Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell Interview, Astroboy

Comic Con can be chaotic and this year around we actually had the chance to sit down with Kirsten Bell and Freddie Highmore twice. So some of you regulars may be having deja vu. This is round two of our interviews with Kristen Bell and Freddie Highmore!

Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive “blue” energy, Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters along the way.  Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Ultimately learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it takes to be a hero.

Q: Did you guys know anything about Astro Boy, prior to this?

Kristen: I didn’t know anything about Astro Boy, but luckily, our wonderful director, David Bowers, and our producer, Maryann Garger, gave us a formal education. I really learned from Freddie and from them, how beloved he is in Japan and overseas, in a whole slew of different countries. For some reason, he just hasn’t come to America yet, and I think their goal was to just bring him here. 

Freddie: Yeah, I think that he hasn’t got enough attention, in the rest of the world, and he does deserve it. There are so many parts of Astro Boy that are special, and each of us have our favorite. Hopefully, the people who don’t know Astro Boy will find their own, as well.
 
Q: Freddie, what do you like most about Astro Boy?

Freddie: I think it’s great that we can all relate to him. We all know the feeling of being a bit different from everyone else, and wanting to be accepted into society or into a family, as Astro Boy wants to. He wants to just get back with his dad. So, I think that makes him quite appealing. Everyone can relate to that. Also, when seeing the film, something that’s great about it is that it does appeal to adults, as well as kids. I was almost surprised that there was so much more to the film than just the action theme that’s obviously so central to it. There’s really funny moments, there’s sad moments and there are more allusions to deeper levels that the parents will really get, when they go see it.
 
Q:  Do you think that the themes of this film are universal for everyone?

Kristen: The themes are definitely universal, but they’re not themes that are shoved down your throat ‘cause nobody wants that. But, for instance, Metro City, where everyone lives, floats above the earth because the earth is destroyed. The surface of the earth is very polluted and it’s a junkyard, and that’s just a fact. They don’t really go into it. But, it’s an interesting thing to take into consideration. And, robots are our servants and they’re second class citizens and you’re taught, “Don’t treat them like human beings ‘cause they don’t deserve it. They’re just robots.” And, when someone like Astro Boy steps forward, and has emotions and real feelings, you see what people do with that. And then, there’s the overall theme of maybe what makes you different actually makes you unique. At our core, everybody wants to be accepted, so we should all accept each other a little more.
 
Q: Will Astro Boy have a British accent?

Freddie: No, he’s got an American accent. 
 
Q:  Did you watch the animation to understand who Astro Boy is?

Freddie: Yeah. I knew there was a TV program in the ‘60's, in America, but I didn’t see that. And, I think there have been even more recent ones in Japan, like in 2002 or 2003. I think they did up-to-date versions of it. But, I wanted to make it my own. I think that there was a need to bring Astro Boy a little bit up-to-date. I hope you agree. When he was first created, he was cutting edge and, even though it’s 50 years later, we still want it to be cutting edge. So, he’s a little bit more modern and his surroundings are really up-to-date. 
 
Q: Kristen, what’s it like to play a character that not from the original Astro Boy?

Kristen: Cora was brought in to tell Astro Boy’s emotional story, a little bit more. Astro Boy and Cora befriend each other because they’re both outcasts. And, Cora’s given a history of having a very tough exterior, but being very hurt and soft on the inside. They follow her character, as to why that happens, which I think a lot of people identify with as well. I had nothing to go on because she was a new character, but she shares a lot of experiences with Astro Boy and takes some of the ride with him. I think it’s great for girls to have a female version. Although she’s not at all what Astro Boy is, it’s nice to put a girl in there, every now and again. 
 
Q: Are you looking to go back to TV eventually, or do you want to just stay in films now?

Kristen: I have nothing against television. I love television. Recently, the projects that I have been able to do or picked or have been offered, have been mostly film. But, I would love to go back to TV one day. 
 
Q: But, you have no projects so far?

Kristen: No, nothing currently.
 
Q: What was it like to do the voice-over? How long of a process was it?

Kristen: Mine didn’t take very long, at all. I would go in for one or two days at a time, over the course of six months, maybe 10 times, at the most. But, I had the luxury of having Freddie record before me, so I was able to hear his voice and work off of him.