Antonio Banderas Explains Why It's Important to Talk to Young Audiences About Life and Death

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is headed to theaters later this month and while the film sees the return of the fan-favorite fear-defying feline, it also is teasing the end of an era of sorts, with trailers for the upcoming film suggesting that Puss may be ready for retirement even as he heads off on what might be his biggest adventure to date. As is the nature of any film that deals with the idea of adventure and journeys, the film touches on some difficult subjects as they pertain to life and death and now, star Antonio Banderas explains why it's important to talk to young audiences about those matters. Speaking with ComicBook.com's Chris Killian, Banderas said that living through the pandemic has made talking about life and death and the beauty of life makes these conversations important and using a beloved, uplifting character to guide them is a great tool.

"I suppose that the years of the pandemic has something to do with putting on the table the possibility of reflecting in front of a very young audience about life and death and I think that it came about to be very positive in the way that we did it because in reality, what comes out again is not so much death but how beautiful is the value of life itself," Banderas said." That's the most important thing that we have, our existence and after the pandemic in which kids have been confined with their families and they have been watching television and watching all the news and experiencing something that even for us adults was strong, but for kids that are in the time of relationship, of going to school, playing together, all of those things they will cut, you know, everybody got in a box suddenly. I think it was important that cinema and cinema that is dedicated to them, aiming to them, it got the possibility to talk about this in a way in which and through a character that they love, that has always been an uplifting character and suddenly is vulnerable and you discover the vulnerabilities of this character and the other side of ourselves as humans, even through a cat, we can reflect about us humans. I think that it is important. I think it's done delicately and elegantly."

What Can I Expect From Puss In Boots? 

Here's what Universal says about the newest entry in the beloved series: "This Christmas, everyone's favorite leche-loving, swashbuckling, fear-defying feline returns. For the first time in more than a decade, DreamWorks Animation presents a new adventure in the Shrek universe as daring outlaw Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll. Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives, though he lost count along the way. Getting those lives back will send Puss in Boots on his grandest quest yet."

"Academy Award® nominee Antonio Banderas returns as the voice of the notorious PiB as he embarks on an epic journey into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives. But with only one life left, Puss will have to humble himself and ask for help from his former partner and nemesis: the captivating Kitty Soft Paws (Oscar® nominee Salma Hayek)." 

"In their quest, Puss and Kitty will be aided—against their better judgment—by a ratty, chatty, relentlessly cheerful mutt, Perro (Harvey Guillén, What We Do in the Shadows). Together, our trio of heroes will have to stay one step ahead of Goldilocks (Oscar® nominee Florence Pugh, Black Widow) and the Three Bears Crime Family, "Big" Jack Horner (Emmy winner John Mulaney, Big Mouth) and terrifying bounty hunter, The Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura, Narcos)."

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish opens in theaters this Christmas.