Opening in theaters on October 23rd is the new animated film ‘Wildwood‘, which was directed by Travis Knight (‘Masters of the Universe‘).
The film features an all-star cast that includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay (‘Unabomber‘), Carey Mulligan (‘Drive‘), Mahershala Ali (‘Moonlight‘), Awkwafina (‘Crazy Rich Asians‘), Angela Bassett (‘Black Panther‘), and Jake Johnson (‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Awkwafina and Jake Johnson to talk about their work on ‘Wildwood’, balancing the film’s humor with its emotional core, improvising in the recording booth, and their first reactions to seeing the final film.
Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Masters of the Universe’
Moviefone: To begin with, Jake, can you talk about balancing the humor with the more serious tones of the movie?
Jake Johnson: I think they did a wonderful job mixing them. I think the movie does such a great job visually, and such a great job storytelling that it walks you through this whole story. I think the beauty for us is we had different jobs. So we didn’t have to negotiate that tone. We just had to kind of do our part. But I think what they’re masters of is weaving it all together.
MF: Awkwafina, were you surprised by how emotional the film’s story is?
Awkwafina: Yeah. I think for Septima, her arc made me emotional and I think that when a character can do that, you’re really lucky that you can balance both. I think that’s excellent storytelling and characters need to be three-dimensional in a way. I think Septima was, she existed on a spectrum of it all.
MF: Jake, was there any direction that you got in the recording booth that really helped you with your voice performance?
JJ: Well, I think for my character in this, who was a little bit more serious, I don’t think there was anything. Sometimes comedically they’ll give you more room to play around and they’ll take chances. This was more, it felt like they knew what they wanted. So, the notes would just sometimes be more like blank as opposed to a direction I was maybe instinctually going.
MF: Awkwafina, were you able to find room in the recording booth to improvise?
A: I remember being able to play a little bit more than I thought I could. It was a couple of years ago, but what I remember from it is that it was a collaborative energy where I was kind of nervous. I didn’t know if they wanted something really specific. I just wanted to make them happy. Then they were really open to what I was going to do with the character, which I thought was really cool.
MF: Jake, what was your reaction to seeing the movie for the first time?
JJ: I think for me, the thing is just the richness of the whole world. It happened to me as well with ‘Spider-Verse’. When you’re recording and reading it, you think you understand what it is. Then when you see it, you go, “Oh, it’s just so much richer and bigger and more expansive.” You just go, “Oh right, I don’t have a visual brain like that. I didn’t imagine that.”
MF: Finally, Awkwafina, was there anything that surprised you when you saw the final film?
A: This is not a spoiler, but there’s a scene where I first meet Curtis and he’s dry heaving because he’s so grossed out by seeing a rat. I remember I was like, “Are you dry heaving right now?” I think that that was something I was joking about in the take. The fact that they added that, it was so cool. To be able to play with what you get in the moment, your own individual voice is so cool.
Editorial Note: Kylie Mar conducted this interview and contributed to this article.
What is the plot of ‘Wildwood’?
Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her classmate Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay) are drawn into a hidden magical forest in an attempt to save Prue’s abducted infant brother Mac from a murder of crows led by a mysterious woman named Alexandra. Along the way they discover a fantastical world filled with magical creatures and warring factions.
Who is in the cast of ‘Wildwood’?
List of Movies Directed by Travis Knight:
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