Hiatus

If you haven't already noticed, I no longer have the time to update this blog even though I adore Anne Hathaway. If anyone is interested in becoming a writer here, e-mail me. For now this blog will remain online for archive purposes but it won't be updated. Very sorry for the inconvenience.

Please visit the following sites for updates on Anne.

- Anne Hathaway Fan
- Alluring Smile
- Hollywood Princess

Romola Garai Circling "One Day"

The Hollywood Reporter has said that Romola Garai is in negotiations to join the cast of Focus Features' romantic comedy One Day for director Lone Scherfig. Production begins in the summer in London.

Day stars Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess as people who meet during their 1988 graduation and proceed to meet one day a year for the next 20 years. In "When Harry Met Sally ..." fashion, the story tracks their lives and loves until they realize they were meant for each other.

The British-born Garai will play the woman Sturgess' character marries then ultimately divorces during those years.

The project is based on a novel by British author David Nicholls, who adapted the screenplay. Nina Jacobson is producing via her Color Force banner with Random House Films.

Garai, repped by UTA and ARG in the U.K., most recently played the title role in the BBC miniseries "Emma." Other film credits include "Atonement" and "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights."

Source: Hollywood Reporter

55th Annual Drama Desk Awards

Anne Hathaway attended the 55th Annual Drama Desk Awards at FH LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center on May 23, 2010 in New York City.

Metropolitan Museum Of Art's 2010 Costume Institute Ball

Tonight in New York, Anne Hathaway, among a bevy of celebrities attended the American Woman: Fashioning A National Identity aka Metropolitan Museum Of Art's 2010 Costume Institute Ball.

Anne looks spectacular, my favorite of the evening so far. She wore a Valentino Pre-Fall 2010 gown which sparkled as she glided down the red carpet. The nude embroidered tulle gown has been modified to a strapless gown.

"Alice in Wonderland" Hits Blu-ray and DVD on June 1

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has announced that Alice in Wonderland will hit Blu-ray and DVD on June 1st. The press release:

Following a record-breaking theatrical performance, Tim Burton’s epic fantasy adventure Alice In Wonderland, Disney’s 4th biggest film of all time, takes its booming box-office success into the home with a Disney 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy), 1-Disc Blu-ray and 1-Disc DVD on June 1, 2010, from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE).

The Alice In Wonderland Blu-ray DiscTM Combo Pack provides audiences with the chance to experience a magical and imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time in pristine 1080p picture and Dolby Digital 5.1 HD surround sound quality and has been especially packaged with family and fans in mind – with lots of exciting bonus features and an extra DVD and Digital Copy of the movie.

The Blu-ray Disc versions of the film include nine bonus features that take viewers deeper into the famous “Rabbit Hole” - exploring more of the world of Wonderland, its iconic characters and the making of the film. Features include the making of the Futterwacken Dance, a look inside the world of the Mad Hatter and Johnny Depp’s transformation, Tim Burton’s vision for the movie and its characters, the visual effects of growing and shrinking of Alice, costume designs, music, stunts and more.

The suggested retail prices for Alice In Wonderland are as follows: The 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) is $44.99 (US)/$51.99 (Canada); the 1-Disc Blu-ray is $39.99 (US) /$44.99 (Canada); and the Single Disc DVD is $29.99 (US)/$35.99 (Canada).

Film Synopsis:

Tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice for a fantastical new adventure from Walt Disney Pictures and Tim Burton. Inviting and magical, ALICE IN WONDERLAND is an imaginative new twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. Alice (Mia Wasikowska), now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny. Wonderland is a world beyond your imagination and unlike anything you’ve seen before. The extraordinary characters you’ve loved come to life richer and more colorful than ever. There’s the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) and more. A triumphant cinematic experience – ALICE IN WONDERLAND is an incredible feast for your eyes, ears and heart that will captivate audiences of all sizes.

The film’s opening weekend made ALICE IN WONDERLAND the highest-grossing non-sequel opening weekend in history, the biggest March opening of all time, the biggest 3D opening of all time and the biggest IMAX opening of all time.

Bonus Features:

DVD:

Finding Alice – It’s all things Alice. This featurette includes Tim Burton’s vision for the characters, differences from the book and Disney’s version of Alice and how she evolves as both a character and actor as she takes an adventure through Wonderland.

