WondLa is a new seven-part animation bringing to life the popular futuristic fantasy sci-fi novels written by American author Tony DiTerlizzi which tell the story of a young girl, Eva Nine, who has been raised in an underground state-of-the-art sanctuary.
Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher is the voice of a robot called M.U.T.H.R, who has been solely responsible for bringing up human Eva (voiced by Roswell actor Jeanine Mason) in the animation.
"On her sixteenth birthday, Eva is allowed to leave the sanctuary for the very first time and venture up onto Earth", explains Emmy Award nominee Teri. However, with the planet now occupied entirely by aliens, the teenager soon finds herself on a quest to find other humans and discover her true destiny.
"Eva is fearless and feisty and has to learn to survive in a futuristic world that is ever-changing and full of fascinating creatures and plant life", continues Teri, "M.U.T.H.R has a level of love for this human girl that might be surprising in a robot. The story is so creative, clever and original."
In an exclusive interview for What To Watch, Hollywood star Teri tells us what to expect...
WondLa release date
WondLa is released worldwide on Friday, June 28 on Apple TV Plus.
WondLa cast
WondLa has a great cast, with Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher voicing a robot called M.U.T.H.R, while Roswell actor Jeanine Mason voices human Eva.
Otto is voiced by Emmy Award winner Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond), and Rovender, a cantankerous alien with a troubled past is voiced by Gary Anthony Williams (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows).
Is there a trailer for WondLa?
Yes, the trailer sees Eva escaping from the bunker that she has grown up in and discovering a world outside that she didn't even know existed. You can watch the trailer below...
Exclusive interview with WondLa star, Teri Hatcher
For people who aren't familiar with the novels, how would you describe WondLa?
Teri Hatcher: "I think WondLa has its roots in classic fairy tales, like Alice in Wonderland or The Wizard of Oz only instead of the heroine leaving and then returning home, Eva in this case, has to learn to survive in a futuristic world that is very complicated and ever-changing. In that journey she finds herself, she finds her strength, her purpose and ultimately finds her family."
What are some of the key themes?
"There are themes of our relationship with technology and nature and how we interact with our planet, plants and animals and how important that is. And I guess it's a coming of age tale of a strong, fallible, feisty and lovely girl. I really love being a part of any project with a female lead that I think girls in particular can be inspired by."
How would you describe the dynamics and the relationship between Eva and M.U.T.H.R?
"Although M.U.T.H.R is a futuristic robot she's very human sounding and very human in her ability to comfort, care for and nurture this little girl. I think there is a level of love that M.U.T.H.R has for Eva that might be surprising in a robot. But there's also a conflict within M.U.T.H.R of her programming, which is primarily about keeping Eva safe and how do we, as mothers, let our children go when it's time for them to leave and how do we continue to protect them."
We see Eva encounter all kinds of creatures when she ventures onto Earth for the first time. What can you tell us about them?
"There’s really no end to the multiple creatures and fascinating alien life, animal life and plant life. It's so inventive, creative and original, I love all of it. Otto, the giant water bear is one of my favourites, he's the one I want a stuffed animal of. I want an Otto! He’s gorgeous."
What was it like seeing this animation come to life?
"Well it was the first time I got to see Eva and she's amazing. It's funny because voice work is very unique in that you'll work on projects for years and never meet anyone. It involves a lot of trusting the directors and producers because it's their vision. It's like being a part of a project you're not in but when you finally watch it, it's a magical thing, because you are in it, but it's so much bigger than you."
"I'm really excited to sit down in my living room and watch the whole thing when it comes out on June 28 like everyone else. Hopefully I'll have a little viewing party with my daughter and some friends. I think everyone will be up for that."
You also narrated the audiobooks for the WondLa triology so how does that compare with voicing the animation and which work do you prefer?
"I definitely prefer animation because you approach it the same way you would with live action. You're using the same techniques an actor would to get whatever they're trying to get out of the scene or a character. When I've done audiobooks I think of it as sitting at the bedside and reading a story to my child when she was little which is something we did a tonne of. I love narrating audiobooks but I think acting is more my comfort zone."
Who do you think this animation series of WondLa will appeal to?
"There are some dark elements to it and some darker subject matters and scenarios and even with the books, the age range was really 10 years old and upwards. But I definitely think it's family viewing and that the emotions that Eva is going through and the journey she's on will resonate with older kids. She's quite fearless and feisty, and I think they will appreciate that!"
WondLa is released on Apple TV Plus on June 28, 2024.
