tomorrowland Archives

Who Is Athena Really? Tomorrowland Interview with Raffey Cassidy #TomorrowlandEvent

May 27, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Funny Story: Right after being some of the first media in the world to see Tomorrowland in it’s entirety we went to Disneyland to see the preview. There was this older gentleman sitting in line waiting to watch the preview with us and he as talking about Athena. He said there’s something peculiar about that girl. “She never ages. Think about it she never ages, there is a reason for it.” Having seen the movie I couldn’t say anything but smile and nod, like I know it’s so weird. He’s right though there is a reason for it. Have you seen the movie yet? Well you better this interview might have a spoiler in it. Let’s read it to find out what Raffey Cassidy has to say about her character Athena from the movie Tomorrowland.

Q : What got you into acting at such a young age?

Raffey: Um, well my brother went for an audition, and then they kind of asked me if I wanted to have a go at that. So I had to go and then in kind of started from there.

Q : So how did you get involved in this movie?

Raffey: Um, well, I just went up for like an audition, but it was a self-tape at home and then I went to London to do another screen test. And then I went to America to do another screen test. And then I found out that I got the part.

Q : What was your first scene?

Raffey: Oh, my first scene… It was in the world’s fair when, um, I was watching young Frank get, I think it was getting on the bus.

Q : What was your take away from the movie?

Raffey: Um, that everybody should be very optimistic and feel that there’s a way around situations if they’re in a bad situation. There’s always a bright side.

Q : What did you like the most from Athena’s personal view?

Raffey: Um, I love how wise she is, like she’s like an old soul inside of a young body.

Q : What was the most challenging part of filming the movie for you?

Raffey: Um, well, I kind of had to create a background for Athena, so, because she didn’t really have one, which was fun because that was something that I created for Athena.

Q : How did you feel about your costumes in the movie?

Raffey: Um, I loved them. I mean, they’re, you know, the blue dress. If you look closely, that was actually algorithms in, in algebra. Yeah.

Q : You had a lot of action scenes where you had to do martial arts. Did you have to train for that, or how did you learn?

Raffey: Yeah, I trained for two months in gymnastics and martial arts, and then I went to Canada and did another month of martial arts and a bit of gymnastics. Later I did another, couple of days every, every week or so.

Q : George was talking about your scene about you driving the truck. So what were your feelings on driving the truck and learning to do all that?

Raffey: Um, well I really enjoyed it. Um, it was, yeah, it was so fun………they actually taught me how to drive and, and there was a scene where I had to like go down a ramp and then stop. I think really I started to get a little too confident, and I got too close. Um, Britt just went stop, because it got so close.

Q : What traits of Athena do you see in yourself? I mean, I know she’s a robot, but…

Raffey: Well, if I had to choose something, it would probably be optimism, because I think that I feel that I’m quite optimistic and always look on the bright side of a bad situation.

Q : Because of your age, you are the future. So when you were filming this film, did you look at it and say okay, this may be how the future’s gonna be, whether its certain aspects that you thought no, not too much? I mean, did it seem like it flowed for you for what may happen?

Raffey: Yeah, I mean, there was so much technology in the actual Tomorrowland and I think that that’s how it’s going to be in, I don’t know, 60 years’ time or something. So, I think that will be what the future.

Q : There’s something from the future or Tomorrowland that you could use now, what would it be.

Raffey: The jet packs.

Q : How did you, um, train to play the role, like you did such a good job of playing a robot, I think. How did you train for that?

Raffey: Well, I mean, Athena has so many different qualities. She’s optimistic. She’s intelligent. She’s wise, and I just kind of put all of those together, and I always had an image in my head for a scene, so, so it was never just go in cold into it and trying to create one in my head. I always had an image that would just help me and I’d always be able to think of to get me through this.

Q : What was your hardest scene to film in the movie?

RC : My hardest scene would probably be, hmm, that my end scene, I mean, that was a lot of, that was a lot of lines, but once I’ve learned them, it just flowed and, and George like he had a lot of eye contact with me, so it’s so easy to perform and it would have been hard if, you know, if George wasn’t so good. But yeah, it was easy ’cause he just, he was just so professional and kept eye contact the whole time.

Q : So I have a daughter who is your age. Um, what’s the message that you would tell girls your age about the future and getting in the STM, that’s the, the science, math, technology?

