HAPPY FEET TWO (2011)
PRODUCTION NOTES
HAPPY FEET TWO (2011)
Production Notes
Release Date: November 18, 2011 (3D/2D)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: George Miller
Screenwriter: George Miller, Gary Eck, Warren Coleman, Paul Livingston
Starring: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, Alecia Moore (P!nk), Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Sofia
Vergara, Common, Hugo Weaving, Magda Szubanski, Anthony LaPaglia, Richard Carter, Benjamin "Lil PNut" Flores, Jr.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Family
MPAA Rating: PG (for some rude humor and mild peril)
Official Website: HappyFeetTwo.com
STUDIO SYNOPSIS: The sequel to the Academy Award winning animated smash hit, "Happy Feet Two"
returns audiences to the magnificent landscape of Antarctica in superb 3D. Mumble, The Master of Tap,
has a problem because his tiny son Erik is choreo-phobic. Reluctant to dance, Erik runs away and
encounters The Mighty Sven - a penguin who can fly!! Mumble has no hope of competing with this
charismatic new role model. But things get worse when the world is shaken by powerful forces. Erik
learns of his father's 'guts and grit' as Mumble brings together the penguin nations and all manner of
fabulous creatures - from tiny Krill to giant Elephant Seals - to put things right.
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Synopsis
The sequel to "Happy Feet," the Academy Award®-winning animated smash hit, "Happy Feet
Two" returns audiences to the magnificent landscape of Antarctica in superb 3D.
Mumble, The Master of Tap, has a problem because his tiny son, Erik, is choreo-phobic.
Reluctant to dance, Erik runs away and encounters The Mighty Sven—a penguin who can fly!
Mumble has no hope of competing with this charismatic new role model.
But things get worse when the world is shaken by powerful forces.
Erik learns of his father's guts and grit as Mumble brings together the penguin nations and all
manner of fabulous creatures—from tiny Krill to giant Elephant Seals—to put things right.
"Happy Feet Two" is directed by George Miller, who won an Oscar® as the creator of the
original "Happy Feet." The film features the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hank
Azaria, Alecia Moore (P!nk), Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Sofia Vergara, Common, Hugo Weaving,
Richard Carter, Magda Szubanski, Anthony LaPaglia and Benjamin "Lil P-Nut" Flores, Jr.
George Miller co-wrote the screenplay with Gary Eck (who also served as a co-director), Warren
Coleman and Paul Livingston. Miller is also producing the film, along with Doug Mitchell and
Bill Miller. Chris deFaria, Philip Hearnshaw, Graham Burke and Bruce Berman serve as
executive producers. Co-director and cinematographer—camera is David Peers, the
cinematographer—lighting is David Dulac, the animation director is Rob Coleman and the
production designer is David Nelson. The film features vocals by P!nk, with music by John
Powell.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Kennedy
Miller Mitchell production, with Dr. D. Studios, a George Miller film, "Happy Feet Two." The
film will be presented in RealD 3D and IMAX 3D, and also in 2D. It has been rated PG for
"rude humor and mild peril."
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About The Production
"It's part of the job of life to find out who you are and what you've got..."
CONTINUING THE ADVENTURES OF "HAPPY FEET"
In 2006, a movie came along that not only delighted audiences, but had them tapping their toes
and singing heartsongs. "Happy Feet" was an unqualified global hit that appealed to critics and
audiences of all ages. The film went on to earn numerous awards, culminating in the Academy
Award® for Best Animated Feature. It also fueled greater efforts for environmental and wildlife
conservation and even entered the modern lexicon, with "happy feet" becoming a synonym for
tap dancing, its star Mumble's particular talent.
George Miller explains, "I often say that these stories are for the adult in the child and the child
in the adult. I think one of the reasons why 'Happy Feet' resonated is that it had a kind of
nourishment to it, with the time-honored ideas of being true to yourself, being brave and trying to
treat the world and yourself with respect."
The idea for the story of "Happy Feet Two" actually began even as Miller and his team were
putting the finishing touches on the first film.
"When you work on a film like that for so long, you actually fall in love with the characters.
They became a part of your family," the filmmaker continues. "As you're thinking about them,
new stories arise, which is what led to 'Happy Feet Two.' It was surprisingly easy to go back
there, and so much fun hanging out with them once again."
But Miller, who directed, produced, and also co-wrote the film with writers Gary Eck, Warren
Coleman and Paul Livingston, aimed to do much more than simply return to Antarctica with
Mumble, Gloria and the other penguins. He explains, "I think what a storyteller wants from
every film is to have the audience somehow experience something that they can relate to, so that
they can see their own lives through it. I think this new film—which is about family and
community—gives them the opportunity to be able to do that through the characters of the
penguins."
In the new film, Miller wanted to imbue even more physical comedy and action, while staying
true to the spirit of the first movie. "'Happy Feet Two' has all the singing and dancing and
beautiful Antarctic landscape, but there are new characters of every dimension, from the largest
scale to very tiny creatures," he says. In fact, the tiniest of the film's creatures are voiced by two
of today's biggest stars: Brad Pitt and Matt Damon as Will and Bill The Krill.
Producer Bill Miller elaborates, "We had to reacquaint the audiences with the characters they
know and love from the first film, but we needed to take those characters and the audience
somewhere different. And we had to raise the bar with the music and dance."
As the story opens, the vocally challenged but choreographically gifted Mumble, once again
voiced by Elijah Wood, and the golden-throated Gloria, voiced by Alecia Moore (P!nk), are
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parents. Mumble's own difficult adolescence, however, did not prepare him to be the ideal dad.
His son is a fluffy fledgling named Erik, who seems disinterested in dancing, while the rest of
the Emperor nation is movin' and groovin'. But when Mumble encourages him to try tripping the
light fantastic, Erik simply trips over his own feet... landing him head first in the snow and the
object of derision. Erik hides in shame, and Mumble's attempts to reassure his self-doubting son
only make matters worse.
George Miller observes, "Mumble is now a parent, and the tables have turned on him. Now he
has the problem of being a father with a child who doesn't completely conform to the way
Mumble thinks his son should be! And he truly wants to connect with his son. We all think when
we become parents that somehow, we'll know how to do better than our parents did. And, of
course, we often make the same mistakes, because there's no real instruction manual about how
to be a good parent. And that's what I speculated in the story would happen with Mumble."
Producer Doug Mitchell comments, "One of the themes in the film is clearly about the
relationship between father and son. Mumble, like all parents, struggles with the intent to offer
unconditional love and support—he wants the best for Erik, but he also may need to let go a little
and let his son find his identity for himself."
But the filmmakers ratcheted up the stakes: Mumble not only has to find his way through
fatherhood, he ultimately must find a way to save the entire Emperor community, pitting penguin
against nature. Violent shifts in the glacial landscape are threatening the Emperors' very survival,
and it falls to Mumble to rally creatures both great and small, to save them.
"If you want it, you must will it. If you will it, it will be yours.
SvenTHINK™. All rights reserved, copyright me."
VOICES OF THE FLOCK, RETURNING AND NEW
When "Happy Feet Two" begins, "It's party time," says George Miller, "and at the center of
everything are Mumble and Gloria. Gloria is singing, Mumble is dancing, and everyone is
inspired by the rhythm and chemistry between the two."
Mumble has grown up to be a respected leader within the Emperor penguin community. Elijah
Wood returns to the role of the masterful tap-dancing penguin, whose unique talents have
captured the hearts of so many. "I knew that George would never do a sequel unless it was
something that he felt was true to the original story and that there was another compelling story
to tell."
In fact, the same things that attracted the actor to the original film have been reprised in the
sequel. "There are beautiful environmental themes throughout, pointing to the change that is
occurring in our world now, and how it's affecting our precious animals," Wood continues.
"George handles it so well, just as he did in the first film. It's woven into the piece in an organic
way, along with the themes of love and identity. I think it's especially good for young people to
see a film like this and recognize that it's ultimately the things that differentiate us from others
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that are our strongest defining characteristics. Those are qualities to be celebrated, not ashamed
of."
If Mumble is the undisputed dance champ of Emperor Land, his mate Gloria is the undeniable
diva. For the role of this powerhouse songstress, the filmmakers turned to Alecia Moore, also
known as triple Grammy-winning recording artist P!nk. "P!nk was a natural for the role, and has
been really superb," says director Miller. "She had sung in the opening of the first movie and
wanted to be involved again because she's compassionate and a great animal lover. So for this
one, in addition to voicing Gloria, she wrote the wonderful lullaby called 'Bridge of Light,' with
Billy Mann."
No stranger to a recording booth, Moore was nonetheless a little nervous about making her voice
acting debut. Watching other cast members helped to change that. She recounts, "I got to watch
Brad [Pitt] and Matt [Damon] not only record some of their dialogue, but they also had to sing.
They just went for it, and I thought, 'Wow, I really have nothing to fear in there.'"
Producer Mitchell says, "When it came to Alecia's turn to record, of course, she totally nailed it.
She's a great professional and a lovely person. Her song, 'Bridge of Light,' is wonderful and
touches on one of the great themes in the movie."
Another of Mumble's companions returns in the sequel: his best friend Ramon, the talkative
Adelie penguin, who has been drawn to Emperor Land because he finds the senoritas altas
alluring. Too bad they find him alarming.
Robin Williams again voices Ramon. "He is basically still the same incurable romantic. He still
loves las chicas, but he has not found the bird of his dreams. And yet, he still has an image that
he is a gift to all females, that they want him in the worst way. The Adelies all are very, very
machismo; so though he is small, he is fierce."
According to co-screenwriter Gary Eck, "Robin Williams just brought so much to the table. He
came up with these lines, and we sit there and you say, 'That's great! We'll use that! Sure, we
spent eight months coming up with that line, but you just made it even better in two seconds. So,
thank you!'" he laughs.
No matter how macho he is, a penguin can only take so much rejection from the opposite sex.
Realizing he'll have no luck with the Emperor ladies, Ramon journeys back to Adelie Land,
where he finds that things have changed. Not only is the "New Adelie Land" full of many
different species of penguin, the place is more colorful—with patches of green peeking through
the snow. And so is Lovelace, the guru Rockhopper Penguin who now sports a crazy rainbow
sweater.
Lovelace is also voiced again by the multi-talented Williams, who points out, "Lovelace was
rescued from an oil slick. A penguin loses buoyancy in a slick, so he was scrubbed up by
humans—who the penguins refer to as 'the aliens.' But after being cleaned up, penguins lose
some of the warmth of their feathers, so there are folks who knit little sweaters for rescued
penguins. They can't swim in them, but until they're ready for release, they wear them.
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Lovelace's is striped; he looks like a tiny colorful Rasta penguin."
While Lovelace appears to occupy "center stage" in Adelie Land, he is actually now more the
warmup guy than the headliner, having brought a new star to the Adelie community. Williams
says, "Lovelace is now a kind of Foghorn Leghorn/Barry White preacher, and he's there to
testify. Because it's Sven Time!"
