Fun facts on the making of "Mars Needs Moms"

CEBU, Philippines - Produced by the team behind Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” and “The Polar Express,” “Mars Needs Moms” showcases nine-year-old Milo’s (Seth Green) quest to save his mom (Joan Cusack) from Martians. What follows is a wild adventure in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D that involves stowing away on a spaceship, navigating an elaborate, multi-level planet and taking on the alien nation and their leader.

Get a load on some fun trivia below on the making of “Mars Needs Moms.”

INSPIRED — Berkeley Breathed is the author and illustrator of the book, “Mars Needs Moms.” The story was inspired by a particular moment of disagreement that took place between his son and wife. For the lead character, the book and film adopted the same name as Breathed’s son: Milo.

According to Breathed: “The movie would not exist if not for a single plate of broccoli left uneaten at the Breathed dinner table on August 10, 2006. That led a real Milo, 5, screaming The Unthinkable at a real mom, leaving her in tears... and leaving me to explain to a stewing son how he might feel if the mother he claimed he didn't love might suddenly disappear via -- I was grasping-- Martians. I wrote the book that night. Five years later, the real Milo will watch as kids around the planet will see the creative, happy, hopeful result of one of his life's darkest moments.”

HE’S NO EXTRA — Berkeley Breathed and his wife hung out on the movie set a couple of times. Breathed even performed as a body extra on one occasion, standing in as a crowd member.

BOLLYWOOD GOES TO MARS — On the last day of production, the cast, crew, stunt people, caterers, utility players, filmmakers— essentially everybody— shot a rousing, choreographed Bollywood-style musical performance to the 'Mad Martian Mo-cap Mambo' that Composer John Powell wrote for the moment in the movie when Milo and Gribble interrupt the Hairy Tribe Guys' celebration. The number is featured in the end credits of the film.

I CAN FLY — Seth Green spent three-quarters of the movie in a flying harness to simulate low gravity. Joan Cusack also had to perform her surface-of-Mars scenes in a harness alongside Green. “Coordinating the two of them led to a lot of hilarity,” says director Simon Wells.

To allow Seth to move in low-gravity anywhere in the volume, Garrett Warren and his team devised one of the most complex flying pulley systems ever created for a motion picture.

The producers wouldn’t let director Simon Wells take a turn in the flying rig until shooting had wrapped. When it finally happened, says Wells, stunt coordinator and second unit director Garrett Warren did his level best to make him motion sick.

KUNG-FU EARTHMEN — Between takes Seth Green and Dan Fogler would act out slow-motion kung-fu fights—with vocals and sound effects! The head-cam team made them a set of Shuriken (Japanese throwing stars) out of Velcro, which—since the costumes were also made out of Velcro (to attach sensors and telemetry gear)—would stick to the actors.

ALIEN CONNECTION—Writers Simon and Wendy Wells, married 23 years, have always had an affinity for sci-fi stories. Simon comes from a well-established line of science fiction authors, and Wendy is still hoping to be abducted by aliens.

THE REAL TRICK TO LOOKING YOUNGER — The magic of performance capture allowed a 35-year-old actor (Seth Green) portray a 9-year-old boy (Milo)!

WONDERFUL WIVES—Both Dan Fogler and Seth Green got married during the making of the movie, although not to each other.

(Opening soon across the Philippines in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular format, “Mars Needs Moms” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.) (FREEMAN)