Orion and the Dark Director Sean Charmatz and Producer Peter McCown discuss the incredible cast & which night entity they most relate to.
When the embodiment of Orion’s worst fear, Dark, pays him a visit, he whisks Orion away on a roller-coaster ride around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of at night. This film is incredibly inspiring, as well as a lot of fun, and is sure to teach kids and adults alike that something they are missing out on life by letting their fears get to them.
We spoke with Orion and the Dark Director Sean Charmatz and Producer Peter McCown about their new Netflix film, including the incredible cast, what they hope viewers take away from it, and which night entity they most relate to.
Sean Charmatz (Director) & Peter McCown (Producer) Talk Orion and the Dark

Tessa Smith: I adored this movie What was it for you guys that made you want to be a part of this film?
Sean Charmatz: I mean, Charlie Kaufman wrote the script. The script was brilliant and inspiring and feels like something that’s authentic and has the kind of things that I want to have in a film that I’m directing. So I mean, I was hooked. As soon as I read the material and already had ideas, musically and everything, it was a pretty easy yes, for me.
Peter McCown: I got exposed to the book. And the book is just so brilliant as high concept idea of how, okay, I have this, this biggest fear, and I get to meet it. Like, that’s such a great high concept idea. And then I heard Charlie Kaufman. I was like, Yes, I didn’t need to hear any more after that. And just leaning into that was really, really exciting. Plus getting to make it at DreamWorks with the talent we, have for Netflix with a little bit of the latitude we have, we could tell this rather unique story.
Tessa Smith: This cast is absolutely incredible. Can you talk about bringing them all on?
Peter McCown: Yeah, I think the way the character of dark was written was kind of a combo of a bunch of different feelings and voices. And ultimately, Sean really pulled in Paul Walter Hauser who just elevated everything. That was such a brilliant idea. Then I think we all had discussions of who could nail Orion and the depth of that. The first name, I think, that came up was Jacob Tremblay. We were like, let’s see if we can maybe get Jacob and we did. We were thrilled to and he just elevated. And then that kind of became the theme throughout is like, we really honed in on who could embody these characters. I feel like we were really fortunate enough to get who we did. The ensemble of the comedians who play the entities was, you know, it still blows me away that they all signed on to do this.
Tessa Smith: Is there one night entity that you guys feel like you most relate to? I’m insomnia. I can never sleep.
Sean Charmatz: I feel kind of like dark sometimes. I feel like sometimes people misunderstand me, and might judge me. I don’t know. I feel most like dark. To be honest.
Peter McCown: I think he’s the most relatable of all of them. Right? He says, so much of how you see yourself is through the lens of other people, and I think that’s really an important and resounding thing for all of us.
Tessa Smith: What do you hope viewers take away from Orion and the Dark?
Peter McCown: Well, we’re both parents so we have kids that we care deeply about and we had them in mind as we were making this thing. I think we can take some lessons that come from this as parents, but just as people too, which is that the fear will always be there, whatever that fear is differs from person to person, but leaning into that fear instead of blocking it out or running away from it, leaning into and embracing it and then hopefully it turns into something that creates a positive growth as a person.
Sean Charmatz: Yeah, this film can make an impact on people on a deep level that could help them enjoy their lives. What a wonderful, wonderful gift to get at a young age, hopefully, where you’re starting to already think these sorts of positive things in terms of the dauntingness of life and adulting and all of that. I think that is a daunting thing for all of us.
Orion and the Dark is now streaming on Netflix.
NEXT: Orion and the Dark Teaches Great Lessons About Confidence
About Orion and the Dark
Orion seems a lot like your average elementary school kid –– shy, unassuming, harboring a secret crush. But underneath his seemingly normal exterior, Orion is a ball of adolescent anxiety, completely consumed by irrational fears of bees, dogs, the ocean, cell phone waves, murderous gutter clowns, even falling off a cliff. But of all his fears, the thing he’s the most afraid of is what he confronts on a nightly basis: the dark.
So when the literal embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit, Dark whisks Orion away on a roller coaster ride around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of in the night. As the unlikely pair grow closer, Orion must decide if he can learn to accept the unknown –– to stop letting fear control his life and finally embrace the joy of living.
Orion and the Dark is now streaming on Netflix.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.