PREMIERE: What’s it like breaking into the movie business when you’re the son of a famous director?

Jason Reitman: Well, it scared me off for a long time. Then I figured I'd make short films, I'd try to get them into film festivals, and they would judge them for their merit. They're not going to put a film in that sucks. And, you know, some of them turned out really nicely. They got me an agent, and I started directing commercials. Then I wrote the screenplay [an adaptation of the book Thank you for Smoking] and I figured, you know, if I write it and it sucks, again, no one will make it.

How did you discover Christopher Buckley’s book?

A friend of mine gave me the book saying, this is perfect for you. It was the only time in my life I've read something and said, 'I need to direct this.' I strategically went after this and it's been 5 years trying to make this happen.

I have to say, the subject matter—the smoking lobbyists and the power of big tobacco—feels a little old.

Why does it feel old? This was in the news four or five years ago. And yet it felt fresh in the movie. It didn't feel dated at all to me.

Well you know for me the film is not about cigarettes as much as it is about lobbying. I think the key to it is that cigarettes are the setting. It's really about freedom and it's poking fun at political correctness which I think is just as bad now as it was four or five years ago or 15 years ago when the term was coined. And you know yeah, I mean in that sense it's just as relevant. The father-son story is just as relevant too.

When did you get Aaron Eckhart (Paycheck, The Missing) involved for the lead role?

For four or five years I was trying to get this movie made. No studio would touch it. And then David Sachs, who's one of the creators of PayPal, funded this movie personally. At that point, he and I had a long conversation about who could play this character. It's a tricky role in that he's got to be able to deliver the hard stuff and still be a believable, good father. And I saw what Aaron did in both Erin Brockovich as well as In the Company of Men. And I couldn't imagine a more perfect combination. We sent him the script, he liked it. I went up to meet him in Vancouver and I said to him, 'You know what, Aaron? You've got a great smile, I'd love to see you smile more.' He took that and ran with it.

What's your next film?

You know, there's been a few screenplays I've really liked and I think hopefully this will kind of open the door so I can take a stab at them.