If you're going to make a movie about a character who is a supervillain, it's fantastic to have a core sense of empathy for that character.
I was pulled out of school for every moratorium day and every rally for a left-wing candidate... from Ed Koch in his heyday to Eugene McCarthy. That's the culture that I came from.
When we moved from 'Ice Age' to 'Ice Age 2,' we were really stuck; a story didn't just organically emerge. While I'm very proud of 'Ice Age 2,' from a storytelling sense, it's a very thin story.
You have to love Dr. Seuss to take on the responsibility of conveying his work in animation or any medium.
In the 1960s, my father chose to introduce Italian-style clothing into a world that was filled with boxy Brooks Brothers suits. So if you were dressing in his clothes in New York or California, you were breaking a rule. And my mother, Risha, who is still living, has always been an activist. I don't think my mom has met a cause she doesn't like.
Ted Geisel was trying to make a statement about awareness and personal responsibility. He was very clear about that. But the ideas and themes in 'The Lorax' go beyond a love of trees. It's also a story about the dangers of greed and the power of redemption. That's what makes it a timeless tale.
Like many people, I had the powerful experience of being raised on Dr. Seuss, then becoming a parent and revisiting him with my own children. That multigenerational experience around his work is very meaningful.
My faith in my filmmaking changed on the heels of 'Titan.' It allowed me to pursue things that I previously would have questioned.
My early experiences in animation taught me that following someone else is not a great idea.
Embrace risk. The driving force behind our economic model at Illumination Mac Guff is designed to preserve the opportunity to take risk. Subvert the expectation of the audience. Surprise them with unexpected choices.
Absolutely, you rise and fall based on your creative team.
There's no deadline that a movie has to be made by. We have to believe that we have served the responsibility, however long it takes us to get to that point.
