October 8th, 2020 
Jackson Murphy 
New York Comic-Con at Home is underway! The first major animation virtual panel shown today was for Cartoon Saloon’s latest feature Wolfwalkers. It’s opening in select theaters on November 13th before hitting AppleTV+ worldwide on December 11th.
Last month, I had the chance to virtually screen the film through the Toronto International Film Festival. The story is about a girl named Robin who’s with her father, a hunter, in Ireland. Robin befriends Mebh, a Wolfwalker. What exactly does that mean, and how will their relationship impact the townspeople who highly despise wolves? That’s some of the mystery and suspense of the movie, which is packed with action, heart and some beautiful visuals. The hand-drawn animation is gorgeous, and the techniques using depth are quite unique.
Co-directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart explained that while working on Song of the Sea in approx. 2013, they had lunch one day and tried to come-up with a film they could direct together. They wanted to incorporate themes of folklore and hunting and were inspired by the documentary Wolfland, which was on Irish TV at the time. “We did a synopsis first, then beat points,” Stewart said. “The story went off in all kinds of mad directions. It was a real collaborative effort.”
Serving as panel moderator was assistant director Mark Mullery, who was involved in the film “from pre-production to final image. All told three years… maybe a little more.” Maria Pareja, production designer, “developed the style and made sure it was cohesive throughout the film.” Robin’s major arc is “a feeling that she doesn’t belong, and at some point, she belongs.” Pareja described the usage of watercolors in the forest and the two distinct design styles of “super-geometric and round & nice.”
Sandra Anderson was a character designer on Wolfwalkers. After learning the concepts of the movie, she’d then ask, “Now can we bring this concept into something we can animate?” Throughout the presentation, the team showed dozens of art cels and sketches, each on screen for about three seconds. Moore mentioned that, “we wanted the wolves to embody a spirit of wildness.” As for background inspiration, the key film was the Disney classic One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
When asked if The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea and now Wolfwalkers all exist within the same universe, Moore said, “They kind of because they kind of all fit together.” Years ago, he envisioned three animated films being released in a box-set. While not a direct trilogy, “They sit in the same thematic, visual and musical space.”
Look for more NYCC 2020 coverage throughout the weekend right here on Animation Scoop!
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