It Takes Two: Humberto and Wes Anderson Talk Fantastic Mr. Fox

Opening Ceremony’s Humberto Leon caught up with Wes Anderson regarding the recently debuted Fantastic Mr. Fox, another notable movie based on a children’s book adaptation. Fantastic Mr. Fox features a cast of venerable stars including George Clooney and Meryl Streep with a storyline based on the wild, un-fatherly ways of Mr. Fox. The movie’s creation was done entirely in stop-motion with minauture figures which presented a special aesthetic to the overall process and execution. Through the interview, Wes Anderson touches on the process and some of the film’s details as well as showcasing some behind-the-scenes imagery. The movie has already debuted in Los Angeles and New York with a nation-wide roll-out set for the 20th of November.

HL: Making Fanstastic Mr. Fox must have been so fun, how did you start the process?
WA: I started by approaching the Dahl family about the book. They are very careful with these stories.

HL: The visuals in your films are always dynamic and fully thought out. Was it difficult to detail at this scale?
WA: In fact, it was very fun to work at this scale. You rarely get the chance to design your own trees and rivers!

HL: My favorite details in the film were the foxes on their tippy toes, and the movement of the fur. Were there any limitations working in stop motion?
WA: The limitations were with our budget! We had to be economical.

HL: Stop motion animations seem so fun to make. Did the actors get to interact with each other when you were recording the voices?
WA: Yes, we recorded them on a farm together in Connecticut; however, we often met again in various little rooms and booths around the world to record new lines and scenes.