Ashley recently got a chance to sit down for an interview with Anna Faris, yes the hilarious and amazing Anna Faris. We talked about her new family friendly podcast The Peepkins which is available on all platforms right now. Plus life because life.
The Peepkins is a new family friendly podcast starring the incomparable Anna Faris. Ashley talked about how Hatch is such a relatable character. While Anna shared what it means to her to have this podcast, how her son Jack feels about it, and more.
Anna Faris, Maulik Pancholy, and Diedrich Bader star in this fully scripted kids story podcast. With original songs this show is perfect for screen-free listening for the whole family — just in time for the holidays.
In the quaint, midwestern-esque town of Coopmore Ridge live an offbeat and somewhat insecure subspecies of the rural yellowfowl, Gallus Gallus-McDigitus Domesticus, otherwise known as Peepkins!
Join eccentric, antenna wearing Commander Hatch (ANNA FARIS) along with her fearful but determined best friend Noah (MAULIK PANCHOLY) as they go on adventures and lift the town’s spirits all while trying to melt the icy heart of the menacing villain Baron Von Torius (DIEDRICH BADER). While they may be small, their emotions are big and ideas must be heard.
The Peepkins is available on all podcast platforms nows.
The Fraggles are back in an all-new holiday special debuting on on Apple TV+ November 18! We had the chance to sit down for an interview with Uncle Travelling Matt to learn more about The Night of the Lights. It went about as fraggily as you would expect.
When someone asks you if you want to talk with Uncle Travelling Matt, the answer is yes. We are no strangers to interviewing Fraggles but that didn’t prepare us for this. Uncle Matt (aka the legendary Dave Goelz) had questions for us. Questions we weren’t quite sure how to answer. I mean how would YOU explain Thursday. See what we mean?
But, that didn’t take away from all the fun we had speaking with him. We shared our views on holidays, fruit cake (root cake for Fraggles), and more. At the end of the day, the holidays are not about Thursday, but spending time with your loved ones.
It’s the Night of the Lights, the most Fraggily holiday of the year. The Rock is filled with songs and cheer. When Jamdolin (voiced by Daveed Diggs) encourages Wembley to make a special wish, the Fraggles head out on an adventure to find the brightest light. And along the way, they, might find the true meaning of the holiday.
A Christmas Story which came out in 1983 has become a classic over the years and coming to HBO November 17 is A Christmas Story Christmas. We had the chance to sit down for an interview with Peter Billingsely aka Ralphie Parker.
Peter Billingsley’s character Ralphie, now an adult, must return to his old home at Christmastime. Peter himself has been on this journey for over four years, to continue the story and pay homage to the original. We asked Peter what it was like getting back together with his old cast mates. Plus what kinds of Easter eggs fans of the original should be on the lookout for.
Jana, a big fan of the original, was all about the Easter eggs. While Ashley, who was too young for it just went along for the ride. Both of us enjoyed the movie so that should tell you something.
About A Christmas Story Christmas
A Christmas Story Christmas follows Ralphie, now an adult, who returns to the house on Cleveland street to give his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had as a child, reconnecting with childhood friends, and reconciling the passing of his Old Man.
My Father’s Dragon, adapted from the popular book series and tells the story of Elmer and his best friend, a dragon named Boris. We had the chance to sit down for an interview with Jacob Tremblay and Nora Twomey to chat about the movie and having magical creatures for a sidekick.
Jacob stars as Elmer the young boy who sets out on the adventure of a lifetime where he meets Boris. The story is warm, heartfelt, and beautifully animated. Nora has brought this beloved book to life, creating a world kids will want to get lost in.
While Jana decided to ask a more serious question, Ashley had a little fun. You will never guess what kind of animal Jacob would choose for a best friend. Or rather, his reasoning for said choice!
After a move to the city with his mother, Elmer struggles to adapt to his new life. He decides to run away only to discover Wild Island. There he finds a young dragon named Boris waiting to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island, and the friendship of a lifetime. But will Elmer be courageous enough to save Boris and his other new friends? Time is running out.
One Piece Film Red is in theaters now. Ashley had the chance to sit down with the English dub cast to learn more about the film and what it could mean for the anime going forward. Read on for more about her interview with English dub cast of One Piece Film Red.
Slight spoilers possible if you have not watched One Piece Film Red.
Interview With English Dub Cast of One Piece Film Red
Are you a fan of One Piece dubs? Then these names should definitely sound familiar. Colleen Clinkenbeard (Luffy), Brandon Potter (Shanks), Matthew Mercer (Law), Sonny Strait (Usopp), Ian Sinclair (Brook), and Brina Palencia (Chopper) have been a part of the One Piece world for a long time. Now the highly anticipated 15th movie, One Piece Film Red is now in theaters.
