John Walker, Nicole Grindle & Brad Bird Dish on Incredibles 2 & Crazy Babies | #Incredibles2Event
The Incredibles 2 movie is coming to theaters on June 15. Get your tickets now, because after talking to the filmmakers in charge of the Incredibles sequel, I’m positive this is another can’t miss Pixar movie! We interviewed producers John Walker and Nicole Grindle and director Brad Bird during the Incredibles 2 event and it was clear they were ready for this movie to be made, too. Finally.?

Thank you, Disney, for inviting me to the #Incredibles2Event and providing travel and accommodations. All opinions on how much I love Supers & the Parr Family are my own.
Two months ago we met with filmmakers John Walker, Nicole Grindle and Brad Bird at Pixar Studios for the Incredibles 2 movie early press event. A few friends on Twitter suggested I cruise into the room in FULL CAPE just to see if I could get Edna Mode’s (Brad Bird) attention.
I (wisely) ignored their suggestions and instead came prepared with the questions we all wanted to know about this Incredibles sequel. To sum up: What took so long, guys?!
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John Walker, Nicole Grindle & Brad Bird Dish on Incredibles 2 & Crazy Babies
The first movie came out in 2004- my son Luke was a chunky 22-month-old bundle of adorable crazy baby; he’s now a 6-foot-tall bundle of… crazy, uh, something. Ahem.
I, like many parents, are painfully aware of just how much time has passed while waiting for the Incredibles 2 movie to be made. I can mark the years in the grey hairs he’s created and laugh lines marked across my face thanks to his antics. 14 years is a long time, yo!
Side note: I kinda love that Luke is now invested in the sequel in a way he wasn’t with Cars 2 for example. He specifically asked me to take him to Finding Dory when it came out, and he’s requested to be my plus 1 for the local screening of Incredibles 2 as well. Parenthood is a kick, isn’t it? While the kids sometimes feel like they are pulling away as adulthood looms, the shared experience of a Pixar movie brings him back to me from time to time.
So maybe 14 years was just right.
Incredibles 2: What took so long?
The first question from the room was to address this issue. And Brad had a fantastic answer; it was very dad-like, to be honest.
He got busy, you know? Being in demand as a movie maker can do that I hear!
Brad Bird: “I was always thinking about it in the back of my mind, but I didn?t have — I had other things that were more at the forefront. And sort of the more I kinda chewed on it, the more I thought, yeah, oh, yeah, that?ll be cool. And then suddenly it was like 15 years later or something and I went, holy crap, I better get goin’ on somethin’. You know, so, I mean it?s not intentional and it?s not, you know, it?s not calculated in any way.”

Superheroes Everywhere And What Makes Incredibles 2 Different
If you go to a movie theater in 2018, you’re bound to see previews and movie posters for a variety of upcoming superhero films (Marvel Avengers movie list, anyone?). And personally, I am totally ok with this! Superheroes are a blast for all ages and genders. This mom is all about the genre.
But this wasn’t the case in 2004 when the original Incredibles came out. So how did this factor into the creation and story development of the Incredibles 2?
Brad Bird:?Well, yeah, I mean you?re correct. When we did the first film, there were only two active big franchises, and one was Spiderman and the other was X-Men.?
So, it was — there were only a couple of films that we were, you know, competing with I guess. And since then it?s like ever six inches there?s a superhero. If you throw a rock, you?ll hit a superhero, who will punch you in return.
And so, I think that it?s much harder to do a unique story now. Not only are there scads and scads and scads and scads of superhero films, but there are television shows. And there are television shows like Heroes where they have maybe 20 superheroes, each of whom has a storyline every week.
So, they?re chowing through potential spins on the genre at an ungodly rate. And so, I think that if you — if we thought about this as a superhero movie, we probably would’ve been stymied. But we didn?t. We always felt like what makes our film unique is that it?s about a family.
And the roles — their superpowers were based on iconic roles of men and women and children in the family. You know, the dad is always expected to be strong. The mom is always stretched in a million directions. Teenagers are defensive and insecure. So, she has force fields and invisibility.?Ten-year-olds are energy balls that just, you know, can?t not be on — eleven or off, that?s what they are.? And babies are unknowns. They could have no powers at all, or they could be the next leader, you know, of the free world or whatever.

So, the — where they were in the family was how we chose their powers. And that was a unique approach because it was more about stages of your life. And I think one of the reasons we?ve been successful is that everyone connects with at least two of the characters, and that?s because we?ve all been teenagers. We?ve all been children.
Many of us have kids, and so we?ve dealt with little babies, which are really challenging to keep up with. And teenagers, which are, you know, also a handful in a completely different way.”
PREACH, BRAD. Moms of littles: just. you. wait. 🙂
“So, and we?ve had parents that seem kinda clueless at moments and the dad that maybe speaks before he really knows what he?s talkin’ about. And, you know, the mom that is — manages everything. So, that?s where our strength lies, and that?s what makes us different. And if we thought about it in those terms, it became a lot easier to make our film.”
On Their Favorite Scenes (Including a Gratherfather Perspective)
Nicole and John were the producers of the Incredibles 2. They both have experience with Pixar reaching back many years, and John worked with Brad on the original Incredibles. We wanted to know what their favorite scenes or characters in Incredibles 2 might be.
John’s answers had me roaring with laughter! The ultimate Dad power move, if there ever was one.

