Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken Co-Director On Subverting Mermaid Expectations
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is an exciting and innovative offering from DreamWorks Animation that challenges the conventional perception of a historically terrifying sea creature. In this captivating tale, krakens are portrayed as anything but ship-crushing monsters; instead, the true menace of the deep lies with the mermaids, who bear a striking resemblance to classic Disney characters. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken weaves together the retelling of a timeless myth with the familiar struggles of a teenager navigating high school.
The film features a remarkable ensemble cast, including Lana Condor, Toni Collette, Jane Fonda, Will Forte, and Sam Richardson. Co-directed by Faryn Pearl in her directorial debut and Kirk DeMicco, known for his work on The Croods, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken infuses every aspect of its family-friendly story with heart and humor.
In an interview with Screen Rant, Kirk DeMicco discussed the film’s ability to defy expectations and subvert established narratives. The opportunity to reimagine the kraken, a creature that has historically been portrayed negatively in Scandinavian folklore, was particularly enticing. DeMicco explained that the story begins with Ruby, a lovable and relatable teenage girl who wakes up one day to discover she has transformed into a giant kraken, a nightmare scenario reminiscent of the challenges faced in high school. Embracing her true identity becomes Ruby’s journey and her ultimate source of power.
While Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken follows the conventions of a hero’s journey, DeMicco emphasized the importance of exploring the dynamics within the protagonist’s family. The casting of Toni Collette and Jane Fonda was deliberate, as the film aimed to present a mother-daughter relationship that was just as complex and arduous as any father-daughter story. The filmmakers wanted Ruby’s journey to be challenging and earned, teaching valuable lessons about imperfection and empathy.
DeMicco also acknowledged DreamWorks Animation’s tradition of subverting expectations and gently poking fun at Disney. The mermaid character in the film was reimagined as a siren, harkening back to the creature’s historical roots. The clash between Ruby, the transformed kraken, and the mermaid creates a stark contrast akin to iconic films like Mean Girls and Bring It On. The animators skillfully captured the transformation of the town under the mermaid’s spell, resembling a captivating musical number.
The film boasts an exceptional cast, and DeMicco shared his thoughts on working with some of the actors. Sam Richardson’s performance, particularly the heartfelt moments, deeply moved him. Jane Fonda’s portrayal of the queen of the seven seas showcased her regalness and power, and her ad-libbed line further solidified her embodiment of the character. Will Forte brought energy and a unique voice to his role, adding a touch of unhinged brilliance.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is a refreshing and imaginative take on a classic myth, offering a compelling story of self-discovery, family dynamics, and the power of empathy. With its exceptional cast and skillful direction, this DreamWorks Animation film is sure to captivate audiences of all ages.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is a fun new offering by DreamWorks Animation that turns the myth of a historically frightening sea creature on its head. In this story, krakens are far from the ship-crushing monsters they are widely known to be; it turns out the most terrifying denizens of the deep are none other than the (suspiciously Disney-esque) mermaids. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken rounds out its retelling of a longstanding myth with another tale as old as time: that of a teenager trying to navigate high school.
The film boasts a stellar cast that includes Lana Condor, Toni Collette, Jane Fonda, Will Forte, and Sam Richardson. On the directing side, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken has been brought to life by co-directors Faryn Pearl–in her directorial debut—and Kirk DeMicco, who is known in part for his work on The Croods. Together, Pearl and DeMicco brought equal parts heart and humor to all aspects of the film’s family-friendly story.
Kirk DeMicco spoke with Screen Rant about the talented actors of Ruby Gillman, Teenage Krakensubverting expectations, and more.
Kirk DeMicco On Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
Screen Rant: I love the novelty of the story, where you’re reexamining this classic myth of the krakens and painting them in a new light. Was that part of what attracted you to the project?
Kirk DeMicco: Subverting expectations is sort of the history of DreamWorks, from that ogre to the Kung Fu panda, but one was really particular in the sense [of] subverting that kraken, which has never had a good day in all of history. We couldn’t find one [positive reference]really, since Scandinavian folklore. That opportunity was something that was really fun, but [I loved] the idea to put that sort of weight, and that sort of challenge, on a teenage girl who is so lovable, and so likable, like Ruby.
[To] wake up to only find out that you’re a giant kraken–that’s sort of like a high school nightmare, and that’s where it starts. I feel like that part of it was really exciting; what it did to the character, what that burden was, how she viewed it, and how she had to learn to embrace it. And really, embracing it is the power. Embracing who she is her superpower. All the other stuff is fun, but embracing who she is, is the power.
This has everything you’d expect from a hero’s journey, Harry Potter, Star Wars kind of thing, but I think what you do differently is really focus on the family and the family dynamics. How important was it just to nail that relationship, and make sure you explore that?
Kirk DeMicco: I’m so happy you said that, because that is the most important thing, really, to me. We cast Toni Collette and Jane Fonda for that very reason. The mother/daughter story in this was–when I worked on Croodsit was a father/daughter story, and this was an opportunity [to do a mother/daughter story]. As [Ruby is] the first female lead in the title of a DreamWorks movie, we wanted to make sure she had a hero’s journey that was just as hard [and] just as strong as any of the guys have got before. [It was] like, “We shouldn’t go easy on her.” There’s a little bit where you’re like, “It’s fun. It’s cute,” but we wanted it to be difficult. We wanted it to feel like she earned it.
[With] my favorite movies, even if they don’t go into that hero’s journey—even a Legally Blonde, when she’s studying and she’s working– they have to earn it. I feel like that was a big part of it, and that had to do with her mom, and her mother, looking at her, just trying to protect her. That’s all she has, and in the end, Ruby heals something in her mom by just letting her be imperfect and [letting her] open up. That, I think, is a good lesson.
