Paul Rudd surprised by Wet Hot American Summer success

The Ant-Man star joins his co-stars of the 2001 comedy for Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp, which follows the counsellors and campers on their first day at Camp Firewood in the summer of 1981.

“All of us loved working on the movie very much. We didn’t think it was gonna be a big old hit, which it wasn’t,” he said.

“But it’s grown into kind of a cult status over the years.”

The new eight-part series, which airs on Netflix from July 31, boasts a star-studded cast which also includes Kristen Wiig, Jon Hamm, Janeane Garofalo and Joe Lo Truglio.

“We were too old to play those parts the first time round, so playing [even] younger just adds to the whole absurdity of it,” Paul said.

The star admitted it was a logistical nightmare for the director David Wain to bring everyone together, given everyone is busy with their successful careers.

“David really is a magician, he can film one person one day and then film another person a week later, and then he can edit it and you’d never know they weren’t there [together]. It’s seamless,” Paul said.

Paul said the original movie, which cost under a million US dollars to make, worked in their favour because they were relatively unknown at the time.

“Nobody knew who we were and nobody was paying any attention. That’s why we got to make something with such a singular vision,” he said.

But he admitted he’s unsure if it would be made these days.

“It would have a tougher time getting made, but then I think it’s tough to get anything made.”

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp is available on Netflix from Friday, July 31. Ant-Man is in cinemas now.