50 Fun Facts About WALL-E

Who directed WALL-E?

He co-wrote the screenplay with Jim Reardon from a story he developed with Pete Docter.

In what year is the film's Earth setting?

Humanity left on Buy n Large starships 700 years earlier.

What is the name of the starship EVE comes from?

Its interior was designed to evoke Shanghai and Dubai, with Santiago Calatrava's architecture as a reference.

What is WALL-E's pet?

It is named Hal after silent-film producer Hal Roach, and as a nod to HAL 9000.

What does WALL-E stand for?

EVE is the Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator.

Which musical does WALL-E watch on video cassette?

Stanton had played Barnaby Tucker in a 1980 high school production of it.

Which megacorporation evacuated humanity from Earth?

A promotional website for the company ran fake press releases starting in 2057.

What is AUTO's secret no-return directive called?

It was recorded by the company's CEO in 2110; A113 is a recurring Pixar in-joke.

Who plays the live-action CEO Shelby Forthright?

Stanton cast him as "the most friendly and insincere car salesman I could think of".

Which robot saves WALL-E and EVE from being ejected with the garbage?

The cleaning robot jams the airlock; Ben Burtt voices both M-O and WALL-E.

Who provides the voice of WALL-E?

The Star Wars sound designer had told his wife he was done with robot films before this one.

Which Pixar employee was cast as EVE after her voice was modified for tests?

Burtt could only produce neutral or masculine voices, so Knight was recorded and electronically modified.

What provides the voice of AUTO?

Stanton wanted a cold, calculating voice and thought Hawking's kind of voice was perfect.

Which actress voices the Axiom's computer?

Stanton joked, "You realize you get to be 'Mother' now?" — the ship computer from Alien.

Who voices Captain B. McCrea?

His name is never spoken; it appears only on a portrait in his quarters.

How much did the film cost to produce?

It was a record sum for an animated film at the time.

Which short film was paired with WALL-E in theaters?

BURN-E was made later for the home release.

Where did WALL-E premiere on June 23, 2008?

The U.S. release followed on June 27 in 3,992 theaters.

Roughly how much did the film gross worldwide?

It was the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2008.

In which year was WALL-E added to the U.S. National Film Registry?

It was the second Pixar film selected, after Toy Story.

At which 1994 Pixar lunch was WALL-E first conceived?

Stanton asked, "What if mankind had to leave Earth and somebody forgot to turn off the last robot?"

What was the project's early working title?

Stanton and Docter spent two months on it in 1995 before Docter left to direct Monsters, Inc.

Which Pixar boss disliked the title, then spelled "W.A.L.-E."?

He and Lasseter were impressed enough by a 2003 story reel to green-light development anyway.

In an early draft, what had the Axiom's humans devolved into?

They spoke gibberish and had a royal family; Stanton scrapped it as too bizarre.

How many storyboards did WALL-E require, versus a usual 75,000?

It was Pixar's most complex production since Monsters, Inc.

Which two places did Pixar study to design the ruined Earth?

Art director Anthony Christov, from Bulgaria, recalled Sofia's garbage problems.

Why was WALL-E made yellow?

Eggleston avoided yellow and green elsewhere so WALL-E and the plant would stand out.

Which two live-action visual experts advised Pixar on lighting and atmosphere?

Muren spent several months at Pixar; Deakins stayed two extra weeks after a talk.

Which film was Stanton planning next, making live action a stepping stone?

Industrial Light & Magic handled the visual effects for the live-action shots.

What inspired WALL-E's eyes?

Stanton "missed the entire inning" of an A's–Red Sox game playing with them.

Which designer was asked to inspect EVE's design?

Her eyes were modelled on Lite-Brite toys.

AUTO is a conscious homage to which movie computer?

The Blue Danube and Also sprach Zarathustra cues reinforce the 2001 connection.

Which robot's similarity to WALL-E did Stanton not notice until others pointed it out?

Johnny 5 is the star of Short Circuit.

Which two silent comedians did the crew watch every day for almost a year?

Stanton cited Keaton's "great stone face" as inspiration for WALL-E's unchanging expression.

What were the Axiom's humans physically modelled on?

The team noticed baby fat is tighter than adult fat and copied that texture.

How many sounds did Burtt record for the film?

That was twice the average for a Star Wars film and a record in his career.

What 1950 device, bought on eBay, provides WALL-E's movement sound?

Burtt spotted one in the film Island in the Sky and found an identical unpacked unit online.

What sound signals WALL-E's battery is fully recharged?

An automobile self-starter was used for when he moves fast.

How was EVE's plasma cannon sound created?

Burtt called it a "cousin" of the Star Wars blaster.

What did Burtt take apart and reassemble to make Hal's skittering?

For the shopping-cart chase he crashed a cart around a parking lot with a recorder inside.

Who composed the score?

He had worked with Stanton on Finding Nemo and began writing in 2005.

Who co-wrote and sang the end credits song "Down to Earth"?

Newman travelled to London to write it with him; it won a Grammy.

Which 2003 film made Stanton drop his idea of opening with 1930s French swing?

He did not want to appear to be copying it.

Whose recording of "La Vie en rose" plays as WALL-E tries to impress EVE?

Bing Crosby's "Stardust" was scripted for the space dance, but Newman scored it instead.

Which country denied the film a theatrical release?

Japan was its biggest overseas market at about $44 million.

Why did Imagineering's animatronic WALL-Es avoid meeting children?

The 318 kg robots were strictly controlled; photo-seekers got a cardboard cutout.

Which film swept the 2009 Annie Awards over WALL-E?

WALL-E still won the Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA for animated feature.

WALL-E was the first animated feature to win the top prize from which group?

Disney pushed for an Oscar Best Picture nomination, which did not happen.

Which boutique label released WALL-E on 4K in 2022, a first for Pixar?

Disney licensed it at Stanton's request, in Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

Which lead animator's Lego WALL-E was approved through Lego Ideas in 2015?

MacLane had earlier suggested mounting WALL-E's arms on side tracks, inspired by his father's inkjet printers.