“Done properly, parenting is a heroic act… done properly.”
–Edna Mode

June 15, Disney-Pixar unleashes the sequel to the wildly popular “The Incredibles,” aptly named “Incredibles 2.” Taking place right where the first movie left off, “Incredibles 2” follows the further exploits of the Parr family, who discover coming together as a family can be just as challenging a feat as battling super-villains.

[Unattributed photos and video courtesy of Disney-Pixar.]

A press conference was held last week to promote the new film — in attendance were Craig T. Nelson (“Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible”), Holly Hunter (“Helen Parr / Elastigirl”), Samuel L. Jackson (“Lucius Best / Frozone”), Bob Odenkirk (“Winston Deavor”), Catherine Keener (“Evelyn Deavor”), Sophia Bush (“Voyd”), Sarah Vowell (“Violet Parr”), Huck Milner (“Dash Parr”), Director Brad Bird, Producer Nicole Grindle, and Producer John Walker.

Video of the press conference:

Panel highlights:

Hunter on her first take of the movie: “It was a while before I truly realized what I was really going to get to do in the movie, and I was really thrilled… But to me, it was just really fun. I don’t think that this is a message movie in any way. I think it’s purely like luck, luck of the draw that this happens to be dovetailing with #MeToo, and #TimesUp. But obviously, time is up, okay. And I feel that way personally and it happens to be serendipitously reflected in this particular movie. But at the same time, it’s character revelation period. Everybody is having revelations including Jack-Jack. All the characters are revelations to the audience and to themselves. And so I’m no exception as Elastigirl.”

Odenkirk on dealing with character changes: “I loved it. I loved that he became more genuine. We don’t know. I’m not going to give away where he ends up. But when he starts, he’s exuberant and excited. And as he goes, you start to see an innocence to him that is I think is a real twist and surprising. But where it ends up I won’t say.”

Bird on making films for adults: “Kids are strangely treated like beards for animated films….’I’m a single guy. But I want to see this. I found a kid. Can I come in now? Here is this kid. He was roaming the streets. I told him I would pay for his ticket. Will you let me in?‘ And it’s like no man, it’s an art form. It’s for anyone that likes movies and you don’t need to have a kid. People are constantly coming up to me: ‘My kid really enjoyed it.’ I go, ‘did you like it?’ They go ‘oh yeah, sure…But Billy really liked it.’ And I’m like, I made it for you. And Billy can come. But I’m not a kid. And I made it something that I would want to see. And we’re not kids. And we worked on this.”
Milner: “I’m a kid.”

Jackson and Nelson on being recognized as their characters:
Jackson: “Kids don’t do that. Their parents do. And they try to make the kid know who you are: ‘That’s Frozone, honey.’ He’s looking at you like, you don’t have a blue suit on. You’re not making ice stuff. So nah… Now as they got older, like the kids that are going to be now, the kids were 4 and saw the movie and now are 18. So they’ve been waiting. They’re knocking little kids over to get in line. And my daughter is 35. She’s knocking big kids over to get in.”

Nelson: “It’s embarrassing really. Because the moms or dads are saying ‘look Bill, there’s Mr. Incredible. That’s Mr. Incredible there.’ And the kid is just staring at you. You don’t look anything like him. ‘Okay, well, say something like Mr. Incredible. Go ahead’…It’s been 14 years, I don’t remember what I said in the first one. I mean, ‘okay. How about this? It’s show time.’ The kid is like [blank look.]”
Jackson: “Lift my car up. Hold the kid.”
Nelson: “It’s just embarrassing.”

Bird on the ubiquity of superheroes: “There was a dark moment when all the machinery was kicked into gear. Okay. You got the release date. Bum bum bum bum. And I realized, two years from now, the film is going to come out. There’s too many superhero movies now. Are people going to be just sick of this in two years? And I went, just what I want to happen, I arrive on the scene, ‘anybody ready for some fresh superheroes?’ And everybody is like ‘oh. Blah.’ And so I had a dark moment. Then I realized that what excited me about the idea in the first place was not the superheroes–it was that it was about the family dynamic and people’s roles in different parts of their lives and how superheroes…that genre is like a twisted lemon that you squeeze on top of this. It’s not what the movie is about. And then I got excited again, because to me, families are kind of a continent of fresh opportunities. Because it’s so universal. And so I got excited again when I thought about it that way. And that was really what excited me about the first movie.”

Along with the “Incredibles 2” panel, we got to hear more about the terminally adorable short “Bao,” which I covered in some length here.

Some of the extensive merchandise line that will be available in stores and online was on display…

…As well as some familiar faces now appearing in theme parks near you.

“Incredibles 2” opens in U.S. theaters on June 15, 2018.

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