George Miller explains, "Lovelace points up to the top of a tall iceberg and there, backlit by the
sun with this beautiful sky, is a penguin unlike any we've ever seen before. He walks over to the
edge of this massive tower, and the huge crowd cheers. Calling out, 'Up, up, uppity up!' he
jumps...and he flies! He's a flying penguin with a huge red beak and golden hair on the back of
his head. He just looks magnificent."
Hank Azaria, who is the voice of Sven, remembers how much he enjoyed the original film. "I
knew nothing about the movie before I saw it. I couldn't believe I could be so moved by these
computer-animated penguins who were singing and dancing, but that's what happened. That's the
main reason I really wanted to be part of this."
Lovelace and Sven were thrown together when they were both rescued by the "aliens" on a
scientific research ship. When Sven suddenly and unexpectedly flees their rescuers, Lovelace
leads him to the all-new Adelie Land. There, Sven's belief in self-empowerment, known as
SvenTHINK™ is given credibility by his unique ability to conquer the sky. Being seen as a
penguin who can fly has gained him the adulation of the penguin masses who seek to follow his
wondrous ways. The Mighty Sven has won the hearts and minds of the Adelies and all the other
species who have gathered there: Chinstrap, Magellanic, Rockhopper and Fairy penguins.
Sven's exotic accent signals to the other penguins that he's from unknown lands. As Azaria tells
it, "He has this funny honking laugh. Any role I take, whether it's animation or on camera, I start
with the voice. George and I talked specifics on the accent and the register, and then form just
followed function. Sven is smooth...smooth-y, as he would say. He's having a lot of fun being
revered. He was the ugly duckling where he came from, and he's worshipped here. He'd fit right
into Hollywood, I think."
Perhaps more jealous than skeptical, Ramon is at first, a non-believer. That is until SvenTHINK
leads Ramon to his ideal mate: a caliente alpha-Adelie chica named Carmen. A statuesque
Adelie beauty, Carmen has no shortage of suitors, so is quick to dismiss the advances of the
love-struck Ramon.
Miller cast Sofia Vergara as Carmen. Mitchell, a fellow native of Colombia, comments, "Sofia is
a great ambassador for Colombia. It's a very beautiful country, and the people have a great
passion for life, and I think Sofia reflects all of that."
Vergara offers, "They showed me what Carmen looked like, and I thought, 'You know, if I were
a penguin, that's what I'd probably look like.' I love her swagger, and she's very choosy. She has
a flock of men always around her, but she's waiting for that special guy who'll make a grand
romantic gesture and just sweep her away. Until then, she's just like, 'No thank you; just move
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along, Senõr.'"
Whenever possible, Miller eschewed individual recording sessions in favor of groups who could
interact with each other around the mic, and Williams enjoyed the opportunity to work with
Vergara. "She's kind and so sexy. To have her there was a gift, and it's not hard to think
...'Imagine you're in love with this penguin. Okay. I'm ready. Let's go, let's do this. Do you mind
if we get close? Too close? Oh, sorry.' But she was so much fun to work with."
When Ramon returns to Adelie Land it is not alone—he inadvertently becomes the unwilling
guardian of three small tag-alongs, including Mumble and Gloria's son Erik. Feeling humiliated
by his failure to dance, little Erik runs away by following his "uncle" Ramon, together with his
best friends, Atticus and Boadicea. Called Bo, the last of the trio is a gymnastically gifted young
penguin and the daughter of Emperor Land's elementary school teacher, Ms. Viola, voiced by the
returning Magda Szubanski. The hippest one of the young runaways is young Atticus, the son of
Seymour, who is played by rapper/actor Common in his animated feature film voice-acting
debut.
"I never thought I'd get to play the role of a dancing, singing, rapping penguin," Common attests.
"I watched the first movie, and it moved me, so to be able to be a part of that legacy was really
exciting."
The actor says Miller described Seymour as "the cool dad with a hip-hop swing, which I knew I
could totally accomplish." In fact, in the recording booth, he worked just as hard as if he'd been
in front of the camera. "Pretty much every day I would come out of there with my shirt soaking
wet from sweating, because I was expending a lot of physical energy getting into the character."
The perky Benjamin "Lil P-Nut" Flores, Jr., whom producers spotted in an appearance on "Ellen:
The Ellen DeGeneres Show," was cast as Seymour's son, Atticus. Miller recalls, "He had so
much 'swag,' as I say, and the little guy could freestyle the rap. But there was also something
very professional and very centered in that kid."
The then-seven-year-old performer came to the role slightly disappointed, however, thinking at
first he was going to get to dress up as a penguin. But once it was explained to him that a
costume was unnecessary, he cut loose and found the experience "totally cool. I had a really
good time using my imagination while I was doing the movie. It was like I was really a penguin
out there, having this adventure," Flores says.
Atticus, who loves eating as much as rapping, is much more vocal than his shy little pal Erik.
Miller expands, "Erik rarely speaks up, so his best friends, Atticus and Bo, end up doing most of
the talking for him."
Like her mother, Ms. Viola, Bo is a consummate yodeler, but also excels at parkour or freerunning, using snow drifts and moguls to move quickly and effortlessly over the icy Antarctic
landscape.
For these baby penguin roles of Erik and Bo, Miller sought authenticity in his casting by slotting
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equally young performers in the parts. In order to keep the recording sessions fun and
productive, George Miller and casting maven Kristy Carlson worked closely with the children at
the microphone to carefully draw out and shape the performances from the youthful talent.
Producer Bill Miller describes them as "these tiny little people; like Ava Acres, who plays Erik,
and Meibh Campbell, who plays Bo, who would come into the studio and be dwarfed by the mic
stands and headphones around them. But there was nothing diminutive about their acting skills.
Each one of these kids was able to express their wonderful ability to be in the moment—to
become penguins and still be themselves."
Between these recording sessions, scratch tracks were laid down by the uniquely gifted voice of
EG Daily to enable the the story reel and production to progress and evolve. In fact, the talented
vocalist also provides Erik's singing voice in the final film.
To round out the cast, back from the original "Happy Feet" are Ramon's fast-quipping Adelie
Amigos, voiced by Carlos Alazraqui, Lombardo Boyar, Jeff Garcia and Johnny Sanchez III.
Hugo Weaving reprises the voice of Noah, the head elder of the Emperor Penguins. Weaving
quips, "I've played a lot of different kinds of characters—assassins, villains, a Transformer, a
drag queen—but it is rare that I get to play anything that comes near being 'cute.' That's a
character challenge for me, and one of the reasons I came back to work for Mr. Miller."
"Will. We are Krill. We are meant to look the same."
"Not me Bill, there is only one of me in all the world. I am one in a krillion."
FROM TINY KRILL TO HUGE PREDATORS: A WEALTH OF SPECIES
One of the film's biggest adventures is undertaken by its smallest characters. "It's the journey of
two tiny krill, Will and Bill," George Miller says. "They live in a great biomass of billions and
billions of krill that move with the tides...they're the bottom and the basis of the food chain.
Every animal up the chain relies on krill. And in the middle of these indistinguishable billions
are Bill and Will, played by Matt Damon and Brad Pitt. Will decides that he feels he's different
from everyone else around him and he ventures outside the swarm. Will wants to evolve higher
up the food chain. Bill, on the other hand, is terrified. He just wants to stay and continue to
behave exactly like all the other krill."
Co-screenwriter Gary Eck expands, "There are a lot of parallels between Will's story and Erik's
story in this film. They both set out on a journey; thanks to Sven, Erik thinks he can learn to fly,
and Will, just out of his own desire to break away, wants to become a predator. They're both
quite delusional ideas, and it's not until the end of the story that they realize the truth. Even
though they're miles apart—one lives down in the ocean and the other lives up on ice—their
stories are very similar."
Miller was happy to have the opportunity to pair Damon and Pitt in the recording studio to
capture both their irrepressible banter...and their singing. "They were really very free, working
off each other, because they know each other so well. Matt Damon can sing, and Brad Pitt made
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it really clear upfront he couldn't. But Brad just said, 'This is a no-shame zone; I'm just going to
go out there and give it a go,' and he did remarkably well. His singing is in the movie."
Damon admits, "The singing was a bit of a surprise. It was fun to just go for it and say, 'What the
hell?' It's definitely not my strong suit, but I figured, you gotta go loud or go home."
It was lucky for the filmmakers that both Pitt and Damon were available to record together in the
same studio. And both actors agree they were fortunate to have a filmmaker like George Miller
to guide them. Damon observes, "There is a contagious fearlessness that comes from George.
You see a guy who loves the project that much and you realize that what made the first movie
great is that spirit. Brad and I were doing stuff we've never done in any kind of movie, animated
or not. We left there thinking, 'Now that was cool!'"
Miller offers, "We wanted different levels of humor in the film—you have the wild, flamboyant
Robin Williams type of humor, which can go anywhere. We wanted the krill to have a different
tone to their humor. One of the writers, Paul Livingston, is particularly good at that."
"I've been on the other side of the mic," Livingston recounts, "as the voice of a cantankerous
rooster in 'Babe' and a hot-headed chef in the sequel. It was also my privilege to be involved in
the initial writing workshop for the first 'Happy Feet,' and in the early brainstorming sessions for
the sequel, which led to the development of the two krill characters, who were placed under my
care. As the characters took on their own momentum within the story, it became a case of
melding the tiny mission of the krill with the major storyline."
Doug Mitchell adds, "We learned later on that Brad's and Matt's kids are fans of the first film,
and I think it is safe to say that they had a lot to do with them taking the roles."
One should never undervalue the contribution of the small. Filmmakers learned that lesson, as
Bill Miller comments, "Do not underestimate the power of children to pester their parents to act
in a film. Matt Damon told us he hadn't even cracked open the screenplay to 'Happy Feet Two'
before his daughter said, 'Dad, you're doing it.' Matt really had no choice."
The story moves seamlessly from krill to something a bit larger. Having tracked down the
runaways—Erik, Bo and Atticus—in Adelie Land, Mumble is leading them back home when the
Emperor penguins cross paths with a massive elephant seal, named Bryan, a.k.a. the
Beachmaster, voiced by Richard Carter. Miller likens this scene to the well-known tale of Robin
Hood, who tries to cross over a log in the forest but is blocked by Little John. Here the penguins
are prevented from passing across a precarious ice-bridge by Bryan, who declares, "The
Beachmaster backs up for nobody." Turns out, this humongous creature's stubbornness comes
partly from his need to protect his own two seal pups who are behind him, obscured by his huge
bulk....both dads are looking out for their own. Their encounter will have far-reaching
implications that neither could anticipate, reminiscent of another ancient fable—Aesop's
"Androcles and the Lion."
There are other polar predators present and accounted for, including a fierce leopard seal, who
obligingly gives chase to Mumble when Mumble devises a plan to rescue the fallen
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Beachmaster. Also back are flocks of the large, vicious brown Skua birds who, given the chance,
swoop down ruthlessly upon any baby penguin left unattended. Their two avian ringleaders are
voiced by Anthony LaPaglia and Danny Mann, reprising their parts from the first film.