The Mad Hatter – Audiences are provided with a deeper look into the world of the Mad Hatter. Check out Johnny Depp’s early sketches, make-up, costumes and how they digitally enhanced his eyes.

Effecting Wonderland – A behind-the-scenes piece on the different technologies used to create some of the most beloved characters in the film – Stayne, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Bandersnatch and the Red Queen.

BLU-RAY:

Everything on the DVD plus:

The Futterwacken Dance – Futterwhat? Check out the making of the timeless dance called the Futterwacken.

The Red Queen – The creation of the Red Queen from start to finish, including early Tim Burton sketches showcasing costume designs, make-up and digital effects.

Time-Lapse: Sculpting the Red Queen – A short time-lapse piece showing Helena Bonham Carter as she gets her make-up done. A three-hour process can be watched in just a few short minutes.

The White Queen – An interview with Anne Hathaway, who plays Wonderland’s good queen, about her character’s journey throughout the process of the film.

Scoring Wonderland – Composer Danny Elfman and Tim Burton discuss the music for the movie.

Stunts of Wonderland – A featurette highlighting some of the biggest stunts in the film.

Making the Proper Size – An inside look at the visual effects process of growing and shrinking Alice. See how filmmakers used different techniques to stay true to the storyline.

Cakes of Wonderland – Take a trip to “Cake Divas” where the creators of the EAT ME cakes provide viewers with details about how they made the smallest crumb to the largest cake in scale.

Tea Party Props – Tea cups, saucers, cakes and more. Prop master Doug Harlocker gives an overview of all the props used to bring the famous tea party scene together visually.

"Breaking Upwards" Premiere

Anne Hathaway attended the premiere and after party for Breaking Upwards yesterday at the Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Inside she was snapped with Zoe Lister Jones. Anne looked cute in little black dress and leather jacket. Check out some pics below!

Hathaway and Sturgess Attached to Scherfig's One Day

ComingSoon.net got a chance to talk exclusively to Diary of a Wimpy Kid producer Nina Jacobson on Wednesday and she told us more about her upcoming projects.

Jacobson revealed to us that she's producing an adaptation of author David Nicholls' One Day, to be directed by Lone Scherfig (An Education). "That is supposed to go this summer in London with Lone Scherfig directing and Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess," she said, adding that the deals aren't closed but that the two stars are both attached. "Their deals are being negotiated right now."

The Focus Features romantic comedy centers on Dexter and Emma, who first meet during their graduation in 1988 and proceed to reunite one day each year for the next 20 years.

As a fan of both of these two actors, I'd love to see them work together!

© ComingSoon.net

Alice in Wonderland Opens to Massive $210.3M Worldwide

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend. Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films and then check back on Monday for the final figures based on actual box office.

Walt Disney Pictures' Alice in Wonderland took over the worldwide box office this weekend, earning $116.3 million domestically and $94 million overseas for three-day total of $210.3 million! The domestic figure from 3,728 theaters marks the sixth-biggest opening weekend of all time and is a new record for a film opening in March, destroying the $70.9 million that 300 made in 2007. It's the biggest opening ever for Tim Burton (his previous top opener was Planet of the Apes' $68.5 million), the biggest non-sequel release of all time, and the biggest 3D release ever, besting the $77 million that Avatar earned in December. Alice is also the largest debut ever for a winter release, surpassing The Passion of The Christ ($83.8 million).

Alice took over the top spot in foreign markets from Avatar, which had been No. 1 for 11 consecutive weeks. Overseas, the film debuted at 5,600 theaters in 41 markets, which represents only about 60% of the international market. The $94 million marks the biggest international opening weekend ever for a movie released in the January-April period.

Alice in Wonderland also broke Avatar's previous IMAX record of $9.5 million by earning $11.9 million on 188 of the large format screens - that's an average of $64,197 per site!

Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Mia Wasikowska, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse and Barbara Windsor, the fantasy-adventure was made for about $200 million.

© ComingSoon.net

"Alice" In Theatres

Alice In Wonderland is now playing in North America. Head out today and see the flick! I'll be seeing it myself in 3D sometime this weekend, can't wait!

For more release dates go to IMDb.com.






Dish Satellite

ComingSoon.net "Alice in Wonderland" Interviews

ComingSoon.net talked exclusively to director Tim Burton, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska about Alice in Wonderland, opening in 3D theaters and Imax 3D on Friday, March 5th. You can watch the interviews using the player below!

