DreamWorks “Boss Baby” premiered in NYC at the AMC Loews Theatre on March 20, 2017.
The animated movie stars Alec Baldwin, Lisa Kudrow, Jimmy Kimmel, Steve Buscemi, and more. We were at the premiere and spoke to some of its cast and crew to talk about their favorite scenes and whether they had any sibling rivalries! Check out our red carpet interviews:
STEVE MOZZARO- Composer
Q: How did you get involved with this film
Steve Mozzaro: Well I’ve been working with Hans for about 5½ years now on various projects with him and then we got back from tour, touring Europe, and he mentioned that there was this DreamWorks film that he wanted me to work on with him. And so that kind of came about, and we went to a screening, I met Tom and the team and we kind of just ran with it from there.
Q: I know Hans [Zimmer] is known for like really serious films, Inception being one of them, so how do you go about composing for a film like them, how do you go about composing for a comedy.
Steve Mozzaro: You know I think a lot of film composers get cornered into a specific sound or specific thing, and I think what a lot of people don’t know is most film composers can write in very different styles, and especially with this where we have funk and jazz and swing, you know we kind of threw the kitchen sink at this one.
Q: So I know you mentioned you have a little sister, so growing up was there anything that made you a little suspicious about your little sister?
Steve Mozzaro: Not quite like Tim felt [Laughs].
VIVIANNE YEE
Q: What are you most excited about for tonight?
ViveAnne Yee: Just to meet all of the amazing cast members and I can’t wait to see the movie!
Q: Can you describe some of the work you’ve done. I know you’ve done a lot of voice overs for the film, so is there any specific scene that you’re really excited about?
ViveAnne Yee: I haven’t watched the movie yet
Q: But from the like reading the script?
ViveAnne Yee: Oh probably the chase scene. I don’t want to spoil it for you.
MARLA FRAZEE- Author
Q: How did you get the idea to write a book like this? Where did you get your inspiration from?
Marla Frazee: You know my youngest son, I have three boys, had a kitten for Christmas–he wanted a kitten. And this kitten was creating havoc and my son said maybe we should give the kitten back and I said why? This is nothing like it was when you guys were babies. We’re going to learn to love this kitten. And I thought the kitten is bossing him around the way babies boss around new parents, and so it was that connection. That’s what started the book.
Q: So the boss baby is derived from a kitten you’re saying?
Marla Frazee: [Laughs] Yeah, pretty much. It reminded me of what it was like to have babies and so watching him deal with his kitchen is sort of what happened.
Q: That’s incredible. So what are you most excited for tonight.
Marla Frazee: Oh my gosh! This whole thing is a miracle. I hope I meet some of the cast. I’m starstruck. I have my family with me so it’s super fun to share this with them.
Q: How did you feel when producers approached you to write this and turn it into a movie?
Marla Frazee: You know I think I had a very reasonable expectation that it probably wouldn’t happen because I know a lot of children’s book authors had have things auction that don’t get made into–it doesn’t always happen, so the fact that it just kept moving along and it was looking like it was going to happen was just a surprise to me. And now we’re here and it did happen.
MILES BAKSHI-Tim
Q: Congratulations on this big premiere! How are you doing tonight?
Miles Bakshi: I’m good, how are you?
Q: I’m good. So how does it feel to be apart of this movie?
Miles Bakshi: It feels awesome. It was really easy working with the director. He made is feel real and I couldn’t ask for a better director. I started this movie when I was 10, now I’m 14. It took three years to make the movie, and my voice changed. I had to like soften my voice more and more to get the golden voice, but I got it.
Q: Can you relate to your character in any way?
Miles Bakshi: Yes, I can related to him. Actually when I was two years old my sister came into the family and just like in the movie I thought she was a total alien invader and that she was going to take over the whole house.
Q: So you were totally suspicious of her?
Miles Bakshi: Yeah, totally suspicious!
Q: Are you suspicious still? [Laughs]
Miles Bakshi: No, no, no, now I’m older and she’s awesome [laughs] !
Q: What are you most excited for for people to see in the movie. Do you have a favorite scene that you’re excited for people to see?