In addition to working again with George Miller, the returning actors relished the luxury of
recording their roles in a group, as they did on the original "Happy Feet." Elijah Wood found the
process of the sessions particularly rewarding. He elaborates, "The beautiful thing about this film
is we actually recorded everyone in the same room. Many of us went to Sydney where the
majority of the recording was done. It was a real advantage to go there as a group, and I think it
was more transporting for us. Away from our homes, all together, it made us feel united,
creatively. George and his team were constantly working on the writing. And so there was this
really wonderful feeling of playing with the text and working these scenes out, seeing where they
would go. It was exciting."
Co-writer Warren Coleman says, "For the writers, the process was very similar to the way we
worked on 'Happy Feet.' It was very much a spirited give-and-take free-for-all. We often worked
by sketching out dialogue and ideas as we acted them out, then wrote down what worked best.
The upshot was that by the time the script pages went into the recording studio, the words had
already been in the mouths of writers and actors, and were voice-ready."
"The thing I recognized long ago," Miller underscores, "is that really fine actors are
collaborative. How they engage with one another is the most important thing. The best actors, to
me, are more interested in the interplay than in their own individual work. Quite often,
someone—Robin or Hank, or any one of them—would get in there and start feeding lines to the
other actors, and give them something to work with. That was inspiring to see. So having them
all together was really important and proved that it was worth all the trouble to get them in the
same room. Technically, it was a little bit difficult for the sound guys, but the gain was so much
more...we got something extra special in the end."
"Let's Dance, Let's Shout!"
SETTING THE GROOVE WITH MUSIC AND MOVES
As in the first "Happy Feet," performances were expressed from head-to-toe. The film again
boasts some of today's best dance talents, led by Savion Glover, who Miller calls "arguably the
best tap dancer in the world." Glover returned to provide Mumble with his signature moves. The
film also enlisted choreographer Wade Robson, who was tasked with creating the explosive
opening number, with its mixture of styles and legions of hoofers. Dein Perry was asked to inject
his signature percussive tap—popularized in "Tap Dogs," his worldwide hit stage show—into the
feet of the multitudes of differing species, and Kate Wormald, continued and expanded her work
as a principal dramatic and dance motion-capture performer in the original film, this time
choreographing and helping coalesce the resulting performances.
Miller asserts, "In the first film, I wanted people to feel they could dance in the aisles. Now, I
want people to leave the theater with this intense feeling of what it is to dance—to actually think
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about what it means to be connected to other people, your friends, your family, your community
at large. As the story unfolds, this idea of unity of purpose becomes very clear and is ultimately
played out in a very, very spectacular way."
An army of computer artists worked to translate the choreography expressed on the motioncapture stage into the animation. Animation director Rob Coleman explains, "We have to modify
the choreography, because the penguins have very short legs and the dancers, of course, have
normal human legs—knees become an issue. So the range of motion on a penguin is much
smaller than what you get from a human. We have a great team of people who translated the
movements into penguin actions."
Tap-master Savion Glover left his penguin concerns to the animators. "With the technology
being advanced as it is, it was really up to those technical heads to do the penguin thing. I was
just able to relax and be myself, versus trying to dance like a penguin. These guys have
continued to work on the animation techniques—it's amazing to see. Many years ago, my first
time on the set of 'Happy Feet,' I was kind of restricted in some of my movements. This time
around, I didn't get any notes about anything like that. They have been working overtime to
make the tech side work, and it's really a great thing."
Not only has the art of animation advanced, so has the dance knowledge of audiences, with the
ever-growing global popularity of television programs centered around competitive dancing.
George Miller notes, "Because of these shows now, the audiences out there are very
sophisticated in their knowledge of dance and the different styles and fusions of style. And that is
what we really built into our work. It's not just the old-style thing—basic cute sequences with
dancing penguins—I don't think audiences are impressed with that anymore. We're really
pushing it, raising the bar."
So insistent was the filmmaker on upping the dance "wow" factor that animators worked on
tweaking the already-existing penguin rigging, the articulated inner-skeletons that determine
style of movement and range of motion for each animated creature.
Despite these adjustments, Dein Perry was initially skeptical that his industrial approach to dance
would translate to penguins. "We like to stomp the ground really hard, but you have to watch the
height of the jumps and how high you raise the legs, because on a penguin, the legs will
disappear into the penguins' bellies."
Opening sequence choreographer Wade Robson collaborated with the animators to ensure that
none of his carefully crafted moves were lost in translation. As Robson explains, "Penguins not
only have short legs, they don't have shoulders, and a lot of my stuff happens in that range. So
keeping within the level of suspension of disbelief, we raised the tops of the fins just a bit when
they're brought above the shoulder. We went back and forth for a while with the animators,
developing new rigs for the penguins for this type of dance, which is rooted in hip-hop. It's
percussive, it's sharp, it's playful, funky and fluid—somewhat in a James Brown mold."
Choreographer Kate Wormald picks up, "The opening dance sequence is very much a kind of
'now' piece. You can tell with all the music choices, we've really tried to 'funk it up' as much as
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we could. The later sequence in Adelie Land has a little more choreography coming out of
character. And then the finale—this huge tap number with nearly every creature dancing
together—has that heavy, gritty tap-stomp element to it."
The big finale has more in motion than just feet. "When we first put it on paper, I was a little
worried we couldn't make it work," says Miller. "The set is moving...the ice is moving...the snow
is moving, and the characters are all moving. It's very dynamic—and we've got all of the
different sizes of characters, from the teeny weenie ones to the huge ones. We created an
opportunity for ourselves to do something really special, and I'm thrilled with how it all came
together," beams the director.
Such a mammoth undertaking was not doable even a few years back, but the leaps in animation
capabilities have greatly expanded possibilities. Co-director and digital cinematographer David
Peers offers, "We're doing things on this film that were impossible on the first one. We've got
these massive dance numbers with tens of thousands of characters—and we're able to
interactively work on them, adjust how the choreography works on the set, the timing of the
music, alter the positions of some of the characters—all of this in real time."
And what are these thousands upon thousands of creatures dancing to? Says producer Bill Miller,
"When it came to choosing the songs for the film, we went through many, many options, always
looking for pieces that would progress the story. What we came up with was a strange confection
of different genres, from opera to ballads, rap and R&B classics, and in all of this, we were able
to tell the story using these song elements."
George Miller adds, "Musically, the philosophy of the movie is to take classic songs, classic
styles, and reinterpret them into the contemporary form. Virtually everyone is doing a kind of
meshing of styles. We have opera, we have yodeling, we have rap and hip-hop rhythms, dance
music, contemporary pop, all fused together."
Miller once again turned to composer John Powell to construct the musical soundscape of
"Happy Feet Two." The director says, "I work with John like I do actors. He's someone I can sit
with and say, 'Oh, this needs to feel a little more like this.' And he actually performs, composes
and adjusts his composition in front of me, almost perfectly."
The composer illustrates the process: "We understand songs, because we've heard them so many
times. They land in our ears, in the same format and same structures, over and over again, all
through our lives. So we know exactly how they should feel and, if you do something odd with
them, it feels wrong, and everybody knows it. So you have to be careful with how you handle
known songs. Sometimes, I take risks with them, to try and make them work for George and for
the film. But, in the end, we always try to respect the songs, and to find the ones that we can
twist just that little bit into what we need."
Choreographer Robson expands, "We wanted to open up with a celebration about unity, and
reintroduce the characters amidst this massive party of dance and music, which, thanks to
Mumble, has become a way of life for them."
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The opening sequence includes the grooves of "Rhythm Nation" with "Shake Your Body (Down
to the Ground)", "Mama Said Knock You Out," "SexyBack," "Ain't Nobody (Does It Better)"
and "Do Your Thing." Other musical gems that appear in Miller and Powell's treasure chest are
tunes by '80s mega-acts, rock anthems, dance tracks, the theme to the classic western television
series "Rawhide," and even a heartbreaking aria based on "E Lucevan Le Stelle," from Puccini's
opera Tosca.
To illustrate the multi-cultural assembly and collaboration of penguins and other fellow Antarctic
creatures, the tunes are far from straightforward in their orchestration—rhythms are tinged with
musical flavorings from around the world, but, interjects Powell, "never so the listener should
catch too much—the whole idea is to blend them all together."
"Stay close. Stay warm."
"Come on everyone...huddle up."
3D ANIMATION: CHARACTERS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS
George Miller emphasizes, "I think one of the reasons the original 'Happy Feet' worked so well
was that it differentiated itself by its look. We went for photo reality as much as we could, as
much as the technology and our skills allowed us to do at the time. We based everything on the
natural history of Antarctica: the behavior of the penguins; the way that the ice forms; the way
the winds and the clouds happen. It had a kind of authenticity to it. But also, it was the beauty of
Antarctica. Even though it all looks like just ice and snow, there is incredible richness—the
formations of the icebergs, the shades of the water, the colors of the light with the low sun, the
beautiful auroras that cross the night sky."
Producer Bill Miller offers, "We could now refine a lot of the techniques learned on the first film
and, using the core team that made the film, we were able to take 'Happy Feet Two' into new,
advanced areas, increasing the level of photorealism."
Co-director/cinematographer Peers says, "As a cinematic experience, this film takes place across
a massive range of amazing environments that we haven't seen before, along with the scale of
what goes on in Emperor Land. It's a mix of a love story, an adventure and a disaster
movie...with singing and dancing. It's just epic."
Animation director Coleman also thinks it has to do more with evolution of the animators
themselves than just the technology. "Yes, it's a big improvement over where we were five years
ago. The software has gotten better, but also, the smarts—the people who are working through
this are coming up with some great techniques and tools. With things like the rendering, the
feathers and fur, the eyes, the snow—all of that is a marked improvement. And that's thanks to
the many people in the R&D, software and the IT departments. They sat with us in the early days
and we spec-ed out our needs. For instance, I used a review tool that allows me to see my team's
animation cut in with the lensing, the lighting and the effects work. I used that daily to work with
George, and that was a great piece of integration technology that was put together specifically for
this film."
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Because authenticity of the environment was paramount, dedicated teams of artists were tasked
with executing the look of specific facets of the Antarctic continent. These artists became polar
specialists by researching and studying such things as the behavior of snow and ice, which could
be translated into surfacing and lighting techniques. Says George Miller, "Even what might seem
trivial—stuff you see in the background, the way snow behaves, the way wind influences the
snow, the way water moves, the way the sky is lit—are things that we took carefully from nature.
We all learned a lot."
And this visit to Antarctica is three-dimensional, as producer Doug Mitchell explains, "The
quality of the images is exponentially better this time around, and 3D is a large part of that. Now,
the technology and the people onboard are so accomplished that you can't help but become a part
of this world. It's spellbinding."