Jimmy Kimmel Video

Anne was on Jimmy Kimmel Live yesterday to talk about Alice In Wonderland and you can watch the really funny interview below. Anne chats about New Years resolution, Jake Gyllenhaal and sex scenes, Tim Burton, Prince Charles and more.

The Early Show Interview

View the video after the article (below the break).

Actress Anne Hathaway is a sweetheart -- in most of her roles, anyway.

From her first big role as a nice teenager in The Princess Diaries to playing an ingénue in the backbiting fashion film Devil Wears Prada, Hathaway knows how to play the good girl.

In recent years, the Academy Award nominated actress has shown her versatility in a variety of different roles, but she's back to being "good."

Early Show Special Correspondent and British TV personality Amanda Holden recently sat down with the star to discuss her career and latest role as the Good White Queen in "Alice in Wonderland."

Holden asked Hathaway, "Is it a stretch to have so much goodness in all the roles you play?"

Hathaway laughed and said, "Most people ask that about the bad characters -- that's a stretch. Thank you. Terrible stretch -- I am actually an awful person if you can't tell. Yes, you know I wear white to distract -"

Holden interjected, "And you took the wings off at the door didn't you?"

"Yes, well I had to put them somewhere," Hathaway joked. "This chair is very, very, tiny. It's constantly a problem."

She continued, "You know all the characters (I play) are a stretch. I have yet to find a character that is kind of like me."

In Alice, Hathaway spends most of her time fighting the evil forces of her sister, the Red Queen of Hearts, played by Helena Bonham Carter.

One of the most noticeable changes for the role is Hathaway's makeup in the film.

Holden remarked, "The makeup is unbelievable. In Alice you have very sort of dark eyebrows and black lips. How much input did you have in your makeup and look? And you look a bit Veronica Lake with your hair. Did you create all that was that something you discussed?

Hathaway said she didn't offer her input, she just wanted director, Tim Burton's team to take over.

"I figured these were the people so many of the looks I'd loved in his films, so I just kinda wanted them to work their magic on me," she said.

And what's her verdict on the look?

She told Holden, "I was so happy because when they showed me what I looked like I was like gasp I look like the Corpse Bride!"

"I was so thrilled every day to be made in to a Tim Burton heroine," Hathaway said. "It just was a dream come true."

In the role, Hathaway seems to float along -- like she has no legs. Hathaway said the movement was her idea.

She explained, "That was actually born from my absolute joy and enthusiasm of wearing the costume. Because I put it on and I was just kind of prancing about my room and all the sudden I caught a glimpse of the costume in the full-length mirror and I realized that if I walked with very small steps that it didn't look like I was walking at all. It looked like I was gliding."

Then it hit her: "Oh my God," she said, "This is a world without rules -- gravity maybe doesn't apply to her as much."

Hathaway said she was nervous to roll out her character's gliding movements, not telling Burton prior to her first take.

"I didn't have a plan 'B,'" Hathaway said. "And so then, when he said he really liked it, I was just kind of overjoyed and then we were off and running, or floating as it were."

Hathaway performed most of the film's action against a green screen. The exotic lushness of Wonderland was colored in by computer after the movie action was filmed.

Hathaway said she "steeled herself" for working on the green screen set.

"I was like, 'So all right, this is perfect and I'm going to hold a football, and it's going to be a blood hound -- and I'd buy it!"

Holden quipped, "This is when drama school comes in handy."

But Hathaway said she was "pretty gung-ho" about the entire shoot.

But what about the madness in the film -- does Hathaway think the best people are mad?

She told Holden, "I've got to say, I trust people when they have a bit of madness in them. And it's kind of that wonderful Mae West quote, 'If you don't have something nice to say, come sit by me.' If you're a little mad, come sit by me.'"

Alice in Wonderland opens worldwide on Friday.

Anne Hathaway Guest Star on Family Guy

Check out a first look at Anne Hathaway who is making a guest voice appearance in an upcoming episode of my favorite animated series, Family Guy, titled "Go Stewie Go". Season 8, Episode 13 airing Sunday, March 14 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Hathaway will play as Mother Maggie, the star of Stewie's favorite TV show.

