Across outrageous, often scatological comedies like “Bridesmaids,” “Spy” and “A Simple Favor,” the director Paul Feig, 62, has cemented his unlikely cinematic reputation as a girl’s guy.

Though Feig has of late carved out his turf as a director of thrillers — his next in the genre, "The Housemaid," comes out this fall — he's still most associated with his broad slapsticks. "I still consider all my movies to be comedies," he told me. "Just some are really, really dark comedies."

Comedy Bridesmaids crushed it at the box office, grossing over $451 million worldwide and earning two Oscar nominations.The 2011 hit, starring Aussies Rebel Wilson and Rose Byrne among an all-star cast,