Courtney Howard // Film Critic
Though it may surprise you, given its illustrative storybook look and feel, Netflix’s upcoming animated feature IN YOUR DREAMS isn’t based on any IP. It’s a wholly original tale about the wild, unpredictable world of dreams, specifically two siblings – Type A 12-year-old sister Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her rambunctious 8-year-old brother Elliot (Elias Janssen) – who find themselves traveling through all sorts of dreamlands in order to find the elusive, magical Sandman (Omid Djalili). And it’s going to be a big deal with families this Fall.
At a recent trailer release event in Los Angeles, Director Alex Woo, who has previously worked at Pixar and helmed the Emmy-winning series GO! GO! CORY CARSON, and Craig Robinson, who voices the hysterically funny, super snarky childhood stuffed giraffe Baloney Tony, spoke with members of the press about the film to build anticipation before its release.
We thought it would be fun to break down the conversational details Woo and Robinson shared with us. They dropped a few intriguing hints at some Easter Eggs and a few more things that haven’t yet been revealed.
Even though the subject matter is partially set in surrealistic realms, it also deals with realistic questions. Woo explains, “I grew up on movies that told me that if I wished hard enough, if I wanted something badly enough, that my dreams could come true. And as I grew up, I realized, well, sometimes that’s true, but sometimes it’s not.” He continues, “I really wanted to make a movie that explores the question of what do you do when your dreams actually don’t come true? How do you find hope? How do you keep moving forward in life? How do you find a way through?”
Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti play the siblings parents – and Liu sings an original song. Woo says of Liu’s casting, “I think what hooked him is that, his character, the dad is a struggling musician. Simu loves singing – and he’s actually a very good singer. I told him, ‘It’s not a musical, but, you you’re gonna be able to sing in this film.’ And he was like, ‘Oh, yeah. Sign me up!’” Yet it was Milioti’s multi-voiced stint on THE VENTURE BROS. that inspired Woo to ask her to join. “I was like, ‘Who is this woman?! How is she so talented?!’ She’s always been on my list of actors to work with. Her character is also a musician – the lead singer in their family band.”
Stevie is wearing her mom’s family band tee shirt. One of the Easter Eggs Woo was quick to point out is the tee shirt the sister sports in the film. He was tight-lipped about the absence of the parents’ presence in the two clips and teaser we watched, phrasing his referrals in the past tense, which got me a little worried, saying, “Their band were called the Hipsonics.” However, a quick scan of the press notes yields information that both parents are alive (a very anti-Disney move!) when we meet our pint-sized protagonists. Dad Michael is still dreaming of a career in music and Mom Jennifer deferred her rock star career to become a mom and educator, teaching at the local community college.
Craig Robinson based his voice for Baloney Tony on the voice he and his siblings use with each other. “It is a love letter to our brothers and sisters, you know? I have a younger brother and a older sister. That’s all real – leaning on family. We’re relentless in teasing our sister with all love and faith.” He also admits his own childhood stuffed animal is probably also an inspirational pull for him. “I think my great teddy bear is there too.”
The Chordettes song “Mr. Sandman” that plays when the kids discover the Sandman book in the basement is an homage to BACK TO THE FUTURE. Woo shares it is “one of my favorite movies in the world.”
The deranged muffin Stevie and Elliot meet in Cereal Town is voiced by co-director Erik Benson. She may be covered in dust, have janky teeth and no social aptitude, but the lost retainer she wears on her head establishes Delilah as a scene-stealer.
Nightmares will factor into the kids’ dream states. While we do see the brother and sister forced to negotiate a bad dream that has them naked in a department store, Woo hints there will be more. “There’s a big role that nightmares play in the film. I’m not gonna give too much away, but it’s an integral part of the film.” The press release actually lists a character named Nightmara (voiced by Gia Carides) for what I can only imagine will a potential foe for Sandman and the siblings.
IN YOUR DREAMS streams on Netflix on November 14.
