WAMG At The KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Press Day

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS is an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of “Game of Thrones”) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Akihiro (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), and Kameyo (Academy Award^® nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Recently, I got the chance to sit down with stars Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey, along with director Travis Knight, who also happens to be the President and CEO of LAIKA. Check out some of the highlights below!

Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award^® winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award^® winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen – a magical musical instrument – Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award^® nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award^® nominee Rooney Mara), to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family, and fulfill his heroic destiny.

Travis, what was it about the screenplay that fell into your goals of LAIKA from the very beginning? 

KNIGHT : Well, we started LAIKA about ten years ago, and we had a pretty simple mandate which was make movies that matter… To tell stories that were rich… that were provocative… that were thematically challenging, and that had info to say about what it’s like to be human. We always want to do new, interesting stories. We want to explore aspects of the human condition this story really spoke to me because when I was a kid I love the big, epic fantasies with this film was. At the same time, when I was eight years old I went to Japan for the first time. I was a kid who grew up in Portland, Oregon so being in Japan was unlike anything else I’d ever experienced. It was a real revelation for me. It’s a kind of art that’s lived with me for my entire life. So, this film really ticked those boxes for me.

‘The Great Jang-Gemu’ filmaker said that every boy wants either wants a train set or to make a martial arts movie. I didn’t have a train set so this is my martial arts movie.

I know that there’s a lot of influence here… Not just Akira Kurosawa, but also Hayao Miyazaki .. How much did those influences way on you while making the film?  

KNIGHT : Well, we draw inspiration from a lot of different places, and, you know, probably the two biggest filmmaker- influences were Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki. For Kurosawa, it was the way he made films, which was, you know, this incredible composition, and cutting, and staging, and lighting and his work with shapes. But it was not just the way he made films, it was what he made films about. He always explored something really meaningful… things like existentialism and humanism. He’d really explore different aspects of what it means to be human in the human society… in the human family that we live in. That was an important aspect of what we did in this movie. For Hayao Miyazaki, I think, you know… I’ve been a fan of his for 20 years. The interesting thing for me is… Miyazaki has a half a dozen films that were either inspired by or set in Europe, and I love the way he internalizes, and synthesizes, and then weaves into his own art, different cultural influences. The same kind of prism that Miyazaki applied to Europe was what we wanted to apply to Japan. That same vitality and love for this incredible culture, we tried to apply to Japan in this movie.

For Art, Charlize, and Matthew… You’ve seen the film. I’d love to know what you thought?

PARKINSON : I loved the film. I just thought it was really, really beautiful. It was a very detailed film. Some of the key moments that stood out to me were the relationships that Kubo had with his mother, and the way he, sort of brought characters to life with his music and his origami. I like to think that I bring characters to life with what I do. It was really, sort of, cool to see, and to have something in common with the character.

THERON : I absolutely loved it! I feel terrible that I haven’t had a moment to talk to Travis about this. This is literally the fist time, so this is kind of my love song to you. [She looks at Travis] The first moment that I met Travis… when we started having a conversation about this, there was something very clear about what he was trying to set out to do. I think it was finding a way to, kind of, tell a story through great character, but also through a real sense of the world. It was very hard for him to talk about character without talking about world. And to see the film finally, and see the celebration of both of those things so beautifully and seamlessly done, I was so inspired by it, really. I have such admiration for the time, and the patience, and the passion that has to go into that. You know, as actors, we step in and the embodiment is in broad strokes. With this, it’s painted with such a small brush. It’s such a find brush. I sit here today in just complete awe of what that is. Of course, on top of all of that, the story, to me, is incredibly moving, and really layered and conflicted, and covers a lot of things that I think we are sometimes scared to address with children. I think it’s so true to what LAIKA stands for and what their films have represented. And that thematically, there really isn’t anything that you can’t explore, in an interesting way, through children’s eyes, and tell and teach the children. Yeah! I’m so happy to be a part of it. I never thought I would get to do something like this.

MCCONAUGHEY : Yeah. LAIKA before LAIKA, before, and with this, has not really ever made material that pandered to kids. It’s never been like, “Oh, that’s just a kids’ movie with kids’ themes.” There always considered adult themes, but things that every child can understand and digest. I got to watch it with my wife and my two eldest children, who are seven and five. There were tears. I think my wife said she cried about nine times. And then there was also laughter. And then there was something that the kids saw. The had tough questions afterward. They enjoyed the ride, but they came and asked. They were scared at the right times. They saw someone overcome fears. We got to talk about that. They got to equate that to things in their own life. You don’t get that in every animated film. So, we adults, we quite enjoyed it, and the kids loved it… and they’re 7 and 5. So, I think it’s a very impressive piece of work. It was obviously impressive when I met with Travis, we met for the first time for lunch to see how they do what they do, and I think it’s fully realized in the final film. I really enjoyed it.

Kubo has two very special special mentors helping him on his journey. Can you share any special mentors that you’ve had helping you on your life journey? 

PARKINSON : For me very special mentor to me is my mother,and she’s right in the back there. She brought me up, and whenever I was coming up, working in this industry, on film and TV, she was my mentor because there was no one else really to teach me how to handle things. My mom was a very special mentor in every aspect of life, whether it be sports, or school, or acting. She’s always very supportive. I think the maternal instincts of a character like Monkey… I can relate that to my mother. Yeah. I also have a mentor in my father because he’s a little bit more fun, and a little less strict… like Matthew’s character Beetle. Yeah, he actually… he was the one in the film… whenever Beetle let him use the bow and stuff… my father let me try it out, and things like that. I can relate ti the film very well, and the mentors.

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS hits theaters August 19, 2016

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