Raffey: Um, well, I’d say the future isn’t a place we’re going. It’s something we’re making, so it can be anything that they, that they want it to be.

Become part of the future and go see Tomorrowland in theaters now!

George Clooney Interview with Spoilers #TomorrowlandEvent

May 25, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We had to split up the interview with George Clooney into to two parts because there were some spoilers in his interview. So now you’ve had a chance to go see the movie we can share the details. If you haven’t seen the movie stop reading now and go see it ok! It’s now playing in theaters.

Q : Raffey Cassidy and Britt Robertson. ……. What was it like working with such young and talented actors?

George: I didn’t like them. I’ll say that… (EVERYONE LAUGHED) Now, we can say nice things now, but the truth is I don’t care for them. [LAUGHING.] Well, first of all, they’re, you know, Britt is fantastic and, you know, her career is just at the very beginning and is going to be really fun. Raffey is spectacular and she was just 12 at the time, I think, and way too talented, for her age, and sweet and funny. Ah, it is also a fun part for me because I, as you well know, if you’d seen me speaking to a 12 year old the way I speak to her at the grocery store, you’d call child services.

I’m like who gets to yell at a 12 year old. I mean yeah, teachers do. But in the movies it’s, it’s so much fun because, you know, she’s not really a 12 year old and it’s really, it’s fun to be able to, ah, they sort of set up a way where, you know, we’re a little family of three, but she’s the adult, you know, driving the car and and Britt and I are the two kids, arguing and bickering all the time.

They were fantastic, and they were really sweet and they got a, and I think they’re having a really fun time with this, which is, you know, that’s how it’s supposed to be. You know when I work with younger actors, I always have to try to remind them that, you know, this is, this is the fun kind of job that most people don’t get to do. And if you get to be an actor and work, and somebody pays you for it, you’ve caught the brass ring, you know, and it’s just fun. So, that’s part of, the thing is, they really do dig it and they’re having fun, which is really a good time.

Q : What was your favorite scene or favorite fun memory while filming Tomorrowland?

George: I don’t remember much of it. I was drunk most of the time. [Everyone laughed] You know, I will tell you, there was a lot of moments, because you know, it wasn’t all done to green screen, you know. They were nice enough to build a lot of these sets where you actually got to play in them. The most fun we had was the driving sequences, believe it or not, because, you know, we’re being towed but Raffey is, you know, driving and, you know, I keep having to teach her like, you know, you’ve got to keep looking at the road, I mean.

And she’d be like, you know………what is the deal? Like my mother actually drives, which is true, it was fun because there was no technology. There was nothing. It was just old fashioned, three people sitting in a truck for five days, arguing and doing fun stuff. And that’s really fun for actors, because you don’t have to do any make believe. It’s all just right there.

So that was, I, I really enjoyed that. And also it was fun doing the stuff, you know, like shoving all the packs of powder down their, throat because we must have done, I don’t know, 30 takes, and every time I go, here you go. [Everyone laughed] And she’d be like not the whole pack. And I was like yeah, so much sugar on it.

Q : Did Britt really drink all those bottles of Coke?

George: Yeah, now in fairness, Brad was kind enough to only do it, I think, three times. But she does down two cokes in the take. I think it’s two cokes in the take. And, and I was like, I just sit there going, you know, she’s gonna explode, but she did it. Because you learn, like young actors, I remember when I was doing Descendants and we had this little girl, she played my youngest daughter in the film, and we did a scene where she gets to eat ice cream, and she never acted in a movie before and she just starts pounding the table.

And they’re just sitting there watching her going, you can see her, take 9 [Everyone Laughed] and she literally was like uuugh.

Q : Where there any scenes that were emotionally hard for you to film?

George: Emotionally hard, no. Because I find, movies in general aren’t emotionally, I mean, you know, you’re involved in them but, you know, it’s not really something honestly terrible has happened, you know. It is still make believe but I did find that, it was a tricky scene, you know, there’s a moment where I have to let, Raffey’s character go, the robot go, and there was a really weird, we’d shot it once and she kind of clicks out, but her eyes are open still and we drop her out, and it literally feels like I’m murdering her, you know.

It really does. It was odd. And you’re watching it, it’s so disturbing and it was really awful, so we went back and re-did it where she sort of completely goes out, because otherwise it really felt horrible. You know, there’s all kinds of weird balances in this film, you know. My relationship with her is very, we’re walking a very thin line there like I don’t know, this is kind of weird, you know. And it’s a constant thing like oh, oh boy. Let’s walk very carefully through these things. And thankfully, Brad is Brad and is really good at what he does, you know. He makes it, made it much simpler.

