In DreamWorks’ newest action-adventure and coming-of-age animated film, ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken‘, Lana Condor – beloved for her role in the ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ franchise, lends her voice to the eponymous character. An underwater adventure about mermaids and krakens unfolds, peppered with a star-studded cast including Oscar® nominee Toni Collette as Ruby’s mother, Academy Award® winner Jane Fonda as her grandmother, and Emmy winner Annie Murphy as Chelsea, a mermaid masquerading as the new popular girl in school.
The supporting ensemble doesn’t lack in talent either, with Emmy winner Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead) bringing to life Ruby’s supportive dad, Emmy nominee Sam Richardson (Veep) as her spirited uncle, and Blue Chapman (Council of Dads) adding charm as Ruby’s cool little brother.
Guided by the vision of Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Kirk DeMicco, director of ‘The Croods’, ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’ tells the story of Ruby – a sweet, slightly awkward 16-year-old who craves to fit into the social fabric of Oceanside High. Despite her efforts, Ruby often feels like a fish out of water, with her skater-boy crush (Jaboukie Young-White from Ralph Breaks the Internet) only showing interest in her math skills, and a supermom who forbids any beachside adventures.
But as the tide turns and breaks her mom’s #1 rule, Ruby learns about her lineage as a descendant of the warrior kraken queen and realizes her destiny to inherit the underwater throne from her formidable grandmother, the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas. However, her royal responsibilities also entail defending the oceans from vain, power-hungry mermaids – a role that collides with her school life when she discovers Chelsea, the popular new girl, is a mermaid.
The krakens are sworn to protect the oceans of the world against the vain, power-hungry mermaids who have been battling with the kraken for eons. There’s one major, and immediate, problem with that: The school’s beautiful, popular new girl, Chelsea just happens to be a mermaid. Ruby will ultimately need to embrace who she is and go big to protect those she loves most.
DeMicco reveals that he was thrilled to turn the tide on the mythology of krakens and mermaids, traditionally depicted as fearsome monsters and charming sirens respectively. “As a filmmaker, I’ve always been interested in subverting expectations in my storytelling,” DeMicco says. Traditionally, the kraken has been portrayed as a monstrous creature, something to be feared and avoided at all costs. But in this film, we wanted to explore the idea of krakens as powerful and benevolent protectors of the sea. Similarly, we wanted to take the traditional image of mermaids and turn it on its head, creating a more complex and nuanced mythology that challenged audience expectations.”
This shift has resulted in a visually spectacular, deeply emotional, and —and very funny—aquatic coming-of-age tale about a young girl navigating her place in the world. “DreamWorks Animation has a long, comic tradition of subverting the hero’s journey, whether it’s an ogre who saves a princess, a panda that becomes a warrior, or a progressive Viking teen and his injured dragon who change the course of their community,” says DreamWorks Animation President Margie Cohn. “Ruby Gillman represents a new chapter to that tradition: a teen girl with unexpected and extraordinary powers.”
Presented by DreamWorks and Universal Pictures, ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’ will make a splash in Philippine cinemas on June 28. Get ready to dive deep into an underwater world filled with friendship, courage, and self-discovery!
