SDCC 2024 Interview: Will Wight’s “Cradle”

Creators of the upcoming animatic based on Will Wight’s Cradle series shared insights into the creation of the project and the appeal of the characters and story.

The Cradle series by Will Wight is a twelve-book series that follows the journey of Lindon, who must master the magical arts to save the world. With the success of a Kickstarter campaign, the series is now being adapted into an animatic with the possibility of a full-fledged animated series down the line. The Geekiary sat down with author Will Wight, producer Jay Oliva, and voice actors Phil LaMarr, Morla Gorrondona, and Maxine Phoenix to discuss the project in a series of round-table interviews at San Diego Comic-Con 2024.

First up was producer Jay Oliva. He was initially drawn to the series after hearing about it from a friend, voice actor Matt Yang King. “I got three books in, and I called my manager, and I said, ‘Hey, find out who has the rights for this.’ And then they reached out to the Wights and set up a Zoom call and that was how I was able to get this all started.”

The Kickstarter for the project raised over a million dollars from over 8,000 fans. “The idea was we were developing it as an animated series, we were going to pitch the normal streamers,” explains Oliva, “but we also thought why don’t we bring it to the fans first? We wanted to do a Kickstarter to generate more interest, the fact that we are planning on going this route of doing an animated series, in this case we’re doing a movie, and I think that’s kind of where it all started.”

The initial project will be a single animatic covering the first two books of the series. Oliva was adamant that Wight maintain his creative vision in adapting the project. “I told him I don’t want to change it. The fans love it, I love it. But now as an author looking back, what would you plan to move earlier? What would be things you would adjust? That way the fans would be getting a director’s cut of the Cradle series that they know and love, but Will didn’t really have the forethought at the time to plant those seeds and we’re going to do that now going forward.”

On the appeal of the Cradle series, Olivia summarized, “I think the main thing is if you want a story that the whole family can enjoy about a hero who works very hard to be the best and then travels a road that is difficult. It’s something we can all kind of empathize with, the fact that everyday life is such a slog. But I think the idea is if you can keep your hope up and keep your eyes on the prize on what you want to accomplish, you can accomplish anything. I think to me it’s a great inspirational story, it’s a fun story. Will was able to kind of weave in and out of, he has memorable characters, and instances, and locations. I think that’s something everyone can really attach themselves to.”

Next, I interviewed author Will Wight. When asked to describe the series, he said, “My quick elevator pitch is always, it’s kind of like Avatar: The Last Airbender. Magical martial arts, they kind of use elements to bend. That’s my overall umbrella for what kind of story it is. But in terms of the characters and the plot, the main character in the book, the first one is called Unsouled, the main character is unsouled. He is the only person in his society who can use their martial arts magic. This is about a story of him learning and growing and becoming stronger in that magic as he adventures and deals with higher and higher stakes until eventually, he’s punching Godzilla-sized monsters in the face. That’s the journey.”

Wight also wrote the screenplay for the animatic adaptation of the first two books. “We were trying to do a one-to-one adaptation of the first book, but as we were developing it, we realized there’s a fan-favorite character who only shows up in book two. And we wanted more roles, as we had voice actors who were excited to be on the project, they were great. We wanted more voice roles than there are in book one.”

“I did the best I could, to compress book one into forty-five minutes and compress book two into forty-five minutes and try to cover both of those in ninety minutes. That was a very interesting screenwriting experience, but as a result, we tried to take you through the stories of books one and two,” Wight added.

In addition, to LaMarr, Gorrondona, and Phoenix, the voice cast also boasts names such as Steve Blum, Kari Wahlgren, Matthew Mercer, Matt Yang King, and Travis Baldree. Though Baldree previously provided the voices for the series’ audiobook, assembling the full voice of characters was a rewarding experience for Wight. “That was a very interactive, collaborative experience that helped me a lot. I loved it. It’s way better to get the take of someone else. They represent what I put on the page, but they elevate it also.”

Actors Phil Lamarr and Morla Gorrondona discussed the collaborative process and their joy of being a part of the project. “You always approach everything together because it’s collaborative character performance. You take in the material, and you get to see the imagery and then you guys agree on, ‘Okay, this is what that guy would sound like this right?’ You work together,” LaMarr explained of the voice acting process.

Gorrondona concurred, discussing her favorite parts of working on the project. “I think working with the team, getting to meet the Wights. For sure. They’re absolutely lovely and supportive and they love what they do. It all just feeds each other so beautifully. And getting to meet Phil LaMarr for sure as well.”

On getting to be a part of the world of Cradle, LaMarr said, “Yeah, it’s been amazing. It sort of feels like, ‘Oh my god. I bet this is what Daniel Radcliffe felt like in that first movie.’ Because you’re stepping into an incredible world that somebody created. Now I get to be a part of it.”

When surmising the appeal of the series for fans, LaMarr and Gorrondona agreed that soul was a big part of it. Gorrondona said, “Definitely soul, I think that is a really key element, and how it intertwines with nature and leaving home. How many times have we been told this is your parameter? You cannot go outside of this parameter. The idea that you aren’t born into the place where you belong. You have to step outside into the absolute unknown and maybe still never find it. But maybe you will.”

Finally, actress Maxine Phoenix discussed the joy of getting to voice the character of Yerin. “It’s just been a joy to play her, and the writing is so good. I love the world, and I’m grateful to Will for creating such an incredible character. It’s just a joy.”

On the power of the fans’ passion, Phoenix said, “I think it shows the power of the series, and the power of the plot and the characters. They raised this money from the ground up, which is so impressive and it shows the love. It definitely makes me feel a little more pressure in some ways because people really want it to be good and believe in it. I want to deliver that. But it also makes me feel like I’m a part of something. This is my first big project that I’ve done for voiceover. It feels like I’m able to grow with the project, which is really exciting.”

Phoenix also provided insight into the series’ themes that resonate most with viewers. “Finding your family and building your own community and your own group of people. Especially when you’re far from your home and far from your family. I think I really related to that. That’s one of the biggest moments for [Yerin] in the series.”

The passion for the Cradle series from the creators and actors is evident. The first look at the series, shown to fans at the panel later in the day, also looks promising. There is no word yet on a release date, but hopefully, fans will learn more information soon.

Author: Jessica Wolff

Jessica Wolff is a graduate of Drexel University with a BS in Film/Video. She has a passion for entertainment and representation in entertainment. She currently resides outside of Washington, DC.

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