Back into the “Wonderland” tunnel

Since the late 1800s, “Alice in Wonderland” has been the unnerving story in households across the world. A blond-haired girl in Mary Jane shoes and a blue dress topped with a pinafore, Alice portrays the curious protagonist in the Disney animation that follows a rabbit into a tunnel.

With Tim Burton directing the new sequel to “Alice in Wonderland,” it will be a “ground-breaking story…with live action characters,” says Arick Salmea, who stars as a nobleman of the Red Queen. Alice is now 19-years-old and returns to Wonderland after receiving an unwanted marriage proposal. “It’s a journey of self-discovery for Alice and an exciting new adventure leading her to a few spills and a few chills to save Wonderland from the terror of the Red Queen, and oh yeah, the Jabberwocky.”

“This movie embraces all that we love about these characters,” Salmea explains, “It’s new, it’s fresh and it’s got the stamp of a visionary on it.”

Inspire magazine had the opportunity to talk to both Arick Salmea who stars as a nobleman, and Amy Bailey who portrays the Hatteress.

Arick Salmea

Alice in Wonderland has been anticipated for years, what were your expectations upon signing onto the movie?

Arick Salmea: Growing up I loved “Alice in Wonderland.” First I saw the Disney movie and then I read my grandmothers book and I loved it! When I was a little kid, there were some scary parts to it. I always thought it was more of an adult movie than a kids’ movie because of the surreal things that go on in it, like the Jabberwocky or the Red Queen decreeing decapitations. But I think that’s the genius of Alice in Wonderland, both kids and adults alike relish the fantasy of falling into a rabbit hole only to come out in a fantastic new technicolor world. When I heard that Tim Burton was directing a new “Alice in Wonderland,” I jumped at the opportunity. With what tech-wizards can do now with CGI and 3-D and then throw in a visionary genius like Tim Burton, you have a recipe for eye candy galore with that special sprinkle of Disney magic.

Amy Bailey: Tim Burton doing “Alice” just seems like the perfect match. The story is a classic, but man, is it kooky. And I don’t think any director tops Mr. Burton for bringing kooky to the big screen. So my expectations were very high, but I was still blown away by all of the cool, amazing ideas he had.

Who do you play and what is their role in the movie?

Arick Salmea: I play the Nobleman of the Red Queen’s court. I have some great scenes with The Mad Hatter. In fact, since most of my role is in the end of the movie, I’d be ruining the climactic ending for you, and I could be beheaded for that one. I guess I’ll just say it’s really exciting, and hold on to those 3-D goggles.

Amy Bailey: My character is called “Hatteress” and she is part of the Mad Hatter’s world. The Red Queen is taking over Wonderland and the Jabberwocky terrorizes the village where my character lives. I get chased down by a fire-breathing dragon…a new experience for me.

Amy Bailey

The outfits must have been interesting to see and wear! Could you talk a little about them and what you wore?

Arick Salmea: The outfits are out of this world. They are so beautiful, creepy and fun all at the same time. The characters look…distorted and warped, in some cases, in a laugh-out-loud kind of way. My costume was really awesome. It was royal velvet and looked very expensive. I had some awesome wigs and prosthetics, and everyone called me Shakespeare on the set.

Amy Bailey: The costumes were just outrageous and fabulous! I have worked with the designer Colleen Atwood before (on Rob Marshall’s “Nine”) and so it was an honor to wear her creations again. Movie-goers simply won’t know the incredible detail – for example, I was wearing about 3 petticoats under my dress and they were all unique sumptuous silks, but I don’t think you can see it in the movie. I wore a bright orange wig, as all the hatter clan have orangey hair like Johnny. The coolest costumes on set though were for the people of the Red Court. They had insane prosthetic, like huge ears or quadruple chins, and they looked so real!

The cast list is incredible! What was it like to be alongside some of the busiest and powerful people of the industry?

Arick Salmea: Just another day in the neighborhood. Just kidding. It was very inspiring! Being able to see Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter work is incredible. The focus and concentration that they have helped me understand the level of dedication you need to be in a movie like this.

Amy Bailey: I feel lucky to have worked with some very talented people. I was obsessed with Tim Burton as a kid and I have seen everything he has ever done! So it really was a dream come true to work on one of his movies. Anne Hathaway is lovely; it was the second time I have worked with her. Yes, these people are super busy and powerful, but they are also artists and just want to do a great job.

Did it feel surreal to be filming on the sets?

Arick Salmea: This was probably the most surprising aspect of acting in this film. Most of the acting was in…fully Green-Screened sound stages, with green screen props and in some cases costumes. So really, the only point of reference was your own costume. I was hoping to see these gorgeous sets filled with giant flowers and beautiful lush landscapes and instead I was in a neon green room.We really didn’t know what the movie would look like. Much like when I was reading the book when I was a kid, I had to rely on my imagination to fill in the colors.

Amy Bailey: I was really inspired by the detail that the production team put into everything. I mean, they are already using so much CGI, but…they made sure every single person was approved by Tim and that they fit the vision. One day that sticks out is when they brought in the stunt-doubles. These girls and guys literally got thrown around and dropped from the ceiling all day. They were amazing and it impressed me that production wanted “real” people to do that stuff instead of just animating it.

“Alice in Wonderland” premieres March 5, 2010.