We got a chance to chat to “The Sea Beast” writer/director Chris Williams about the greatest cinematic action heroes, orphaned animated leads, and how an audience gains ownership of a film once it’s out in the wild.
It’s clear from the get go that Williams is a huge fan of action, one of his major inspirations is George Miller’s Mad Max character. There is also a huge amount of Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones DNA infused into the film. Bringing the thrill of his formative childhood franchises to an animated film is not new to Williams, but this is definitely his most ambitious one to date.
Also the surprising (or maybe not so surprising) parallels between Karl Urban’s Jacob Holland in “The Sea Beast” and his Billy Butcher on “The Boys.”
In an era when terrifying beasts roamed the seas, monster hunters were celebrated heroes — and none were more beloved than the great Jacob Holland. But when young Maisie Brumble stows away on his fabled ship, he’s saddled with an unexpected ally. Together they embark on an epic journey into uncharted waters and make history.
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Chris Williams is an Academy Award-winning director and writer of animated films. Chris has been drawing since he could hold a pencil. He wrote comic strips, made stop motion films, and loved all things movies. He is a graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Fine Arts program and Sheridan College’s animation program. Upon graduation, he moved to Los Angeles and began his career in animation, which spans across iconic films such as the Academy Award-nominated “Bolt,” Academy Award-nominated “Moana,” and “Big Hero 6” which won the Academy Award in 2015, along with many others.
Starring Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Dan Stevens, Kathry Burke, Doon Mackichan, and Jim Carter, “The Sea Beast” is streaming on Netflix now.
You can also read our review here.