Episode Synopsis: Family Guy "Go Stewie Go" Season 8 Episode 13 - Stewie cross-dresses in order to star in the American version of Jolly Farm Review. Meanwhile, Peter makes Lois feel bad about her age.

Celebrities Reveal Their Must See Oscar Films

With the Academy Awards countdown at just nine days, this could be a good weekend to catch up on some Oscar nominated films. Entertainment guru George Pennacchio asked several stars which films, or performances, they think are on the "must see" list.

Avatar has been a box office sensation and has earned a leading nine Academy Award nominations. The sci-fi film has been a huge hit, anyway you look at it. And it's a favorite of actress Anne Hathaway.

"That's a film experience. It's gonna be a once in a lifetime for a lot of people, myself included. You can't give it enough awards." - Anne Hathaway

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards will take place Sunday, March 7. Watch ABC7 for the awards show and all of the red carpet and backstage action.

© ABC Local

Love and Other Drugs Early Review

There have been some early screenings for Anne's next film Love and Other Drugs and some viewers have been leaving their comments on the film's IMDb forum.

Hollywood Elsewhere had this snippet from a review that particularly praises Annie. Saying she looks like the first major Oscar contender for next year! Wow. Love and Other Drugs sees Hathaway reuniting with her Brokeback Mountain co-star Jake Gyllenhaal. I personally can't wait to see this!

Hathaway's Love and Other Drugs performance, in short, sounds like the first strong contender for a 2010 Best Actress Oscar.

"Anne Hathaway burns up the screen, and not just because she's naked half the time. Even when she's dressed you simply can't take your eyes off her. I thought she was good in Rachel Getting Married, but in this one -- as a free-spirit arty girl with early-onset Parkinson's -- she's very funny and really hard-core. My guess is another nomination will be coming her way.

Lucky Actress

Anne Hathaway thinks she is lucky to have landed so many big movie roles.

The 27-year-old actress believes she has been fortunate to land so many big roles, but admits she has often found herself out of her depth when working with big Hollywood names.

She said: "I owe so much of my career to luck. My mother always told me that luck is preparation meets opportunity and I've been given extraordinary opportunities to work with filmmakers long before I was talented enough and deserved to work with them. I've learned a lot from them. I just keep getting hired. I consider myself lucky and I don't know who is responsible for it."

Anne's latest role is as the White Queen in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and she admits 'living' in the fantastical world appealed to her.

She said: "I'd be happy to live in a world with no rules and where people are curious."

While she is one of the world's highest-grossing actresses, Anne recently admitted she doesn't have much confidence when it comes to "full-on movie kissing".

She said: "You have to understand. There's a technique for pretty movie kissing. There's also full-on movie kissing - a totally different experience. But really, you have to be like Angelina Jolie to pull that off and still look good.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm no Angie."

© Contact Music

Anne Hathaway Feels Like She's In A "Glorified Acting Program

The Hollywood actress has starred in a string of box office smashes, including The Devil Wears Prada, Brokeback Mountain and Bride Wars.

She can soon be seen in Tim Burton’s new movie Alice in Wonderland, but admits she still feels like she’s learning the craft.

“Right now, I just feel like I’m in a glorified acting program,” she explained. “I get to learn drama from Meryl Streep, then I get to turn around and learn comedy from Steve Carrell. It’s kind of insane. Acting really, really is the only thing I’m interested in doing. Even if i was acting in a church basement theatre for the rest of my life, I would enjoy it.”

Anne never expected to be so successful, revealing she thought she would spend her days acting for fun while she earned money waiting tables at cafes.

She keeps grounded by spending as much time as possible with her friends, and still hangs out with people she met at college. They rarely go to nightclubs together, preferring to spend time in grubby bars or at each other’s houses.

“We either go to a dive bar and listen to classic rock, or we go to my friend’s house, who has a great stereo system, and do various iPod shuffles so we can get up and dance and drink wine,” she told Look magazine. “It’s down to earth, kooky and fun!”

© Music Rooms

"Alice In Wonderland" Royal World Premiere

As previously reported, tonight was the Royal premiere of Anne Hathaway's latest film Alice In Wonderland (which hits theatres next Friday). The event was held at Odeon Leicester Square in London.

Anne looked gorgeous in a sparkling brown dress created by Vivienne Westwood, one of England's most iconic designers. I'm personally a bit iffy on the overall look of her dress. I don't hate it, but I'm underwhelmed. Especially for such a prestigious premiere. I've added a couple of shots below the cut.

