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The Electric State' Brings Cosmo and The Billbots to Life for a One-of-a-Kind Worldwide Tour
Entertainment
14 March 2025
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In The Electric State, now streaming on Netflix, the life of the film's main character, Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) is upended when she's visited by Cosmo, a sweet, mysterious robot who appears to be controlled by Christopher - Michelle's genius younger brother whom she thought was dead. Determined to find the beloved sibling she thought she had lost, Michelle sets out across the American southwest with Cosmo and soon finds herself reluctantly joining forces with Keats (Chris Pratt), a low-rent smuggler, and his wisecracking robot sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie).
So to celebrate the March 14th debut of the Anthony and Joe Russo film, we brought Cosmo and more of the film's central robots to life for a one-of-a-kind worldwide robot tour.
Created in partnership with the Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory at UCLA's Samueli School of Engineering, Cosmo is a child-like robot inspired by nostalgic 90's cartoons and toys with a happy and optimistic personality and a full range of motion in his head, fingers, arms and legs. A little more about Cosmo:
His main controller (brain) software is approximately 100,000 lines of C++ code.
Utilizing its custom-developed wireless controller which uses sub-GHz frequencies, Cosmo can be controlled from a distance of 1 km (0.6 miles) away as it is resilient to interference and obstructions.
(Go behind the scenes of the creation of Cosmo here.)
For the Billbots, which in the film represents two robots named Bert and Louise, we partnered with technology and creative firm VTProDesign.
In the film, the Billbots break the fourth wall, connecting the film to cultural moments and serving as walking, talking billboards with sarcastic personalities (and a lot of opinions on humans!). During their public appearances, they brought the same spirit of communicating via voice and text on their screens. (They also have full LED capabilities and can play video and custom graphics - and yes, they can be used as billboards). A little more about the Billbots:
They have full walking capabilities, stand at around 6 feet tall and each weigh 750 pounds.
They are battery-operated with wireless controls for movements and messaging.
Each Billbot has approximately 100 pounds more aluminum than a Tesla Model S and equal the combined torque of a 2025 Nissan Leaf.
Built from nearly 44,000 feet of 3D printer filament - which is roughly 120 football fields in length.
The Billbots in London in front of Big Ben.
Both Kid Cosmo and the Billbots kicked off The Electric State global tour with a trip to New York to make their TV debut on the Today show, followed by a panel at New York Comic-Con with the stars and directors to debut the film's teaser trailer.
From there, the bots landed in London for an in-the-wild activation outside of Big Ben and a panel at MCM Comic Con with cast member Stanley Tucci, the Russo Brothers - and yes, Cosmo. Lucca Con and Games in Italy rounded out the first European leg as the Billbots and Cosmo interacted with attendees - fully programmed to speak in Italian (and any other local language around the world).
The crew made their way back to the States for an event hosted by Cosmo and the Billbots at AGBO's state-of-the-art production facilities in downtown Los Angeles, where influencers from around the world made custom content with the robots directed by none other than the Russo brothers.
Other stateside appearances included serving as line judges and spectators for ESPN's Pickleball Slam 3 Championship - a nod to participant Andre Agassi's cameo in the film, the Russo brothers' handprint ceremony outside the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, and the film's world premiere at the nearby Egyptian Theatre.
Cosmo, left, and the Billbots, right, at the Los Angeles premiere. (Left photo credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix) (Right photo credit: Roger Kisby/Getty Images for Netflix)
Cosmo made one more trip to Europe to attend the film's press conference and premiere in Madrid. After the press conference, he was joined by Emilio, a well-known Spanish robot toy from the 90s who served as Spanish robot ambassador, welcoming Cosmo and showing him around Madrid.
Later that evening at the Madrid premiere, there was a special robot camera on the carpet to capture Cosmo's view of the action and guests had the opportunity to take photos with Cosmo and other props from the film.
Left: Cosmo appears with Anthony Russo, Chris Pratt, Millie Bobby Brown and Anthony Russo at a press conference in Madrid. Right: Anthony and Joe Russo pictured with Cosmo, center, at the Madrid premiere. (Both photos credit: Sharon Lopez/Netflix)
Cosmo made one more trip to London for a special screening of the film held at the iconic Battersea Power Station. Screening attendees enjoyed photo opportunities with him and other Electric State-themed activities before the film started.
Going into The Electric State's debut weekend, the Billbots traveled to Australia for a multi-day sightseeing tour including visits to Sydney Harbor and the famous Luna Park amusement park (where they shared even more of their strong opinions on humans), a TV appearance on TODAY and a fan meet-and-greet at Manly Beach.
The Billbots at Luna Park in Sydney.
The Billbots pose for photos with fans at Luna Park.
For more about The Electric State, check out Tudum's everything you need to know guide to the film and ending explainer. Click here to listen to the behind-the-scenes podcast and click here to learn more about the upcoming prequel mobile game centered on, you guessed it, Cosmo.
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