‘I Think I Even Cried’: Inside Out 2 Director Recalls Maya Hawke’s Audition (original) (raw)
Inside Out 2 director Kelsey Mann opened up about Maya Hawke’s casting as the voice of Anxiety. As seen in the first teaser, Anxiety is expected to become the main antagonist in the upcoming Pixar sequel.
During a recent interview with Collider, Mann recalled the Stranger Things star’s memorable and fun audition story for Inside Out 2, revealing that his first conversation with Hawke happened while he was on vacation at Disney World. "Here’s a really cool thing about Maya, [she] was awesome, you know," he said. "It’s a really fun story. I auditioned Maya from Disney World, believe it or not. So, we went out to like to do an audition with Maya, and Mark [Nielsen] was like, 'Good news is she said, ‘'Yes.' She would love to audition and meet with you. Bad news is it’s during your vacation.' So, me and my kids, we were all at Disney World. I’m like 'Ah, man, I’m at Disney World.' He’s like 'Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out.'"
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Mann continued, "They did. It was awesome. I was with my family, I go, 'Alright, I’ll be right back,' and then they took me backstage, and I went back to some random office where they had a computer with Zoom on it. She absolutely crushed it. And my favorite part was, you know, at the end of it, I talked about what I wanted the movie to be about, and she just immediately connected with it. I think I even cried as she was talking. And I walked away and, you know, called you [Mark], and we’re like, 'Oh my God, she’s perfect.' And then I went back into the EPCOT and continued my vacation. It was hilarious."
The animated sequel will once again center around Riley, who will now be entering high school where she’ll begin to face the different kinds of emotions that come with being a teenager. To help her get through high school are Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust. However, they must also deal with some changes, following the arrival of new emotions at the headquarters. The film will also feature the voices of Amy Poehler as Joy, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, Diane Lane as Mrs. Anderson and Kyle MacLachlan as Mr. Anderson, Tony Hale as Fear, Liza Lapira as Disgust, Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui, Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment, Kensington Tallman as Riley, Lilimar as Riley’s new friend Val and more.
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Inside Out 2 Was Initially Going to Introduce Nine Emotions
In a previous interview, Mann admitted Inside Out 2 was originally going to introduce nine new emotions in an attempt to overwhelm Joy. However, after the first screening, they enlisted emotional expert Professor Dacher Keltner from Berkeley to help them with choosing the right emotions that would fit into teenager Riley’s mind. "He looked at the list, and he’s like it’s all the ones that are the self-conscious emotions. All the ones, at this age, you start, we’re hard-wired at this age to start to become really self-conscious." Mann shared. "It’s all about fitting in at that age. That’s why we kind of worry so much about what others think about us at that age. And it kinda turns on, and it kinda never goes away. You kinda have to manage it, which is a big reason why I’m making this movie."
Inside Out 2 debuts in theaters on June 14.
Source: Collider
Inside Out 2
Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions.
Director
Kelsey Mann
Release Date
June 14, 2024
Cast
Amy Poehler , Maya Hawke , Kensington Tallman , Liza Lapira , Tony Hale , Lewis Black , Phyllis Smith , Ayo Edebiri , Lilimar , Grace Lu , Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green , Adèle Exarchopoulos , Diane Lane , Kyle MacLachlan , Paul Walter Hauser , Yvette Nicole Brown , Ron Funches , James Austin Johnson , Yong Yea , Steve Purcell , Dave Goelz , Kirk R. Thatcher , Frank Oz , Paula Pell , June Squibb , Pete Docter , Paula Poundstone , John Ratzenberger , Sarayu Blue , Flea , Bobby Moynihan , Kendall Coyne Schofield
Writers
Meg LeFauve , Dave Holstein , Kelsey Mann
Main Genre
Production Company
Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures