Under the guidance of directors Alex Woo and Erik Benson, and with Timothy Hahn and Gregg Taylor serving as producers, the film In Your Dreams tells a story about two siblings venturing into a fantastical, dreamlike realm in pursuit of the legendary Sandman. Their aim is to find him and have their deepest wish granted: A harmonious family unit.
The story revolves around siblings Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport’s voice) and Elliot (Elias Janssen), who are quite different from each other but often argue. However, their disputes take a surprising turn when they accidentally enter their subconscious. This fantastical journey exposes them to peculiar dreamland phenomena like Baloney Tony, a sarcastic plush giraffe, zombie breakfast foods, a carnivorous hot dog, and the very embodiment of nightmares – the queen herself.
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The narrative centers on siblings Stevie (portrayed by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and Elliot (Elias Janssen), who are usually at odds but find themselves unexpectedly working together after they stumble into their subconscious. This strange expedition introduces them to various dreamlike anomalies, such as a sarcastic stuffed giraffe named Baloney Tony (voiced by Craig Robinson), zombie-fied breakfast foods, a man-eating hot dog, and the queen of nightmares herself.
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The tale unfolds around Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport’s character) and her younger brother Elliot (Elias Janssen), who often argue due to their contrasting personalities. However, their disagreements give way to unforeseen cooperation when they accidentally dive into their subconscious. This surreal trek leads them to encounter peculiar dreamworld curiosities like a sardonic plush giraffe named Baloney Tony (Craig Robinson’s voice), zombie breakfast items, a carnivorous hot dog, and the monarch of nightmares herself.
On Wednesday, Woo, former Pixar employee and founder of Kuku Studios, shared an unfinished version of his film, “In Your Dreams,” with the Annecy audience. He explained that this story was born out of a very personal experience – a pivotal moment in his childhood when his mother unexpectedly left home, prompting him and his brother to concoct imaginative plans to get her back.
As a dedicated fan, I’m thrilled to share that this captivating tale features Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti portraying the role of our kids’ loving parents. The Sandman is brought to life by the hilarious Omid Djalili, while Gia Carides embodies Nightmara. Steve Pilcher handles the stunning production design, with Nicola Lavender overseeing the mesmerizing visual effects and Sebastian Kapijimpanga leading the animation team.
Gregg Taylor, an experienced animator from DreamWorks and Netflix, teamed up with Tim Hahn, a fellow veteran of Pixar, for this project. Previously, they had worked together on the preschool series “Go! Go! Cory Carson” at Netflix, which was created under the guidance of Woo.
Hey there! As a passionate gamer, I recently found myself chilling with Pilcher, Woo, and Lavender over at Annecy. We had an awesome chat with The Hollywood Reporter about dream logic, those late-night pizza ideas, and the power of animated originals. It’s a competitive market out there, but you know what they say – with all these IPs popping up left and right, it could just be the perfect moment to propose some fresh, original content!
Could you please share with me the details surrounding the “pizza box epiphany” in your presentation, where the concept for this movie first came to you? I’d love to hear more about the moment of inspiration behind it.
Alex Woo: Basically, I hinted at it during my presentation. However, the challenge was to establish a connection between this captivating dream realm and tangible real-life concerns. It wasn’t until I devised the narrative – an autobiographical account of my mother’s brief absence – that we realized it encapsulated a universal and empathetic desire for a character. If she could venture into the dream world and achieve her dreams, then we could trace her journey in this fantastical realm back to her aspirations and troubles in the real world.
In that instance, it seemed as though we successfully linked those distinct realms, creating a bond that I believe significantly enriched the narrative. Thus, that’s what we scribbled on the pizza box. On the reverse side – unfortunately, we don’t have an image of this – we sketched out how the dream world operated, illustrating its structure. However, it was marred by cheese and grease stains, so we discarded those notes.
And so how long was it then from that pizza box moment to green light?
Back in late 2017, I was knee-deep in the early stages of our first project, Go! Go! Cory Carson. And then, come January 2020, just before the global pandemic hit, we finally received the green light for that production. But with a new project underway, three long years had passed. The hustle and bustle of creating our first series kept us from pursuing In Your Dreams at the time. Once we wrapped up the first season, Netflix started venturing into feature-length animation. They inquired if we had any ideas for a feature film, to which we eagerly presented In Your Dreams, and they were thrilled with it!
One of the major difficulties when working with a fictional dream world is its limitless nature. Could you explain how you established restrictions and guidelines within this dreamscape?
