Debuting Animated Series ‘The Wingfeather Saga’ Delivers A Fantasy Adventure Families Can Enjoy Together
For the team behind Angel Studios, an entertainment distributor and crowdfunding enterprise whose mission is to produce “stories that amplify light,” encountering skeptics has become commonplace.
Company President Jordan Harmon observed that some detractors have written off even their global success with marketing “The Chosen,” a Gospel-based series featured this week in the New York Times.
“‘Well, ‘The Chosen’ is about Christ, and clearly people want that,’” he said, channeling their critics. “And then we had ‘Tuttle Twins’ do well, and people were like, ‘It’s because it’s about freedom, and people really want to hear about that.’ Then when ‘The Wingfeather Saga’ happened — people had no explanation for it raising five million dollars because it’s a fantasy series.”
On Friday, the first half-hour episode of “The Wingfeather Saga,” a family-focused fantasy/adventure series, rolls out on YouTube and via Angel Studios’ app. Crowdfunding has enabled DreamWorks alum Chris Wall, the series producer-showrunner, and Andrew Peterson, author of the fantasy fiction saga, to set up an animation studio in Nashville — as dozens work remotely worldwide to bring the story to life.
[embedded content]“We’re fully in production right now, cranking out episodes to finish season one,” Wall told reporters at a recent premiere event. The first six-episode season runs through February, with the four-book quadrilogy already planned as seven seasons in total.
At the red-carpet premiere in Nashville, many of the series talent met for the first time — including voice actors Jodi Benson, star of Disney animated hit “The Little Mermaid,” Kevin McNally from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, Alkaio Thiele as young protagonist “Janner,” and an ensemble of rising child stars.
Benson plays “Nia,” whom she calls “a fierce mama bear,” raising three rambunctious children in a small village seemingly set against a medieval backdrop. “She’s powerful, brave, courageous, and a leader,” said Benson. “But then you add the element of her other hat as a mom, and she is so loyal and loving.”
In the story, Nia lives in a thatched-roof farmhouse with her kids and her father, Podo, who has similarities to a past iconic role of the actor who voices him.
“He’s a man of the sea, like Mr. Gibbs,” said McNally, referring to his “Pirates” character. “But we had a long chat about how we could make him a different man of the sea. And I’m pleased to know that I do have two pirates in me. Maybe a third will come later.”
Not Safe — But Good
Benson compares the series to “The Chronicles of Narnia” and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth novels. “It kind of blends all of those things together, which is really fun,” she said.
Peterson said the novels are a mash-up of “epic, sweeping adventure” with his goofy sense of humor. The author invents a new word on nearly every page as he builds out the fictional world of Aerwiar. For instance, gnawing “thwaps” invade rustic gardens where “totatoes” (not potatoes) grow.
“The story starts out with a
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