The Adventure & Excitement in Tomorrowland

May 22, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Tomorrowland is the movie you should take your family to this weekend. It’s a movie of adventure and excitement that provides hope.

From Disney comes two-time Oscar® winner Brad Bird’s “Tomorrowland,” a riveting mystery adventure starring Academy Award® winner George Clooney. Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as “Tomorrowland.” What they must do there changes the world—and them—forever.

It’s a science fiction movie full of imagination and flights of fancy. I mean who wouldn’t love to ride a jet pack and fly around? It sounds like fun to me. I’d actually like to go see it again to see what I missed the first time. I feel like so much was going on.

Featuring a screenplay by “Lost” writer and co-creator Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird, from a story by Lindelof & Bird & Jeff Jensen, “Tomorrowland” promises to take audiences on a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of.

I love the cast of the movie. Tomorrowland stars Hugh Laurie as brilliant scientist David Nix, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key and Thomas Robinson. “Tomorrowland” opens in U.S. theaters today!

Now here are a few fun facts from the movie:

Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland had to dress almost 400 extras in 1964-era attire for the Hall of Invention and Unisphere Plaza World’s Fair scenes.

Young Raffey Cassidy, who plays Athena, underwent training in swimming, gymnastics, wirework and martial arts, which was the primary focus of her training as her character kicks some serious butt in the movie.

When it came to creating a city built by visionaries with advanced technologies, filmmakers knew it had to look like one and finding such a place was not an easy task. At first it seemed as though the whole of Tomorrowland would have to be built from scratch, an expensive and time-consuming proposition. But then in a series of wonderful coincidences, Tom Peitzman, the visual effects producer and the film’s co-producer, stumbled upon a car commercial early on in production; the location in the commercial looked so futuristic that he recorded the ad on his phone and brought it to director Brad Bird. The location turned out to be the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain, and was designed by Santiago Calatrava whose work was already serving as an inspiration for production designer Scott Chambliss. The discovery also dovetailed with director Brad Bird’s preference for physical locations over virtual sets.

In recreating the 1964 World’s Fair for “Tomorrowland,” filmmakers were lucky to find that one of the iconic pieces, the Unisphere, was actually in Flushing Meadows, New York, standing outside of the USTA National Tennis Center. The huge globe’s fountains are still in place as well as the gardens. The filmmakers dispatched a photographer to New York to take photos so that they could use the real images as a composite element in the scenes.

Disneyland Diamond Edition & Tomorrowland #TomorrowlandEvent

May 21, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

As I’m writing this the kids are getting ready to go to Disneyland today. We are so excited to be celebrating Disneyland’s 60th year. The real party actually starts tomorrow with a 24-hour party that inaugurates the Diamond Celebration, from 6 a.m. Friday, May 22, until 6 a.m. Saturday, May 23, 2015, local time. Nighttime will glitter as never before with three, sensational shows that expand the 60-year tradition of innovative and immersive storytelling: the brilliant, high-energy “Paint the Night” parade and “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular at Disneyland Park, and the all-new “World of Color – Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney” at Disney California Adventure Park. In “World of Color – Celebrate!,” Mickey Mouse and award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris will tell the story of Walt Disney and the Happiest Place on Earth with film, animation, music and spectacular fountains.

I had a great time a few weeks ago as we explored Tomorrowland and rode some of my favorite rides in celebration of the new movie Tomorrowland.

We rode Star Tours and Astro Blasters which we ride everytime we go to Disneyland and we will be riding again today if I can get this post written.

Walt Disney observed that Disneyland will never be complete so long as there is imagination left in the world, and since Opening Day, July 17, 1955, the Disneyland Resort tradition of innovation has continued, inspiring classic theme park attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Star Tours, Soarin’ Over California, Toy Story Midway Mania and Radiator Springs Racers. The Diamond Celebration continues this tradition with three fantastic new shows that expand the boundaries of after-dark entertainment – Disney’s signature “kiss goodnight.”

