With the director Fletcher Mules’ Entergalactic currently streaming on Netflix, I recently spoke with Kenya Barris about making a special animated musical television series for adults that accompanies Scott “Baby Cudie” Mescudi new studio album of the same name. If you haven’t seen the trailer, Entergalactic is a cool reboot of the 21st century rom-com that combines animation, fashion, music and art. It’s also about two young artists going through the vicissitudes of finding love in New York.

Entergalactic boasts a stellar line-up including Timothy Chalamet, Ty Dolla $ign, Laura Harrier, Vanessa Hudgens, Christopher Abbott, 070 Shake, Jaden Smith, Keith David, Teyana Taylor, Arturo Castro as well as Macaulay Culkin.

COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY

During the interview, Kenya Barris talked about why he wanted to do the project, how they wanted to create something that no one had seen before, collaborating with Virgil Abloh for costumes, his upcoming feature directorial debut, you peoplewhat stars Jonah Hill as well as Eddie Murphyand White people can’t jump remake.

Moreover, after watching Entergalactic, you will be like me and wonder if they will continue the story or use the format they created to tell new stories. I asked Barris what might happen in the future. He told me:

“We would like to do this as a proof of concept for something we would like to do for other artists and maybe either continue this story or do it with other artists. We think it’s a really fun way to present the music along with the story and combine the magic of animation. Animation, especially when you put music, lasts forever. My children are still singing moanaas well as Bambi, and all that stuff. So the idea of ​​it could go on forever.”

Check out what he said in the player above, or you can read our conversation below.

COLLIDER: I want to start with sincere congratulations. I thought Entergalactic was fantastic.

Oh thanks bro. I’m very excited about this.

As you certainly should be. I like to throw a curve at the beginning. If someone has actually never seen anything you’ve done before, what do you want them to watch first and why?

I would say Black. I think that’s what changed my life and it’s about my family, gives a lot of context to sort through the types of stories I like to do and kind of like talking about things in a way that hasn’t necessarily been talked about before and I very proud of it. As well as #BlackAF. I would probably say #BlackAF. I would probably say #BlackAF. I think it’s really-

So the answer has changed. I understand.

I think it was a version where I was a little more comfortable with myself and it was a little more honest look at my family.

One of the things about an animation project like this, with so many different parts, is that it obviously takes a lot of time to make. How long ago did you start working on this?

Years. I think it’s been almost three years.

And because a lot of animated things change drastically during creation. Was it one of those things where she always stayed the same? Were there any radical changes?

Yes and no. Do you know what I’m talking about? I mean, we knew what we wanted to do. It was the first time the album was associated with the project in a very unique way, in a proprietary way. We knew we wanted it to be about love and romance and boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back, because those are often not the stories we tell.

We knew we wanted it to look different than we had ever seen before and I feel very similar to the moment and hopefully many moments of the past. I think there were some differences in whether it was going to be a feature film or a TV series and we sort of found the best grid of the two.

I’ve read a lot where it says it’s a TV series, but I almost consider it a movie. How do you measure it?

This is a series. This is a series. It’s broken up into chapters, and I think it’s a really good analogy for what it really is.

Do you think this could be the start of others… Do you assume this will continue in some way, either using animation to tell other stories, or do you think it was an isolated affair for you guys?

We would like to do this as a proof of concept for something we would like to do for other artists and maybe either continue this story or do it with other artists. We think it’s a really fun way to present the music along with the story and combine the magic of animation. Animation, especially when you put music, lasts forever. My children are still singing moanaas well as Bambi, and all that stuff. So the idea of ​​this could go on forever.

Another thing that I thought was really cool is that you collaborated with Virgil Abloh on the costumes. Can you talk about working with Virgil, and because I think one of the coolest things is how you put the cool costumes together, the art, it’s just a cool melting pot.

Well, Virgil and Kadi are really good friends. I’m huge… Virgil and I knew each other, but I wasn’t as friendly as Cudi. But we knew we wanted to do something that we didn’t see in an animated show, we wanted… For me, as a producer and director, I’m responsible for everything on this screen, what you hear, what you see, what people are wearing, everything.

And I think we wanted to make sure it’s not lost because it’s animated and actually extend it. And to get Virgil Abloh’s shine in the design aesthetic of this show, and that turned out to be one of the last things he was able to do, it means to us that this feeling, and something that we feel, is a really special distinguishing feature. what is this project.

I’m so interested to know White people can’t jump remake. Why is now the best time to reboot or what can you tell people about it?

I think Woody and Wesley have a very, very special relationship, right? And I think it was about people from different worlds coming together. And I think right now that’s becoming a hallmark of the stories that I want to tell. It’s about people from different worlds who have something that they feel like other people don’t believe in them, but they believe in themselves and it’s really the perfect time.

Jack Harlow is amazing. Sinqua (Walls) is amazing. And the soundtrack, DJ Drama makes our soundtrack for it and we think it will be just like us. Over the edge too, but just as much as we really want it back. I think music is emotion and we want to bring great music back to films and make you feel like it’s as much a part of the film as the film itself.

Last question for you. I am very glad to see you people next year, which I believe you wrote with Jonah Hill. You have Eddie Murphy in it. What can you tell people about it? What do you want people to see?

It was my feature directorial debut. I was scared. Do you know what I’m talking about? We could spend a lot of money with big stars and seeing your words that you have written is one thing, but seeing the words that you have written directing them is another. And I feel like it’s really like two different takes. People say this is this, this is that. It really says that two worlds are coming together and what they have in common is love, where I’m not really trying to be saccharin, where I really think the world really needs more.

I think people will be amazed by Lauren London. You’ve never seen Eddie Murphy like this. Jonah as the main character kills him. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, surgeon. David Duchovny, who plays in it, is just great. Nia Long is amazing. I think we just got a goldmine of actors and I hope people really react to it the way I am, in every iteration, really happy with it.

Can’t wait to see him. And serious congratulations Entergalactic. Thank you for your time.

Thank you brother.