As Incredibles 2 flys it’s way to theaters this month fan may be asking a lot of questions about the sequel. Like why did it take so long? Why haven’t the characters aged? It it really the best time for another super hero movie? There are a lot of things we want to know about the upcoming sequel, and we have a few answers for you! We were able to sit down with Director Brad Bird and Producers John Walker and Nicole Grindle to learn more about the upcoming film and ask them the burning questions. Some of the answers may surprise you, even if you feel you’re a die hard Incredibles Fan.
Why a Sequel almost 15 Years later?!
The original Incredibles movie was released in November of 2004 and quickly became a fan favorite. Filled with super heroes dealing with ordinary life and a family we could all relate to. Now, almost 15 years later Incredibles 2 is hitting theaters. Fans often have wondered what has taken so long for a sequel. According to Director Brad Bird “I just don’t think it’s maybe the greatest idea creatively to follow-up a successful film with its sequel. I think that you want to take time. You want to think about it. You want to enjoy the process.I was always thinking about it in the back of my mind, but I had other things that were more at the forefront. And then suddenly it was like 15 years later or something and I went, holy crap, I better get goin’ on somethin’. It’s not intentional and it’s not, you know, it’s not calculated in any way.”
Will Time Change the Characters?
There is a lot that can change in even a few years, let alone 15 years. Our beloved characters from the original movies included. So we wanted to know if the difference in time could or has changed the characters and how hard it was for the team to get back to them while creating the film. While Producer John Walker said that the story was harder to write, Director Brad Bird said the characters were easier to bring back. “Outwardly it’s a really commercial movie, but it’s actually strangely personal to me. So, it has a lot of the things that I loved at the age of ten, which a lot of ‘em I still love – I hate to admit – and combined with the family that I grew up with and the family that I have with my wife and sons. So, it’s all the stuff I love combined with both families that I’ve had in my life. And so, for me, even though it seems brightly colored and pop confection, it’s actually really personal to me.
I like those characters and they’re comfortable to me. What’s fun after you’ve made the first one is that you have your ideal voice cast. When you write, you’re actually imagining Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sam Jackson, Sarah Vowell’s voices. So, it’s even easier to write, in terms of dialogue.” Bird said about the process.
Technology Has Changed – Does that Mean The Movie has?
In the blink of an eye technology changes and in almost 15 years, computers and software have changed in leaps in bounds. There isn’t a lot that hasn’t changed, but what does that mean for a movie like Incredibles 2? Since the team already has the characters it should have sped up the the process for filming making right? We already looked a bit at what it was like making the World of the Incredibles and how it changed for animators. But how would that impact making the movie overall?
While at Pixar we kept hearing that Director Brad Bird wanted to do certain things in the first movie but wasn’t able to because technology wasn’t there yet. We asked what differences would fans expect to see in the animation style and computer graphics in Incredibles 2. Bird explained what he expects fans to see “Once you see this film, when you go back to the first film you kinda go, oh. To me this film is what we were thinking. We came close, but we didn’t get it. And like the first film, the big deal was that there was no single big deal. It was everything. We had three times as many sets as any Pixar film before. We had everything that CG animation was bad at. You know, we did the bad at humans, bad at hair, bad at fire, bad at water. And we just had a whole film that was filled with everything that CG couldn’t do well at that point.
So, it really almost broke the studio in terms of like the absolute cutting edge of what could be done, on the first film. And on this film, it still was a real challenge. But the medium has improved so much that you can do good fire now. You can do good water. You can do good hair.”
The Change in Focus to Elastigirl and a Timeless Message
Even from the previews fans can see the focus of Incredibles 2 has switched from Mr. Incredible to Elastigirl. With everything going on in the world and our current focus on girl power you may assume this is in response to current events. But instead, Brad Bird says this was always the plan. ” The central idea, which was a role switch between Bob and Helen, and the fact that the family didn’t know of the baby’s powers and that they would learn about it in this film, that almost dates back to the first film’s release, I had those ideas. What changed all the time was the sort of superhero plot. But the core idea of Helen getting the mission and Bob staying at home and them having to cope with the baby’s powers, that is really, you know, that’s my oldest idea for this film.”
Is there Such a Thing as Too Many Super Hero Movies?
It seems like every week a new super hero movie is hitting theaters. They’re not losing momentum and fan bases are still growing. But is it a risk to release another super hero movie at this time? People already love the Parr family, but will they get lost in the mix? The answer was a bit surprising – Bird and his team don’t see the movie as a super hero movie! Bird explained, “When we did the first film, there were only two active big franchises, and one was Spiderman and the other was X-Men. Chris Nolan had not done his films yet, he was on the brink of doing them. And Superman had gone away for a while, and Marvel was not kicked into high gear with Ironman.
