No matter how it performs at the box-office or how well it is reviewed, there will not be a sequel to Team America World Police.

"Never in a million years. Filming Team America was the worst six months of my life," says Trey Parker, who wrote, produced and directed the film with his creative partner Matt Stone.

"Writing the songs was the only fun thing that happened for us in those six months. Otherwise it was gruelling 18-hour days and that was seven days a week."

Stone explains that "once we actually got to the sets to begin filming, it was not about creativity and fun anymore. It was all about problem solving. We were so focused on the film that it temporarily ruined our relationships with family and friends. It was an awful experience. It took years off our lives."

Parker and Stone, the creators of the hit TV series South Park, came up with the concept for Team America almost three years ago. They were watching episodes of Thunderbirds, the British marionette TV series that ran from 1964 to 1966. "We loved the klunkiness of the puppets and came up with the idea of making a feature film that would be South Park Does Thunderbirds," recalls Parker.

The duo immediately called their agent and pitched the idea. "He told us someone was already doing a Thunderbirds movie. We were super bummed out," recalls Parker.

Dismay turned to elation when they discovered that Universal Studios was doing a live-action version of Thunderbirds. Stone says he and Parker were "more than a little amused that someone would do a live-action version.

"When you take the puppets away from Thunderbirds you have nothing, which pretty well sums up the Thunderbirds film they released this summer."

Team America takes some lethal swipes at such outspoken liberal actors as Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon and Susan Sarandon. "We learned from doing South Park that it is obvious parody when you put a celebrity in your film and you can't be sued for libel," says Parker. Penn recently sent a letter to Parker and Stone blasting them for encouraging people not to vote in the upcoming presidential election. "What we said is that people should not be allowed to vote unless they are properly informed but that's not what Sean heard," says Parker.

Stone says they are not upset that Penn has criticized them publicly as well.

"Sean insists he is not angry that we parody him in the film, but his tirades suggest differently.

"What he's done is put us back on the front pages of newspapers and magazines just as the film is going into release so he couldn't have been more helpful."

From the moment they hit upon the concept of puppets doing a big action movie, Parker and Stone vowed they'd "make it filthy. It had to be naughty and rude."

Much to the chagrin of the Motion Picture of Association American censorship board, the filmmakers achieved their goal -- especially with an extended sex scene between Lisa the team's psychology expert, and Gary, the actor who is enlisted by the group to impersonate various terrorists.

"The original sex scene was 21/2 minutes long but we had to trim it considerably to avoid the ridiculous NC-17 rating the board slapped on us," says Stone.

"The scene will run as created in foreign markets and on the DVD. It's ironic that America will be the only place it has to be edited for."

With Team America done, there's now the first episode of the new season of South Park, which is due in three weeks.

"We have absolutely no idea what it's going to be," insists Stone.

"That points out just how much havoc Team America has created in our personal and professional lives."

[ source: CANOE ]