John Travolta and Miley Cyrus walked the red carpet Monday (November 17) in
support of their new film "Bolt." Travolta and Cyrus loaned both
their speaking voices and vocals to the lead characters in the latest Disney
3-D animation movie. Travolta plays a dog who believes he possesses superhero
powers, and Cyrus portrays his owner Penny. "Bolt" opens across
North America on Friday, November 21.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 17, 2008) REUTERS -

John Travolta and Miley Cyrus walked the red carpet Monday
(November 17) in support of their new film "Bolt."
Travolta and Cyrus loaned both their speaking voices and vocals to the
lead characters in the latest Disney 3-D animation movie. Travolta plays a dog
who believes he possesses superhero powers, and Cyrus portrays his owner
Penny.

The canine adventure begins when Bolt is accidentally shipped to the
Big Apple and must find his way back home to Hollywood. Along the way he meets
a cat, Mittens, and a hamster, Rhino, who become his trusted traveling
companions.

When asked how he chooses film projects, Travolta told Reuters he had
a check list.

"Well, can you do something with it," shared Travolta.
"Like can you contribute something different and better, than someone
else could? Is it a good project? Are the people involved great? And is the
studio going to make it a classic, you know. In this case 'Bolt,' you know, I
think they pulled it off."

Travolta, 54, has been making movies for more than three decades, and
is best known for playing the leads in films such as "Saturday Night
Fever," "Grease," and "Pulp Fiction."

His young co-star, Cyrus, is the star of the hit television series
"Hannah Montana" (on the Disney Channel), and a recording
artist.

The sitcom also features Cyrus' father Billy Ray, a former country
star-turned-actor, who talked about the age his daughter first started showing
signs that she was going to become an entertainer.
"It was early on, you know, like two years old," recalled
the elder Cyrus. "It was obvious, you know. She loved to come out on the
stage, get ahold of that microphone and sing 'Hound Dog' by Elvis Presley. And
it's so appropriate that she's, you know, doing 'Bolt,' you know. Because she
loves dogs, she loves animals. And it's, it's great. It's a perfect
fit."

Meanwhile, the 15-year-old talked about she looks for when considering
a particular big screen role.
"Just like the quality of it, and the things that they find
important, and what the message is," said Cyrus. "Everything has to
have a message. I just feel like there's so many movies out there that you
don't take away anything from, and I really want you to take home like a good
feeling."

Cyrus penned the theme song for "Bolt" called "I
Thought I Lost You," which she and Travolta sang together.
Travolta said being asked to take part in the music for the film was a
thrill.

"Oh my God, I love singing, again," beamed Travolta.
"It was fun. But I like being invited to sing, you know. And when Dick,
Dick asked me to sing with Miley, and Miley wrote this incredible song, I
felt, you know, invited to do it. So it was a lot much-- much more
fun."

British actor Malcolm McDowell noted that he enjoyed himself enormously
while playing the cat-loving criminal mastermind, Dr. Calico. He also confided
that playing a voice character is not as much work as his on-screen roles.
"You know, it's so much easier, because you don't have to learn
it," explained McDowell. "You can read it. And it was such a fun
character to do, you know. I mean, he's such a heavy, it's ridiculous really.
But it's kind of fun to lick your-- it's kind of playing an old villain, and
you're doing kind of this, you know."

New York-based actress Susie Essman, who voiced the part of Mittens,
an abandoned alley cat who trusts nobody, told Reuters she feels audiences
everywhere will enjoy the film because the themes are universally
appealing.

"Because it's about friendship, and it's about loyalty, and, my
character especially," smiled Essman. "It's about redemption, you
know. And it's about growing and changing and trust, and learning from each
other, and trusting your instincts. And all those good things that you want
your children to know."

Disney animator Mark Walton, who in a stroke of good fortune ended up
getting cast as the television-loving hamster Rhino, after the studio decided
his scratch voice track sounded better than any talent they auditioned, talked
about how it felt to suddenly be on the other side of the camera.

"You get a lot more attention on this end," laughed Walton.
"You know. I mean, you put a little bit of work in for a little bit of
time, and everybody wants to talk to you as if you did all the work. I guess
there is some, some amount of work in it. And of course the animators need to
work with the voice track that you laid down, but so many talented people that
did so much work, getting-- just before I could even record the voice, you
know. Writing the dialogue, thinking of the character. It's exciting. I am
going to enjoy it while I can."

"Bolt" opens across North America on Friday, November
21.