Banks aims to build on Lego Movie 2 success
Lego Movie 2 star wants to do more with her career than what Hollywood expects
If you thought the first Lego Movie’s insanely catchy theme Everything Is Awesome was a piece of earworm you couldn’t escape, wait till you hear the unshakable song from The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. It’s called, of course, Catchy Song.
“Honestly, it’s like getting a disease that doesn’t go away,” says Elizabeth Banks, who voices the spunky Lucy/wyldstyle. “The second you said Catchy Song, I started humming it in my head. In my mind I could already hear it playing,” she says. “But that idea of having a song whose entire point is to get stuck inside your head is really fun.”
In the followup to the 2014 original, Banks, who turns 45 on Feb. 10, returns alongside Chris Pratt (as Emmet, the eternal optimist), Will Arnett (Batman), Alison Brie (Unikitty), Nick Offerman (Metalbeard) and Charlie Day (Benny). They are joined by new characters voiced by Tiffany Haddish (Queen Watevra Wa’nabi), Stephanie Beatriz (General Mayhem) and Pratt (Rex Dangervest).
Q Elizabeth, my first question is from my nine-year-old nephew. He wants to know what makes Emmet so special when it’s your character, Lucy, who does all the spectacular things?
A (Laughs) You know, Emmet has an optimism and purity about him. He sees the good in everything, and I think that’s a wonderful quality to have. You need that balance in your life. Lucy is a doer and she likes to get things done, but Emmet balances her out because she can be blind to the sweet, good things in life.
Q It’s been five years since the first one. Does that seem like a long wait?
A I feel like we took the time to get it right and make something we’re all really, really proud of.
Q The movie is bright and funny, and we get to explore new lands like Apocalypseburg and the Systar System, but there’s a depth to Lego 2. What do you hope young people take away from this movie?
A When we’re young, we need to find out who we are authentically and love ourselves. Lucy loving Emmet at the end of the movie (despite their differences) really represents that. That’s the message I want young people to take away. I want them to find the version of themselves that makes them feel proud and makes them feel loved.
Q Where do you keep the Lego you?
A (Laughs) I have a bunch of Lego me’s. They kind of spread out all over.
Q There are 523 characters in the movie, and some pretty fun cameos. Who was your favourite?
A Probably RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) — that was a pretty fun cameo. I think it represents the power of women in the movie.
Q You and Chris Pratt have great animated chemistry. What makes him the perfect guy to play Emmet?
A Well, he really embodies Emmet. He’s a very bright, optimistic, grateful, gratitude junkie. I adore him.
Q One of the things I think that’s really cool about you is you do it all: You write, direct, act, produce, do business interviews. What are you digging most?
A Thank you for noticing ... I’m certainly following in the footsteps of a lot of great, cool women that came before me. I think about Barbra Streisand, Jodie Foster, Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon — these are women that I really look up to. I also feel compelled to do more in a business that doesn’t ask much of us. That’s where I see the opportunity. If no one’s asking me to do it, and I want to do it, then I’m going to try and make that opportunity for myself. Telling stories that are female-centred with voices that we don’t necessarily hear at the forefront all the time is another thing I want to do.
Q We’re really excited for your Charlie’s Angels reboot that’s coming out later this year. What can fans of that franchise expect from your version?
A We worked really hard to honour the legacy of Charlie’s Angels. I think it was so revolutionary to say that women could solve crime. I mean, that show called out sexism in the opening credits. These women went to the police academy, but they didn’t give them good enough jobs so now they work for (Bosley). We took that to heart. So the idea that women can fulfil their wildest dreams, put all their skills to use and work together and support each other is something people can expect. Also, it’s just a lot of fun.
I want (young people) to find the version of themselves that makes them feel proud and makes them feel loved.