For stereo supervisor Jason Fairley, there was one overriding dictum: "At the beginning, we were
given some goal posts to work with. But with George, it's all about story, so the most important
thing about the use of 3D on this project was that it enhance and progress story. The 3D work
was never allowed to distract, but always deployed to help the audience experience what was
happening in the moment. Hundreds of people worked very hard to make the film as emotional,
interesting, exciting and immersive as possible, so the stereoscopic dimension was simply used
to intensify the viewer's experience of that engaging story."
The 3D tool was also useful when it came to the multitudes of creatures that waddle, swim,
dance and/or float across the landscape. Miller says, "There's a scene with a family of beautiful,
incredibly iridescent jellyfish, and as they move, it's like some weird, strange, ethereal dance.
The icicles dripping with water, in beautiful turquoises and blues, the snow that's glistening like
diamonds—there's a lot of beauty in this movie. And we also have these little furry penguins. I
wanted the audience to feel like they could reach out and touch their fur."
This time around, animators were also looking to achieve more expression in the faces, the eyes
and the mouths during the delivery of dialogue. And for some of the new characters, there was
experimentation with different types of locomotion. With toddlers Erik, Bo and Atticus, there
were rigging challenges to face—particularly with Atticus, whose squat appearance and general
lack of neck and legs had to be reconciled with the complicated footwork and dance moves that
the character executes in the course of the film. The rigging was refined to allow believable
movement while maintaining the feel and shape of the young penguin.
Director Miller charged his teams with maintaining a clear identity for key individual characters
within the sea of black and white penguins. Small differentiations with style of movement and
distinctive physical characteristics helped to create wholly separate personalities. And these
considerations were applied to the adult penguins as well: Carmen is hard to miss, even among
all of the thousands of Adelie females, thanks to her signature sultry, hip-swaying carriage.
For some characters, human influences found their way on-screen as well. Video footage of
voice recording sessions—dubbed "spirit reels" by the animators, capturing the spirit of the
performance—informed some animation choices, with an actor's distinctive personal movements
and expressions winding up in their animated alter-ego's performance. In a similar way, for
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Lovelace's heroic air guitar sequences, animators looked to reference images of famous rock
stars and their heavy-duty guitar-hero poses.
But penguins, elephant seals and krill don't travel solo in "Happy Feet Two." Crowd director
Greg van Borssum says, "More than 16 million characters were animated by the crowds team in
more than 600 shots—that made each crowd artist responsible for around 950,000 actors in the
movie—nearly double the population of the Australian state of Tasmania. A scene that may
involve a very dramatic moment will have the entire attention of the penguin crowds. And as you
go further away from the foreground action, off in the distant backgrounds, you'll get more
generic Emperor or Adelie penguin behavior. So, you know that this is a story that is part of a
larger community."
The krill themselves also presented animators with challenges, and not just because of the sheer
weight of their numbers—603,000 to be precise. Rigs featured finicky controls for the 13 sets of
arms and legs for each "hero." Once again reference footage of krill in nature gave information
for their movement.
The collision of worlds—humongous and miniscule—was another thing the animators had to
tackle inventively. Rob Coleman elaborates, "For the sequence with the krill riding on the back
of the leopard seal, I knew from the minute that I saw it storyboarded that it was going to be very
complicated, because it goes from macro to micro, and in and out of the water. That shot was in
production for more than a year because of its complexity."
In revisiting the Antarctic world of Mumble, who brings together the many different species that
call the pristine continent home, George Miller demonstrates that united, despite our differences,
we can overcome the chaos of the world. "By recognizing and embracing our differences, we can
change the world, and if we join together, we can do anything," the filmmaker affirms. "But at
the same time, we are all individuals with our own talents, our own gifts. It's what we do with
them that matters."
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About The Cast
ELIJAH WOOD (Mumble) returns to the role he made popular in George Miller's Academy
Award®-winning hit "Happy Feet."
Wood starred in the trilogy of films based on The Lord of the Rings novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, in
the lead role of Frodo Baggins. Directed by Peter Jackson, the films "The Fellowship of the
Ring," "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King" became worldwide blockbusters and, in
2004, "The Return of the King" won 11 Academy Awards®, including one for Best Picture. He
reprises the role of Frodo in Peter Jacksons "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," which will
be in theaters December 14, 2012, and "The Hobbit: There and Back Again," slated for release in
2013.
This past summer, Wood made his TV series debut in David Zuckerman's U.S. remake of the
Australian hit sitcom "Wilfred," which premiered to record numbers for a comedy on FX. The
show revolves around Wood, a girl and a mixed-breed dog named Wilfred. The second season is
slated to begin production in March 2012.
He has completed production on Stewart Harcourt's adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's
"Treasure Island," playing Ben Gunn alongside Eddie Izzard and Donald Sutherland. Produced
by Alan Moloney, with Steve Barron directing, the two-part, four-hour miniseries airs on the
UK's SKY TV and the SyFy channel in the U.S. in 2012. Wood can also be seen in Adam
Yauch's short "Fight for your Right Revisited," starring John C. Reilly and Seth Rogen, which
premiered at Sundance this year.
Wood recently appeared alongside Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg in the romantic comedy
"Celeste and Jesse Forever," penned by Jones and Will McCormick. The movie follows a couple
in the midst of a divorce who are attempting to maintain their friendship while pursuing new
relationships.
Among his many additional film credits are "The Romantics," alongside Katie Holmes, Josh
Duhamel and Anna Paquin; "The Oxford Murders," opposite John Hurt; "Paris, Je'Taime"; "Day
Zero"; Emilio Estevez's drama "Bobby"; Liev Schreiber's "Everything is Illuminated"; Michel
Gondry's critically acclaimed "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"; Lexi Alexander's "Green
Street Hooligans"; Frank Miller's "Sin City," directed by Robert Rodriguez and Miller; Ang
Lee's "The Ice Storm"; Martin Duffy's independent film "The Bumblebee Flies Away"; Jeffrey
Porter's "Try Seventeen"; "Ash Wednesday"; and James Toback's "Black and White." He also
lent his voice to "9."
Wood is an active member and supporter of The Art of Elysium, a non profit organization
founded in 1997, which encourages artists of all walks to participate in artistic workshops for
children battling serious medical conditions.
ROBIN WILLIAMS (Lovelace / Ramon) is a celebrated performer who has received myriad
honors for a body of work spanning standup, television, stage and film.
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Williams won an Oscar® for his performance in Gus Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting," and
garnered previous Academy Award® nominations for his work in "The Fisher King," "Dead
Poets Society" and "Good Morning Vietnam." He has also received six Golden Globe Awards,
including the Cecil B. DeMille Award for outstanding contributions to the world of
entertainment. Additionally, he shared the National Board of Review Best Actor Award with
Robert De Niro for "Awakenings" and, in 2004, he received the prestigious Career Achievement
Award from the Chicago International Film Festival.
Williams was also recently honored with a 2011 Drama League Award nomination for
Distinguished Performance for his Broadway acting debut as the lead character in Rajiv Joseph's
critically acclaimed play "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo." His additional stage credits include
a landmark production of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot," directed by Mike Nichols and
co-starring Steve Martin, and "The Exonerated," which tells the true stories of six innocent
survivors of death row.
His stand-up comedy, which marks the genesis of Williams' career, has also garnered acclaim
and awards. From 2008 to 2010, he performed his sold-out comedy tour "Weapons of Self
Destruction" in 65 cities in the U.S., as well as London, Canada, Australia and New Zealand,
grossing $40 million. Taped over two nights in Washington D.C., it also aired on HBO,
becoming the network's highest rated stand-up comedy special that year and earning three Emmy
Award nominations, including one for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special. His soldout 26-city, one-man tour in 2002 also culminated on Broadway and was filmed for HBO after
Williams' 16-year absence from stand-up. "Robin Williams: Live on Broadway" garnered five
Emmy Award nominations. In addition, he has won five Grammy awards for the audio
recordings of his stand-up shows and his children's record, Pecos Bill.
Williams has also received numerous nominations for his work as an actor in television, most
recently in 2008 for a special guest appearance on "Law and Order: SVU." His first Emmy
nomination was for his performance as Mork from Ork on the popular television series "Mork &
Mindy," where he first captured the world's attention.
Trained at New York's Juilliard School, Williams made his cinematic debut as the title character
in Robert Altman's "Popeye." He followed up with starring roles in Paul Mazursky's "Moscow
on the Hudson," and "The World According to Garp," George Roy Hill's adaptation of John
Irving's acclaimed bestselling novel.
Most recently, Williams was seen starring in the dark comedy "World's Greatest Dad," which
premiered to critical praise at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival; in "Old Dogs," opposite John
Travolta; and as Teddy Roosevelt in the hit "Night at the Museum" and its sequel, "Night at the
Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian."
His filmography also includes the dramatic thrillers "Insomnia," directed by Christopher Nolan,
and Mark Romanek's "One Hour Photo." Among his many box office successes are Chris
Columbus' "Mrs. Doubtfire"; Mike Nichols' "The Birdcage," for which he earned a Screen
Actors Guild (SAG) Award®, shared with the cast; Tom Shadyac's "Patch Adams"; Steven
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Spielberg's "Hook"; and Joe Johnston's "Jumanji."
Williams lent his voice talents in creating the memorable character of the Genie in the
blockbuster adventure "Aladdin," Fendor in the 2005 animated feature "Robots," and Ramon and
Lovelace in George Miller's Academy Award®-winning "Happy Feet." Additionally, he was the
voice of Dr. Know in Steven Spielberg's "AI: Artificial Intelligence."
Offstage, Williams takes great joy in supporting philanthropic efforts around the world.
Headlining a number of USO tours, he has traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan four times and is
perhaps best known for his affiliation with "Comic Relief," which was founded in 1986 and has,
to date, raised over $50 million for America's homeless.
HANK AZARIA (The Mighty Sven) is a Tony Award nominee and four-time Emmy Award
winner who has lent his voice for over 20 years as one of the principal voice actors on the
animated television series "The Simpsons."
Nominated for five Emmy Awards, Azaria has won three for Outstanding Voice-Over
Performance for his work on the hit show, where he is best known for bringing to life Moe
Szyslak, Apu, Police Chief Wiggum and Comic Book Guy, among a list of characters too
numerous to mention. He also voiced his Simpson characters on the big screen in the hit "The
Simpsons Movie," lent his voice to the animated films "Hop" and "Anastasia," and most recently
played the infamous role of Gargamel in the smash hit animated/live action film "The Smurfs,"
opposite Neil Patrick Harris and Sofia Vergara.
Azaria was also honored with an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a
Drama Series as well as a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® for his portrayal of psychiatrist
Dr. Huffstodt on the critically acclaimed Showtime series "Huff," on which he also served as an
executive producer. Previously, he received Emmy Award nominations for notable recurring
guest starring roles on "Friends" and "Mad About You."
