Russo Brothers, Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt Discuss ‘The Electric State’ at NYCC

Today was a big day for The Electric State. After being in the works for over five years, we finally got our first glimpse at the new movie due in March 2025. At New York Comic Con, the directors and main two leads sat down with Josh Horowitz to discuss the new movie with fans. Also, they were treated to an extended clip of the movie and a behind-the-scenes featurette (not yet available to the public). Here’s what we learned. 

Kicking off by giving a broad overview of the movie, Joe Russo described the film as “set in an alternate version of the 1990s,” serving as a “reimagining of our history if AI robots existed much earlier than they do now.” Joe refers to the fact that the story occurs after a giant war between humans and artificial intelligence. 

Russo Brothers on the adaptation process of bringing The Electric State from graphic novel to movie

Anthony Russo mentioned how important Simon Stålenhag’s art was to bring the movie to life. “His images are so striking,” adding, “the story that kind of unfolds in the graphic novel is very opaque,” referring to the fact the graphic novel often barely scratches the surface of the much deeper world crafted beneath. According to the brother, that made it challenging to convert into a straightforward narrative for a two-hour feature film, saying they had to really drill down on a specific narrative. 

The brothers said, “This is an ambitious undertaking… It’s a real passion project because it’s massive in scale,” emphasizing their love for telling “very, very big stories.” The duo also spoke about how the movie is somewhat of a reunion, not only working with Chris Pratt again but with other key collaborators from their Marvel days, including screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and editor Jeff Ford. They conclude that their ultimate aim is to deliver a cinematic experience that is “as big as it gets for folks.”

The Electric State. (L to R) Joe Russo (Director), Anthony Russo (Director) and Millie Bobby Brown as Michelle on the set of The Electric State. Photo Credit: Paul Abell, ©2024 Netflix, Inc.

Why Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown Signed Onto The Electric State

Pratt, who has rocketed to stardom thanks to roles in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and his voiceovers of popular characters like Mario and Garfield, spoke about why he was lured back to work with the Russos on this project in a more central role compared to his previous ensemble appearances in the Avengers movies.

“I had intended to take a chunk of time off to be home, and then I read the script, and I was like, ah f***, I guess have to do this movie. It was so good, and opportunities like this just don’t come around this often.” Pratt said, praising having the chance to work with the Russos again and other talent behind the screen that also worked on Marvel projects, such as the editor and the AD department. Pratt, saying he was moved to tears reading the script, also touched on the fact that it’s a giant new movie based on a new original IP. “It’s not typically the kind of thing made to be a blockbuster-style movie. It’s so original, and it’s a huge swing.”

Picture: Netflix

Millie echoed Chris’s sentiments and suggested that everything began with the script. “I just trusted my gut, read it, and immediately fell in love with the show. The fact that the Russos were attached just made me so excited.” Brown goes on to explain how she’s had a long-standing desire to work with the Russo brothers and how this movie fulfilled that dream. Millie also contrasted working with motion capture to her roles on Stranger Things or Damsel, saying, “For me, it was either a tennis ball or it was a costume. It was never the in-between.” Brown notes how the mo-cap actors in this movie, in particular, played a pivotal role in drawing out emotional responses, with a particular mention of Devon, the mo-cap actor who played Cosmo: “She drew out a lot of emotion in me, and I have a lot of emotional scenes with Cosmo.”

Did Pratt and Brown have an immediate connection on set? According to them, yes! Brown suggested that she had anxiety around seeing her co-star for the first time in an elevator and thinking, “Oh my god, that’s Chris Pratt.” But the initial intimidation quickly faded, and they became fast friends, stating, “He walked onto the set, and he’s like, ‘Hey!’ As if he’s known me my whole life.” This instant connection helped, according to the duo, create a comfortable working environment with plenty of laughter, which “transpires on screen” and creates a rare, authentic energy.

Expect A 90s Feeling Movie and The Film Will Be Amblin-Style

A few other takeaways from the panel include that they referred to the movie on multiple occasions as an Amblin-style movie and nostalgia will play a big part in the film, particularly with cues from 1990s pop culture. Brown even said she modeled her character initially on a 90s Drew Barrymore. 

Amblin-style refers to the works of Steven Spielberg on projects like his ET as well as other feel-good family blockbusters from other movies from the 80s and 90s like Back to the Future. Joe suggests the movie “cherry picks” certain aspects of the 90s, including teasing a stellar soundtrack for the upcoming movie, and that The Electric State is very “Zemeckis in tone,” referring to the director of the Back to the Future movies signature style.

That’s our roundup of what Brown, Pratt, and the Russos said at the NYCC panel. Are you excited about the new film? Let us know in the comments.