In Conversation with the Cast and Creatives of Netflix's 'Nimona'

Screenshot 2023 07 04 at 12.49.24 PM — Image via Netflix

After years in development and being shut down by Disney, the animated film adaptation of ND Stevenson‘s hit graphic novel Nimona is now available to stream on Netflix.

An epic tale about finding friendship in the most surprising situations and accepting yourself and others for who they are, the film takes place in a futuristic medieval world and follows an ex-knight named Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), who was framed for a crime he did not commit. He joins forces with a mischievous shapeshifting teen, Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), and as outcasts from society, the duo must persevere past the preconceived notions that are set against them.

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As the lines between heroes, villains, and monsters start to blur, they set out to wreck serious havoc – good and bad.

Nimona also stars the Try Guys founding member Eugene Lee Yang in his debut voiceover role as Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin, the love interest of Boldheart. Torn, he must either choose to do what he was sworn to do or protect the love of his life.

Nimona u 00 27 06 00 scaled — Image via Netflix

Screenshot 2023 07 04 at 12.48.37 PM — Image via Netflix

Beyond its striking animation and comedic humor, Nimona has rich and diverse representation of the LGBTQ community, both explicitly and allegorically. The project was first picked up by Blue Sky Studios, but the Disney-Fox merger paused the production indefinitely, and ultimately shuttered completely because Disney was pushing to censor some of the film’s LGBTQ themes. Fortunately, the creative team pushed for this adaptation, and it was eventually picked up by Netflix.

Instinct sat down with Moretz, Ahmed, and Yang to talk more about the film, their characters, what they hope audiences take away from this story, and more. We also caught up with directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane to chat about the journey of turning Nimona into an animated film for Netflix, as well as Stevenson, who talked about how the idea of Nimona originally came to fruition and how he worked to ensure the title character was left unaltered in the film.