In 1999, Azaria starred as Mitch Albom, alongside the legendary Jack Lemmon, in the television
film "Tuesdays with Morrie," winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a
Miniseries or a Movie. His other telefilms include Jon Avnet's "Uprising" and Stephen Frears'
"Fail Safe."
On stage, Azaria earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for originating
the 2005 role of Sir Lancelot in "Spamalot," the hit stage adaptation of "Monty Python and the
Holy Grail." He returned to Broadway in 2007, starring as RCA head David Sarnoff in Aaron
Sorkin's "The Farnsworth Invention." Among his many other performances is a 2003 production
of David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" on London's West End.
In 1997, Azaria played the scene-stealing Guatemalan housekeeper Agador Spartacus in Mike
Nichols' "The Birdcage," catapulting his film career and garnering a SAG Award® nomination
for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, as well as sharing a win
with the film's ensemble for Outstanding Performance by a Cast. He had previously won critical
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acclaim as television producer Albert Freedman in the 1994 Academy Award®-nominated film
"Quiz Show."
Among Azaria's numerous other film credits are "Love and Other Drugs," "Year One," the hit
"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," Roland Emerich's "Godzilla," the 1998
adaptation of "Great Expectations," Tim Robbins' "Cradle Will Rock," Woody Allen's
"Celebrity," "America's Sweethearts," "Shattered Glass," "Along Came Polly," "Dodgeball: A
True Underdog Story," "Grosse Pointe Blank," "Heat," "Now and Then" and "Pretty Woman."
As a filmmaker, Azaria wrote, directed and produced the 2004 short film, "Nobody's Perfect,"
which won the Film Discovery Jury Award for Best Short at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and
the award for Best Narrative Short at the Ojai Film Festival. He also directed an episode of
"Huff."
His additional voiceover work includes multiple appearances as Venom/Eddie Brock on the
animated "Spider-Man" series.
ALECIA MOORE (P!NK) (Gloria) is an American singer and songwriter who has sold over 40
million albums and 65 million singles worldwide, winning three Grammy Awards, five MTV
Video Music Awards, and one World Music Award. P!nk has cemented her spot as one of the
biggest female artists of the past decade, and the top five touring artist in the world with her
record-breaking Funhouse World Tour, which elevated her from an arena performer to a global
stadium act.
In 2010, "Raise Your Glass," the lead single on her compilation album celebrating a decade of
success, Greatest Hits...So Far!!!, became P!nk's tenth Top 10 hit. It was her second solo number
one hit, following 2008's "So What" from the album Funhouse, which also notched an additional
three Top 20 hits.
P!nk's previous albums include the 2000 debut Can't Take Me Home; 2001's worldwide success
Missundaztood; 2003's Try This, which earned her a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal
performance for the single "Trouble"; and 2006's I'm Not Dead, which generated five hit singles,
including "U + Ur Hand" and "Who Knew," which both went on to number one on the pop chart.
Rated number 13 on Billboard's 2000-2009 list of Artists of the Decade and number one Pop
Song Artist of the Decade, she was also voted Best Recording Artist in 2009.
BRAD PITT (Will the Krill) is an award-winning actor, as well as a successful film producer,
with his company Plan B Entertainment. He is currently receiving widespread acclaim for his
performance in Bennett Miller's "Moneyball," which he also produced under the Plan B banner.
A two-time Academy Award® nominee, Pitt received his latest Oscar® nod in 2009 for the title
role in David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," for which he also earned
Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® nominations, all for Best Actor. That
same year, he garnered dual BAFTA Award nominations, for Best Actor for his performance in
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that film and for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the Coen brothers' "Burn After Reading."
He was previously Oscar®-nominated and won a Golden Globe for his performance in Terry
Gilliam's "Twelve Monkeys." In addition, he has received Golden Globe nominations for his
work in Edward Zwick's "Legends of the Fall" and Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Babel."
Pitt most recently shared in a SAG Award® nomination earned by the cast of Quentin
Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" in the category of Outstanding Motion Picture Cast. He
previously won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 2007 Venice Film Festival for his portrayal
of Jesse James in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," which he also
produced for Plan B.
Recent Plan B projects also include Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life," in which Pitt starred
with Sean Penn; "Eat, Pray, Love," based on the best-selling book and starring Julia Roberts and
Javier Bardem; "Kick-Ass," starring Nicolas Cage; Martin Scorsese's Oscar®-winning Best
Picture "The Departed"; "A Mighty Heart," starring Angelina Jolie; Tim Burton's "Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory," starring Johnny Depp; and Wolfgang Petersen's epic "Troy," in which
Pitt also starred. Plan B also has a wide range of films upcoming, including the horror film
"World War Z," directed by Marc Forster, and James Gray's "The Lost City of Z," in which Pitt
will star.
Born in Oklahoma, Pitt first gained the attention of critics and audiences with his breakthrough
performance as the seductive hitchhiker in Ridley Scott's "Thelma & Louise." He went on to star
in Robert Redford's "A River Runs Through It," Dominic Sena's "Kalifornia" and Neil Jordan's
"Interview with the Vampire."
Pitt subsequently earned praise for his work in the David Fincher films "Se7en" and "Fight
Club"; Jean-Jacques Annaud's "Seven Years in Tibet"; Guy Ritchie's "Snatch"; and the smash hit
action comedy "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," opposite Angelina Jolie. He also joined the all-star ensemble
casts of Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's Eleven," "Ocean's Twelve" and "Ocean's Thirteen."
Pitt's additional film credits include: Tony Scott's "Spy Game"; Gore Verbinski's "The Mexican";
Martin Brest's "Meet Joe Black"; Alan J. Pakula's "The Devil's Own"; Barry Levinson's
"Sleepers"; Tony Scott's "True Romance"; Ralph Bakshi's "Cool World"; and "Johnny Suede,"
which was named Best Picture at the 1991 Locarno International Film Festival. Pitt also made
cameo appearances in Soderbergh's "Full Frontal" and George Clooney's "Confessions of a
Dangerous Mind." He has also lent his voice to the animated features "Sinbad: Legend of the
Seven Seas" and, more recently, the hit "Megamind."
MATT DAMON (Bill the Krill) has been honored for his work on both sides of the camera,
most recently earning Academy Award® and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® nominations,
for Best Supporting Actor, for his portrayal of South African rugby hero Francois Pienaar in
Clint Eastwood's true-life drama "Invictus." In addition, he garnered dual Golden Globe Award
nominations in 2010: for Best Supporting Actor for "Invictus" and for Best Actor for his
performance in Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant!" Earlier in his career, Damon won an
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Academy Award® for Best Screenplay and received an Oscar® nomination for Best Actor, both
for his breakthrough feature "Good Will Hunting."
Upcoming in 2011, Damon stars in Cameron Crowe's true-life comedy/drama "We Bought a
Zoo," opposite Scarlett Johansson. Earlier this year, he co-starred with Anna Paquin in Kenneth
Lonergan's drama "Margaret," with Anna Paquin; reunited with director Steven Soderbergh for
the thriller "Contagion," joining an all-star ensemble cast also including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate
Winslett, and Jude Law; and starred in George Nolfi's thriller "The Adjustment Bureau." In
2010, he starred in the Coen brothers' Oscar®-nominated remake of the classic Western "True
Grit," Clint Eastwood's drama "Hereafter," and the action thriller "Green Zone" for director Paul
Greengrass.
He had previously starred under Greengrass's direction in "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The
Bourne Ultimatum." Damon originated the title role of Jason Bourne in Doug Liman's 2002
action blockbuster "The Bourne Identity."
His other recent film credits include Martin Scorsese's Oscar®-winning Best Picture "The
Departed," with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg; Robert De Niro's
dramatic thriller "The Good Shepherd," with De Niro and Angelina Jolie; and Stephen Gaghan's
geopolitical thriller "Syriana," with George Clooney. Damon also teamed with Clooney and Brad
Pitt as part of the all-star casts of Soderbergh's heist comedy hit "Ocean's Eleven," and its
sequels, "Ocean's Twelve" and "Ocean's Thirteen."
For the small screen, Damon both executive produced and appeared in the History Channel
project "The People Speak," based on a book co-written by historian Howard Zinn and featuring
dramatic readings and performances from some of the most famous names in the entertainment
industry.
Hailing from Boston, Damon attended Harvard University and gained his first acting experience
with the American Repertory Theatre. He made his feature film debut in "Mystic Pizza,"
followed by roles in "School Ties," Walter Hill's "Geronimo: An American Legend," and the
cable projects "Rising Son" and Tommy Lee Jones' "The Good Old Boys." He first gained
attention with his portrayal of a guilt-ridden Gulf War veteran in 1996's "Courage Under Fire."
Together with his lifelong friend Ben Affleck, Damon co-wrote the acclaimed 1997 drama
"Good Will Hunting," for which they won an Oscar® and a Golden Globe Award, as well as
several critics groups awards for Best Original Screenplay. Damon also garnered Golden Globe
and SAG Award® nominations, in addition to his Oscar® nomination, for Best Actor.
Additionally in 1997, Damon starred in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Rainmaker" and appeared
in Kevin Smith's "Chasing Amy."
The following year, Damon played the title role in Steven Spielberg's award-winning World War
II drama "Saving Private Ryan," and also starred in John Dahl's drama "Rounders," with Edward
Norton. Damon earned his third Golden Globe nomination for his performance in 1999's "The
Talented Mr. Ripley," directed by Anthony Minghella. Damon's subsequent film credits include
Kevin Smith's "Dogma," with Affleck; Robert Redford's "The Legend of Bagger Vance"; Billy
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Bob Thornton's "All the Pretty Horses"; the Farrelly brothers' comedy "Stuck on You"; Terry
Gilliam's "The Brothers Grimm"; and George Clooney's "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind."
Damon and Affleck formed the production company LivePlanet, which produced three Emmynominated seasons of "Project Greenlight," chronicling the making of independent films by firsttime writers and directors. The "Project Greenlight" films produced include "Stolen Summer,"
"The Battle of Shaker Heights" and "Feast." LivePlanet also produced the documentary
"Running the Sahara," directed by Oscar® winner James Moll.
In addition, Damon is the co-founder of Water.org and a founder of Not On Our Watch.
SOFIA VERGARA (Carmen) has earned two consecutive Emmy Award nominations, a 2011
Golden Globe Award nomination and Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination for her current
role as Gloria Delgado- Pritchett in the number one comedy series in America, ABC's "Modern
Family."
On the big screen, Vergara most recently starred in the role of Odile, alongside Neil Patrick
Harris, Hank Azaria and George Lopez, in the global box-office hit "The Smurfs." She will next
be seen starring with an all-star cast in Garry Marshall's romantic comedy "New Year's Eve," in
theatres December 9th. She recently wrapped "The Three Stooges," playing the role of Lydia,
alongside Sean Hayes and Will Sasso, which will be in theatres April 4, 2012.
