Behind the bang: How Future You got so dynamite

Ever wonder what happens when you mix CX drama, AI fails, and a little Napoleon Dynamite energy? Well... gosh! You’re in luck. Quicker than you can say, “No freakin’ way”—we’re giving you a behind-the-scenes (BTS) look at NICE’s Future You is Dynamite videos.

We’re pulling back the curtain on our Future You is Dynamite video series – yep, the ones starring the one and only Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite himself!). These three short videos serve up hilarious “what not to do” moments when automation gets ahead of actual customer experience. Spoiler alert: it’s awkward, it’s cringe, and it’s exactly why AI needs customer experience at its core to achieve real results.

Jon Heder’s comedic chops are on full display as he plays a hilariously uncool version of himself, stuck dealing with clunky, outdated tech – while his dapper Future Jon, powered by NICE’s intelligent customer service automation, has nothing but effortless experiences. Fun Fact: Jon’s twin brother, Dan, acts as a stand-in for the non-speaking parts so both “Jons” can share the screen at the same time.

In one of the more memorable exchanges, the pre-AI version of Jon says upon discovering automation only works when it’s designed specifically for customer service: “So now what do we become—CEO?”

To which Future Jon responds, “Nah. We automated customer service. We become legend.”

See the full series now.

1. Meet Future You

Check out your sweet AI skills for customer service automation

2. AI, AI My Captain

Purpose-built AI that gets work done

3. Customer Service Legend

Where automation turns strategy struggle into AI success

Top 6 BTS Future You is Dynamite fun facts

1. 🎬 From BYU to boom mic

Jon and Dan Heder went to Brigham Young University film school with the main Avalanche Studios crew behind the videos—Jason Conforto (Director) Bianca Cline (Director of Photography) and Jonas Sappington (Production Designer). Sappington was also the production designer on “Napoleon Dynamite.” Those sketches on the bulletin board? They match Napoleon Dynamite’s notebook in the real flick.

2. ✂️ Twin twinning

Jon and Dan received matching haircuts the night before filming. Commitment level: identical.

3. 🥤 Cold brew? Not quite.

That coffee spill? Actually watered-down cola. The art department then had to reapply the stain several times as it slowly faded away during each take. Jon worked for several hours in wet clothes. In the final cut, the stain appears faded.

4. 🎭 Improv gold

Some of Jon's funniest lines weren’t scripted – he just let it flow:

• “What are you going to do to me?!?”
• “It kinda tickle-burns.”
• “Smells good, too.”

5. 🎤 Dan, the real MVP

Dan had zero lines in the final cut – and still memorized every word to support his bro. Still, he memorized and performed his lines so that Jon would have someone to act with. He felt bad when he would flub a line but Jon and the director reassured him that all his lines would be replaced. Dan was determined to deliver all the lines verbatim, and ended up being the unsung hero of the shoot with all his extra effort. Respect.

6. 🥔 Tot-ally not happening

To the best of our knowledge, no tater tots were consumed on set. (You know you were wondering…)

See our BTS Future You is Dynamite video.

‘Napoleon Dynamite’—Where are they now?

2025 is shaping up to be a big year for the cast of the 2004 cult classic “Napoleon Dynamite” with Heder appearing in a sci-fi horror film “I See the Demon” this fall, and Jon Gries (AKA Uncle Rico) returns to season three of HBO’s hit “The White Lotus,” reprising his villainous role from the previous two seasons.

Did you know? “Napoleon Dynamite” was filmed on a budget of $400,000, and the beloved indie film went on to earn $44 million worldwide at the box office. Quirky characters, memorable off-beat dialogue, and unforgettable characters solidified the flick’s place in pop culture.

Heder starred in a number of big-screen comedies after his turn as Napoleon, including “The Benchwarmers” (2006) with Rob Schneider and David Spade, “School for Scoundrels” (2006) with Billy Bob Thornton, and “Blades of Glory” (2007) with Will Ferrell.

Is your organization ready to become legendary?

Just like our Future You hero (Jon Heder) conquered the screen as Napoleon Dynamite, CXone Mpower gives you the explosive power to transform business results. What Future You achieved isn't just fantasy—it's within reach.

1. Transformative problem-solving

CXone Mpower breaks through complex problems that were previously unsolvable just as dynamite breaks through barriers. After a major travel company kept losing leads, it switched from a legacy, on-premise solution. AI-powered analysis of every touchpoint resulted in a 99% improvement in the number of guest engagements assessed.

2. Explosive productivity gains

CXone Mpower dramatically accelerates work processes. As the COO of a travel company noted, the technology helped transform its contact center operations, including productivity improvements of up to 20% for its sales operations.

3. Catalyst for change

CXone Mpower can start a chain reaction of improvements throughout an organization, igniting new possibilities. Conversational AI clears the way to achieve considerable cost savings with automation that enables customers to self-serve on voice and digital channels while also proactively assisting customers on the company’s website to drive conversions and containment. By automating all first contacts, an electronics company achieved a nearly 16% containment rate.

4. Breakthrough insights

CXone Mpower uncovers hidden customer patterns and generates elevated satisfaction, efficiency and cost savings. AI-driven analytics and automation let your organization engage customers across days, weeks, months, or years and fulfill on their needs without relying on human agents. Drive cost savings by automating common customer journeys with over 30 industry-specific AI agents trained out of the box. One U.S. healthcare system has been able to reduce its inbound call volume by half, and a U.K. communication company now automates 95% of 14.5 million customer journeys a year.

5. Force multiplier

It amplifies human capabilities exponentially rather than incrementally—similar to how dynamite multiplies human physical force. NICE’s The State of CX report found only 35% of agents' time actively enhances CX, with 12% lost to information searches, costing contact centers millions annually. Giving employees highly personalized guidance in real time delivers live recommendations for upsell/cross-sell opportunities. For example, a media company reported an 18% increase in revenue.

As the two Jons say in the Future You is Dynamite:

• “All this automation is pretty NICE.”
• “Yeah, it's literally the name of the company.”

Get a CXone Mpower demo today to see for yourself.