Miles Bakshi: One of my favorite scenes is where Tim absolutely wants Boss Baby out of the family, so he does something, he tries to like launch him out of the house, so he gets grounded and he’s never been grounded. So he gets locked away in his room. In his wild imagination he’s locked in a cell prison and he’s never going to come out, and then the Boss Baby comes and talks to him. It’s just a great scene.
STEVE MCGRATH-Director
Q: Congratulations on this film. Can you talk about what this film means to you?
Steve McGrath: Thank you. This film means a lot to me. It’s firected by my uncle Tom McGrath. From what I understand, he drew a lot of inspiration form his childhood and I know a lot about his childhood, because it was my dad and his childhood. And so it means a lot It’s strange and wonderful that so many people are going to see this film that really speaks universally about relationships and the priorities of who you love and where you put your time, and how that is kind of based on my family story it just the icing, it’s amazing.
Q: I know you played a voice character. How do you go about preparing for a voice role?
Steve McGrath: This is usually when I’m trying to get a voice down, it’ll either be something that I can get right away, that I just understand that vocal quality or it’s something that I spend three hours working on. For this one it’s something that I’ve been working on since, or understood how to do since I first watched lord of the rings, and the mast Ian McCellan at work, which his character is based on.
Q: Wow, awesome. Can you relate to any of the characters?
TOM MCGRATH- Voice Cast
Q: So how did you go about directing this movie. There is a lot of animation, it’s a voice over cast, so how do you work with the actors in this aspect?
Tom McGrath: Well for me animators are actors too. Working with a cast like Alec and Lisa, and Jimmy, I just let them go. And I was fortunate enough to do voice acting myself which put me in their shoes. When you’re doing this kind of work, there’s not sets or costumes, you have to use your imagination. It’s kind of a testimant to them, pretending thier in a situation, whether it’s running away from something. So it’s my job just to give them context and set the stage for them and let them run with it. What’s great about our cast is that they all have really unique voices that how we cast our movies. We find really something special in their voice and everyone was very special in this movie.
Q: How did you approach Alec and Lisa to get involved in this film?
Tom McGrath: We pitched them the story. And in a way Alec gravitated to this because he grew up in a house full of alot of brothers. And the whole story is about sibing rivilary and he connected with it I think in his heart because he grew up in that. Myself, I have an older who I tortured my whole life. I was a boss baby and now we love each other. And I think Alec loves his family too and there’s nothing more cleaner than an arch of a family. Sometimes you fight, but at the end of the day their your best friends.
Q: What was the best part of working with this cast?
Tom McGrath: Just being in the room. Especially with all the characters which were all very funny. I’m in the room with them and I have to keep form blowing their takes by laughing, so I have all my tricks from like biting my lip or pinching my leg or that kind of thing. That’s very challening.
Q: Any scene that your most excited for viewers to see?
Tom McGrath: The ending to me. Because it is a broad comedy and this big action adventure. But at the end of it what will sneak up on you is his heart and they say laughter is a doorway to the heart and that’s what want to do. We want to move people.
ALEC BALDWIN- Boss Baby
Alec Baldwin: Well we don’t work the whole 3 ½ years, you know that right? We come and go, so those movies take a long time to draw them and they really repay to from the heart. So we come in within 10 times or 12 times, a little bit more over the course of two or three years and we do those kind of things and it’s great. It’s a real easy, breezy way to work, and although by the time we start the movie and when we finish the movie, it doesn’t really look the same. It’s often very, very different.
Q: How does it feel to play the voice of this baby who is a trouble maker?
Alec Baldwin: Well I have a couple of little troublemakers at my house so I see it and I have to really study them to get my character down. But my kids are really a blessing. I’m so lucky. My wife and I are so lucky–we have a little baby at home.
LISA KUDROW- Mother
Q: Lisa, what did working on this film mean to you?
Lisa Kudrow: I like the idea that it’s the seven year old kids point of view and what it must be like when a new baby comes into the house and takes over, and there’s not enough love for everybody. I like that.
Q: Is there any scene that you’re most excited about?
Lisa Kudrow: They’re all good. I don’t know what to pick.
THE BOSS BABY OPENS NATIONWIDE MARCH 31, 2017.
