“The Sea Beast” is Netflix’s big, splashy, animated movie of the summer, one that hopes to rival the newest releases from Pixar and Illumination. And a new trailer for the seafaring adventure suggests that it just might succeed.
Directed, co-written (with Nell Benjamin) and produced by Chris Williams, a longtime Disney stalwart and the filmmaker behind “Big Hero 6” and “Bolt” (he also served as a co-director on Ron Clements and John Musker’s “Moana”), “The Sea Beast” follows Jacob Holland (Karl Urban), an infamous monster hunter, as he faces his biggest challenge yet – dealing with a young stowaway named Maisie Brumble (Zaris-Angel Hator). Oh, and they are of course searching for a giant, mythical creature that perpetually avoids capture.
“The Sea Beast” is inspired by classic monster movies and adventure films, and that rollicking, old school flavor is very much apparent in this new trailer. Plus, you can see the movie’s subtle animal rights subtext, which is very much appreciated.
With gorgeous animation provided by Sony ImageWorks, utilizing some of the same tools that brought “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” to the screen, and a cast that also includes Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Dan Stevens and Kathy Burke, “The Sea Beast” could be a solid sleeper this summer. And since it is premiering at home (after a brief theatrical run later this month), your kids can re-watch it over and over again.
“The Sea Beast” premieres in theaters later this month and is on Netflix on July 8.