Netflix has shared a glimpse into the upcoming Jason Momoa starrer, Slumberland, at its recently-held TUDUM event.
Slumberland is a loose adaptation of the classic Little Nemo in Slumberland and it strays quite a bit from the comic source material.
The movie follows a young girl Nemo who discovers a secret map to the dreamworld of Slumberland. There, she crosses paths with Flip, who is an outlandish rogue in the realm after she falls asleep, and finds herself in the magical realm of the subconscious.
With the help Flip, she can traverse dreams and flee nightmares in the hope that she will be able to see her late father again.
Momoa stars alongside Marlow Barkley who plays the little girl Nemo. The cast also includes Chris O’Dowd, Kyle Chandler, Weruche Opia, India de Beaufort and Humberly Gonzalez.
At the event, Barkley shared about their characters. “In the movie, Nemo’s relationship with Flip starts off rocky because he doesn't want her to be there, but she hangs on to this connection with Flip because she thinks he can help her find her dad.”
With her relationship with Momoa on-set, she added. “He made me feel so welcomed. We would joke around on set, racing each other and singing funny songs. He made me feel like we had known each other for years.”
In the newly released clip of the fantasy movie, the scene opens with Momoa as Flip dressed as a hobo, running down the rules of Slumberworld to Barkley’s Nemo.
“All right. We go through this door, everything changes. You slip up, you’re dead. You’ll never see the Waking World again,” warns Flip before walking in the room.
“Okay. What are we waiting for?” Nemo says nervously as they walk in through the door.
“Welcome to my world, kid,” enthuses Flip and the room transforms into a fantastical ambiance, with leaves flying around and the scene in the room changing. “Brand new dream, still under construction,” he explains.
Flip shows off his ability to quick-costume-change from Satyr Hobo to an incredibly gaudy golden suit. He claims he is an outlaw, but goes on listing the rules anyway. “Rule number one, keep a low profile. Don’t wanna get caught messing around in other people’s dreams.” Because if caught, “the dream cops will lock you up and throw away the key, doomed to rot in a dingy Bureau prison cell for all of eternity till you cease to exist entirely. So, blend in.”
“Yeah, ‘cause you totally blend in,” Nemo says referring to the gold suit.
“Rule number two, stay focussed. We’re not here to have fun, okay? We get in, we find the next door, the we get out. On to the next dream. Our one and only mission is finding those pearls,” asserts Flip.
“Rule number three, we’re not friends, we’re not partners. I’m the boss. El jefe, okay? We do as I say, you got it?”
“So rule number three’s just a bunch of aggressive statements?” quips Nemo.
“Nobody likes a smart aleck, kid,” says a frowning Flip as the two walk ahead.
Slumberland is directed by Francis Lawrence who helms the script by David Guion and Michael Handelman. The movie is produced by Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, David Ready and Lawrence. Executive producers are David Guion, Michael Handelman and Ray Angelic.
Slumberland is slated to release on November 18, 2022.