You can view photos of Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska (looking every bit the belle of the ball in my opinion) on the corresponding links.

Lots more coverage of this event will be provided tomorrow when more media has been released.

4 New "Alice In Wonderland" Clips

IGN and Yahoo! Movies have revealed four more clips from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland which you can watch using the players below. Opening in 3D theaters and IMAX 3D on March 5, the fantasy-adventure stars Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Mia Wasikowska, Alan Rickman, Fry, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse and Barbara Windsor.

The first of the clips features The White Queen in a scene with Alice. I decided to only watch it, and I have to say I'm even more excited to see Miss Anne's portrayal of this character. Looks like she had a lot of fun with the movie!

Was Anne Hathaway Really Up For A "Spider Man 4" Role?

When it comes to the Spider-Man movie franchise these days, it seems like there are far more questions that answers. Are all these casting rumors accurate? Will the king of 3-D, James Cameron, have any influence on how Marc Webb tackles the gig? And did Sam Raimi ever get close enough to rolling cameras that there were concrete plans for the supporting characters ?

Over the years, we’ve spoken with Anne Hathaway many times and always found her to be exactly as you’d expect: Sweet, polite and never one to speak out of school. And when it came time to speak with her last week for the upcoming release of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland re-imagining, we remembered that it was our first time talking with the actress since Raimi’s Spider Man 4 plans fell apart. So, it seemed reasonable that Hathaway might finally be willing to reveal how truthful those rumors were about her having a role in the now-canceled film.

Hathaway gave us a statement that reminded us of that earlier fact about her: She’s sweet, polite and never one to speak out of school.

“I don’t know how to answer that, because it’s not really happening anymore,” Anne said of those pesky rumors that she was once being considered to play Black Cat, an undetermined love interest, or anybody else.

“So,” Hathaway added diplomatically, “it’s best to leave in the past.”

There you go, Spidey fans. At this point, you have two choices of how you could look at Anne’s response:

1) Take the high road — Clearly, this is a nice girl who doesn’t want to rock the boat. Let’s admire her prudence, move on with our lives, and look forward to Webb’s Spider Man.

2) Be suspicious — If she had never been approached to be in Raimi’s Spider-Man, why would she have anything to hide? She’d likely just say “No, that was Internet nonsense” and then no one would ever ask her about it again, right? Oh, that sneaky Hathaway and her princess diaries!

Source: MTV News

"Alice" Articles

Here are quite a few new press articles with Anne for Alice In Wonderland promotion.

Teen Hollywood
- Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter Spill Royal Alice Secrets

Monsters & Crticis
- Anne Hathaway says working on Alice In Wonderland was a `dream come true'

Kelowna
- Tim `likes to deform me': Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway had a ball playing the Red and White Queens in Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland.

Anne To Attend A Night At Sardis

According to a press release, Anne Hathaway will be at the A Night At Sardis Annual event once again this year. The event will be hosted by Seth Rogen and taking place on March 18th at The Beverly Hilton.

This year they are auctioning a unique experience which includes the opportunity to preform in A Night At Sardis, the winner will also rehearse with the casts of television shows such as Mad Men, Glee, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory and more.

Visit www.sardisla.com for more information.

Movies Online Interview

MoviesOnline sat down with Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Michael Sheen to talk about their new movie, Alice in Wonderland. Directed by Tim Burton, the epic 3D fantasy adventure is based on Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” originally published in 1865 which changed forever the course of children’s literature.

Helena Bonham Carter plays Iracebeth, The Red Queen and tyrannical monarch of Underland, an amalgam of the Queen of Hearts from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and the Red Queen from “Through the Looking-Glass.” With her oversized head, fiery temper and propensity to scream for people’s heads to be chopped off, she rules her subjects through fear. “She’s got emotional problems,” says Bonham Carter. “It takes nothing, practically, for her to lose her temper. Her tantrums are that of a two-year-old.”

Anne Hathaway plays Mirana, The White Queen, and younger sister of the Red Queen, who has designs on the throne and crown that Iracebeth once stole from her. While she appears to be all sweetness and light, beneath the surface there’s a hint of darkness to her character. “She comes from the same gene pool as the Red Queen,” says Hathaway. “She really likes the dark side, but she’s so scared of going too far into it that she’s made everything appear very light and happy. But she’s living in that place out of fear that she won’t be able to control herself.” When Alice returns to Underland, the WhiteQueen takes her under her wing, offering her protection, although her motives aren’t completely altruistic.

