on the tone of a serious drama, despite the humorous distraction from a fan’s exposed genitalia.

      Akiva Schaffer discussed the inception of the Popstar penis scene.

      Despite the absurdity of the Popstar penis scene, Schaffer indicated that it played a vital role in enhancing the film’s overall impact.

      Each week on The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers podcast, the Lonely Island team along with Meyers reflects on the creative process behind their projects, including famous pieces like “D— in a Box,” “I Just Had Sex,” and “Lazy Sunday.” They also touch on endeavors that did not meet their expectations.

      Though Popstar was not a box office success, it has garnered a dedicated fanbase that enjoys its clever yet silly moments, such as “Finest Girl (Bin Laden Song)” and “Legalize It.” Additionally, it serves as a brilliant snapshot of 2010s pop culture, featuring appearances by stars like Pink and Akon.

      Schaffer mentioned to Scheinert that while viewing early cuts of the film, he, Samberg, and Taccone noticed a decrease in energy in the middle section. Consequently, they sought guidance from their producer, Judd Apatow.

      “And it was Judd who suggested, ‘I think at that point, the audience just wants to see you guys together — like, explore the central relationship in this film a bit more.’”

      Therefore, about four or five months after completing the principal filming, they financed a new scene that included the limousine and the comedic penis.

      “We thought, ‘Well, we could do it in a limo, and have about 20 extras crowded around it,’” Schaffer explained. “From test screenings, we learned that the wilder the film became, the more the audience enjoyed it, which encouraged us to push it to that level of absurdity. I doubt we would have had the audacity to include that in the original script.”

      Scheinert added: “I love the notion of you telling the studio, ‘We’ve got to shoot this scene.’”

      Schaffer responded: “Being completely candid, we funded it ourselves. We were out of budget, and we wanted the movie to be great, so Judd and we contributed together.”

      Schaffer humorously noted that casting the actor for the penis made his emails “a scary place,” as he received numerous pictures. However, he approached the selection process seriously to ensure they chose the ideal penis for the film.

      “It can’t feel like a joke layered on top of another joke,” Schaffer remarked.

      “The humor doesn’t stem from it being an odd-looking penis,” Scheinert pointed out. “The humor simply lies in the fact that it’s a penis.”

      This exchange led to some amusing dialogue, which can be enjoyed in the full podcast episode, well worth a listen.

      Main image: Andy Samberg as Conner and Akiva Schaffer as Lawrence have a tense reunion in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. Universal Pictures.