Interview: The Cast and Crew of Disney’s Strange World
The world is a wild place, and it is about to get even more fascinating! Disney’s latest film Strange World brings a truly strange and vivid world to life in a heartfelt adventure film about adventure, family, and legacy.
Join the Clade family on their most important adventure yet as they embark on a journey to overcome their differences and save their world.
Be sure to check out Strange World in theaters starting November 23!
Here is the scoop on Disney’s new film Strange World!
The Cast and Crew of Strange World
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Searcher Clade. Fans will recognize Gyllenhaal from his work in Spider-Man: Far from Home and Brokeback Mountain.
Gabrielle Union is the voice of Meridian Clade. Her other works include Bring it On and Cheaper By the Dozen.
Dennis Quaid voices Jaeger Clade. Quaid’s other notable works include The Parent Trap and The Day After Tomorrow.
Jaboukie Young-White plays Ethan Clade. His other works include Dating and New York and C’mon C’mon.
Don Hall is the Director of Strange World. His other notable works include Big Hero 6 and Moana.
Qui Nguyen is the Co-Director and Writer. Nguyen’s other works include Raya and the Last Dragon and Incorpated.
Roy Conli is the film’s Producer. His other popular works are Big Hero 6 and Dolphin Reef.
Creating a Strange World
Strange World director Don Hall shares the initial inspiration behind the film. Hall says, “It started with just this idea of thinking about my kids, and thinking about what kind of world they’re gonna inherit.”
Hall further explains that he wants “To tell a story that speaks to how do we become good ancestors?”
The overall story is told, “Through three generations” focusing on the dynamics between Jaeger Clade, Searcher Clade, and Ethan Clade.
Bringing the Characters to Life
Many times actors who voice characters in films do not get the chance to work together because they work individually to record their voices. So, it is surprising that the cast of Strange World is so close.
Producer Roy Conli recalls that from the beginning, the cast, “Wanted to be involved. I’ve never had a cast so devoted to the story.” He adds, “From the day Jake came in, Dennis, Gabrielle, and Jaboukie, they all kind of invested in this story.”
Conli adds, “There’s 450 people who’ve touched this thing, and these four that are in front of me did such an amazing job in terms of bringing these characters to life.”
Family Relationships
Dennis Quaid, who voices Jaeger Clade, Searchers’ dad and Ethan’s Grandfather, talks about his character’s relationship with his family. Quaid explains that Jaeger is, “A fixated person. He sees himself as the greatest explorer the world has ever known.”
Dennis Quaid elaborates, saying Jaeger, “Wants his son, in that traditional sense to carry on the banner and the legacy of all that.” He adds, “Everybody in this film, in Jaboukie, are after the same thing. They have the same goal as just they have different ways of going about it to save Avalonia. And I thought there were just layers upon layers.”
Quaid continues, “It felt like a real family with, like, real issues that you would wind up fighting about over the Thanksgiving dinner table.” He concludes, “And it was real to me. And it didn’t look away or try to cover it over. And it’s very funny.”
Lots of Fun Characters
In addition to a lovable group of human characters in Strange World, the film has several other characters that audiences will adore. The Clade’s three-legged dog Legend is a character everyone will adore!
Don Hall explains that Legend would not have come about without the help of Burny Mattinson. Hall says, “Burny has been with the Disney company for 69 years. He started when he was 18 years old. He directed Mickey’s A Christmas Carol.”
Hall continues, “He’s been in the story department. I worked with him on Winnie the Pooh, Big Hero 6, and he worked with us on Strange World. And so in a very early story meeting, Burny said, ‘I think you need a dog in the movie.’ I was like, ‘I don’t know, Burny. I don’t know. We got Splat. He’s kind of a dog. I don’t know if we need a dog.'”
Don continues, “But then the story crew heard that, and they all ganged up on me and said, ‘We want a dog. We need a dog, we need a dog, we need a dog!’ I’m like, ‘All right. There’ll be a dog in the movie.’ And then our head of story, Lissa Treiman drew a version of Legend as a three-legged dog. And that was it. It stuck.”
He concludes, “And then we named the dog Legend after Burny because he is a Disney legend, a bonafide Disney legend.”
Old Co-Workers Reunited
Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal play father and son in Strange World, but this is not the first time that the duo has worked together. They also played father and son in The Day After Tomorrow.
The duo reflects on how their previous roles prepared them for Strange World. Quaid shares, “In Day After Tomorrow, we really didn’t have scenes together. The only difference is, is that I was searching for you and now you’re searching for me.”
Why Audiences Will Love Strange World
There are so many wonderful details that audiences will enjoy watching Strange World. From the stunning world to the great characters, this is a great film for viewers of all ages!
Jaboukie Young-White, who plays Ethan, shares his thoughts on the film. He rekarms, “It’s just Ethan coming into himself wholly, fully, and in an environment that is ready to support him. And I think in any medium, that’s really interesting. And in animation, that’s huge.”
That is the scoop on Disney’s latest film, Strange World! Be sure to check it out in theaters starting November 23!
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