What You May Not Know About 'Wall-E'

Pixar Studio released the animated film "Wall-E" in 2008, set in a post-apocalyptic Earth and featuring a love story between two robots. Directed by Andrew Stanton, it delves into profound themes like human nature and environmentalism, earning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature that year. This article will uncover some secrets about this light-hearted yet thought-provoking film that you may not know.

1. Wall-E's dialogue in the movie is presented using electronic sounds, and it was masterfully designed by Ben Burtt. He previously crafted the sounds for R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" series and has worked on iconic films like "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones," "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," and more, earning him three Oscars.

2. Ben Burtt is a passionate sound collector who believes in preserving various sounds, anticipating their future use. For "Wall-E," he painstakingly created 2,400 entirely new sound effects to match the film's futuristic setting and storyline details.

3. The design of the film's main character, Wall-E, was inspired by a pair of binoculars. Director Andrew Stanton received binoculars during a baseball game, and he spent an inning studying them rather than watching the game.

4. The movie's dystopian setting portrays humanity in an automated, obese state. Initially, the director considered making humans appear as indistinguishable water droplets, revealing their true form only at the end. However, this abstract concept proved challenging to convey in the narrative, so humans were ultimately depicted in their recognizable form throughout the film.

5. Wall-E's favorite film in the movie is "Hello, Dolly!" with its music composed by Lionel Newman. Interestingly, "Wall-E" was scored by Thomas Newman, who happens to be Lionel Newman's nephew and an Oscar-winning composer.

6. Director Andrew Stanton previously won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature with "Finding Nemo." To enhance "Wall-E," he brought in award-winning sound designers and composers. Additionally, he enlisted the services of cinematographer Roger Deakins, a 12-time Oscar nominee, to lead the cinematography direction. Deakins' work gave the film a cinematic quality beyond typical animations.

7. Apart from assembling a highly skilled team, Andrew Stanton and Pixar spent a year and a half watching the works of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton daily during lunch. These two silent film legends provided inspiration on how to convey storytelling visually. They thoroughly studied these two iconic creators' works, including short films.

8. In the film, Wall-E has a close friend, a cockroach named Hal. This name pays homage to Hal Roach, a renowned filmmaker from the 1920s, and a nod to Stanley Kubrick's classic work "2001: A Space Odyssey," featuring artificial intelligence.

9. The name "Wall-E" stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth class, while "EVE" represents Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator.

10. Wall-E's character in the film potentially symbolizes the Ship of Theseus Paradox, a philosophical concept. Since Wall-E's parts have been replaced over time, it raises the question: Is he still the same Wall-E? This philosophical idea adds depth to the film's narrative.