Renowned independent film director Miguel Arteta takes on the first live-action film adaptation of the beloved children’s classic, “Alexander and Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” In this new Disney movie, we follow 11-year-old Alexander through his experiences of a terrible day and his family’s own terrible day after he wished they go through the same kind of day as he does.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Arteta and get a little scoop on his new family comedy.

Entertainment Affair: How do you go from independent filmmaking to a major studio production?
Miguel Arteta: On paper, it seems an absurd thing coming from independent movies to doing a Disney movie. But this is actually a story I can put my heart into, because it’s a story about learning to re-appreciate your family, and that’s been my mandate with everything I do.

EA: You take inspiration from your personal life?
MA: I wanted to make a really funny movie about what it’s like to forget that your family is for you, and how lovely it is to re-discover and appreciate them again. What it’s like to feel lucky to have a family behind you.

EA: How do you go from a 20-something pages book to a feature film?
MA: It’s amazing! Rob Lieber, the writer, just had a clever idea. Let’s continue the book!

EA: Tell me about the cast. Did you have Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner in mind when you read the script?
MA: Steve Carell was already attached [when I came into the project] and I had worked with him on The Office, and I knew he was lovely, and he is one of those comics that can make comedy out of being a nice guy. It’s very rare to have that kind of talent. So I knew he was a really perfect fit for this film. Once I got involved, we were all like who would be the ultimate mother? Jen Garner is... Everything you hear about her is true! She’s such an authentic, and generous, and really, a good person. She’s very funny, and she doesn’t get called upon to do that often.

EA: How about finding the right Alexander?
MA: That was tough, because I felt that we needed a kid who could be happy for other people, because at the end of the story you really need to believe that he wants to fight for his family to have a good day and he’s happy when they succeed. It was pretty clear when Ed Oxenbould showed up. There’s just something bright and generous about him.  He is a very kind-hearted kid. The trick was to make him look unhappy at the beginning, that was important. I said let’s get a kid that feels more authentic than usual. He is a special kind of actor, you don’t feel him acting.

EA: Any challenges directing animals?
MA: I’m a big lover of animals. So I’m very sensitive about that. The kangaroo was CGI, for the most part, because kangaroos are not trainable animals. It was funny for me, because I’m such an animal lover, I was literally getting to know every animal trainer and just making sure all the animals were really well taken care of. That was my main concern with it. But it was a lot of hecticness, because you just have to be patient and let them do what they do. It was kind of fun.

EA: With all the social-economic turmoil that’s going on in Puerto Rico right now, how do you think this affects the future of the industry in the island?
MA: Productions have been going and shooting there recently, which is great, and I hope that keeps happening. I think is really, really important. I also think, not just as a Puertorican, but as a Latino, there’s a lot of latinos getting behind the camera lately, and it’s becoming almost fashionable, which is great. Like anything else, you hope young kids that are starting look at you, and at others latinos making this and saying is not so impossible that I could do that, and get more people to be encourage. It’s an incredibly fun profession. Basically, you are re-enacting your dreams every morning on set. We [latinos] are great storytellers, and [this business] it’s all about storytelling. I think is a natural fit.

Check out “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” in theaters Oct. 10.