Elemental Interview: Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie on Leading a Pixar Movie
Director Peter Sohn’s upcoming Pixar film, Elemental, brings a refreshingly original concept to the Walt Disney repertoire that not only pushed the boundaries technologically but opted to cast for talent rather than notoriety. Starring as the voices behind the main characters Ember Lumen and Wade Ripple are Leah Lewis (The Half of It) and Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World: Dominion), and before the movie opens in theaters, Collider’s Steve Weintraub sat down with the two of them to discuss this exciting opportunity.
Elemental takes place in the bustling Element City, where Ember is a second-generation immigrant and helps out her father, Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen), in his shop. Though she’s fiercely proud to be a Fire-Elemental and ready to inherit the family business, Ember’s life as she knows it comes into question when she meets the go-with-the-flow Wade. Though complete opposites, the two form a friendship that opens up new possibilities and broadens Ember’s horizons, sparking the creativity within her. The movie also features the vocal talents of Shila Ommi as Ember’s mom, Cinder, Wendi McLendon-Covey as Wade’s boss, Gale, and Catherine O’Hara as Wade’s mom, Brook.
During their interview, Lewis and Athie share their experience finding out they landed their roles in a Pixar film, as well as some perspectives on what it’s really like inside those recording booths. They talk about the recording process, the challenge of performing efforts, and what it was like working with a director as “gentle and fearless” as Sohn on his vision. For all of this and more, check out the full interview in the video or transcript below.
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