• “Paint the Night” parade – When the lights go down in Disneyland, the Diamond Celebration illuminates the park with a brilliant, new parade. The luminescent parade creates a river of color flowing down Main Street, U.S.A., with an array of Disney characters and more than 1.5 million brilliant LED lights that flash and glow as Mickey Mouse uses his vivid imagination to “Paint the Night.” With dazzling special effects, unforgettable music, energetic performances, fun surprises and spectacular floats, “Paint the Night” is more vibrant than any parade in 60 years at the Disneyland Resort. Even the choreography glows, as parade performers light up with their props and costumes. Tinker Bell leads the procession in a magical, musical overture, closely followed by a float reminiscent of the giant bass drum that led the “Main Street Electrical Parade.” Lightning McQueen races in with his buddy Mack Truck, who makes a hefty impression at 54-feet long, covered from headlights to tail pipe in gleaming light. Anna and Elsa from “Frozen” glide through the night in a shimmering palace of ice and snow. Guests also will be delighted to see Cinderella, Rapunzel and beloved characters from tales such as “Monsters, Inc.,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Toy Story,” with Mickey and his pals creating a breathtaking grand finale.

• “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular – The dazzling new fireworks show, “Disneyland Forever,” is a street-to-sky, immersive experience like nothing seen before at the Disneyland Resort. Guests will be surrounded by the worlds of timeless Disney tales, from the tips of their toes to the sky high above, thanks to the largest installation of projection mapping technology in a Disney park and surprising special effects. One minute they will be standing on Main Street, U.S.A., and the next they could be stampeding across Simba’s Pride Lands, dancing with King Louie from “The Jungle Book,” traveling “Under the Sea” with the Little Mermaid, flying over London with Peter Pan, dripping in honey with Pooh in a whimsical dream of heffalumps and woozles, or quivering as Queen Elsa brings a glimmering blanket of snow over Disneyland.

Tomorrowland is a great movie that you have to see and it’s in theaters this Friday. Which is fitting since that’s when the Diamond Celebration officially starts.

How Disney Archives Help Make Movies #TomorrowlandEvent

May 19, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

One thing I love more than anything is finding out how a movie is made and with a history as rich and deep as Disney they leave no stone unturned when it comes to making them. I think I’ve only been in the Disney Archives three times total, it’s not something they share very often but every time it’s amazing and I learn something new. This time I learned about how the archives helped movie makers make the movie Tomorrowland and we saw a few things from opening day of Disneyland. Disneyland is going to be celebrating it’s 60th anniversary this year, it’s pretty exciting.

The Disney Archives keep everything. They have more history than most studios here in Hollywood have. So when they are asked to help they say sure what do you need. The story of “Tomorrowland” started with a box labeled “1952,” supposedly discovered by accident in the Disney Studios archive. The mystery box contained all sorts of fascinating models and blueprints, photographs and letters related to the inception of Tomorrowland and the 1964 World’s Fair. Lindelof was excited by the find and recalls, “I began to imagine that the contents of the box were a guide to a secret story that nobody knew. But if so, what would that story be? And the most obvious answer to me was that there really was a place called Tomorrowland that was not a theme park but existed somewhere in the real world.”

Lindelof began to develop the story by researching the history of Disney and its originator, which led to research on the company’s involvement in the 1964 World’s Fair. “Walt Disney was a futurist in that real mid-century modernist sense,” says Lindelof. “He was very optimistic. He believed that technology held the key to building a better world. He also believed in technology as a means of creating great entertainment. For the 1964 World’s Fair, the Walt Disney Company created three rides, the It’s a Small World ride being the one we remember most. Though quaint by today’s standards, back in 1964, Carousel of Progress and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln were revolutionary in how they used robotics and ride technology to create a thematically rich experience.”

The people that work in the Archives offices are amazing and Disney fanatics. They love getting their hands in the information and you can see and hear their passion as they tell their stories. But I can’t blame them because seeing the history the pictures and everything is just so awesome and inspiring. Walt Disney was a true innovator. He made a difference and was always looking to push the edges of technology as far as he could. He made changes environmentally and started preservation projects before it was even cool to do so.

Bird adds, “One of Disney’s quotes was, ‘I don’t make movies to make money; I make money to make movies.’ Was he a perfect guy? No. But when you look at how much he accomplished in his lifetime it’s just staggering. So I view him as an innovator. He had a very proactive and positive view of the future. I like to think that this film is something that he would enjoy.”

Going to the archives and hearing these stories and seeing the artifacts reminds me of stories my grandmother used to tell me about herself and when she went to Disneyland. She had her own artifacts and memories and it’s these rich memories that really make stories stand out.