Michael Sheen voices the character of McTwisp, The White Rabbit, who is always worried about being late, always in a hurry, always rushing about. Charged with finding Alice and bringing her back to Underland so that she can fulfill her destiny, he shows up at her garden party in an effort to lure her back down the rabbit hole. “He’s a warm character,” says Sheen, “but, at the same time, he can be quite fussy and quite strict with Alice as well. He has an edge to him, a nervous energy, always feeling like he’s behind time, time is very important to him. But he’s quite brave when called upon.”

Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Michael Sheen talked to us about their roles, what it was like to play such wildly imaginative and iconic characters, and the challenge of acting in front of a green screen in a film that was shot almost entirely in a virtual environment.

Q: Helena, that was a terrific performance. I hope that doesn’t make your head bigger when I say that.

HELENA: Thank you. I wanted to do it. That’s why Tim gave me the job. I’m one of the few actresses that can blow up their head.

Q: Can you talk about the challenge of acting in front of a green screen?

HELENA: It was all green. When you’re acting, you have to kind of imagine anyway. The unsung heroes of it are these various green people that gave us their lines off. We had real proper actors who would dress in leotards and didn’t look that good at their best. For instance, I’ve only met Michael Sheen in the last 12 hours. I met him the night before but he wasn’t there [when I was filming]. I just had a 12-inch drawing of a rabbit. But then, behind him, was thisgreen screen, green actor. That’s what we had to act opposite.

MICHAEL: It’s because I don’t like being around other actors. It’s in my contract.

HELENA: I would’ve appreciated if you had come in your bunny outfit once. But he didn’t.

MICHAEL: I used to stand outside. You didn’t see. I was outside the studio with my nose up against the glass in a rabbit costume going “Please let me in, Helena. Please.”

HELENA: I wish. But it was no, no, he only acts by himself. And then, Matt (Lucas) had to be always hunched over or on the floor to give lines. Whenever I’d look at Matt, he was always in deep discomfort because he had to try and make himself smaller. This actress (referring to Anne) is the one who does her own special effects, but she didn’t have anything special done to her. She does her own gliding. Crispin, I don’t know how he did it. He was on crutches and had no eye and somehow managed to remain upright. I don’t know how he did that. We all have to act opposite tennis balls and bits of tape, but you do that anyway. And actually, tennis balls and bits of tape can be good actors. You know, they’re minimal.

Q: Anne, what was it like to play the opposite of Helena’s character?

ANNE: I’m so much more interested in what Helena has to say about it. One of the most fun parts about my character was this freedom that Tim gave me from the first conversation we had. He said, “In Wonderland, I don’t want anything to be all good or all bad, so I don’t want it to be the RedQueen is the bad one and you’re like the nice benevolent one who’s all good.” He said, “Have fun exploring the relationship between the two of them. They come from the same place.” I thought, oh how fun if my character has a sort of hidden psychosis.

HELENA: It’s not that hidden.

ANNE: Now it’s not. [Laughs] She’s dangerous and is interested in knives and things like that and is kind of adorable on the outside and has tried very hard to become this good, almost over the top, positive creature. But underneath, she has a murderous streak that comes out when she’s around weaponry. So, it wasn’t necessarily that they were opposites. They were just sisters who were different.

MICHAEL: I watched it for the first time the other night and the thing that struck me the most was the thing I liked most about the RedQueen [which] was her vulnerability, and the thing I liked most about the White Queen was how sinister she was. That worked brilliantly for me. It’s tragic when she says, “It is better to be feared than loved.” That’s a tragic line really. It’s beautiful. In my case, I thought it was better to be furred than loved and I slightly misheard it.

Q: Michael, being just a voice in the film, were you ever jealous that you couldn’t actually be there on set?

MICHAEL: I would have given anything, literally, to put the ears and the tail on, and jump around.

HELENA: You can still do it.

