It stars Tom Hanks (in multiple roles), Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen. The film depicts human characters using live action and motion capture computer animation, with production sequences for the latter taking place from June 2003 to May 2004.
Did Tom Hanks do all the motion capture for Polar Express?
Since the character is a kid, Tom Hanks couldn't do all the motion capture work by himself. Josh Hutcherson, who was a child at the time, did the motion capture work that Tom Hanks couldn't.
Besides Hero Boy, Hero Girl, Know-It-All and Billy, several other children are seen onboard the Polar Express in both the book and film. While they are not referred to by name in the movie, their names are revealed on a model sheet that is featured in The Art of the Polar Express.
Who plays the hobo on top of the train in Polar Express?
Tom Hanks voiced an incredible 5 characters (6 if you count the narrator as a separate character) in the 2004 motion capture hit, The Polar Express. He voiced the 'Hero Boy's' father, the train conductor, the hobo, Santa Clause, and the Scrooge puppet.
The Polar Express 2 is confirmed as in development, but it's still in the early stages and may not get made. The original film was a technological innovation but initially had mixed reviews and was an expensive flop.
How much did Tom Hanks get paid for The Polar Express?
You won't believe how much Hanks made for his Polar Express roles (he voiced seven characters, to be exact). According to the Los Angeles Times, the actor and producer made a $40 million salary plus 20% of the first-dollar gross, which adds up to an estimated $100 million total.
Tom Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor who did the voice and motion-capture for the Conductor, the Hobo, Santa Claus, and Hero Boy's father, the motion-capture for Hero Boy, and the voice for Hero Boy as an adult in the 2004 film, The Polar Express.
Many of the children's faces animate in an odd way, breaking the illusion that these could be real kids. Smiling seems particularly challenging for the animators, as faces don't fully sell the emotion. The Uncanny Valley phenomenon causes an odd sensation and some viewers won't experience it at all.
The Polar Express features a talented cast of voice actors and motion capture performers, like Tom Hanks and Daryl Sabara. Hero Boy, played by Daryl Sabara, is the main character who embarks on a quest to the North Pole. Eddie Deezen plays Know-It-All, the nerdy child who is a memorable character throughout the film.
Why was there two voice actors for The Polar Express?
Why are there two actors for each of the major children's parts? The film was done in all Digital Capture so they had one actor/actress who acted out a character for the Digital Capture and then one actor/actress who voiced the character.
The hobo's identity is never revealed in the movie, leaving it open to interpretation as to who he is and what his true purpose is. Some fans have speculated that he is a representation of Santa Claus, while others think he may be a guardian angel sent to look after the children on their journey.
But he isn't. One of the film's nearly half-dozen characters voiced by Tom Hanks — here with the pitch of his voice artificially dropped, making him sound sounding strangely like Donald Sutherland — Santa is stiff, boring, and not at all sounding like himself.
The modern figure of Santa is based on folklore traditions surrounding Saint Nicholas, the English figure of Father Christmas, the German Belsnickel and the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas.
How many times did Tom Hanks play in Polar Express?
In fact, he played a total of six roles in the festive movie ― The Conductor, Santa, The Hero Boy, The Hero Boy's Dad, The Ebenezer Scrooge Puppet, The Ghost on the Train, and The Narrator (phew). Originally, producer Steve Starkey revealed in the video, Tom just wanted to play the conductor.
Who is the guy on the top of the train in Polar Express?
Hobo – The Hobo is a magical and ghostly character who inhabits the roof of the train and understands the true meaning of Christmas. He plays Devil's Advocate to test the strength of the Hero Boy's skepticism about Santa throughout the film.
The Polar Express 2 does not have an official release date, but it will likely be announced in the future. There is no official release date for The Polar Express 2, but there is a strong likelihood of its production.
Adam Sandler's four film projects of 2023 propelled him to an annual salary of $73m (£57m), making him the highest-paid performer in Hollywood, according to Forbes magazine.
But, the Hobo didn't have a ghost to save him, and he died on the job. Now the Hobo haunts the area he spent most of his life in, the Polar Express, helping kids and workers on there, but he still misses his time as Santa.
Had the scene not been cut, it would have confirmed the Hobo as a ghost. It can be speculated that the Hobo is Jack Frost rather than a ghost, due to his ability to appear and disappear into the snow and how he moved on top of a moving ice-covered train during a blizzard while carrying a child without trouble.
However, the story wasn't a dream, as the main character tells Billy, and the bell at the end proves it. Magic can explain how the train could make that incredible journey in less than a night and survive all those perils.