Celebrate 60 Years

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Tomorrowland is in theaters Friday May 22.

The Amazing Britt Robertson Spills What Co-Stars Were Like #TomorrowlandEvent

May 18, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Tomorrowland’s cast is full of super strong characters and the actors that play them were matched in such an exact way it was unreal. Britt Robertson is well spoken, smart and hopeful. She’s full of talent and has been quite busy as an actress. Robertson was recently seen in “Delivery Man,” where she played Vince Vaughn’s daughter, and “Cake,” opposite Jennifer Anniston. She also starred in “The First Time,” which premiered in the 2012 Sundance Competition and sold to Sony. She played a cameo role in the feature film “Scream 4.”

In Tomorrowland she plays the main character Casey Newton a girl that believes she can make a difference. We had the chance to sit down with Britt and talk about her thoughts on the movie Tomorrowland which is out in theaters this Friday May 22. It’s a great family film. And she even shared her incites into her similarities with her character.

Q : How much of you is there in Casey? Similarities, differences.

BRITT: I think her mindset is very different from mine. Not so much anymore because I, I’ve adopted a lot of her traits and characteristics because I like her and I think she’s, she’s a cool chick, um, but before, prior to this movie, you know, I, I always looked at the future and being this ominous thing, you know, and uh, and it, and it was kind of daunting in this day and age to be so young in this world knowing what it could bring and, and, and the circumstances, you know.

Everything that’s going in, it’s, it’s pretty intense so then once I read the script and I, I realized so many things that I hadn’t before.. and I just totally went off topic and …and off track. The experience because of Brad and like, you know, that group. Everyone was supporting me so much, um, it, it was just, it was a fantastic experience. I can’t say enough about it. I feel like I’m constantly like, word vomiting great things. [LAUGHS]

Q : Could you tell us a little bit about your audition process?

BRITT: In two thousand thirteen… I had like multiple auditions from November to July. I first sent in, in a tape from New York in November and then I went in for Brad Bird a few times and for the casting people and then right around May they brought me in to do like a full, like a full read with Brad and then at that point they, flew me to Vancouver to actually do a screen test with Raffey Cassidy who plays Athena. And then from that point, like a week later they told me that I got the part.

Q : What did you feel, you know, what, what was the thought? What was the thought, you know, when you were actually okay, here’s your role. It’s yours.

BRITT: When they told me that that I was Casey? It was, I mean, to be honest with you, it was like really, it was kind of an, an overwhelming moment. It’s something that I, I still remember in my mind as being like the most euphoric feeling that I’ve ever had. Um, because I was, I was happy and I was like elated and I was crying and I was just so excited. It was such a cool movie to be a part of and I loved the story so much and also just the people attached to it. It, I just knew that it was going to be a changing point for me in terms of career.

But also as an opportunity, um, you know, to be part of this movie was like, it’s just a deal.

Q: What did you think of the script?

BRITT: Um, you know, it was something about when you read the script and the story, you, you know, the story itself is a, is a really sweet, it’s an original idea and it’s something that I had never thought about because the themes of the movie, it really covers future and how we look at our future and how, um, as a society, we can actually influence our future and make it the world that we want to live in and, and I thought that that was a really powerful message and especially for a young woman to be the lead in a movie like this was, was really cool for me.

Q : How did you feel about being the hero of the movie?

BRITT: Well…. it’s a great it’s a really great thing, um, to be like the hero of, of a movie like this. You know, a Disney film and, and to be a young woman and, and carry a movie like that, I, I found it really intimidating and um, but luckily Brad Bird was, he’s such a wonderful human being and he’s a family man, you know. He, he understands people on a very real level, so I think he gave me the encouragement to, to be brave and just, um, take it one day at a time. So that was I wasn’t too overwhelmed by being the hero, you know.

Q : What was it like for you to work with George?

BRITT: Working with George, you know, I, going into it, you have all the expectations of like, you know, a person like that. A movie star and what that means and, and for me, you know, if I was a , if I was George Clooney, I, I don’t know that I would be able to handle it as well as he has and that was what was so surprising to me is, is being able to be around him and see how he’s just completely himself. Like, he hasn’t been lost in, in the process of becoming George Clooney.

He, he’s still the person that he wants to be and, and, and that’s, um, you know, working with him, it made me realize you can still be who you want to be in this industry. You don’t have to be tainted by uh, the process or the people. It’s just, um, you know, he, he’s so professional and I, I just learned a lot from him.