Vergara made her feature film debut in the comedy "Big Trouble," and has since starred in films
such as "The 24th Day," "Four Brothers," "Lords of Dogtown" and Tyler Perry's box office
sensations "Meet the Browns" and "Madea Goes to Jail."
On stage, Vergara earned rave reviews in her Broadway debut role of Mama Morton in
"Chicago."
Her previous television credits include the primetime series "Dirty Sexy Money," "Entourage,"
"Hot Properties" and "The Knights of Prosperity," among many others.
In the Hispanic market, her television credits include "Fuera de Serie" and "A Que No Te
Atreves," as well as a guest appearance on 2008's highest-rated Spanish language soap opera,
"Fuego en la Sangre," on Univision, the number one U.S. Hispanic network. Additionally, she
executive produced the Spanish version of "Desperate Housewives."
Already the face of Diet Pepsi and Skinny Pepsi, Vergara was recently named the newest face of
Cover Girl. She also launched a women's clothing and accessories line called Sofia, exclusively
for Kmart, and was named one of the most talented and powerful women in Hispanic
entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard.
In 2001, Sofia created Peace and Hope for the Children of Colombia, a charity foundation that
has helped thousands of children in her country and has donated a pediatric cancer pavilion in
her native Barranquilla.
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COMMON (Seymour) rose to prominence as one of hip hop's most poetic and respected
lyricists, having recorded over eight albums and garnering multiple Grammy Awards. Common's
ninth album, The Believer, The Dreamer, will be released December 20th by Warner Bros.
Records.
In 2004, he partnered with Chicago native and rap music mega-star Kanye West to produce the
album BE, which went on to garner four Grammy Award nominations. In 2007, Common
released his critically acclaimed seventh album, Finding Forever, which debuted at number one
on the Billboard 200 Album Chart and went on to earn a Grammy award. His eighth album,
Universal Mind Control, was released in 2008 and was nominated for a Grammy in the category
of Best Rap Album.
His previous film credits include "Smokin Aces," "American Gangster," "Wanted," "Terminator
Salvation," "Date Night" and "Just Wright." Common will next be seen on screen alongside an
all-star cast in Garry Marshall's romantic comedy "New Year's Eve," in theaters December 9th.
He also stars with Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton and Ron Livingston in "The Odd Life of
Timothy Green," in theatres in 2012, and as Uncle Vincent, a troubled ex-con who finds
companionship with his nephew, in "Learning Uncle Vincent," with Danny Glover and Michael
Rainey Jr., which releases in 2013.
Common also plays the role of Elam, a freed slave who comes west in post-Civil War America
seeking work on the Transcontinental Railroad, in AMC's series "Hell on Wheels."
His memoir, One Day It'll All Make Sense, was published in September by Atria Books. He is
also the author of several children's books, including his first, entitled The MIRROR and M; its
follow-up, I Like You But I Love Me, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award; and
the 2008 release, M.E. (Mixed Emotions).
In 2000, Common launched the Common Ground Foundation, with the mission to empower
disadvantaged youth in urban communities by mentoring them. He is also a regularly requested
guest speaker at prestigious universities across the country.
HUGO WEAVING (Noah the Elder) is widely known for his role as Agent Smith in the
Wachowski brothers' highly acclaimed "The Matrix" trilogy; for his starring role in "V for
Vendetta"; and as Elrond in the award-winning "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. He is currently
reprising the role of Elrond in the first of two films based on the book The Hobbit, by J.R.R.
Tolkien, directed by Peter Jackson. He will next appear in the Wachowski brothers' "Cloud
Atlas," opposite Tom Hanks.
He most recently starred as Johann Schmidt/Red Skull in Joe Johnston's "Captain America," and
in Johnston's "The Wolfman"; "The Keyman"; and the Australian film "Oranges and Sunshine,"
opposite Emma Watson and David Wenham.
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Weaving's numerous credits in voice work include the characters of Megatron in Michael Bay's
blockbuster "Transformers" and its sequels, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"; Noctus/Grimble in Zack Snyder's "Legend of the Guardians:
The Owls of Ga'Hoole"; Noah the Elder in George Miller's award-winning "Happy Feet"; and
Rex the Sheepdog in "Babe" and its sequel, "Babe: Pig in the City."
Weaving is the recipient of three Australian Film Institute (AFI) Best Actor Awards, receiving
the first in 1991 for his portrayal of a blind photographer in Jocelyn Moorhouse's breakthrough
feature "Proof." He received a nomination in the same category in 1994 for the role of Mitzi Del
Bra in Stephan Elliott's "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert." Weaving won his
second AFI Award in 1998 for his role in "The Interview," written and directed by Craig
Monahan, for which he also received the 1998 Best Actor Award at the World Film Festival in
Montreal. In 2005, his role in the critically acclaimed "Little Fish," opposite Cate Blanchett and
Sam Neill, earned Weaving his third AFI Award.
Weaving's extensive stage credits include the Sydney Theatre Company's "Uncle Vanya,"
opposite Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh; "Hedda Gabler," opposite Cate Blanchett;
"Riflemind," directed by Phillip Seymour Hoffman; and numerous productions with Sydney's
acclaimed Belvoir St Theatre, including "The Alchemist," and "The Popular Mechanicals," with
Geoffrey Rush.
RICHARD CARTER (Bryan The Beachmaster) reprises his role from George Miller's
Academy Award®-winning feature "Happy Feet." He is currently filming Baz Luhrmann's "The
Great Gatsby," alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Toby Maguire and Carey Mulligan, and has also
been cast in Miller's upcoming feature "Fury Road."
Among his other film credits are "Getting Square" and "Bootmen," alongside Sam Worthington;
"The Man Who Sued God," starring Judy Davis; and Phillip Noyce's "Rabbit-Proof Fence,"
opposite Kenneth Branagh, which won the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for Best
Picture.
A native of Australia, Carter played television series regular Brian Deacon on "Wildside" and
Ted Hudson on "White Collar Blue," and more recently Mick Deakin in "East West 101." He has
made guest appearances on many shows including "Rake," "Stupid Stupid Man," "City
Homicide" and "Blue Heelers."
MAGDA SZUBANSKI (Miss Viola) is one of Australia's most loved and respected actors, best
known for her role as the delightful Mrs. Hogget in the Academy Award®-and Golden Globewinning film "Babe" and its sequel, "Babe: Pig In The City." Szubanski re-teamed with the
"Babe" creators to voice the box office hit "Happy Feet."
Her other film credits include "Legend of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole"; "Santa's
Apprentice"; "The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course," alongside the late Steve Irwin; "Son Of
The Mask," with Jamie Kennedy and Alan Cumming; "The Golden Compass," with Nicole
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Kidman and Daniel Craig; and the Australian films "Dr. Plonk," directed by Rolf de Heer, and
"Bran Nu Dae," from Rachel Perkins. Most recently, Szubanski has completed production on
"Goddess.com," the musical comedy also starring musician Ronan Keating, and she is currently
filming the comedy "The Kath & Kim Filum."
Szubanski's stage appearances have yielded larger-than-life performances, including those in
recent productions of "Guys and Dolls" and Nora Ephron's "Love, Loss and What I Wore." Her
other credits include The Melbourne Theatre Company production of "The 25th Annual Putnam
County Spelling Bee," the national tour of "Grease: The Arena Spectacular," alongside John
Farnham, and The Melbourne Theatre Company's production of "The Mad Woman Of Chaillot."
After early training with the ABC-TV cult show "D-Generation," Szubanski shot to fame in 1989
in response to the huge variety of comic characters she created for the sketch comedy "Fast
Forward," which played for several seasons and became one of Australia's highest-rated
comedies. Her other television credits include the "Dogwoman" tele-features, "Big Girl's Blouse"
and "Something Stupid," all of which she co-wrote, co-produced and starred in.
Her most iconic character is Sharon Strzelecki from the blockbuster sitcom "Kath & Kim,"
which is widely acknowledged as the most successful comedy in Australian television history.
The show made the cultural leap to U.S. and UK television and was re-made for U.S. audiences.
A feature length film will bring "Kath and Kim" to the big screen, with "The Kath & Kim Filum"
slated to commence shooting in late 2011.
Szubanski has received many accolades in the course of her career, including a Mo Award, seven
Logie Awards, three Awgie Awards, two People's Choice Awards and an AFI Award for Best
Actress.
ANTHONY LAPAGLIA (Alpha Skua) received widespread critical acclaim for his portrayal of
Jack Malone in the hit television series "Without a Trace," for which he won a Golden Globe
Award and earned an Emmy Award nomination and two Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award®
nominations. In 2002, LaPaglia won an Emmy for his recurring role in "Frasier," and was
nominated in 2000 and 2004 for the same role.
He won a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance
in the Arthur Miller classic "A View from the Bridge." LaPaglia is also producing a feature film
version of the Miller play. His additional stage credits include the off-off-Broadway production
of "The Guys," the story of a fire captain who must prepare eulogies for the men he lost on 9/11.
Sigourney Weaver and LaPaglia starred in the feature film adaptation of the same title.
LaPaglia recently lent his voice to Zack Snyder's animated "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls
of Ga'Hoole," based on the beloved books by Kathryn Lasky. He received an Australia Inside
Film Award nomination in 2009 for his performance in "Balibo," playing war correspondent
Roger East, who travels to East Timor to investigate the murders of the Balibo Five in 1975. He
also produced the film. He will next be seen in the comedy "Mental," opposite Liev Schreiber
and Toni Collette, and is currently filming the drama "Long Time Gone."
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His other film credits include the critically acclaimed "Lantana," for which he won an AFI
Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, "Betsy's Wedding," "The House of Mirth," "Sweet and
Lowdown," "The Client," "Company Man," "Summer of Sam," "Autumn in New York,"
"Lansky," "Phoenix," "Commandments," "Brilliant Lies," "Winter Solstice," "The Architect" and
"Happy Feet."
LaPaglia has also appeared in the television series "Murder One" and the telefilms "Never Give
Up: The Jimmy V Story"; "Criminal Justice," for which he received a Cable ACE Award
nomination; and "Garden of Redemption."
BENJAMIN "LIL P-NUT" FLORES, JR. (Atticus) went from rapping in local Memphis,
Tennessee venues for anyone that would listen, to performing on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
by the time he turned nine years old.
Lil P-Nut has performed in over 100 live concerts—including with Soulja Boy at the sold-out
Summer Jam in Memphis—has been featured on various hip hop sites, and has also appeared in
several hip-hop music videos, most recently Cymphonique's "All That" and Memphis rapper Yo
Gotti's "Look In The Mirror," which was featured on BET's "106th & Park."
In addition to his music career, Lil P-Nut has already appeared in several commercials. He is due
to appear in an episode of the TBS Network show "Are We There Yet?" executive produced by
Ice Cube and is currently working on a pilot for his own TV show with Cartoon Network, which
Ice Cube will also executive produce.