Ever wanted to know what these anime voice acting legends think about their characters on One Piece? Well we have your answers. Ashley also asked them about possible future storylines (hey we know it’s not canon but…), favorite moments from the film, and more. Brooks’ line on the stanza? It took awhile to get it just right.
In addition to the Straw Hat Crew and their allies, Ashley also spoke with AmaLee who voices Uta and Jim Foronda (Gordon). AmaLee found voicing Uta a dream come true and other than the world conquering plans, she could relate to the singer.
In One Piece Film Red, Uta (Kaori Nazuka; AmaLee), a famous singer is performing at her first ever live concert. Fans from all over the world are coming together to attend, including the Straw Hats and other notable pirate crews. Luffy (Mayumi Tanaka; Colleen Clinkenbeard) quickly realizes that this Uta is his childhood friend who also happens to be the only daughter of his idol Shanks (Shûichi Ikeda; Brandon Potter). The reunion quickly turns sour as Luffy learns Uta’s real motives for holding this concert. Fed up with the destruction that pirates have caused, Uta vows to use her Devil Fruit powers to create a new world where everyone can find peace. As righteous as that may seem, her plan has terrible consequences that could destroy everything.
Now streaming on Netflix is the screen adaptation of 13: The Musical. We had the chance to sit down for an interview with Adam Santelli, the director of photography to talk about bringing 13 from stage to screen and more.
So what is it specifically about musicals and music videos that interests you most as a creative?
Adam: I’ve always been involved in music ever since I was a kid. I am the MTV generation, I was there when there were two videos on MTV. Basically spent most of my time watching MTV through middle school and high school.
I just remember my mom always going, what are you going to do with your life? I’m like, I’m gonna make music videos. And so that’s kind of where it all started, because of that, it just was an easy transition into musicals. And I’m a big musical fan. So a big Broadway fan.
Let’s talk about 13: The Musical and what made you want to work on this project? Did you come across challenges when adapting the stage play and book into the film?
Adam: I’m a big Tamra Davis fan, just that alone kind of got me excited about the project. But then when I read the script and started doing the research, I was like, I have to do it. We’ve all been there and we’ve all had those problems. So in a sense it was one of those kind of projects [and] all the stars have aligned.
The choreographer, Jamal, I know very well, from Descendents 3. It was just a great coming together of people I’ve always wanted to work with, or people I have been wanting to get back together with.
13 The Musical follows 12-year-old Evan Goldman after he leaves New York City following his parents’ divorce. Evan is devastated to leave all his friends, his father, and his rabbi behind. Especially since his Bar Mitzvah is coming up, But upon arriving at his grandmother’s house in small-town Walkerton, Indiana, he hatches a plan to win new friends by turning his Bar Mitzvah into the coolest party ever.
As an outsider, Evan quickly finds out he’s not the only one grappling with the all too familiar anxieties of eighth grade. While his new friends Patrice and Archie fret over the fate of the planet and unrequited love, popular cheerleader Lucy desperately plots to stave off a first kiss between her crush Brett and best friend Kendra. To make matters worse, Evan invites the popular kids to his party—who aren’t fans of Patrice. Evan faces the impossible task of bringing everyone happily together in time for his party, or else risk social ruin. It turns out, 13 isn’t looking as good as he thought it would be.
About Adam Santelli
Adam Santelli has worked on everything from Descendants 3 to Fear of the Walking Dead and so much in between. But as much as we wanted to talk about that Hades musical number and Hellraiser, we tried to focus on 13: The Musical. Okay, yes, we also asked about the other things, too, because Adam has such an expansive portfolio. How could we not?
Jerry Bruckheimer’s latest film Secret Headquarters premieres on Paramount+ August 12. We had the chance to interview Walker Scobell and Momona Tamada to learn more about the movie.
Secret Headquarters follows Charlie Kincaid (Walker Scobell), a 14-year-old boy sent to spend his birthday with his father Jack (Owen Wilson). Jack and Charlie’s relationship is strained due to Jack constantly bailing on both Charlie and his mother. Charlie assumes his dad just doesn’t want anything to do with his family. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Jack is actually the superhero the Guard, a hero chosen by an alien artifact to become the protector of Earth. When his dad leaves, Charlie invites his friends over, and together they discover his dad’s secret identity. Soon trouble comes calling when Argon (Michael Peña) shows up looking for the source of Jack’s powers. It’s up to Charlie and his friends to stop this villain in his tracks.
Walker and Momona are set to be household names soon. Walker will be starring as Percy Jackson in the upcoming Disney+ series. Momona is starring as Ty Lee in the live-action Avatar the Last Airbender series coming to Nickelodeon.
Naturally, we had to talk superhero gadgets, stunt scenes, and working with two Marvel superstars. Walker is adding to his Infinity Gauntlet of costars that is for sure!
Apple TV Plus’ newest animated film, Luck, is coming to the streaming platform August 5. To learn more about and the adorable Bob the Cat, we sat down for an interview with Simon Pegg.
