The Demon Bear Brings The New Mutants Cast Pure Joy

It was a simple request: I’d say the words “Demon Bear,” and the cast of The New Mutants would tell me what pops into their heads. The results, as you can see above, were amazing.

In the new Marvel film, which opened (in theaters!?) this past weekend, a group of mutants is held against their will in a hospital they think is supposed to help them. It isn’t. Along the way, Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt) is haunted by this demonic presence referred to as a Demon Bear and, eventually, she and her fellow mutants have to team up to destroy it.

What’s so great about the memories the cast had of a massive CG effect like the Demon Bear are how they run the gamut. Some are about the film’s production. Others are about their friendships. And more than anything, it makes it very clear that though this cast made The New Mutants a long time ago, their memories of it won’t soon go away. You can watch them discuss it in the video above but we’ve also provided a transcript below (our videos also include a closed captioning option).

Did you see The New Mutants this weekend? What did you think?

Germain Lussier, io9: One thing I note that you guys tease in the trailer, that everyone’s kind of excited about; I’m gonna say two words and I’d like you to go around and say what you think when you hear it. The two words are “Demon Bear.”

[laughing]

Henry Zaga: It reminds me of a really funny line that Charlie says in the movie, “Nut up, Berto.”

Josh Boone: “Nut up, Berto!”

[laughing]

Charlie Heaton: It reminds me of our special effects supervisor who, after every shot with the potential bear in it, he would have to walk around with this absolutely ridiculous…

Boone: Embarrassing.

Heaton: …bear cape. That’s all. In the middle of a field. You know, that was what I had to look at you know we had to look at a lot of the time.

Alice Braga: Charlie stole my answer. Special effects.

Blu Hunt: You know, weirdly, the first thing that came to mind was just, “Aw, cute.” [demon bear roaring] I thought of the big, big, giant bear head too. The big, giant, green CGI bear head thing you had to act with.

Boone: I vividly remember Maisie hanging on the fake bear. It was bucking her up and down and all that. That was pretty great.

Zaga: I also remember Blu with the really sweet moment in one of our first days, when she’s talking about the bear inside. Very powerful.

Boone: Yeah, that was our, that was the first thing we shot, was the attic scene.

Hunt: First thing.

For more, make sure you’re following us on our Instagram @io9dotcom.