Nicole Grindle:?“Wow. Well, I haven?t thought about it, but the first thing that comes to mind is Voyd. She?s a new character played by Sophia Bush. And I love her as somebody who sees Helen as a mentor. She?s got this really great, fresh energy. And I love her superpowers. So, that?s what comes to my mind like that.”
John Walker:? “I?m a new grandfather and my daughter — I have a one-year-old granddaughter, and my daughter came to me and said why didn?t you tell me it was so hard. I said, well, because then you never would’ve done it. I said — and the caveat to that is and have I got a movie for you.
So, I love all the Jack-Jack scenes and how Bob has to try to deal with this, you know, crazy baby, which is, you know, just a great metaphor for what my daughter and son-in-law have been going through the last year. When will this child sleep? I said, you know, I don?t know, you know. Hang in there, you know. So, that?s my — my favorite parts?are the Jack-Jack scenes, especially the raccoon fight.”

Speaking of Bob and Jack-Jack…
In Incredibles 2, Helen is tapped to go back to work as a Super and Bob supports her by staying home with the kids. And as any parent can tell you, staying home with the kids is a job in and of itself.
We had to wonder if Bob has a hard time with Jack-Jack at home because he’s male or because he’s Bob Parr? The answer from the filmmakers was a resounding negative to the typical “Dad as a bumbling parent” schtick that you see in many movies.
John Walker:? “I think it?s more because of Jack-Jack.”
Nicole Grindle:? ?“Yeah, yeah.”
John Walker:? ?”I mean anybody would have a hard time –?with Jack-Jack.”
Brad Bird:?“You know, Helen says in the movie, she says, you know, any baby is a challenge, you know. But then to put it on a quantum level with a baby that can go through walls and turn into a little devil or — I mean –“
John Walker:? “Catch on fire.”
If you haven’t seen this one, take a minute and watch. I cry tears of laughter every single time I hear Jack-Jack’s laugh at the end with Bob!
Brad Bird: “Yeah. To me, that?s just an abstraction of what babies are.”
Nicole Grindle:? “Right. I?ve always felt that this was a representation of what we all feel as parents. You all go into it like, oh, it?s a little baby. How cute. How hard could that be? Right. And then at every turn, they?re more and more difficult. I mean–“
Brad Bird:?“Cut to six months later and you?re screaming. Yeah. What she said I agree with 100 percent.”

Oh, my word- yes! Crazy babies- even the “normal” ones who don’t turn into fire monsters or shoot laser beams from their eyes- certainly keep parents on their toes. Relatable, Bob, relatable.
Will Incredibles 2 Make Us Cry?
I don’t know about you, but I cry in every. single. Pixar. movie. And not just the first time I watch, either. I cry during every viewing! In the Incredibles, it’s the part where Bob says “You are my greatest adventure, and I almost missed it.”
[tweetshare tweet=”You are my greatest adventure, and I almost missed it.- Bob Parr, The Incredibles. Cue the tears. Will #Incredibles2 have the same emotional impact? We asked Director Brad Bird at #Incredibles2Event” username=”noguiltlife”]
Cue all the parent tears!
So we needed to know if this is going to be yet another super emotional catch us off-guard type movies. Will I be sniffling in the theater again? Probably. But is that what Brad Bird is going for in this movie? His answer might surprise you.

Brad Bird:?“I am a lover of all kinds of emotions connected with movies. I think that movies are an emotional medium. They?re kind of a dream language. And they?re less intellectual really. You can have a smart movie, but movies, in general, are more about dream language. And I don?t think that this meant to make people cry at every — I think it?s meant — I think we have emotional moments here and there, but I hope people just consume huge amounts of popcorn and soda and have a really great time. That?s what this is meant to be.
Hopefully, it?s smart and there?s some stuff in there that you can chew on later, but the main goal is just to entertain the crap outta people.”
I’m on board with this idea! I love going to movies for the sheer entertainment value and am totally A-OK if I don’t walk away with a million lessons in life.
But… I’m also bringing my tissues, because, welp… I know you, Pixar!
Incredibles 2 tickets are on sale now and bursts into theaters everywhere on June 15.?
More Posts From #Incredibles2Event
The Incredible adventure continues as I join 24 other bloggers in LA for the second part of the Incredibles 2 Event! Follow the adventure using #Incredibles2Event on social media.
My Incredible Pixar Studios Tour Experience | #Incredibles2Event
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All About Pixar Animation: Creating the Worlds & Action Scenes | #Incredibles2Event
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Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.
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