LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures ~ Producers Interview! #LEGOFreemakerEvent

LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures

Premiering on Disney XD on June 20th at 10am est! 

While in LA last week we were lucky enough to watch a preview screening of the first episode of LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures.  We also interviewed the executive producers, Bill Motz and Bob Roth, and Nicolas Cantu who voices Rowan Freemaker in the show.

Told in the whimsically-charged style that audiences have come to expect from LEGO Star Wars entertainment, the series stars the Freemakers, a family of scavengers who build and sell starships from the scoured debris of space battles strewn throughout the galaxy. When their youngest discovers a natural connection with the Force through an ancient artifact — the Kyber Saber — his world is turned upside down, and he and his family are thrown into an epic struggle against the Empire to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy. Throughout their adventures, the Freemakers explore new worlds, meet new and familiar characters, and learn the true value of what it means to be a family.

Before sharing our interview with you watch the trailer below and get excited to watch the show next Monday!!

When Bill and Bob entered the room they were both wearing Star Wars t shirts and you could tell their love of Star Wars and the project they’ve been working on for some time is truly their ‘baby’ and they’re so proud that it’ll be airing in a couple weeks. 

Are there going to be Lego sets so kids can have their own sets to go along with watching the show?

The star scavenger and eclipse kits are already in stores, although it doesn’t actually say Freemaker Adventures on the box as everything has been branded as Star Wars.  Bill made sure to let us know that it is their characters on the front of the box. 

Bob continued; “That is a crazy moment.  Walking into a store and going, oh yeah there’s the starship we created, yeah. Two of those, thanks.”

Bill and Bob went to LEGO’s headquarters in Denmark, over a year ago, to discuss with their designers about the ships.  They said that working with the designers was surreal, they use LEGO’s to create like an artist uses paper and pencil. 

BM       :           And so it was really fun. And so we got to talk about story function like the things that we wanted to have happen. Because in our minds, for example, the star scavenger, it’s a truck.

BR        :           You know I see some people online say, it’s an ugly ship. Yeah, that’s the point.

BM       :           Very few people go, wow that 18 wheeler, that’s a piece of machinery right there. But it’s very functional you know and we loved the dispute that it could just fly through space or it would just drift.

What is it like having a story part of the Star Wars story? Something that you created is now a part of Star Wars?

Bob Ruth shared with us a very personal story, speaking to his love of Star Wars and how much this entire project means to him. 

In 1977, when my brother came home and said we’re going to the movies tonight. I’m playing outside and didn’t want to go to a movie.  No, no, we’ve got to go. There’s a movie, it’s better than Star Trek. Which I was like, nothing’s better than Star Trek.  He said no, no, trust me. We’re going to go. And then the TV happened to be on an ad and I remembered seeing the trailer.  Okay this actually maybe is better than Star Trek.  We went and it was a magical memory. I walked in there, seven years old not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. What seven-year-old does, right?  That’s not a problem but I walked out of there going, oh I totally know what I want to do with my life. I want to give other kids the feeling I had right now.

It’s just huge joy bursting out of me. And I did. I had my brother to thank for that. And you know the beauty of it is, is that my brother is not with us anymore. And I always will have the memory of that night. He gave me Star Wars.

Following the story of Star Wars you tell that it is very much about family and so is Lego.

I’m just rambling at this point. But I remember the basement in our home growing up I had all my Star Wars put up on the shelves on one wall. And then on the other wall I had in the corner I had Lego. And I would build Lego bases. But they didn’t make Star Wars Legos.  So I could build little bases from my can of Star Wars figures just to bring it all together into one universe.

So what’s it like? This is what I’ve been doing since I was seven. So it’s, I’m not just doing it in my head anymore.

What has been the biggest challenge creating this show aside from keeping the secret for a year?

FEAR.  We were actually on another show, on staff and we had to make a choice about if we were going to leave that job to jump into this. And to be honest with you it was intimidating because this is a partnership between Lucas film and Lego and the Disney Corporation.   And we were just like that is overwhelming you know.  We’ve worked for Disney before you know and there’s stuff that we just knew and like this could be really amazing.  And it’s a thing that we love so much.

We thought what if we screw it up? And you know what if we make this thing that’s not good? And look, I hope we entertain families and fans but I don’t want to let us down. And so we honestly, it was just really kind of moment where we were like, do we want it? I mean we actually ended that morning when we had to make the decision we’re going to not do the show. And some friends of ours, thank goodness, were like what are you thinking?

Once the decision was made to follow through with the show overcoming their fear just had to happen, it was like being shot out of a canon!

                 Towards the end of our interview Nicolas Cantu, the voice talent for Rowan Freemaker, joined us.  What a bundle of energy he is.  You can tell how excited he is for his role in this epic production.

Asked how it is to be part of the Star Wars legacy he said it was a big thing for him, it is a dream come true.  Add in Lego, which is every kids dream, and he knows he is really lucky to have this opportunity and it is really amazing.

It’s just, it’s the whole package though, a Disney show, Lego, Star Wars.

We asked him what is it like having a toy of himself?  To which he jokingly replied that he might as well just retire. 

Both Bill and Bob speak highly of Nicolas’ enthusiasm, his intelligence and that he is an incredibly talented and intuitive actor.  They’re lucky that he is because they can write in the comedy they want to, knowing that Nicolas will be able to get the job done voicing Rowan.  Not only comedy, there are some emotional scenes coming in future episodes and the entire cast is impressed with how he pulls it all off so successfully.

What do you think kids are going to really like about this show? If you were talking to other kids about it what would you tell them?

I’d tell them that if they watched any other Lego stuff you know the comedy is very strong. I love all the Lego jokes in there. They’re all very funny. And you’re also going to get that classic Star Wars storytelling that you’ve come to know and love, the battle between good and evil.  
So I think they’re going to enjoy kind of the mix between all of it, it’s got adventure; it’s got action and comedy.

During LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures premiere week, Disney XD will debut a new episode each day, beginning Monday, June 20 at 10am through Thursday, June 23.

The first episode will also be available via Video on Demand (VOD) and the Disney XD app for users on tablets, phones, set top boxes and computers on Monday, June 20. 

 

 

 

 

Disclosure: I received an all expense paid trip to LA for a three-day press trip, which included Lego product samples, but all excitement is my own. Some links are affiliate links.