Our coverage of The Emoji Movie wraps up with video interviews from the cast. Legendary actor Sir Patrick Stewart steals the movie as Poop. His dialogue is loaded with wicked double entendres. The venerated thespian has a wonderful sense of humor. Sir Patrick had a blast voicing Poop. Stewart was paired with comic genius Maya Rudolph for our interview. They had a great time making this film. We delved into what apps they use on a daily basis. Sorry folks, no Grindr or Tinder for these two. Sir Patrick likes weather apps, while Maya Rudolph loves Timehop. I am a diehard Star Trek fan. Sir Patrick made my day when he gave us an “engage” for the outro. It just doesn’t get any cooler than that.
T.J. Miller and Jake Austin round out our emoji interviews. T.J. had flown directly from the set of Deadpool 2. He was exhausted, but always funny and forthcoming. We really appreciate his love for Movieweb and a Deadpool scoop about Weasel’s new gun. T.J. was honest about making a movie about emojis. He was skeptical about the concept at first, but was won over by Director Tony Leondis’ vision. Jake Austin has already had a lot of experience doing voice over work. The Wizards of Waverly Place star has done multiple animated projects, including voicing Blue Beetle on Teen Titans and Young Justice. He discusses his dating game in high school and what drew him to The Emoji Movie.
The Emoji Movie stars T.J. Miller as Gene, a “meh” emoji who’s struggling with being just one emotion. He lives with his parents in the bustling Textopolis. This is the emoji world that’s programmed into every smart phone. Gene’s life takes a turn for the worst on his first day of work. His user in the real world is Alex (Jake Austin), a shy teenager trying to impress a girl. When Gene’s emoji is called on to be “meh”, he freaks out under the pressure. The result is embarrassing for Alex and potentially deadly for Gene.
Gene’s breakdown leads Alex to believe his phone is broken. He takes it the mobile store to be fixed. As panic fills Textopolis, the original emoji, Smiler (Maya Rudolph) takes drastic action. Gene is soon on the run with his best friend, Hi-5 (James Corden). They navigate through the apps on Gene’s phone to find Jailbreak (Anna Faris). She’s a pirated emoji that can help Gene get reprogrammed. Gene, Jailbreak, and Hi-5 are in a race against time. They need to escape Smiler’s goons and help Gene before Alex deletes the memory on his phone.
From Sony Pictures, The Emoji Movie is a children’s comedy with a message. Written and directed by Tony Leondis, the film is based on his childhood experiences. He struggled coming out of the closet to his friends and family. The Emoji Movie is about being yourself no matter what. It’s a clever delivery that will resonate with kids and adults. The Emoji Movie opens on Friday, July 28th. Please see our interviews below with T.J. Miller, Jake Austin, Maya Rudolph, and Sir Patrick Stewart.