Q : How was it working with Tim McGraw?

BRITT: So cool. It was, I mean, I love Tim McGraw like nobody’s business. I’ a huge country fan. I, I, in fact, when I first met him, I, I attacked him. I was like you have no idea how much I love you. I love your music, I love your wife, I think you’re the coolest, um, but he was such a sweet man and he’s like a, again, he’s like a family man. He’s, um, you know, he has three daughters and just hearing his stories about his daughters was really sweet and I got to pretend I was his daughter for a second, so that was nice.

Q : How about when you had to drink all the Coke? Tell us about that.

BRITT: I was so excited for that scene because Coca Cola’s like my favorite thing. ….No. I’m still drinking it which is astonishing to myself, but um, yeah, I, think I went through maybe ten or eleven full Coca Colas and um, because yeah, you’re shooting. I mean, we’re doing so many different angles and we’re doing it a lot of times and I just thought that I’d be able to handle it because I drink a lot of Coca Cola in my life, so um, but then after like ten or eleven, it started to hit and my, my belly was like full from all the liquid, so it it was not, it wasn’t going down anymore.

It was not going down. It was coming up, um, so we had to like take little breaks and uh, and then they, they sort of um, fixed it so that I would only have to do a few more takes after that, but um, I, it was a lot of Coca Cola.

Q : What about working with Hugh Laurie?

Britt: Oh, Hugh Laurie is just such a gem. I remember being in the, in the makeup trailer with him because I was often there um when he was getting his, going through hair and makeup and wardrobe and uh, and he would be there and, and every day it was just like a new fun fact about life, but not even a fun fact. He would give you like stories and um, and theories on life. Like he’s really informed uh, of everything that’s going on, so I, I sort of looked at him like a book of knowledge, you know, and, and he’s also really talented. I would love playing music in the trailer and just like hearing him you know, appreciating it so much.

And he played the piano at a bar when we were in Vancouver at one point. Uh, you know, because he plays the piano. He’s very talented, musically, and uh, and I remember asking him like when can I go? Can I go? Can I see you? I want to see you perform and um, and the one day that I could’ve have gone because we were shooting, uh, I ended up having to stay for like stunt training or something, but I, I, I will get to him one day. I’ve got to go to one of his shows. And I would encourage you all to go to one of his shows if you can. He’s incredible.

Tomorrowland is in theaters May 22.

Preview Tomorrowland At Disneyland #TomorrowlandEvent

May 15, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Tomorrowland comes out May 22 in theaters but you can get an exciting 4D preview at Disneyland. You can actually feel the excitement as the seats move as if you yourself were wearing a jet pack. The movie begins with young Frank at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York but if you look closely you’ll notice that parts of it is actually filmed at the Science Center in Seattle. Being from Seattle myself that was kind of fun to see. Young Frank is a dreamer and a beautiful young girl, Athena, sees his potential even though the adult , David Nix, played by Hugh Laurie could not. And thus the adventure begins…

After the preview you can enter a viewing room that is full of inspirational art, props and ideas that inspired the movie. I’m going to show you just a few of the photos that I took.

Tomorrowland Preview

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Here is a trailer to wet your appetite even more. “Tomorrowland” promises to take audiences on a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of when it opens in the U.S. on May 22, 2015.

Oh AND it’s time to enjoy Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary celebration

Disneyland 60th Celebration

The Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration begins Friday, May 22, 2015, celebrating 60 years of Disney magic with three new nighttime spectaculars, dazzling decor and an exciting sweepstakes that will award authentic diamonds and one-of-a-kind prizes to some lucky guests.

Nighttime will glitter as never before with three, sensational shows that expand the 60-year tradition of innovative and immersive storytelling: the brilliant, high-energy “Paint the Night” parade and “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular at Disneyland Park, and the all-new “World of Color – Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney” at Disney California Adventure Park. In “World of Color – Celebrate!,” Mickey Mouse and award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris will tell the story of Walt Disney and the Happiest Place on Earth with film, animation, music and spectacular fountains.

