VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Kinney Reveals Why ‘Diary Of A Wimpy Kid’ Resonates With Audiences

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has long been a staple on the bookshelves of kids everywhere and now a new generation will be able to follow Greg’s story on the small screen.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney recently sat down for a conversation with uInterview founder Erik Meers to discuss why he thinks the series resonates with audiences.

>WATCH JEFF KINNEY’s uINTERVIEW ON CREATING AN ANTI-HERO

“I feel really privileged and fortunate,” Kinney said. “When the first book came out, it made the New York Times bestseller list two weeks later. It’s been pretty much on it ever since. I feel like I’m on the Truman Show in a way. I feel like the veil is going to be lifted and somebody’s going to say, ‘This is all a prank!’ I think the reason the books are successful is because my characters are really basic looking. They’re as simple as can be and I think that gives kids all over the world the feeling that they can project themselves and their lives onto the characters. Laughter, recognition … I’d like to think that these movies are kind of a mirror held up to kids in their own lives. I think they’ll see their own situations and their own family dynamics in these stories. “

Kinney also revealed a bit of what fans can be expecting when it comes to Greg’s story.

“What’s fun about this movie is that Greg gets roped into his older brother’s party, so it’s a teenage party which feels really dangerous and big to a younger sibling,” Kinney said. “Greg uses that secret of the party to leverage his relationship, to get more attention out of his older brother Rodrick.”

The new film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, will be released on Disney+ on Friday.