Storytelling and Bedtime Stories
*I received airfare and accommodations for attending the Press Junket, however as always opinions are 100% my own.
Have you ever been lucky enough to be in the same room with Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, and Art Parkinson? Me either, until July and when the invite came in I was beyond speechless for a few days. But in July that came true and it was just as magical as I could have ever imagined. What do the three have in common? They are amazing on the screen and off but more importantly they all starred in the new movie Kubo and The Two Strings.
In the movie they all play very important roles Matthew McConaughey who portrays Beetle, Charlize Theron, portraying Monkey, and Art Parkinson, voicing Kubo. The movie is an amazing children’s movie that takes difficult subject matter and handles it in an intelligent way. They all were drew to the project for their own reasons which is why it makes the film such a success.
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: For me, I mean, that’s something LAIKA seems to do with all their projects. They don’t really pander down to the age group. They deal with adult themes in a way that’s digestible for kids. There’s always a good moral to the story, that’s learned in the middle of the adventure. I liked their previous work and this script had all that.
CHARLIZE THERON: I in general love directness. I was raised with a lot of directness. And I think in storytelling we sometimes forget that with children, and there was something about this that was just so clear, and I love that. I think, that as far as taste goes, I like that there’s nothing about this that kind of shies away from very, very real issues and things and I think at the end of the day that makes it very powerful and refreshing because we don’t see a lot of that. And so, I was very excited to be a part of that.
ART PARKINSON: I think it’s a very family-oriented film. I think it’s a very relateable family-oriented film because some of the problems that the family faces in the film is very parallel to every family. So I think that’s definitely what drew me to the project.
Storytelling and Bedtime Stories
Preparing for any job is half of the battle but when you are an actor or actress there is a mindset you have to get into in order to perform. Charlize and Matthew both were very glad to be involved in making such a kid friendly movie. They are equally as excited that their kids will be allowed to watch a film that they are in because it is kid friendly. Kubo and The Two Strings is based on Storytelling, keeping things real and very grounded which allowed them to throw their own ideas out to Travis when they could.
Matthew actually read the script to his kids as if he was telling a story. After reading it quite a few times the kids got it, they understood it, they laughed, got scared and of course fell in love with it. But the true magic happened when they all got to watch the finished film all kids love it as well as adults which actually makes it that much better.
The film is fun, magical and each of the three talented individuals brought a lot to their characters. Head out to see Matthew McConaughey as beetle, Charlize Theron as Monkey, and Art Parkinson as Kubo. I promise you will fall in love with the characters, the storyline and of course the storytelling. It will be a bedtime story for years to come.
More about Kubo and the Two Strings
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. 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.
Director: Travis Knight
Voice Cast: Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Brenda Vaccaro
#KuboMovie is the hashtag to follow for all things Kubo and Two Strings! Check out this amazing preview too!
Coming to theaters everywhere on August 19, 2016.
ebike says
Great article, love your sharing so much, thank you!