The electrifying new shows will premiere during a 24-hour party that inaugurates the Diamond Celebration, from 6 a.m. Friday, May 22, until 6 a.m. Saturday, May 23, 2015, local time

George Clooney Shares His Thoughts On The Future: Tomorrowland Interview #TomorrowlandEvent

May 13, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

There are only a handful of really charming men in Hollywood, at least only a handful of men that I have had the opportunity to interview. These guys now include George Clooney, someone that walks into the room full of confidence, a huge smile and tries to make sure he acknowledge every person in the room with a smile, eye contact, or a handshake/pat on the back. He was very genuine and a pleasure to sit down with. As we interviewed him for his upcoming movie Tomorrowland he talked about how he believes we can make change, the future used to be optimistic and how fun it would be to have a jet pack.

Q : Alright, so the message in Tomorrowland said a lot. Can we fix it? And you firmly believe in that with all your humanitarian work. Is that one of the things that drew you to the movie…?

George : It is.

Q : … and your first Disney movie?

George: Oh, well, my first Disney movie was a Miramax film, called From Dusk Till Dawn, which is not a very Disney film. [LAUGHING.] But yeah, you know, at first I wanted to work with Brad Bird. I think he doesn’t make bad films, and I just love the kind of films he makes. And then when I read the screenplay, I thought, you know, what I love about it is that we sort of are inundated in our lives with lots of bad news. You turn on the television, it hurts, you know.

And it’s a bad time and what I loved was the idea of the script said, you know, their future isn’t just automatically inevitable. And that, you have to participate or you don’t have to just accept how it ends. And I’d grown up in an era, you know, I was born in the early 60’s, so I grew up in the era of, ah, where the individual actually had effect, you know, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam movement, the women’s rights moments, and that stuff, and so I always felt like and believed that there was a version of it.

I was raised that there was a version of this where you could affect the future, and you didn’t have to just accept it, you know. The Russians weren’t gonna necessarily just blow us all up and the nuclear bombs. So I really loved the idea of hearing this again, this idea that it’s, we’re not just necessarily doomed, that there’s something that you can do about it if you pay attention and you, and, you know, and you work hard. And I liked it.

Q : Was it fun or difficult to be working with contraptions and harnesses and all those things…?

George: You know, I’ve done it a few times, you know. In Gravity, I had to do it, and I’ve done it in a few films. I’m never particularly in love with it. Green screen is tricky ’cause you just have to sort of make things up. But, the thing about being an actor is you really don’t ever have to grow up, right? We’re still playing make believe. I’m 54 and I’m playing make-believe.

So when they put you in a contraption, and say now you’re gonna fly, I mean, you’re still a 12 year old and you go really, am I gonna fly from here to there? Oh yeah, let’s go, it’s fun. I’ve always found that part to be magical, you know. The, the, um, I just wish the jet pack really worked. You know, when I was growing up, it was the space race and it was, you know, everything you were eating, space food sticks and drinking Tang and you know, I really thought by now we’d be riding around in Jetson cars, you know, so…

Q : Well, that’s what the Jetsons told us.

George: Well, they did tell us and I believed them, so when I see the jet pack, I’m like I want that thing to work by now, you know, but no such luck.

Q : Would you say that that would be one of the futuristic items or things that would be awesome to have?

George: Let me put it to you this way. So you’re at LAX. You get your bags. I’ve got to get to Studio City. It’s 4:30 on a Friday. It would be the greatest moment ever, just blasting right over all the traffic. I think it would be fantastic, although, you know, I don’t know that I want everybody to have one ’cause they’d just be circling my house. Hey George…. What’s Amal gonna wear to the MET Ball? I don’t know, I don’t know if I want everybody to have a jet pack.

Q : The young, kid that plays Frank Walker in the movie, did you have any say so who it would be? He looks like you, like his facial expressions, did he like study you?

George: No, they just went around, actually they did a little plastic surgery on him…. Which seems, ah, a litte rough, but yeah, you want to, it’s show biz. You want to be in show biz, we’re gonna have to reduce that nose. We’re gonna have to pin those ears. I’m sorry. No, you know, he was funny. I actually did, ’cause I never got to work with him obviously, because we were, you know, in different worlds as you know, completely different worlds, but he would walk by, I’d come over and I’d go, so you’re, ah, you’re me, right? He’s like, yup. Alright. Don’t screw it up. He was really sweet though. A really funny kid.

Q : What was your favorite scene in the movie?

George: Yeah, that’s a good question. It’s fun because, look, first let me start off by explaining to you how I came to this part, right? Brad and Damon called me and said we’ve written a part for you in a movie. And I’d been trying to work with Brad for a long time. I was like wow, that’s amazing. And they send me the script and I open it up and the description of me is, you know, 55 year old angry, bitter, guy. I’m like going, thanks guys. Thank you so much.

