Orion and the Dark stars, Jacob Tremblay and Paul Walter Hauser, discuss what they hope viewers take away from the film, why they joined the cast, and more in this interview.
The thing Orion fears the most in the entire world is the dark. Which says a lot because he is scared of pretty much everything. In this inspiring film, the embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit and Dark whisks Orion away on a roller-coaster ride around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of at night.
We sat down with Jacob Tremblay (Orion) and Paul Walter Hauser (the Dark) to talk about their new film. They reveal what it was that drew them to want to be a part of the movie, the importance of entertainment the whole family can enjoy, and how they relate to their characters. The two also explain what they hope viewers take away from Orion and the Dark.
Jacob Tremblay & Paul Walter Hauser Talk Orion and the Dark
Tessa Smith: I love this movie. I absolutely adored it. I feel like you both brought a lot of depth and relatability to your characters. And so Jacob, I’d love to know if you feel like you relate to Orion at all.
Jacob Tremblay: Oh, yeah, I definitely feel like I relate to Orion, especially with overthinking. I always find myself overthinking. Orion does it to a crazy extent, and he’s always planning out what the possible worst outcome could be. Which I feel is very, very negative. But I feel like everyone can relate to Orion, which is what I love so much about him. Everyone can see themselves and in him.
Tessa Smith: Absolutely. And then Paul, how about for you and the Dark?
Paul Walter Hauser: Yeah, I really relate to that idea of someone who sometimes feels misunderstood or lonely, or someone who, it’s almost like a little kid with show and tell. Like, I want to present something to you. I’m excited about this thing. There’s something really relatable about him taking Orion on the journey to show him this. It’s like bring your buddy to work day, or bring your kid to work day. And I really relate to that. I have two kids myself, and I’m really excited for them to come of age when I can show them pieces of the world that my wife and I really cherish. Whether it’s a song, or a recipe, or a city in the world, or a movie, or something. I really just relate to the Dark on a lot of different levels.
Tessa Smith: I sat and I watched this with my kids, and we we loved it so much. So can you talk about being a part of something that both the parents and the kids can enjoy and have fun with?
Jacob Tremblay: Yeah, I mean, it’s pretty exciting that all audiences will get to see this movie and have a good time with it. It makes me think like, I’m gonna build a pretty good album of movies that I’ll be able to show my kids one day. I think that’s pretty cool to think about.
Paul Walter Hauser: I also really like the idea of building up a resume of movies that families or kids can watch. I did this show called Cobra Kai, and I got to do this movie Cruella, and it’s like, there are some cool pieces of family entertainment. And this is top of the list really, because the animation is gorgeous, the writing is meaningful, the voice actors are terrific. It’s a really good package here.
Tessa Smith: Did you guys get to check out the book at all?
Paul Walter Hauser: Yeah they gave me a copy of the book when we did that last little recording session.
Jacob Tremblay: That was really cool. We did a read through of the book that was really nice. We got to do it in the characters a little bit, which is really, really neat. I got to read some of your lines, which was pretty cool.
Paul Walter Hauser: Yeah. That was fun. They let us do that. And then the illustrations, too, are really beautiful. It’s a great book. If you haven’t purchased it for your kids, you’ve got to add that to the shelf for sure.
Tessa Smith: I actually bought it after I watched the film. I would love to know what you hope people take away from this because I feel like there’s some really important lessons wrapped up in this film.
Paul Walter Hauser: More than anything, I hope it emboldens people to want to face their fears and also know that it’s understandable and it’s okay to have fears. But if you don’t get beyond them, you might be missing out the way Orion is kind of missing out on that next chapter of his young life.
Jacob Tremblay: Absolutely. Same thing for me. I hope people can relate to the characters and then see themselves in Orion and the Dark. I think they did a phenomenal job at making it so relatable. So I’m excited for people to see that and see themselves.
Orion and the Dark is now streaming on Netflix.
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