There were only a couple of films that we were competing with I guess. Since then it’s like ever six inches there’s a superhero. If you throw a rock, you’ll hit a superhero, who will punch you in return. And so, I think that it’s much harder to do a unique story now. Not only are there scads and scads and scads and scads of superhero films, but there’s television shows. And there’s television shows like Heroes where they have maybe 20 superheroes, each of whom has a storyline every week.
So, they’re chowing through potential spins on the genre at an ungodly rate. And so, I think that if we thought about this as a superhero movie, we probably would’ve been stymied. But we didn’t. We always felt like what makes our film unique is that it’s about a family. And the roles. Their superpowers were based on iconic roles of men and women and children in the family. You know, the dad is always expected to be strong. The mom is always stretched in a million directions. Teenagers are defensive and insecure. So, she has force fields and invisibility.
Ten-year-olds are energy balls that just, you know, can’t not be on — eleven or off, that’s what they are. And babies are unknowns. They could have no powers at all, or they could be the next leader of the free world. Where they were in the family was how we chose their powers. And that was a unique approach, because it was more about stages of your life. And I think one of the reasons we’ve been successful is that everyone connects with at least two of the characters, and that’s because we’ve all been teenagers. We’ve all been children.
Many of us have kids, and so we’ve dealt with little babies, which are really challenging to keep up with. And teenagers, which are, you know, also a handful in a completely different way. We’ve had parents that seem kinda clueless at moments and the dad that maybe speaks before he really knows what he’s talking about. And, you know, the mom that manages everything. So, that’s where our strength lies, and that’s what makes us different. And if we thought about it in those terms, it became a lot easier to make our film.”
Why Hasn’t Anyone Aged? Does Incredibles 2 Pick up Where the First Began?
With only minor changes to the characters we can see in the trailers, fans want to know if the story just picks up where the original left off. We see the Underminer again – and that fight scene. But what can fans expect when it comes to the story?
The movie does start up immediately where the other left off with the same bad guy. And there is a reason for that – the team in charge of the story could do that, so they did. Brad Bird explains why he made that choice. “I had a half thought about aging them up a little, but the minute you do you lose a lot of the iconic power of the idea. Because we’re not limited to linear aging the way live action films are, where if an actor is ten years older, you better write a line in there where they talk about being ten years older. The audience is not gonna go for it. But we are not limited in that way. Aas long as your voice hasn’t changed much, we can pick it up where the last movie left off.
So, for me, the boldest thing a movie that’s taken 14 years to happen can do is pick up right where the last movie left off. Who else can do that? No one. So, we did it.”
Fans are going to be amazed at the super movie hits theaters on June 15th, and more questions will be answered. We can’t wait to check out Incredibles 2 when it hits theaters!
Get your Tickets now for Incredibles 2:
The Incredibles Double Feature in IMAX:
- On June 13, Incredibles fans can be among the first to experience “Incredibles 2” and relive “The Incredibles” (shown for the first time ever on IMAX screens) at double-feature fan events. In addition to watching the “Incredibles 2” two days before it opens nationwide, attendees will receive a commemorative mini poster.
IMAX at Regal:
- On June 14, the first 1,000 guests who experience “Incredibles 2” in IMAX at Regal Cinemas will receive an exclusive collectible ticket. A poster version of the collectible ticket art will be available to IMAX guests in the Regal Crown Club store. Available while supplies last.
Cinemark
- Fans who see “Incredibles 2” in Cinemark XD opening weekend will receive a collectible poster. Available while supplies last. See site for details.
Alamo Drafthouse
- As part of the advanced ticketing promotion, at Alamo Drafthouse you can add an exclusive “Incredibles 2” glass by Mondo to your ticket purchase. Fans also have the chance to purchase a one-of-a-kind sketchbook, both designed by artist Dave Perillo.
Fandango
- Each fan buying tickets to “Incredibles 2” on Fandango will receive a gift-with-purchase. Guests can choose from one of two posters available in the Fandango FanShop, Fandango’s movie merchandise marketplace, while supplies last.
Find the INCREDIBLES 2 online on the Official Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
INCREDIBLES 2 opens in theatres everywhere on June 15, 2018!
Watch the Incredibles 2 Trailer:
The Incredibles 2 Movie Poster:
About Incredibles 2:
Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back in “Incredibles 2” – but this time Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell) and Dash (voice of Huck Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) must find a way to work together again—which is easier said than done, even when they’re all Incredible.
Find the INCREDIBLES 2 online on the Official Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram INCREDIBLES 2 opens in theatres everywhere on June 15, 2018!