Luck follows Sam Greenfield (Eva Noblezada), the unluckiest person in the world who desperately wants to help her friend. One day she meets a black cat named Bob (Simon Pegg) who leaves behind a lucky penny. Sam is excited and cannot wait to give it to her friend. But when it gets lost, she finds Bob again and follows him into the never-before-seen Land of Luck in hopes of tracking down a new penny. Nothing goes as planned and she is going to need more than luck if she wants to help her friend, the inhabitants of the Land of Luck, and herself.
Ashley, born on Friday the 13th, loved how this movie turned superstitions on their heads. It was refreshing to see black cats get some much needed love. Because as you know, she is also a cat fan.
We asked Simon about what excited him most about Luck, how he related to Bob, as well as working on voice acting gigs versus live action.
The latest Dreamworks Animation Film, The Bad Guys is now available to own on Digital, Blu-ray, 4K, and DVD. We recently visited Dreamworks Campus for an interview with producers Damon Ross and Rebecca Huntley.
The Bad Guys Interview with Producers Damon Ross and Rebecca Huntley
After a lifetime of legendary heists, the notorious criminals Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark, and Ms. Tarantula are finally caught. However, if they want to avoid a prison sentence, the animal outlaws must pull off their most challenging con yet. AKA becoming model citizens. Under the tutelage of their mentor, Professor Marmalade, the dubious gang sets out to fool the world that they’re turning good.
The Bad Guys is Ocean’s 11 meets the animal world. It is packed with intrigue, action, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. This is one film the whole family will enjoy watching together. And, since it is based on a book series, there is potential for more films or a spin-off show, something Dreamworks is famous for doing with their films.
Rebecca and Damon were so fun to interview. We even set up a heist at Dreamworks, that totally worked! We really tried to find out if there would be any sequels. After all, Dreamworks is known for turning its hit movies into shows. They shared why they wanted to work on this project. And most importantly, what would be their Golden Dolphin? That question MAY have led to us stealing the heart-shaped stone. Just saying.
ALL-NEW ORIGINAL SHORT “MARASCHINO RUBY” – The Bad Guys are at it again, but not in the way you think. They’ve gone good! Find out what happens to the team after they go rogue in this sweet original short.
DELETED SCENES
Original opening
Snake Attack
Extra Secret Base Tour
You Can’t Fake Good
Post Credits: Scientist Button
DEVISE THE PLAN: MAKING THE BAD GUYS – From book to storyboard to the silver screen, join the cast and filmmakers as they devise how to bring The Bad Guys to life.
ASSEMBLE THE CREW – Go face to face with the voices behind our favorite animated bad guys – Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Ms. Tarantula & Mr. Piranha.
IT’S SHOWTIME: CAST TABLE READ – Teamwork is the ultimate ingredient in pulling off a job without a hitch. Now that they’ve agreed on the plan, it’s time to bring the cast of The Bad Guys together for their first table read.
SNAKE’S FROZEN POP SHOP – Want to learn how to make your own version of Mr. Snake’s favorite frozen pops? With these easy recipes, you’ll be on your way to chill-ville in no time. Want to go the extra mile? Create your own frozen pop disguises.
FROM THE DRAWING ROOM – Learn step by step from The Bad Guys head of story, Nelson Yokota, how you can create your very own storyboard and draw the film’s main characters
How To Storyboard
How To Draw Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Ms. Tarantula, Mr. Piranha
FEATURE COMMENTARY – Feature Commentary with Director Pierre Perifel, Producer Damon Ross, Head of Story Nelson Yokota, Head of Character Animation JP Sans, and Production Designer Luc Desmarchelier.
The latest Disneynature film, Polar Bear is coming to Disney+ this month. Ashley had the chance to sit down for an interview with directors Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson to learn more about this project.
Disneynature Interview with Directors Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson
Narrated by Catherine Keener, Disneynature’s Polar Bear tells the story of a new mother whose memories of her youth help her raise her cub. But things have changed. Her world is increasingly challenging and different from the one she grew up in. Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson, the directing team behind Disneynature’s Penguins, helm this film. They craft the bear’s story by going back and examining her days as a cub. By showing how much has changed for this bear during her lifetime, Fothergill and Wilson capture the resiliency and plight of polar bears.
Polar Bear is an amazing film and like every other Disneynature outing made me cry at least once. What made you want to focus on polar bears?
Alastair: We’d worked a lot in the arctic with polar bears and we always knew there was an amazing Disneynature film to be made. Polar bears are amazingly beautiful, they have wonderful cubs which is great for Disneynature. More than anything else they are the queens of their worlds… Also, we felt it was a very timely film because polar bears are at the cutting edge of climate change, it’s happening very fast in the arctic. We thought it was a film that had to be made now.
They also explained the difficulty of finding a bear family to work with. After all, polar bears are solitary creatures.
Disneynature Polar Bear starts streaming on Disney+ April 15.