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About The Filmmakers
GEORGE MILLER (Director / Writer / Producer) won the Academy Award® in 2007 for Best
Animated Feature Film for the smash hit "Happy Feet," starring Elijah Wood, Robin Williams,
Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Hugo Weaving. "Happy Feet" also saw
Miller awarded the BAFTA for Best Animated Feature, as well as numerous other accolades,
including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Animation and the New
York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film. The American Film Institute declared
"Happy Feet" as one of the Top Ten Best Films of the Year.
Miller is also a three-time Academy Award® nominee. He was honored with nominations for
Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for his work as a producer and a writer on the
breakout hit family feature "Babe." The film earned a total of seven Academy Award®
nominations, winning the Oscar® for Best Visual Effects. In addition, "Babe" garnered four
BAFTA Award nominations, including two for Miller for Best Film and Best Adapted
Screenplay, and won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical. Miller had
previously received his first Oscar® nomination, for Best Original Screenplay, for the moving
drama "Lorenzo's Oil," which he co-wrote, directed and produced. The film starred Susan
Sarandon, who was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar®, and Nick Nolte.
Miller made his feature film directorial debut on the international success "Mad Max," which he
also co-wrote. The film launched the career of its star, Mel Gibson, and spawned two successful
sequels, "Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior" and "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome." He is
currently in pre-production on "Fury Road," which brings Mad Max back to the big screen.
More recently, he directed, produced and co-wrote the "Babe" sequel, "Babe: Pig in the City."
Miller's other film directing credits include "The Witches of Eastwick," starring Jack Nicholson,
Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer; and the "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" segment of
"Twilight Zone: The Movie." Miller has produced John Duigan's "The Year My Voice Broke"
and "Flirting," as well as Philip Noyce's "Dead Calm," which brought Nicole Kidman to the
world's attention. In 1995, he produced "Video Fool for Love," and then wrote, directed,
produced and narrated the documentary "40,000 Years of Dreaming," the Australian contribution
to the international celebration of the Century of Cinema.
A native of Australia, Miller earned a degree in medicine from the University of New South
Wales. At a filmmaking workshop he met Byron Kennedy, and the two collaborated on a
comedy short called "Violence in the Cinema - Part 1." The short won two Australian Film
Institute (AFI) Awards and, following its success, Miller and Kennedy formed Kennedy Miller
Productions in 1972. Kennedy Miller Productions has since won more than 25 AFI Awards, 10
Logies (Australia's television awards) and various international awards.
In 1982, Miller wrote, directed and executive produced a six hour television miniseries called
"The Dismissal," which broke all ratings records in Australia. Under the Kennedy Miller banner,
Miller also produced the television projects "Bodyline," "The Cowra Breakout," "Vietnam,"
"The Dirtwater Dynasty," and "Bangkok Hilton," starring Nicole Kidman.
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Miller is a key figure within the Australian film industry, serving as a Patron of the Sydney Film
Festival, the Australian Film Institute and the Brisbane International Film Festival. He has been a
member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival twice, in 1988 and 1999. In 1996 he was awarded
the Order of Australia for distinguished service to Australian cinema.
GARY ECK (Writer) is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer and director with a wide range of
experience in film, television and radio.
Eck co-wrote and starred in the feature film "You Can't Stop the Murders" and starred along side
Mick Molloy and Glen Robbins in "Boytown." He has written and directed several short films:
"Tragic Love," "Bye Bye Tim," "Final Call" and "The Money," winner of the world's largest
short film festival, Tropfest, held annually in Australia.
Eck's television credits include writing and performing on Channel 9's "The Nation," Comedy
Channel's "The 50 Foot Show" and UK gold Network's "Live at Jongluers."
Early in his career Eck was a full-time comedy writer for radio where he voiced sketches and
wrote one-liners and can still be regularly heard on Australia's national radio broadcaster.
He has performed stand-up at the Melbourne, Sydney and Edinburgh Comedy Festivals and has
released two comedy CD's—The Hollywood Motel and Gary Eck Live!
WARREN COLEMAN (Writer) is a graduate of the Australian National Institute of Dramatic
Art and has written for film, theatre, television, radio and print in addition to acting and
directing.
Among his many writing credits for film and TV are "Red Star," developed in a workshop
production at the National Institute of Dramatic Art and short listed for the New York New
Dramatists Playwright Award, and "The Castanet Club—A Movie You Can Dance To," in which
he also performed.
His acting credits include the feature films "The Man Who Sued God," "Young Einstein," "The
Crossing," "The Devil's Playground," the ABC TV series "Bad Cop Bad Cop," the Kennedy
Miller mini-series "Vietnam," "Romeo and Juliet," Judy Davis' production of "The School for
Scandal" for Sydney Theatre Company and Steve Martin's "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" at
Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney.
Coleman's directing credits include "The Venetian Twins" and "The Mystery of Irma Vep" for
the State Theatre Company of South Australia, "Jack" for the Sacred Fools Theater, Los
Angeles, "Buzz," which he co-wrote and also starred in for Belvoir St Theatre, "Tall Dog and the
Under Poppy" at The Studio, Sydney Opera House, and "Effie...Just Quietly," for SBS TV. He
was also associate director on the hit show "Rent." In addition, Coleman was the Australian
director of "The Real Live Brady Bunch" and was also the show's touring director for its
American tour.
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Coleman was co-director and co-writer on George Miller's Academy Award®-winning animated
feature film "Happy Feet," starring Robin Williams and Elijah Wood, and creative consultant on
the animated feature film "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole."
Along with development work on the stop-motion feature "Mutt," for Film Victoria, his latest
project is adapting Linda Jaivin's highly praised novel The Infernal Optimist into a feature film,
with co-writer Stephen Abbott. He and Abbott have also created a TV series for Southern Star,
and will next write a feature based on Barbara Moran's book The Day We Lost the H-Bomb.
PAUL LIVINGSTON (Writer) is a writer and performer best known for his comic alter ego,
Flacco. He has toured extensively throughout Australia and internationally, with appearances at
the Edinburgh and Montreal Comedy Festivals.
As an actor, Livingston's feature film credits include: Vincent Ward's "The Navigator," Wim
Wenders' "Until the End of the World," Jane Campion's "Sweetie," Alex Proyas' "Dark City,"
and George Miller's "Babe" and "Babe: Pig in the City." His stage performances include The
Sydney Theatre Company's productions of Nikolai Gogol's "The Government Inspector" and
William Shakespeare's "As You Like It," both at the Sydney Opera House.
Livingston's writing credits include eight radio plays for ABC Radio National, and the stage play
"Emma's Noise," directed by Neil Armfield at Belvoir St Theatre. Publications include Flacco's
Burnt Offerings for Penguin books, who also published his first novel The Dirt Bath in 1998. His
satirical self-help guide, Releasing the Imbecile Within, was released in 2003 by Allen & Unwin
and in 2011 Penguin books released Paul's novelization of the screenplay for "Happy Feet Two."
His many television credits include writing for Network Ten's "Good News Week" from 2008 to
2011. He is currently writing the screenplays for the animated feature films "How Kate Beat the
Blues" for producers Jamie Hilton, Michael Petroni and musician/collaborator Ben Lee and
"Truck Dogs," based on the book by Graeme Base.
DOUG MITCHELL (Producer), George Miller's business partner, won the Academy Award®
in 2007 for Best Animated Feature Film for the smash hit "Happy Feet," starring Elijah Wood,
Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Hugo Weaving.
Mitchell was born in Colombia and educated at Scottish boarding schools. After qualifying as a
chartered accountant in London, he relocated to Sydney, Australia, where he became the protégé
of the late Byron Kennedy, adding his knowledge of finance to the creative acumen of Kennedy
and Miller.
He has been involved in producing "Babe" and its sequel, "Babe: Pig in the City"; "Lorenzo's
Oil," starring Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon; "Dead Calm," with Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman
and Billy Zane; "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome," starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner;
"Flirting," starring the ensemble cast of Noah Taylor, Thandie Newton, Nicole Kidman and
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Naomi Watts; "The Year My Voice Broke," with Noah Taylor; and "Video Fool for Love."
Mitchell's television projects include the miniseries "Bodyline" and "The Dirtwater Dynasty,"
starring Hugo Weaving; "Vietnam," starring Nicole Kidman; "The Cowra Breakout," and
"Bangkok Hilton," starring Nicole Kidman and Hugo Weaving, and the tele-features "The Riddle
of the Stinson," "Fragments of War" and "The Clean Machine."
He is currently in pre-production on "Fury Road," bringing Mad Max back to the big screen.
BILL MILLER (Producer) along with his brother George Miller, and producing partner Doug
Mitchell, produced "Happy Feet," the Academy Award®-winning animated smash hit.
Miller also shares the honor of being an Academy Award® nominee with George Miller and
Mitchell for their work as producers on the hit family film "Babe." In addition to being
nominated for Best Picture in 1996, the film earned a total of seven Academy Award®
nominations, winning the Oscar® for Best Visual Effects. It also won a Golden Globe for Best
Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical and garnered a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Film.
Following the success of "Babe," Miller also went on to serve as a producer on its sequel, "Babe:
Pig in the City."
He worked alongside George Miller and the late Byron Kennedy on their early short films,
including "Violence in the Cinema, Part 1," a 14-minute parody of the violent films of the 1970s.
This short won two Australian Film Institute Awards, and provided the filmmaking trio with the
confidence to pursue more ambitious projects. Miller then served as an associate producer on the
original "Mad Max," starring Mel Gibson.
A successful arts and entertainment lawyer, Miller gave up his legal career to collaborate with
George Miller and Doug Mitchell.
He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
CHRIS DEFARIA (Executive Producer) produces and oversees the development and production
of Visual Effects and Feature Animation for Warner Bros. Recent projects include the "Harry
Potter" films, the recent "Batman" series, "I Am Legend," "Where the Wild Things Are,"
"Watchmen," "Sherlock Holmes," "Sweeney Todd," "Clash of the Titans," "The Matrix" trilogy
and "Green Lantern."
Spearheading the studio's expanding efforts in innovative animation and hybrid filmmaking,
deFaria was instrumental in the production of "300," "Corpse Bride" and "Happy Feet," and
recently served as executive producer on Zack Snyder's first animated feature, "Legend of the
Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" and "Sucker Punch."
Prior to that, deFaria produced the hit "Cats & Dogs" and the combination animation/live action
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comedy "Looney Tunes: Back in Action."
He is the recipient of three regional Emmy Awards and two NATPE Iris awards. His extensive
television credits include numerous documentaries, prime-time specials and longforms,
including, as producer, "In Concert Against AIDS," NBC's "And Then She Was Gone,"
"Amityville 5," "Amityville 6" and "Tremors II."
PHILLIP HEARNSHAW (Executive Producer) has worked in the film and television industry
for 35 years, beginning with Peter Weir's "Last Wave" in 1977.
Several highlights from Hearnshaw's long association with Kennedy Miller, (later KMM), over
the past decade are Academy Award® nominated "Babe" and more recently Best Animated
Picture Oscar® winner "Happy Feet," on which he served as associate producer; and, for the
small screen, "Fragments of War," "Riddle of the Stinson" and "Vietnam."
