In Your Dreams Dares to Ask, “What If Dreams Don’t Come True?”

At the heart of In Your Dreams lies a premise that cuts against the grain of most animated storytelling: what happens when your dreams do not come true? For co-director Alex Woo, the film is more than a fantasy adventure, it is a deeply personal reframing of what it means to grow up, face setbacks, and find meaning in the journey, not just the outcome.

Dreams, Rewritten

During the press conference last week, Woo opened up about why In You Dream is his directorial debut. As well is a dream moving being his white whale.

“I mean, one of the main reasons why it was my, my directorial debut was because this was the the only movie that got green lit. No. I mean, I think, yeah, I think dreams have always sort of fascinated me and dreams like, a dream movie in the animated space has sort of been a white whale. I think every animation studio in the world has had a dream movie in development at some point over the last couple decades.

But none of them have ever been made because I think nobody could figure out how to give a dream movie stakes. And so when we started our our company and we were, you know, dreaming up different movie ideas, when we cracked it, we were like, oh my gosh. We we’ve gotta make this really quickly.”

Then Woo delved into what the stakes are, and sort of why they haven’t been covered.

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“I kinda grew up on movies that told me that if I wished hard enough, if I wanted something badly enough that my dreams could come true. And as I grew up, I kinda realized, well, sometimes that’s true, but sometimes it’s not. And I really wanted to make a movie that explores the question of what what do you do when your dreams actually don’t come true? How do you find hope? How do you keep moving forward in life? How do you find a way through?”

The film does not seek to destroy childhood wonder, it seeks to make it more honest. It offers a more inclusive narrative: one where hope survives even in disappointment, and where purpose is not always packaged in the exact dream you imagined.

Being Original in the Modern Day

Rather than relying on IP or pre-existing work, In Your Dreams dares to be new. Suprisingly, despite being the massive trend in the industry, being an original property wasn’t the hard part.

“I don’t think the fact that it was it was original was what made it difficult. I think it was, the fact that it was a movie about dreams that dealt with some challenging subject matter. You know? Because, you know, the movie is about what you do when your dreams don’t come true. So that was the most difficult part.”

Woo greatly credits Netflix for the freedom and support on the orignal IP. It’s also reassuring to know the story itself was the major focus, and not some arbitrary “how to we compared this to something else” conversations that seem to always go on.

In Your Dreams, A Fairytale For a New Generation

Woo’s direction invites audiences to hold onto wonder while also embracing change. The fantasy realm of the film is colorful, chaotic, and loaded with surprises, but it is the emotional grounding that gives it weight, but mostly a love letter to siblings.

“Me and my brother, we’ve had sort of our epic battles throughout ourchildhood. I’m sort of the perfectionistic overbearing older sibling. He’s the carefree, fun loving, charming little brother. And I think a lot of this movie was, me sort of trying to understand and appreciate him and his unique perspective and take on life.

One of my good friends who knows me a little too well saw the movie, and he said, you know, this film is just a really circuitous way of you telling your brother that you love him.”

Woo also goes on to deduce that the film might have been his way of avoiding therapy. Something that probably has a very credible ring of truth, but everyone still advocated for going to therapy.

Alex Woo is delivering something rare with In Your Dreams, an animated film that dares to ask difficult questions without sacrificing heart, humor, or spectacle. It is a story for anyone who has ever stumbled while chasing a dream and found something beautiful in the fall. And also loves they’re annoying sibling.

Discover it yourself when In Your Dreams releases on November 14, exclusively on Netflix.

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About In Your Dreams

Synopsis
In Your Dreams is a comedy adventure that follows Stevie and her brother Elliot as they journey into the absurd landscape of their own dreams. If the siblings can withstand a snarky stuffed giraffe, zombie breakfast foods, and the queen of nightmares, the Sandman will grant them their ultimate dream come true…the perfect family.

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Have you ever had to rewrite your dream? What stories helped you through disappointment? And how do you teach resilience without losing wonder? Share your thoughts and reflections with in the comments or @me!

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