"Comedy has evolved, movies have changed. Now, it's a bit tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes things very difficult for actors, because the beauty of comedy is to laugh at yourself, to laugh at life," the actress said during a round table with journalists in Paris, to present the film.

She then exclaimed: "The world needs humor! Don't take yourself too seriously. Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided."

A TV series like "Friends," a huge hit in the 1990s that launched Jennifer Aniston's career, wouldn't be possible with the same script today, she said.

"There's a whole new generation, kids who are now watching episodes of +Friends+ and finding them offensive," she explained, alluding to the "woke" trend.

"I don't know... Everyone always finds something offensive" these days, sighs the actress. However, "Friends" also addressed themes such as homosexuality in an open and understanding way, always under the prism of humor.

"There were things that weren't intentional and things that maybe we should have thought about more," Aniston concedes. "But there was not the same sensitivity as today."

Adam Sandler intervenes with a humorous touch: "You know what has also changed in comedies? The wardrobe!"." Remember when we started doing comedies?" he asks, turning to his friend, whom he met at the age of 14.

Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler for the premiere of "Murder Mystery 2" in Paris, March 16, 2023 © STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP/Archives

"They gave a small budget, like +do what you can with this+. And now they want us to look pretty extraordinary. We're working harder on that," he adds with a laugh.

Confused Americans

For "Murder Mystery 2," Aniston and Sandler don't just dress like tourists, they act as confused Americans.

That's the formula of the film: "we are two fish out of water," comments Aniston.

"Murder Mystery," a hit on Netflix when it was released in 2019, followed the adventures of a police inspector receiving unexpected help from his hairdresser wife to solve a case.

Encouraged by this stroke of luck, in "Murder Mystery 2", they founded a detective agency that goes from bad to worse. Until the kidnapping of a millionaire maharaja friend (British actor Adeel Akhtar) allows them to travel to Paris and embark on new adventures.

Aniston and Sandler may seem like two clueless "gringos" on screen, but no detail escaped them when it came to producing the film, say French actors Dany Boon and Mélanie Laurent, also in the cast.

"There are writers who work on the script during filming. Sometimes, I received text at 22pm for the next day (...) it's better than hearing + we cut!+", rejoices Dany Boon, who plays a French policeman also a little distraught.

"Sometimes when you're shooting with iconic American actors, you're afraid of being disappointed. But they are so nice, it's a gift to work with them," adds Mélanie Laurent.

© 2023 AFP