Julio Torres Explains How ‘SNL’ Influenced His HBO Series ‘Fantasmas’

[Editor’s note: The following contains some spoilers for Fantasmas.]

From the mind of creator/writer/director Julio Torres (Los Espookys, Problemista), the HBO comedy series Fantasmas is a fantastical six-part surreal and dreamy tale about the search for an earring lost at a dance club. Set in an alternate version of New York City, the different vignettes feature an eclectic line-up of guest stars, including Emma Stone, Paul Dano, Steve Buscemi, Natasha Lyonne, Dylan O’Brien, Bowen Yang and Julia Fox, among others. Each makes a mark in their own unique way with characters from a variety of backgrounds, and yet it all comes together with an experimental feel that still manages to feel like pieces of a larger whole.

During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Torres talked about how humbled he is to have champions of his otherwise unpitchable projects, his desire to lean into the theatricality of Fantasmas, his love of short form writing, how the work he did on Saturday Night Live has influenced things, Fantasia inspiration, providing a sandbox for other actors to play in, how happy he is with the final product of the series, whether he’d want to do more episodes, and his desire to make another feature film.

Fantasmas (2024)

Julio Torres – both the comedian/writer/filmmaker AND his fictional counterpart here – once lost a golden oyster earing on New Year’s Eve. In his new series for Max, Julio searches for his lost item through a magically surreal New York City environment in a narrative packed with guest stars and dream-like scenarios.

Release Date

June 7, 2024

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Julio Torres

Writers

Julio Torres

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Julio Torres Is Grateful For the Champions of His Experimental Projects

Collider: It seems like a series like this couldn’t get made without a network that believes in you and what you want to do because there’s nothing to compare it to. It’s hard to describe and it seems like it would be a hard sell, if you just walked in somewhere and tried to pitch this as an idea. What was it like to get HBO on board with this? You first pitched this in 2020, so why was now the right time to make it?

JULIO TORRES: That wasn’t my choice. It was the pandemic, and then we had to go on strike, so the timing is what the world allowed. In terms of pitching it, I have found people who really believe in the kinds of things that I want to do, and I’m very humbled to have champions that hold the keys to so many of these things, whether it’s niche or experimental, or whatever you want to call it. I have been lucky to work at Saturday Night Live and make a movie with A24 and work with HBO because, in some sense, they do understand that this is interesting and a risk worth taking. But yeah, most of my work is unpitchable. If they’re not receptive to it, it’s just crickets.

Even though it is experimental, there are things about it that you still don’t expect. From the way it was shot and getting to see what the sets looked like, I thought was really cool.

TORRES: Yeah, that was always a part of the vision, leaning into the theatricality of it.

Because this was a series you’d wanted to make for a long time, what appeals to you about doing this kind of project and what is the biggest challenge of doing something like this, where it feels like it’s constantly making different detours, but it still feels like it’s part of a bigger piece?

TORRES: I love short form writing. I think it’s my equivalent of short story writing. I think of these as humorous short stories. But that comes with its own set of challenges. I found making this show to be harder than making Problemista, than making a movie, because there was maybe less to compare it to. So, it was trickier and it was a learning curve for everyone, but it was such a joy. It’s weird, but it understands itself, I hope.

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What did you learn from the work you did on Saturday Night Live that influenced or informed what you decided to do with this? And were there other inspirations or influences outside of just your own imagination for this series?

TORRES: I learned how much I love collaborating and how hands-on I like to be with production design and wardrobe and hair, and all those things. And I learned how much I love working with different kinds of actors and the joy that comes with working with people who are very playful. As for inspirations for this, sometimes my work is definitely in conversation with Fred Armisen’s sketch comedy, being very observant of the world around us. It’s a little bit like the animated movie Fantasia. Different kinds of influence came about.

‘Fantasmas’ Creator Julio Torres Enjoys Creating a Sandbox for Actors to Play In

How did you put this group of guest actors together? Were they all people you knew you wanted for the roles they played, or were some suggested to you? And do you give them a lot of room and space to explore their own creativity within whatever parameters you set for them?

