Even months after its November 14, 2025 release, Netflix’s In Your Dreams still feels like a rare gem. I walked into the Hollywood premiere expecting a bright family adventure, and I left thinking about why so few animated films allow children’s stories to breathe with real emotion. The Kuku Studios feature follows a brother and sister who enter the dream realm to seek a wish from the Sandman, and it somehow balances stuffed-animal comedy, nightmare imagery, and genuine sibling ache without losing its sense of wonder. As the 2026 awards conversation heats up, the film deserves every bit of its contender status.
A Director’s 21-Year Dream Finally Comes True
Director Alex Woo compared movie making to cooking a great meal for friends. “You’ve poured all this love, blood, sweat, and tears into the meal, and you just want to nourish ’em,” he said. That warmth is not just a press-tour soundbite. It shows on screen. Woo waited 21 years between a 2004 short and this first feature, and he told me patience was the key. “I know it can be really discouraging when you’re hitting a wall. I think that’s just part of the journey,” he explained. “If I had had this chance earlier in my career, the film would not have turned out as well as it did.” In an industry that often rewards speed, shouldn’t we celebrate a filmmaker who used time to get the emotional truth right?
Producers Tim Hahn and Gregg Taylor clearly felt the same. Hahn described the project as something invented out of thin air but rooted in real experience. “You get to connect across generations,” he said. “That’s the magic of the movies.” Taylor admitted there are no guarantees in animation, but said the early recordings with Craig Robinson made it obvious that Baloney Tony would be memorable. That kind of confidence is contagious.
Why Simu Liu Got Emotional in the Booth
How often does an actor admit they cried during voice recording, not once but repeatedly, months apart? Simu Liu did. He was surprised to learn an original song would be part of the film. “I didn’t realize that would be part of the film!” he said. “We were already a year into the process, and Alex went ‘You want to hear something cool? Here’s an original song that we have made for you and Cristin to sing.’” Liu had sung on-screen before, including choir work on “I’m Just Ken,” but this was his first solo. The emotional truth of Alex Woo’s direction kept hitting him during sessions. Even when scenes were re-recorded after months, the feelings came flooding back.
Baloney Tony Steals the Show
Then there is Baloney Tony, the stuffed giraffe who comes alive in the dream world. Craig Robinson voiced him, and the cast immediately knew he was special. Elias Janseen said Tony was already a favorite. “He’s just super funny and always makes you laugh and brings such joy,” Janseen recalled. Robinson credited Alex Woo’s passion for the movie. “It is infectious. I got in the booth and just wanted to do my best,” he said. The sessions were not all script work either. “Then we got to play around and improv. It was great.”
Would Tony work with another animated scene-stealer? Robinson said Mr. Shark from The Bad Guys would be a perfect pairing. “A giraffe and a shark just rolling around? Come on!” he joked. For kids growing up with Tony, Robinson said he will hold that responsibility with grace. It is easy to see why.
Sibling Heart and the Making of Nightmara
Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, who plays one of the siblings, said the film carries a message young viewers can understand: leaning on family and the people who really care is how you get through tough times. She also remembered the rare quality of the audition. “It’s really rare, especially in animation as a kid, to get a script and some audition sides with such nuance,” she said.
Her on-screen sibling, Elias Janseen, was drawn to the comedy. “My character and Baloney Tony, their bond together is just super funny. I love all of their lines and their deliveries together.” That sibling dynamic eventually becomes the emotional core of the movie.
Gia Carides had a unique challenge: helping invent Nightmara, the film’s nightmare figure. Alex Woo invited her into the creative process. She experimented with British and Australian versions before landing on a wise, street-smart New York accent. “We got to make it human,” Carides said. “I’ve played a couple of villains. I always want to bring a human element to the development. It’s just fun to make it complicated like that.”
The Music Had to Match the Whimsy
Composer John Debney latched onto the Sandman and the world of dreams. “The great thing about this film musically is that we go from kind of Western to big, beautiful, imaginative, almost impressionistic music,” he said. That range sounds difficult, but it fits a film that moves between adventure and intimate family drama. Debney was especially moved by the brother-sister relationship near the end. “At one point you’ve got a lot of action and adventure and then all of a sudden it comes down to the relationship. That’s what I love.”
What Surprised the Team Most
| Person | What Surprised Them Most |
|---|---|
| Alex Woo | The final film exceeded the original “pipe dream” in every way. |
| Craig Robinson | Tony had to overcome his fears, which mirrored his own life. |
| Simu Liu | How emotional he became during recording sessions, even months apart. |
| Jolie Hoang-Rappaport | The evolving tone and the chance to re-approach scenes from new angles. |
| Elias Janseen | Alex Woo’s passion and how he acted as a true scene partner. |
| Gia Carides | Finding depth and humanity in Nightmara instead of a one-note villain. |
| John Debney | The dramatic shift from action and adventure to the sibling relationship. |
So as 2026 unfolds, the question is not whether family audiences need more films like In Your Dreams. The question is whether studios will learn from it. Beautiful animation gets attention, but emotional honesty is what makes a movie stick. This one does both. Shouldn’t that be the dream standard?