Star Wars, T2, And More Come To Life Via Cardboard, A Baby, And Two Awesome Parents

By David Wharton | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

StarWarsAlright, Nerdparents, the bar has been raised. You may think that you’re oh-so-clever for slapping an adorable Weyland-Yutani onesie on the spawn of your loins — actually, never mind, that sounds awesome. But even so, the simple fact is that you’re going to have to take things up a notch if you hope to compete with Lily and Leon, a creative couple who’ve taken to recreating famous movie moments with household supplies such as cardboard boxes, plates, yarn, plasticware, laundry baskets, and an ever-dwindling supply of time for outside excursions. Oh, and also their leading man, baby Orson.

T2

That’s the schtick behind Lily and Leon’s Cardboard Box Office, the sort of project that I admire hugely, and especially at a distance. Their pictures are brilliant, and I wish I’d come up with the idea first, but if we’re being honest here the only reason I get GFR stuff written is because Josh has me chained to a metal chair that delivers electric shocks if I don’t write 5,000 words about Doctor Who in any given day. But still, just look at L&L’s recreation of the most infamous scene from Ridley Scott’s Alien. That’s awesome. It’s awesome that somebody did that. It’s awesome that somebody who isn’t me did that.

Alien

There are several months’ worth of pictures up on their website, including a particularly brilliant Die Hard tribute, but we’ve pulled the more science fiction-y of the lot for your amusement and edification. The Star Wars one up top earns extra points for the tiny teddy Chewie I didn’t notice at first glance, but I also really love the “zero-g” effect in their Apollo 13 shot. Gravity, eat your heart out.

Apollo13

The Double L’s (for such am I calling them) explain the project’s origins below. Kudos to them for turning the travails of parenting and moving — too little sleep, too many boxes — into cardboard gold. You can also keep up with them via their Twitter and Facebook page.

The project began after finding that we had accumulated both a lot of cardboard boxes (due to moving to a new country) and a baby (due to giving birth). With our social lives drastically altered we decided to find a way to make some of those housebound weekends a little more fun.

The costumes, props, and sets in Cardboard Box Office are created entirely out of everyday household items, toys, cardboard, and three individuals slowly losing their sanity. Enjoy!

Jurassic