MICHAEL: I do. I would have loved to have done that. One of the things I loved about the film most is that the animals really do look like animals. They’re not humanized, in any way. When a horse suddenly turns around to the Knave of Hearts and says something disparaging about dogs, you really don’t expect it. It’s really effective. So, I can understand exactly why they went with the idea of really going for the animal thing. But, I still look very cute with a little bunny nose, so maybe I can be in there, if there’s a sequel or something. So, I did a couple of sessions with Tim, and just had him all to myself, in London and in America. I was filmed with just a basic camera, so when I saw it, I was amazed at how much all my hand movements were there. Tim said, “Really perform it. Don’t just do the voice. Move and do as much performing as you can. Twitch your nose as much as you can.” So, I really recognized my hands. It was really funny. I didn’t think I’d recognize any of that. See, I lived with rabbits for 6 months beforehand and I did a lot of yoga to build up my legs so I could get my leg up and scratch my ear like a bunny.

Q: Helena, you spent hours in the makeup chair each day, what was the challenge?

HELENA: Speak to my husband. It wasn’t that long. I just said hours for the sympathy effect, but it was only 2-1/2 hours. I did exaggerate it, I guess. They had to get rid of my hairline so you put a bald cap on. That takes about 2-1/2 hours and then they have to paint it and then they put my beauty makeup on. That took some time. And, my huge wig. But they didn’t blow my head up every morning. They did that on camera. I had this one camera. There are two cameras in the world that do this and they just blow your head up. That’s all it does. And I had this huge camera dedicated to me, which was fine by me.

MICHAEL: Was it called bon cam?

HELENA: [Laughs] Bonnie cam. He likes to put makeup on me. He likes to deform me. I love it that he likes to. I always like looking as different as I can.

Q: What was your first experience with Alice in Wonderland, growing up?

ANNE: When I was in 5th grade, I had a teacher and he made the entire class memorize Jabberwocky and perform it. So, during the battle sequence, I made Tim let me recite the poem and he literally looked at me and said, “Well it’s not going to be in the film.” And I said, “I know, but just for my own sense of completion in my life, please let me do this.” [Laughs] I didn’t read Alice until I was in college. I was reading a lot of (Vladimir) Nabokov and actually one of his big inspirations was Lewis Carroll, so I thought before I get too deep into him I’ll read Lewis Carroll, then I never went back to Nabokov. That’s when I read it and I was really moved by it. She’s a very emotional character and a lot of people feel a kind of confused 19. [It’s about] who they think they are vs. who they want to be. You struggle with a sense of identity then and at other times in your life. I really read the book from that perspective as a girl who’s trying to find her identity, which is great because that’s what the movie really focuses on. Which Alice are you? So, that was my experience.

MICHAEL: As most people, I think I knew the characters before I ever read the book. They’re just ingrained into the Western consciousness. For me, the allure of the story is that we all live in this illusion that we’re civilized and that everything makes sense and everything has a place, and Alice in Wonderland shows you that actually it’s a very thin film between sanity and insanity, and total wildness, chaos and fear. Somehow, that seems to be the most true expression of what it’s like to be a child, where things are both familiar and strange, at the same time, and when you think you know what something is, it suddenly shifts and becomes something else. We grow up and forget the truth of that, or buy into the illusion that that’s not the case. We’re drawn back to Alice in Wonderland all the time because it somehow reminds us, as all great Greek drama does, of what the actual truth about life is.

Q: Helena, what do you think is an appropriate age for children to see this film?

HELENA: Tim always has this theory that it’s us that have got the problem, that we impose fears on our kids and the kids are actually quite robust. But it depends on your kid. We haven’t shown it to Billy yet just because it wasn’t finished until a few days ago. I don’t know. You know, there was that 3D thing. We were trying to find a nursery school for our son, Bill. Apparently, according to the Montessori method, they can’t tell the difference between reality and fantasy until age 6. They had recommended no fairytales so that’s why we didn’t send Bill to Montessori because having Tim Burton and fairytales and his world of ideas. Oh! Okay!

MICHAEL: I still have difficulty with that. Someone told me once, and I don’t know if it’s true, that there’s a part of our brain that, when we’re acting and something traumatic is going on, believes that it is actually true. So, part of us is traumatized from it, as actors, which probably explains why actors are the way they are.

HELENA: We’re fucked up.

MICHAEL: Other actors, not me. That’s why I don’t like to act with other actors. [Laughs]

Q: Anne, your character reminds me of a punk rock vegan passivist. Why is that?

