The stars of Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken, including Lana Condor, Jane Fonda, Annie Murphy, Liza Koshy, and Jaboukie Young-White, gathered at the Los Angeles premiere of their DreamWorks film on Wednesday. For some of the actors, this was the first time they had actually met due to the nature of voice work.
Jane Fonda, who is new to voice acting, expressed her excitement about finally meeting her co-stars. She explained that voice acting can be challenging because actors do not meet each other during the recording process. However, she found it fun and was looking forward to meeting her fellow actors at the premiere.
Ruby Gillman tells the story of an awkward high school student, voiced by Lana Condor, who discovers that she is a descendant of the warrior kraken queens. She is destined to inherit the throne from her commanding grandmother, played by Jane Fonda. The kraken are sworn to protect the oceans of the world against vain, power-hungry mermaids.
Fonda joined the project because she wanted to work with DreamWorks and loved the idea of playing the matriarch kraken. She expressed her love for the deep seas and her recent involvement in helping to pass the Global Oceans Treaty at the United Nations.
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For Lana Condor, working with DreamWorks was a dream come true. She was drawn to the multi-generational aspect of the film and the relationships between the grandmother, mother, and daughter characters. Condor admitted that she cried when she saw the DreamWorks opening on the big screen for the first time.
When asked about the difference between voice acting and traditional live-action performing, Condor explained that they are completely different experiences. In live-action, she relies on her co-stars for interaction and dialogue. In voice acting, she is alone in a dark booth and has to rely solely on herself. She emphasized the need for confidence in voice acting because everything depends on her performance.
Liza Koshy, another co-star in the film, added that voice acting allows for more freedom and expression. Actors can be more energetic and have fun in the booth, which is unlike the more subdued and controlled nature of on-screen acting.
The film focuses on mermaids as the villains of the story, which is a departure from their usual portrayal as beautiful and admired creatures. Koshy believes that this shift in perspective provides a fresh take on mermaid mythology. It allows the audience to see the backstory of the krakens, who were villainized for so long, and understand their fear-inducing nature.
Executive producer Mike Mitchell shared his perspective on mermaids, jokingly calling them the “mean girls of the ocean.” He criticized their impact on the environment, stating that they crush coral and make hair products out of it. Mitchell urged caution when it comes to mermaids, emphasizing the need to look beyond their beauty and consider what lies beneath the surface.
Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken is set to hit theaters on Friday, offering audiences a new perspective on mermaids and the underwater world. With a talented cast and an exciting storyline, the film promises to be an entertaining and thought-provoking adventure.