TORRES: Some of them, I knew. I had never worked with Steve Buscemi, but Fred Armisen actually connected us. He was so into it and it was so great. I had never met Dominique Jackson, but I really wanted to work with her and she was incredible. And everyone who’s ever worked with Dylan O’Brien keeps raving about what a joy it is, and I second that. I love providing a sandbox for people to play in, but I think that everyone came with an understanding of who these people are and how they behave. How that comes out is something that we find out on set, but I like it when people trust me, so I trust people.

Do you ever find that there are some actors that you have to help get out of their own head, or that have a lot of questions?

TORRES: There were definitely questions, and questions are okay. But if they are agreeing to do this, then I already know that they’re playful and they’re game to do something different and explore.

There’s something so fantastic about Julia Fox as Mrs. Claus. How did that come about and what was she like to work with?

TORRES: She was so game and so in it for the fun of it and to do work that’s interesting. She’s not calculating, she just really gets it. She’s so watchable and so likable. She was just great.

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Related

Fantasmas | Official Trailer | HBO

Writer, director, and comedian Julio Torres spins a fantastical six-part tale of when he lost a gold oyster earring.

Another standout for me was Melf and Paul Dano. Did you know exactly what you wanted that to be, from the look of the puppet to Paul Dano making out with the puppet? How did that evolve?

TORRES: That was very clear in my head. I had no questions about that.

What was his reaction when you told him what he’d be doing?

TORRES: He was so excited. He still checks in on Melf.

Whether it’s Melf, or Bibo, or the hamsters, what do you enjoy about creating and voicing characters that aren’t human?

TORRES: I like the layers of not taking someone seriously, and then seeing how human they are. Melf and Bibo and the hamsters are all very relatable and a little heartbreaking in their own way.

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Things always get a little bit weird when you’re playing a fictional version of yourself and something that’s also not really autobiographical. Were there ways that you wanted to intentionally set the character apart from yourself, or were you not really worried about that?

TORRES: I wasn’t. I definitely leaned into a more OCD, frustrated version of myself, which felt fun to play. In Los Espookys, I’m very carefree and very princely. In Problemista, I play my scrappiest, most optimistic self. And with Fantasmas, I’m just so frustrated.

Some really cool things can happen when you don’t necessarily have the time or the budget that you’d like to have to make something. What are the best and worst aspects of making a lot with a little? What do you find most exciting about working within limitations?

TORRES: It forces you to come up with creative solutions that end up enriching the work, up to a point. Because you can’t be wasteful, it really allows you to zero in on what’s important.

‘Fantasmas’ Creator Julio Torres Is Very Happy with the Finished Product of the Series

Is there’s anything you wish you could have done differently, if you’d had unlimited resources, or do you feel like this is exactly what you envisioned and wanted to make?

TORRES: In terms of the final product, I’m so, so, so happy with it. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but it’s what I wanted to make and what I could make, in that time and place. I’m very proud of it and of what we did together, but in terms of making it, you always hope that the days are shorter and the day-to-day is easier. It’s all a learning experience for next time.

Is this something you’d like to do more episodes of?

TORRES: I think so, yeah. Maybe it’s not called Fantasmas. Maybe it’s something else. I don’t know. But I like this format a lot.

If losing an earring in real life led to this, are you someone that’s always thinking about how you can turn things that happen to you into TV shows or movies? Are you always looking for inspiration in your own life and the world around you?

TORRES: No, not really. Sometimes that happens and you’re like, “Oh, maybe this is something,” or it’s the catalyst for something. But no, I don’t feel like I’m seeking out material in my day-to-day life. Some things just keep coming back again and again, and those become the work. I keep coming back to people wrestling against bureaucracy. That has been a theme for a while, and the loneliness that comes from that. Phone calls and telephones are, for some reason, very omnipresent in my work.

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Before doing Problemista, you had been working in TV. Was the goal always to eventually write and direct a film? Are you hoping to do that again, sooner rather than later?

TORRES: I would really love to go and make another movie. The goal is to just create things. I want to keep writing and directing, in whatever form I’m allowed to.

What did you learn from and take from the experience of making Problemista, as a filmmaker and storyteller?

TORRES: Most projects really reinforce the importance of finding collaborators and finding people that you mesh with and that get you. Doing the work doesn’t have to be so serious. It can actually be very joyful.

Fantasmas airs on HBO and is available to stream on Max. Check out the trailer:

Watch on Max