The Psych universe has been around since 2006.
While the series is over, the franchise remains alive thanks to movie spinoffs, and, of course, the fans.
Psych 3: This Is Gus premieres on Peacock Thursday, November 18, and TV Fanatic got the chance to speak to the cast and crew ahead of broadcast.
“The Psych-os are the best,” said Dulé Hill of the devoted fanbase.
“They’ve been on this journey with us since 2006. We’re now in 2021. And the love just keeps building and growing,” the actor added before saying he enjoyed working with everyone associated with the project.
He said they always look forward to coming back.
“It’s a wacky bunch, and the story always seems to keep unraveling in ways that we don’t expect,” Hill added.
Maggie Lawson revealed that it surprises her that people are still talking about the show almost 16 years later, but she said none of it would have been possible without the fans.
“When we talk about Psych, it’s not this thing of the past, like we’re still in this adventure,” the star said before teasing that there are still many adventures left for the characters.
Maggie likes that the stories continue to evolve and get more personal with every movie.
“Psych is growing up. I definitely feel that more in this movie maybe than I ever have,” Lawson added, citing the fans again for the reason for her return.
Jazmyn Simon revealed that she was the last to join the franchise, but she still remembers James Roday Rodriguez asking her to join.
“I didn’t even think about it,” she said, declaring that she was happy to join on the spot.
“Because it’s just such a show that is fan-focused,” the star added, saying that the stories are written for the people that love the show.
“It really is a love letter to everyone that has supported the show for the last almost 16 years. And I just feel so fortunate that I get to be a part of something so unique,” Simon added.
Kirsten Nelson echoed the sentiments of her co-stars that the fans are what keep the stories coming.
“Shawn and Gus happened to capture lightning in a bottle, and we willingly and gladly keep coming back because we want to keep showing these characters,” Kirsten shared, revealing that she constantly feels the love from the fans.
“We love the fans,” Kirsten said, adding that the show is also rare in that the franchise allows the characters to grow and evolve.
“You’ve seen Shawn and Gus from one point, and then you can see them where they are today, and they’ve grown, and they’re still themselves, but beyond the gray hair that’s in, Dulé’s beard and Sean’s ever-changing hairstyle, they’re maturing, and they’re growing, and that’s something great that you don’t get to see on TV.”
As for series creator Steve Franks, he said that the movies are fun to make and he believes the fun translates to the screen when people watch the movies.
“I love getting on the set to direct it. I love being out there. I like to hang out with these people,” Steve said.
“My life is based on how much fun I can have,” he added.
“You said it all. It’s always fun to come back,” EP Chris Henze added, before revealing that he, Steve, and James arrive earlier than everyone else to get things ready for production.
Chris laughed and said they do get sick of each other, but they sat down to dinner every night in anticipation of production formally kicking off.
He added that he didn’t think of these movies as self-contained because of the connective tissue.
He likes that the movies always pick up with the characters in different places, but first and foremost, the draw is the characters, and they think about the mystery they have to tackle next.
The third movie was also produced under different conditions than before due to COVID-19.
The cast was complimentary of everyone who made the shoot such a success during these difficult times. Maggie revealed they were given Bluetooth discs that buzzed if they were too close to one another.
The plot of the third movie, however, is very different than before.
“This movie about Sean and us going road before his wedding,” Dulé says of how the movie picks up, revealing that Gus wants to stay focused, but there is no focusing when Sean is around.
The actor says that the movie “just get wackier and wackier.”
“They go down the rabbit hole, and they learn things about that Gus would have preferred not to learn,” Hill teases.
As for the ladies, Maggie teased that fans can expect them to be together in the flick.
“I love Jules and Selene’s relationship. It’s been so fun. Jazmyn and I are such friends in real life too, so that’s been so much fun for us to play,” Maggie shared, highlighting that Kirsten comes into the fold this time.
We got the chance to watch the movie, and it was a lot of fun.
It has everything you love about the franchise, and so much more.
We will have much more Psych 3: This Is Gus content after the movie launches later this week.
Check out the trailer below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
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