ANNE: The passivist thing was in the script. My character has taken a vow of non-violence. But, it was also in the script that when she talks about that, she hits a bug and enjoys killing it. So, I thought about it. That kind of gave me the idea that she’s taken this vow against her will, that she recognizes that her sister is sick and believes that a means to an end is cutting people’s heads off, and it’s kind of her default setting. I’m like I don’t want her to be in charge so I guess I have to be in charge. But, I like the idea that my character probably, left to her own devices, might not have wanted to be Queen. Then I started to think about who she was in her ‘off-Queen’ time and I realized she spends a lot of time in the kitchen and there’s the non-violence thing and her being a vegan, and then I just imagined her in mosh pits – not really punching anyone but really butting against people very hard.

Q: You said you were inspired by Blondie and Greta Garbo, can you talk about that?

ANNE: I like Blondie so I thought, you know, she’s blonde so that was kind of obvious. But I still wanted her to have a regal thing so I watched…there’s a Greta Garbo movie. I watched a lot of her silent films because I still think no one has ever quite moved on film the way she did. Her whole body just looks like it’s breathing and it was a time where acting was very stylized to be very over the top and she’s utterly real in it. I don’t remember. I think it’s called The Loose Woman or The Temptress (she means The Flesh and The Devil). She arrives on a train and she’s beautiful.

Q: How do you feel about being CGI’d or do you prefer playing a real person?

ANNE: Honestly, I would do anything if Tim asked. I’m fond of saying that I would have played a mushroom in this if that’s the way he saw me in it. So, I would have happily donned my green onesie and been up in stilts. I would have just done anything to be in Wonderland. But, it’s nice to be a real person as well. I have no preference. I’m sorry, I don’t.

Q: Helena, what was your family’s reaction when they first saw you as the character in full makeup and costume?

HELENA: Well my little daughter, who was only 1, just said “Mommy!” It was bizarre. But my son is slightly frailer or sensitive. He just didn’t want to look at me.

Q: Michael, what does your daughter think of you being the White Rabbit?

MICHAEL: My daughter is still living off the fact that I’m in New Moon. Now that I’m in Alice in Wonderland as well, it’s just gone stratospheric. At school, I’m treated like royalty now. But, everyone is convinced that I have red eyes because that’s two characters now with them.

Q: Have you ever dreamed the impossible, in your own life?

MICHAEL: If I had only ever done what I believed was possible, I probably never would have left my bedroom. I am, by nature, quite an anxious, fearful person, I’ve realized. Just to go out into the world can be quite a scary thing. And so, if I was left to my own devices, I probably wouldn’t do anything. I’ve learned, over time, that you’re only limited by your own beliefs about what’s possible, and they can be quite narrow. I’ve now given myself a rule, which is that I can’t say no to anything, if the reason why I want to say no is because it’s scary. I can say no for other things. And, that has led me to do incredibly frightening things that were very fulfilling afterwards, and I would never have believed that was possible.

Q: Helena, you seem to go seamlessly between playing a beautiful sex symbol to a frightening villain, do you gravitate toward one type more than the other?

HELENA: Ah, this is the frightening sex symbol one, I guess. Somebody did actually propose to me in the lift today because in the light they found me attractive with a big head. No, you know what? Because I’m older, I only get villains. Look, whatever is well written and has somebody behind the camera that knows what they’re doing and is a really good storyteller. You know what was good actually is he did apply it to my waist. Did anyone notice that? Because they go on about my head, but my waist is digitalized. He told me that right at the beginning. He said, “Don’t worry. You’re going to have it obviously. Don’t go for the full pull-in with the corset every morning.” And so, I didn’t. And then, halfway through, he said, “You know, the waist is going to cost too much.” So then, halfway through, suddenly I went for the pull and then luckily at the end somebody just told me “No, we did. We could do the waist.”

Alice in Wonderland opens in theaters on March 5th.

Poll #1 Results

The Devil Wears Prada was voted number one in the first poll of what is your favorite Annie comedy. It's my personal favorite too - wee! Bride Wars took second but was hardly close.

What is your favorite Anne comedy?

Bride Wars	3(11%)
Get Smart	1(3%)
The Devil Wears Prada	19(70%)
The Princess Diaries	1(3%)
The Princess Diaries 2	1(3%)
Ella Enchanted	2(7%)

Votes: 27

Be sure to vote in the new poll, just added!