Alex Woo: In a practical sense, each dream realm we explored or dream they had was linked to their real-life experiences. We aimed to avoid constructing a dream world that was purely surreal and disconnected from reality, as our dreams tend not to be like that. Instead, my dreams often resemble past events from the day, sometimes in a figurative or symbolic way, but always with some basis in real-world experiences. This rule or guideline was crucial for us.
Steve Pilcher: Essentially, the underlying emotion is consistent throughout the project. While some sets like Breakfast Town or Ball Pit River may appear more playful, they still reflect real-world concepts. For instance, in Breakfast Town, all characters are breakfast foods brought to life, but the rest of the town isn’t edible. Instead, it’s made from everyday items kids would use for crafting, such as milk cartons and popsicle sticks. We deliberately steered clear of stereotypes, like a castle made entirely of waffles.
After incorporating an unexpected element – transforming it into a medieval version of French toast – we opted for a color scheme reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel. This way, we established guidelines to stimulate creativity rather than restrict it. The rules serve as boundaries, not limitations. We applied this approach to almost every set design.
You illustrated the Sandcastle set as well.
Everything in our design is inspired by sand – the underlying concept. We’ve taken this foundation and created unique adaptations such as transforming sand into glass for the globe and kaleidoscope ship above it. Our approach is a delicate balance, never equal parts, but when it feels right, it simply does.
What was the biggest visual effects challenge in the film?
As a gamer immersed in the captivating world of entertainment, I must admit, the diverse landscapes and characters left me spellbound in the series we discussed last night. The visual effects were nothing short of spectacular. From the mesmerizing Ball Pit River to the tumultuous storms, it was a breathtaking display that truly showcased the power of modern technology.
You’ll encounter a few intricate characters in the movie, “In Your Dreams,” that required extensive development and numerous revisions. We made sure Alex and Steve had creative control over these characters because they play significant roles. Despite one of them having minimal screen time, the effort put into their creation was substantial. We’re incredibly proud of how they turned out.
I can’t help but marvel at the intricate details everywhere, even in what seems like a simple bedroom setting. The textures, the lighting, and the depth are all meticulously crafted, avoiding a flat, one-dimensional appearance. We took great care to perfect the lighting, adding specular highlights, diffuse lighting, and shadows, which lends a softness that seamlessly blends the dream world with reality.
Is it difficult to pitch original projects not based on IP?
Alex Woo: It’s indeed challenging, and I get the economic aspects of it. Reminds me of what Warren Buffett said, “Buy when everyone else is selling and hold when everyone else is buying.” When everyone seems focused on IP-related projects, that’s when unique, original content really shines. So with all this IP filling up the market, it could actually be an excellent opportunity to present original ideas.
Isn’t it intriguing that Netflix, known for its platform, endorsed this, given the general viewpoint about automated content creation?
For nearly a decade, I’ve collaborated with Netflix on two projects, and I strongly believe they don’t rely on algorithms to determine what shows to greenlight. Instead, these decisions are made by humans. The professionals I’ve interacted with possess excellent taste, using data only as a guide for their choices. However, the essence of their selections lies in the story itself and its potential to captivate audiences worldwide. The notion that Netflix is merely an algorithmic machine for content creation might make for catchy headlines, but it doesn’t accurately reflect the realities of their operations.
Does it concern you that most viewers will be watching this on smaller devices rather than the larger screen it appears more suitable for?
Steve Pilcher: While it’s wonderful to envision our work on a large screen, it’s important to accept the current situation. Nowadays, people consume content on their phones or TVs simultaneously with other tasks. With today’s large TV screens, it’s less of an issue. What truly matters is that we invest in the creation itself.
Alex Woo: It’s great if someone first watches it on their phone and then discovers the depth of detail in the visuals, leading them to switch to a larger screen. We can’t dictate viewing preferences, but we hope the content is compelling enough for a bigger screen experience.
Nicola Lavender: We take care that it functions flawlessly on various platforms such as big screens, TVs, and phones. We produce multiple versions for an optimal user experience.
Steve Pilcher: Viewing content on a large screen offers greater detail and immersion, but the shared audience experience in a theater is somewhat sacrificed. There’s an innate, satisfying feeling to watching alongside others in a cinema that you just can’t replicate on your phone or in your private space. However, if people are willing to seek out this communal experience because they truly enjoy it, then that’s fantastic.
Netflix will roll out In Your Dreams on November 14.
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2025-06-13 14:25