Astro Boy

Astro Boy

Topic Author: Chad Franzen

Posted: 5:54 AM Oct 23, 2009

Replies Posted: 0 comments

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We met at our usual location to carpool to Hollywood. As soon as Branden pulled up, he realized he forgot his stepladder. The carpet is usually very cramped, so we use the ladder to get crowd shots. We stopped at a Target and came up empty. We wanted a Home Depot but Tom Tom couldn’t find one. We really need an equipment sponsor; we ended up going to a local hardware store and finding the parts to build one.

In spite of missing an exit and with the ladder delay we were only 20 minutes late getting on the carpet. Still plenty of time to shoot B roll and schmooze with the extras. Posed for some photos with L.A. Looks, who were handing out free samples of their hair gel. Which according to marketing is what Astro Boy uses to style his mascot hair.

We were stationed near the entrance to Mann’s Chinese Theater, where we caught the stars as they filed into the show. Our first interview was with Astro Boy himself. He was very upbeat but slightly limited in his vocabulary. I guess you could say he wasn't very animated, for an animation.

Director David Bowers and producer Maryann Garger did interviews together, which is always fun. Teaming up seems to help them be more relaxed and up for anything.

Sterling Beaumon, who plays Sludge, was wired on the evening’s energy. I got caught up in it as Branden was whacking me with a stick to let me know that Kristen Bell was waiting to be interviewed. Since I didn’t cut his interview short, she moved on.

Yoshiki (Japanese rock star), made a brief appearance. Branden thought his date was a 6 ft tall rent-a-date.

Freddie Highmore, who is the voice of Astro Boy, had to duck out and introduce the movie inside the Theater. I got a pinky swear from Chantal, his studio escort, that she would bring him back out as soon as he finished the intro. As the carpet was closing and the crew was tearing down the lights, he came back out. Got a chance to tell him that August Rush and Finding Neverland are two of my all-time favorite movies.

Set in the future, Astro Boy is a classic superhero origin story. The all-new, CG-animated feature film tells the story of a young robot with incredible powers, and his adventure-filled journey in search of his identity and destiny.

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