While Elios has no confirmed sequel, audiences generally always wants to see the story of Pixar's renowned worlds go on—and that's no different with the studios' latest release. Thankfully, star Yonas Kibread knows exactly what he would want to see next.
His first film, which is now playing in theaters worldwide, saw Kibread's titular character desperate for a place to fit in, leading him to be abducted by aliens and let into an alien society deep in space. There, he also ran into Brett Garrett's Lord Grigon, a warlord who was recently denied access to the same community that Elios was being quickly accepted in.
The Direct sat down with Yonas Kibread to discuss Pixar's latest animated adventure, where the actor touched on the important themes of friendship, while sharing what he wants to see in Elios' next story.
Kibread noted that if an Elios 2 happens, he would "want [Elios] to explore Earth next," in the same way he was able to explore the Communiverse. A narrative direction like this could make perfect sense, seeing as Elios does everything in his power to avoid Earth in his debut movie.
The actor also had powerful thoughts to share in regards to the importance of friendship, a key element in Elios' story. Kibreab told The Direct that "It's great to just always be yourself, because that's the best self you can be."
Yonas Kibreab on What He Wants to See in a Hypthetical Elio 2
"I Would Want Him to Explore Earth Next..."
- The Direct: "Hypothetically, if there were an 'Elio 2,' what do you want to do next with the character? What would you love to explore with him?"
Yonas Kibreab: I would want him to explore Earth next and get a feel for like—I want to see him have fun with his friends, you know, because towards the end, you really see Elio's emotional journey, how he's a little bit more shy, and he kind of finds himself later in the movie. And I just want to see him, just like he was exploring the Communiverse, explore Earth.
- The Direct: "Throughout the whole process, what was the most surprising challenge you faced as a performer while bringing this story to life?"
Kibreab: I think really just, it is like that for all movies, but all the emotional scenes for me are a little bit more challenging than just him being goofy or, like funny, because also, especially when you're doing voiceover, it's hard to project emotions through your voice when they can't see you, like on camera can, and those were the more challenging, but I did learn a lot from those
- The Direct: "Do you and Elio share the same desire to be abducted by aliens?"
Kibreab: Oh man, yeah, if I could be abducted, I would definitely go, I don't know for how long, but I could definitely go up there for like, a few days. I mean, there's so much in space that not everybody, like, it's only something that you hear about other people talking, like astronauts, and to be able to experience that, I would love to try it out.
Elio Star Yonas Kibreab on the Importance of Friendship
"What's Nice About Their Friendship Is That They Don't Have to Be Different..."
- The Direct: "You mentioned friendship, which is a huge part of this film. How does Elios relationship with Glordon reflect your own experience in your life?"
Yonas Kibreab: I mean, Elio and Glordon share so much in common, even though Glordon is an alien and Elio is a human. But what's nice about their friendship is that they don't have to be different, like they don't have to try and be someone that they're not, because they have so much in common, and they're really friends, like, they don't have to change the way they are. And I think that's a great thing. With me and my friends, I can be as goofy as I want with them, and they won't judge me for it. It's great to just always be yourself, because that's the best self you can be.
- The Direct: "Did you and Remy ever record lines together?"
Kibreab: Yea, it was a little bit long ago. But I mean, it was super fun because I usually don't get to record with other people, and that's just how it is with any show or recording, usually. But when I got to record with him, it was so fun because he's a kid like me, and to be able to record with someone also my age was super fun. And we got to go to Disney World together recently for some press stuff, so I got to know him more.
- The Direct: "Now, Elio is a really fun character, but early in the movie, you get access to some cloning goo, which then presents the opportunity for you to play two different versions of yourself. What was it like with that performance? How did you approach each one of these people?"
Kibreab: I think Elio and other Elio are same, but different. I mean, I think with me, other Elio is a little bit creepy. Without disclosing too much, There were some creepy scenes with other Elio, but I think, I didn't have to do too much to tap in from other Elio to Elio, because sometimes we would record them like right after each other. So I would say one line and then the other line, but two different characters, and sometimes we would do them separately. But, I mean, I feel like it was really cool, because I've never experienced that before.
The full interview can be seen here:
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