But what I loved about it was that the entire film, he’s just a grump, you know. He’s just a grump through the whole thing. So I loved like when Britt first comes to the house. It’s really fun where it’s like shut up! You know, and like who are you? And so we really had fun shooting all that stuff in the farm house. That was fun ’cause all the robot guys were really sweet and nice, and not really robots, you know. [LAUGHING.] And, so I think that might have been the most fun scene to shoot, all the farm house stuff, yeah.

Then he talked a bit about having a say in the future and making a difference.

George: I mean, I’ve been in those kind of movies before and you don’t, you know, you sort of don’t want that, because it is a summer movie. But the truth of the matter is, the idea is that, the future is yours and the future is yours to decide what it will be. You know, as you look at the world, and you see how sort of, tragic it can feel, and you know, it always has been that way.

It wasn’t particularly great in 1968 either. There were assassinations and there was wars and there was civil unrest and riots, but we weren’t as inundated with it, and so there was always still a hopefulness that the future was still gonna be alright. And I feel as if we have to get to that point where, we all understand that, you know, the individual is not helpless. And I think that’s a really important part of this, you know.

An advantage since I’ve become successful, I understand that I have a voice that I can amplify things, so I can make Darfur louder or we can, there’s things that you can do that you can try to affect change with. But I was like that when I was 10, because I was told, that your voice has to matter and has to participate, even if two people hear you, because those two people may change, you know.

I–I would say my parents taught me that and their parents taught them that, and I feel as if there’s a world where we have to constantly remind not just young people, ourselves that we’re not just stuck here, you know. I also think we have to find a way to put news back in perspective. I think part of the responsibility of news in general is not just to report on it, but put it in perspective.

And my father was an anchorman in Cincinnati, Ohio. When he was covering a story about, some skinheads at Fountain Square who were gonna, you know, had a rally, seven guys up. They’re saying horrible things, you know. And he had to cover the story, so he goes out and in the camera, it looks pretty awful, you know. It looks really awful. And there’s about 2,000 people yelling at them. And then my dad says okay, and they went upstairs to Carew Tower, which is the tallest building in Cincinnati, and the shot down on to the park with these seven little tiny people in a town of 400,000, are just yelling and being jerks.

And it just, a town that otherwise is functioning perfectly and people are getting along and working together and you realized in perspective it meant nothing. It meant absolutely nothing. And I feel that we’re losing perspective of the things that are going on in our world, and we think oh, it’s just nothing but apocalyptic stuff, and I don’t believe that necessarily is true. I mean, there’s an awful lot of good and it’s hard to report good because it doesn’t sell. So I think that maybe along the way, it would be nice to remind ourselves that there’s an awful lot of good that’s being done too, you know.

Are you ready to go to Tomorrowland? Tomorrowland is in theaters May 22.

I’m On My Way To Tomorrowland #TomorrowLandEvent

April 24, 2015 by Momstart 1 Comment

I’m looking forward to only a few movies this year. One of them of course is the much anticipated Star Wars…right who isn’t. But at the top of my list right next to that movie is Tomorrowland. Why? Because the actors in it. It’s a family movie with some of my favs!!! And I’m lucky enough to be on my way to the press event. YES!

I don’t have my official interview list but I did see that the official press junket includes:

George Clooney (“Frank Walker”)
Britt Robertson (“Casey Newton”)
Tim McGraw (“Ed Newton”)
Hugh Laurie (“David Nix”)
Raffey Cassidy (“Athena”)
Brad Bird (Director / Producer / Writer)
Damon Lindelof (Producer / Writer)
Jeff Jensen (Story By)

So the likelihood of me getting to interview George Cloony is pretty high. Watch this featurette and then if you have any questions you want me to ask the talent just let me know!

I’m hoping to get a glance at Hugh Laurie, just being honest here but it’s on my actor bucket list. This movie is going to be a ride into what the imagination can still bring to the table! So join me and my blogger friends as we bring you first hand into that world of imagination!

Like TOMORROWLAND on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyTomorrowland

Follow Disney Pictures on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DisneyPictures

Visit the official TOMORROWLAND website: www.Disney.com/Tomorrowland

TOMORROWLAND opens in theaters everywhere on May 22nd!