I think teens can teach us a lot. It’s good to listen to teens sometimes, and Ruby’s greatest power is her power of empathy. She only wants everyone to be happy and loved, and grandmother–Jane Fonda’s character–has to see that even in the very end. That empathy, I think, is the most wonderful trait in a teen, and so that becomes her superpower.
You mentioned DreamWorks films kind of subverting expectations. Films like Shrek also traditionally have spoofed Disney a little bit. You have a mermaid that looks very familiar. What did Ariel ever do to you?
Kirk DeMicco: Nothing, I believe. How dare you! [Laughs] I really feel that in subverting that [character]that was like we were subverting the kraken and subverting the mermaid into really restoring it to its historical roots as a siren, because she was singing this siren song to Ruby. [With] the part that Annie Murphy played, there’s a sense of danger in almost everything she says, but you fall for it. She really pulls you in, and that was really exciting.
Then as far as Disney and Ariel, we wanted that clash, the first clash, to be as extreme as possible, in a Mean Girls way and [a] Bring It On [way]. When that girl comes through, that role of the most popular girl, it’s got to hit, right? What better way than that girl with the beautiful hair, for a Ruby who had just fallen out of the ocean and was soaking wet and had turned into a giant kraken.
We always said it was like we wanted Ruby to meet a girl having her best day when Ruby is having her worst day. [We wanted to explore] that contrast of images, and I think that what the animators found is almost like a musical number, the way this whole town falls for her incidentally, because they’re all under her spell. We used to have this conversation of, like, “Well, maybe she glamoured them and stuff.” But she didn’t even have to; the minute we saw her go, “I’m the new girl,” they’re all glamoured. You don’t need to have vampiric glamour power.
I would love to name a couple cast members and hear your first impressions and thoughts on working with them, because there are so many great people in this.
Kirk DeMicco: Oh, yeah.
Sam Richardson.
Kirk DeMicco: Brill, particularly—I feel like I’m Brill. I had all these really amazingly strong women around me on this movie, and I’m just, like, trying to guide my way, and hopefully I said one interesting, wise thing at the very end; I’m not truly sure. You have to ask them [those] questions. But Sam is an actor–the comedy, but then that moment when he comes to his knees and he just speaks from his heart… it really touches me.
Jane Fonda.
Kirk DeMicco: Jane is a force of nature. She inhabited this character, and the regalness, and the power, very quickly. I think it allowed [her to]instead of working in live action, go a place a [bit] bigger than she had been, which is what we want because she’s the queen of the seven seas. There’s a line in the movie where she says, “My name is Grandmamah; it goes up on the second ‘mah’.” That was an ad-lib. She said that to my co-director Faryn Pearl, because Faryn said, “Oh, Grandmamah,” and Jane wheeled on her and said, “No, it’s Grandmamah. It goes up on the second ‘mah’.” We were like, “That’s it. That’s it. That’s the character.” It was a moment where we were [in awe]like, “A legend has spoken.”
I’ve got two more [cast members]. Will Forte.
Kirk DeMicco: We had so much fun. And Gordon–that voice, he created, and he really inhabited it. The other part of what Will was doing was just that energy that he had, which was unhinged. And he’s the most hinged guy; that’s the part. It’s an unhinged character coming from probably the most solid guy I’ve met. [He’s] really nice, but he can give it that unhinged quality. He’s our foil, but we wanted it to be a little out there as this unhinged character. That was really fun.
And Lana Condor.
Kirk DeMicco: Lana was carrying this movie. She has such a ability to lay her vulnerabilities out there, and her insecurities, that you feel [them]. At the same time, with those insecurities, [she can] find the comedy, and find the little turns, and the little moments with the vocal performance, but even in the facial performance. We used a lot the lipstick camera that the animators would see; a lot of Ruby’s expressions come straight from Lana. She would just make these incredibly funny takes on when she’d say something.
But really, the truth of it is, her heart is like Ruby’s. You can’t help but root for Lana. She’s a sweetheart, that part of it was something–and honestly, the growth. For me, I think it was so much fun because the part of who Lana is so endearing and so warm and lovable, but when she says “Stay away from my mother” at the end, I’m like, “Yes.” She earned that, and you really feel it.
The new DreamWorks title card at the front of this really reminds you of how rich the universe is. We love shared universes these days. Is there another DreamWorks world or property you feel like would be a perfect crossover for Ruby Gilman?
Kirk DeMicco: Well, I have seen [some comparisons to this film when] looking online, and it’s funny because I’m a huge fan of my friend Tom McGrath, who also helped on this movie and helped us as a director—Megamind, which my son loves. There’s a certain part of the colors, the world, and the comedy that [makes me] think that there might be some sort of fun in there.
And then, I have no idea of what they would think, but only because of Pierre-Olivier Vincent, I would love to see Berk on top and the kraken kingdom below. [I would love to see] some sort of [How to Train Your] Dragon meets the krakens in some sort of world-build. Those are the two. For design and for sense of comedy, I would pick those two.
About Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
Sweet, awkward 16-year-old Ruby is desperate to fit in at Oceanside High, but she mostly just feels invisible. She’s math-tutoring her skater-boy crush, who only seems to admire her for her fractals, and she’s prevented from hanging out with the cool kids at the beach because her over-protective supermom has forbade Ruby from ever getting in the water.
But when she breaks her mom’s #1 rule, Ruby will discover that she is a direct descendant of the warrior Kraken queens and is destined to inherit the throne from her commanding grandmother, the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas. Ruby will ultimately need to embrace who she is and go big to protect those she loves most.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken will be released in theaters on June 30.
