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Tag: Ruby Gillman

  • Latest Ya Hero Rises in Dreamworks’ Animated Film “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” – Opens This Holiday, June 28

    DreamWorks Animation dives into the turbulent waters of high school with a hilarious, heartfelt action comedy about a quirky teenager who discovers that she’s part of a legendary royal lineage of mythical sea krakens and that her destiny, in the depths of the oceans, is bigger than she ever dreamed in “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken”, with the titular role voiced by Lana Condor, who skyrocketed to global stardom as Lara Jean from the highly-successful YA (young adult) franchise, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

     The ocean is a mysterious world—one that land dwellers can only begin to imagine. That world—and the fantastic creatures that make their home beneath the waves—has long been a source of fascination for Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Kirk DeMicco. With his fourth animated feature, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, DeMicco borrows the best ideas from folklore and myth to tell the relatable story of a not-so-ordinary teenager who, after discovering a surprising truth about herself and her family lineage, learns to embrace her inner hero.

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    “As a filmmaker, I’ve always been interested in subverting expectations in my storytelling,” DeMicco says. “When it came to Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, one of the things that excited me most was the opportunity to do just that with the mythology of the krakens and mermaids. 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.”

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    Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken beautifully walks the line between character-driven comedy and larger, impactful themes of identity, family responsibility, love and honest acceptance. When the film opens, Ruby is a charmingly awkward, insecure 16-year-old who spends time with her close-knit group of friends when she’s not tutoring her crush, Connor. She’s desperate to invite him to prom—even if it is a post-colonial patriarchal construct—but her mom, Agatha, has forbidden her to attend. The event is being held on a boat, and if Agatha has one rule, it’s that Ruby cannot go near the water. Which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t live in Oceanside, where, you know, hanging out on the pier is essentially the number one pastime.

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    “The film is an inter-generational story that taps into the cultural chorus surrounding teen empowerment,” DreamWorks Animation President Margie Cohn says. “We feel that Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, has the potential to become the girl-power movie of the summer, and, we hope, a touchstone for the generations of girls still to come.”

  • Sea a Whole New World With Dreamworks’ New Young Hero “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” to Make Waves in Local Cinemas on June 28

    “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” dives into the turbulent waters of high school with a hilarious, heartfelt action comedy about a quirky teenager who discovers that she’s part of a legendary royal lineage of mythical sea krakens and that her destiny, in the depths of the oceans, is bigger than she ever dreamed.  The kraken are sworn to protect the oceans of the world against the vain, power-hungry mermaids who have been battling with the kraken for eons.

    Surfing through high school while trying to hide her true identity, Ruby, the eldest child of the Gillman clan and champion mathlete, might not be the coolest girl in school, but she is loved by her mega-selling realtor mom Agatha (played by Oscar® nominee Toni Collette, Knives Out) and laid-back supportive dad Arthur (Colman Domingo); even her little brother Sam (Blue Chapman) thinks she’s ok.

    Lana Condor as Ruby Gillman
    Lana Condor as Ruby Gillman

    Lana Condor, the rising young star who won the hearts of audiences in the 2018 teenage rom com To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, also found much to admire in Ruby, and she was thrilled to explore all of Ruby’s wonderful quirkiness playing the film’s title character. “Ruby is wildly earnest, and she has a very big heart,” Condor says. “She really values her friends, her family and her community. She is truly a good person. She’s wildly genuine, optimistic and steadfast. She’s quirky and shy and really wants to just be with her friends.”

    Jane Fonda as Kraken queen in Ruby Gillman
    Jane Fonda as Kraken queen in Ruby Gillman

    Still, Ruby, ever the confrontation-avoider, always obeys her mom—until an embarrassing prom-posal goes awry and Ruby jumps into the ocean to rescue Connor from drowning. To her great astonishment, Ruby transforms beneath the water into a giant kraken. Realizing that her mother hasn’t told her the whole truth about their family, Ruby begins looking for answers about who she really is. Her search leads her to form an ill-advised friendship with Chelsea, who has a secret agenda of her own, and to bond with her larger-than-life Grandmamah, the kraken Queen (Academy Award® winner Jane Fonda) who is only too eager to see Ruby become her successor. But before she can assume the throne, Ruby has a lot to learn. She must find a way to overcome her inner doubt and to come to love and accept herself for who she is, no matter where she is. Only then can she become the authentic hero she was meant to be.

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    From the makers of unforgettable hit movies worldwide, “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” is directed by Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Kirk Demicco (Vivo, The Croods) and produced by Kelly Cooney Cilella, p.g.a. (Trolls World Tour, Trolls), with Faryn Pearl (The Croods: A New Age, Trolls World Tour) serving as co-director.

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  • Lana Condor Unleashes Her Talent in Animated Adventure Film as ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’

    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.

    Lana Condor Jaboukie Young White voices in RUBY GILLMAN TEENAGE KRAKEN 1

    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.

    Annie Murphy as Chelsea in RUBY GILLMAN TEENAGE KRAKEN 2
    Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken 2
    Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken 1
    Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken 1

    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.”

    Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken digitalposter

    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!