Among the low budget features he championed are producer Anna Maria Monticelli's "La
Spagnola," on which he was co-producer and first assistant director; and "Deck Dogz," produced
by Bill Bennett, on which he served as associate producer and first assistant director.
In 2007, Hearnshaw was honored by the Directors Guild of Australia with an inaugural career
achievement award for his work as a first assistant director.
GRAHAM BURKE (Executive Producer) is Managing Director of Village Roadshow Limited.
Burke's most recent film credits as executive producer include George Miller's Oscar®-winning
animated adventure "Happy Feet"; Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," starring
Johnny Depp, and the motorcycle racing action-adventure "Torque."
In addition to film production and distribution, Burke has been one of Village Roadshow's
strategic and creative forces in furthering the company's interests in cinema chains, radio stations
and theme parks. He founded Roadshow Distributors with Roc Kirby in 1968, and was an initial
director of radio station 2DayFM. Burke also spent four years as the original Commissioner of
the Australian Film Commission.
BRUCE BERMAN (Executive Producer) is Chairman and CEO of Village Roadshow Pictures.
The company has a successful joint partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures to co-produce a wide
range of motion pictures, with all films distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. and in select
territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.
The initial slate of films produced under the pact included such hits as "Practical Magic," starring
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman; "Analyze This," teaming Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal;
"The Matrix," starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne; "Three Kings," starring George
Clooney; "Space Cowboys," directed by and starring Clint Eastwood; and "Miss Congeniality,"
starring Bullock and Benjamin Bratt.
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Under the Village Roadshow Pictures banner, Berman has subsequently executive produced such
wide-ranging successes as "Training Day," for which Denzel Washington won an Oscar®; the
"Ocean's" trilogy; "Two Weeks' Notice," pairing Bullock and Hugh Grant; Eastwood's "Mystic
River," starring Sean Penn and Tim Robbins in Oscar®-winning performances; "The Matrix
Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions"; Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,"
starring Johnny Depp; George Miller's Oscar®-winning animated adventure "Happy Feet"; the
blockbuster "I Am Legend," starring Will Smith; the acclaimed drama "Gran Torino," directed
by and starring Clint Eastwood. He most recently served as executive producer on Guy Ritchie's
action adventure "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude
Law, the sequel to Ritchie's worldwide hit "Sherlock Holmes."
Berman got his start in the motion picture business working with Jack Valenti at the MPAA
while attending Georgetown Law School in Washington, DC. After earning his law degree, he
landed a job at Casablanca Films in 1978. Moving to Universal, he worked his way up to a
production vice president in 1982.
In 1984, Berman joined Warner Bros. as a production vice president, and was promoted to
Senior Vice President of Production four years later. He was appointed President of Theatrical
Production in September 1989, and in 1991 was named President of Worldwide Theatrical
Production, where he served through May 1996. Under his aegis, Warner Bros. Pictures
produced and distributed such films as "Presumed Innocent," "GoodFellas," "Robin Hood:
Prince of Thieves," the Oscar®-winning Best Picture "Driving Miss Daisy," "Batman Forever,"
"Under Siege," "Malcolm X," "The Bodyguard," "JFK," "The Fugitive," "Dave," "Disclosure,"
"The Pelican Brief," "Outbreak," "The Client," "A Time to Kill" and "Twister."
In May of 1996, Berman started Plan B Entertainment, an independent motion picture company
at Warner Bros. Pictures. He was named Chairman and CEO of Village Roadshow Pictures in
February 1998.
DAVID PEERS (Co-Director / Cinematographer—Camera) has been working with George
Miller since joining Animal Logic for the lensing of the original "Happy Feet." He is one of the
key creatives in the formation of Dr.D Studios, the facility that created "Happy Feet Two."
Peers began his career as a camera operator until joining the facility Cutting Edge in Australia,
where he set up the company's CGI department and worked as the visual effects supervisor on
numerous music videos and commercials. At Kennedy Miller Mitchell he helped establish the
Story Unit, responsible for designing sequences for "Happy Feet Two."
He has won a number of awards for his work, including an Australian Cinematographers Society
Gold Award, shared with Eric Whipp, for their documentary "Rainforest: Beneath the Canopy."
ROB COLEMAN (Animation Director) is a two time Oscar® nominee for his animation work
on "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" and "Stars Wars: Attack of the Clones." He has also been
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nominated for two BAFTA Awards for his work on "Men In Black" and "The Phantom
Menace."
Coleman spent 14 years at Industrial Light and Magic and Lucasfilm Animation, working closely
with George Lucas. He was chosen as one of the most creative people in the entertainment
industry when he was added to Entertainment Weekly's "It List" in 2002 as their "It CG-Creature
Crafter" for his work on the digital Yoda. Coleman is a member of the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences, and The Visual Effects Society.
WADE ROBSON (Choreographer) received two Emmy Awards for his groundbreaking work
on the Fox series "So You Think You Can Dance" and is currently Artistic Director for Demi
Lovato. He has choreographed and directed music videos, commercials, award shows and world
tours for recording artists such as Britney Spears, NSYNC, Usher, Mya, and P!nk.
Born in Brisbane, Australia, Robson began dancing professionally at age five, moving to
America and performing in Michael Jackson music videos, multiple commercials, films and TV
shows before the age of nine. Robson began teaching dance at the famous Millennium Dance
Complex in North Hollywood, California when he was only 12, which led to his first
professional choreography job for MCA recording artists Immature at just 14 years old.
At 16, Robson was asked to do choreography for Britney Spears' 1999 world tour. He went on to
write, direct, remix the music, direct the video segments and co-design the sets for her award
show performances and world tours, including the acclaimed "A Dream Within a Dream" HBO
special. He did the same with NSYNC, which included their POP ODYSSEY World Tour. He
also choreographed Spears' famous Pepsi Commercials, her sultry "Slave" music video and
NSYNC's "POP" music video.
He co-wrote and produced songs for Britney Spears' multi-platinum Britney album and 4 songs
from *NSYNC's multi-platinum Celebrity album, including the Grammy nominated single
"Gone." This led to Robson's unprecedented deal with The Universal Music Group, where he has
written and produced music for such recording artists as Justin Guarini, Dream, The Backstreet
Boys, James Ingram and Carly Simon, and released an album of his own dance music entitled
Wade Robson's Project-Dance Beats, Vol. 1.
Robson created, produced and starred in MTV's hit series "The Wade Robson Project." He has
written, choreographed and directed commercials for Sirius Satellite Radio and Power Shoes, as
well as award-winning short films, and also choreographed Cirque Du Soleil's "Criss Angel
Believe" at the Las Vegas Luxor Hotel & Casino.
DEIN PERRY (Choreographer) has been at the forefront of the Australian entertainment
industry for over three decades.
He revolutionized tap dancing around the world when he conceived and choreographed "Tap
Dogs," a contemporary tap show built around the themes of his industrial experience growing up
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in Newcastle, Australia. The hit of the 1995 Sydney Festival, it has since been performed in 350
cities, 37 countries and dazzled audiences in excess of 11 million, receiving over 11 international
awards, including an Olivier Award for Best Choreography, an OBIE for Best New Production
and a Drama Desk Award for Most Outstanding Choreographer.
Perry and his Tap Dogs have made numerous international television appearances, including
"The Jay Leno Show," "The Today Show," "Ellen," "The Jerry Lewis Telethon" and "Quincy
Jones 50th Anniversary Special." Perry was also invited by the American Tap Association to
perform at the New York City Town Hall alongside some of the true tap greats, including Savion
Glover, Buster Brown, Harold Nicholas and Donald O'Connor.
In 2011, Perry's Tap Dogs celebrated their sixteenth year of touring the world.
KATE WORMALD (Choreographer) moved to Melbourne from the Gold Coast in Queensland,
Australia when she was 18. Her choreography credits include Gabriella Cilmi, Cobra Starship,
Bras & Things, Napoleon Perdis and Loreal Matrix. She previously worked as an assistant to
choreographers Wade Robson, Kelley Abbey, Jason Gilkison, Nathan Wright and Matt Lee.
Wormald has performed in London for the Queen, Prince William and Prince Harry with the
likes of Leona Lewis, Boyzone, Ricky Martin, Jamelia, Will Young, James Morrison &
Charlotte Church.
Her additional performing credits include "Fame: the Musical," "Footloose," "Oh What a Night,"
George Miller's "Happy Feet," "X Factor," "Australian Idol," "IMT," "TV Week Logie Awards,"
Cliff Richard's Australia/NZ tour, "ROVE, Long Way to the Top," the MTV Awards, ARIA
Awards, Nickelodeon Awards and various corporate shows around the country.
Wormald was also a contestant in 2008 on Australia's "So You Think You Can Dance" and has
appeared in a variety of music videos for Jessica Mauboy, Amy Pearson, Jade McCrae, Vanessa
Amorosi, The Vines, Guy Sebastian & Tamara Jaber.
In addition, she has had the privilege to be an ambassador for such brands as Clinique and
Norsca.
SAVION GLOVER (Dancing & Choreography of Mumble) reunites with George Miller to
create the dance sequences for "Happy Feet Two," having choreographed the Academy Award®winning "Happy Feet."
He is the 1996 Tony Award winner for his choreography in the Broadway smash hit "Bring in
'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk." He is also the recipient of the 1996 Drama Desk Award, the
Outer Critics Circle Award, two OBIE Awards and two Fred Astaire Awards for his
choreography and performance in "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk," as well as the 1996
Dance Magazine Choreographer of the Year Award.
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Glover made his Broadway debut at age 12, starring in "The Tap Dance Kid." His additional
Broadway credits include "Black and Blue," and "Jelly's Last Jam," co-starring Gregory Hines.
Glover made his film debut at age 13 in "Tap," with Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. For
television, he was a series regular on "Sesame Street" for five seasons and was also featured in
Kenny G's "Havana" and Puff Daddy and the Family's "All About the Benjamins" music videos.
Glover produced and choreographed the ABC special "Savion Glover's Nu York." He starred in
the Showtime movie "The Wall," and choreographed the HBO movie "The Rat Pack." In 2000,
he toured the nation with "Footnotes: the Concert," featuring tap legends Jimmy Slyde, Buster
Brown and Diane Walker, and starred in Spike Lee's film "Bamboozled."
JOHN POWELL (Composer) was nominated for a Grammy in 2008 for his work on "Happy
Feet."
He received Oscar® and BAFTA Award nominations for "Kung Fu Panda 2" and is the recipient
of four Ivor Novello Awards for Best Original Film Score from the British Academy of
Composers and Songwriters, for "Shrek" in 2001," Ice Age: The Meltdown" in 2006, "Ice Age:
Dawn of the Dinosaurs" in 2010 and "How To Train Your Dragon" in 2011.
Among Powell's other recent film credits are "Rio," "Fair Game" and "Knight and Day."
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