Josh Hutcherson's Secret Polar Express Role, Explained

"The Polar Express" is one of the strangest movies to become an annual holiday tradition. At first glance, it's easy to see why. Robert Zemeckis goes full weirdo scientist mode in adapting Chris Van Allsburg's timeless children's book as a wintery cinematic extravaganza. It's not only the first film to fully utilize all-digital motion capture, it was also the first full-length Hollywood feature to be shown in IMAX 3D. The true MVP is Alan Silvestri, whose whimsical score makes you feel like you're actually being possessed by the spirit of Christmas. I so want to like this, but a lot of the film's majesty is worn down by the disturbingly uncanny mo-cap visuals. The rubbery textures and soulless eyes of the movie's characters remove a lot of the humanity from a story about the power of faith from within. With that said, the herculean effort to try something so out of left field is at least commendable.

The folks at Sony Pictures Imageworks, and ImageMovers utilized just about every resource they had to transform America's sweetheart Tom Hanks into five different characters: the Father, the Hobo, the Conductor, and Santa Claus. He even does the voice for the Ebenezer Scrooge puppet in the abandoned toy car. The strangest of them all, however, is that of the Hero Boy, who serves as the film's protagonist. The role isn't entirely him, though; Hanks is the one giving the mo-cap performance, but it's Daryl Sabara of "Spy Kids" fame providing the voice. It's a strange combination that becomes even wilder once you know that Josh Hutcherson provided some mo-cap work for Hero Boy as well.

Hutcherson has built his career on the back of his starring roles in "Bridge to Terabithia," the "Hunger Games" movies, and, most recently, the "Five Nights at Freddy's" films. He's been working in the industry since he was nine years old, which has allowed him to garner a dedicated fanbase. Hutcherson's involvement in "The Polar Express" may be common knowledge for the die-hards, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't know he was a part of its development. He's technically listed in the end credits under "Additional Child Performers," although there aren't many bonus features detailing his involvement. If you pay attention during this behind the scenes featurette, however, you will catch little glimpses of Hutcherson in the mo-cap suit.

As you can see in there, Hutcherson is usually brought in for scenes where both Hero Boy and another one of the characters Hanks is embodying are occupying the same shot. One clear example is when Hero Boy and Hero Girl (Nona Gaye/Chantel Valdivieso/Tinashe) are riding with Hanks' Conductor in the nose of the train while it's careening down the mountainside at top speed. It definitely helps the animators to have someone at approximately the right height in trying to craft the animated character. It's certainly a cool way to get your foot in the door, considering he had been booking small parts here and there in various movies and TV shows. It would almost be easier to have a young actor like Hutcherson playing Hero Boy the whole way through. But considering Hanks is both playing the Father and providing narration as the older Hero Boy, I can understand why Zemeckis and crew wanted to keep that connection.

Hutcherson may have been a helpful asset in making "The Polar Express" a reality, but he would soon get a chance to be front and center in a Van Allsburg adaptation a year later with 2005's "Zathura: A Space Adventure" The Jon Favreau-directed sci-fi family adventure was a spin-off from the world of "Jumanji," with the all-powerful board game being interstellar-themed. Here, Hutcherson portrays Walter, a 10 year-old boy who ends up playing the dusty retro game with his younger brother Danny (Jonah Bobo). The siblings quickly learn through a violent internal meteor shower that the game has essentially uprooted their house and left it adrift in the vast reaches of outer space, with their only means of getting home being its completion.

"Zathura" doesn't get nearly as much love or attention as the "Jumanji" franchise, yet it's a pretty solid family adventure film that blows the Dwayne Johnson-led "Jumanji" movies out of the water. There's stakes, huge stunts, and practical creature effects from Stan Winston. The film also features Dax Shepard, Tim Robbins, Frank Oz, and Kristen Stewart in supporting roles. It's worth checking out, especially if you're a fan of Hutcherson's genre work. Both he and Bobo make for great Amblin-style characters whose big adventure helps mend their familial relationships with each other. It's also pretty amusing that "The Polar Express" and "Zathura" are two movies in which Hutcherson plays a character who's a metatextual reflection of his older counterpart.

"The Polar Express" is currently streaming on HBO Max.