The Walt Disney Animation Studios adventure film Strange World follows the Clades, a family of explorers that ventures into an uncharted subterranean land that contains bizarre creatures and unknown dangers. Along with a three-legged dog and a mischievous blob, family man Searcher Clade (voiced by Jake Gyllenhaal), accomplished pilot and Searcher’s partner Meridian (voiced by Gabrielle Union), Searcher’s 16-year-old son Ethan (voiced by Jaboukie Young-White) and Searcher’s legendary explorer father Jaeger (voiced by Dennis Quaid) must overcome their differences and unite over their commonalities on an unexpected mission.

During this conference to promote the new animated feature, co-stars Gyllenhaal, Union and Quaid, along with director Don Hall, talked about telling a story about becoming good ancestors through the generations of one family, what attracted them to their characters, seeing their own mannerisms in their animated characters, how the three-legged dog came about, designing the creatures, the classic films and stories that inspired this, and the animated movies that affected them most in their childhoods.

Collider: Don, how did you come to be telling a story about generational trauma in a pulp fiction fantasy?

DON HALL: That came a little later. It just started with this idea of thinking about my kids, and thinking about what kind of world they’re gonna inherit. That was top of mind, many years ago, when I started this. I wanted to tell a story that speaks to, how do we become good ancestors? And to tell that through three generations because I’m a father. That’s just a very core relationship that we all can relate to, so that’s where we started. That was the beginning. And then, to tell it through the lens of this fun, pulp, action-adventure story was a dream come true.

Jake, who is Searcher, and what attracted you to the character?

JAKE GYLLENHAAL: First and foremost, I always feel like the story is what attracts me to a film. I could feel, from Don and (co-writer/co-director) Qui Nguyen, and from (producer) Ron [Conli], early on, that it came from a true place. As Don talked about, the initial idea of the movie was really based on something that came from his own heart, so that drew me in. It wasn’t a story that came from the ether. It came directly from him and his personal experiences. That made me want to be involved because it felt very personal. And then, I got to bring my own family and my own experience to it, in a different way, with my voice. My dad actually said he went to see a movie this weekend, and he heard my voice and saw my animated character, and it totally tripped him out. I’m sure that the rest of the cast feels this way too, but the character was developed over the year plus that we were working with them. That’s what makes working with them so wonderful. They’re really open to you bringing yourself, and the animators are watching your face, your movement, and your facial expressions. The character slowly becomes you, as you become it, in this odd, extraordinary transformation. I was bringing myself to it without even realizing I was doing that.

Dennis, was it fun to play a character who’s villainous in certain parts of the story, to certain people, but who still has a humanity? What did you enjoy about that duality?

DENNIS QUAID: He sees himself as the greatest explorer the world has ever known. He wants his son, in that traditional sense to carry on the banner and the legacy of all that. With the environmental issues, everybody in this film is after the same thing. They have the same goal, they just have different ways of going about it. I thought there were just layers upon layers. It felt like a real family with real issues that you would wind up fighting about at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Those things come up. So, it was real to me, and it didn’t look away or try to cover it over. And it’s very funny.

Gabrielle, how did you approach bringing this mom to life?

GABRIELLE UNION: This came at about the same time as The Inspection, and I was like, “I need some levity.” I was like, “What kind of mom is she? Oh, a good mom. Okay.” I jumped at the chance because not only did I need some chuckles to offset the darkness, but I just wanted to play in a different medium. I’d been in the minor leagues and done voice acting before on a smaller scale with Disney, at Disney Junior. But to be able to provide a voice for the famed Disney animation department, that’s like a dream come true. That’s something we all hope for. And then, to be given freedom. People say, “We got that one in the can. Now, just ad lib. Say what you want.” And they never use it. You’re like, “Okay. I’d rather get on the 405. Let’s keep this train on the tracks.” But they actually meant it. I was like, “For real?” They kept so much of what I ad-libbed. They made it fun and easy and super-efficient. Rarely in this town do people care about efficiency and your time, but you walk in, and they’re all truly legit wonderful people. They just made it a wonderful, super, lovely, fun, efficient experience.

Did any of you see any of your own mannerisms in your animated character?

UNION: The dimples were wild because it wasn’t there initially, and then it was there. There were also all my little isms and stuff that I do. They got it. They weren’t playing at it. They got all the things. That was so fun.

Don, how did the three-legged dog come about? Why did you decide that he’d have only three legs?

HALL: That was very in our process, when we were story-boarding the first iteration of the film. We were very fortunate to work with this gentleman named Burny Mattinson. Burny has been with the Disney company for 69 years. He started when he was 18 years old. He directed Mickey’s A Christmas Carol. He’s been in the story department. I worked with him on Winnie the Pooh and Big Hero 6, and he worked with us on Strange World. In a very early story meeting, Burny said, “I think you need a dog in the movie.” I was like, “I don’t know, Burny. We’ve got Splat. He’s kind of a dog. I don’t know if we need a dog.” But the story crew heard that, and they all ganged up on me and said, “We want a dog. We need a dog! I was like, “All right, there’ll be a dog in the movie.” And then, our head of story, Lissa Treiman, drew a version of Legend as a three-legged dog, and that was it. It stuck. We named the dog Legend after Burny because he is a bonafide Disney legend. That’s what I call him, all the time. I call him Legend.

Jake and Dennis, you two previously worked as father and son in The Day After Tomorrow. They’re very different films, but did you find any parallels in your chemistry, here and in that film?

QUAID: Yes. This is the first time Jake and I have been in the same room, actually. I've never seen any of his films, so I didn't know what he looked like.

GYLLENHAAL: I’ve literally never met Dennis, until this moment.

QUAID: Yeah. In Day After Tomorrow, we really didn't have scenes together. The only difference is that I was searching for you then, and now you're searching for me.

Gabrielle, as someone who is such a strong and resilient person in real life, did you channel a bit of your own personality into the fearless Meridian Clade?

UNION: Because I had to suppress so much of who I am in The Inspection, this allowed me to show how I am in real life. I’m not a regular mom. I’m a cool mom with the big life. I’m not a fighter pilot, but I fight folks in the street. This was a lot closer to my actual natural personality, and how we get down at home, as parents. We lovingly nudge our children to live their best lives, on their own terms.

GYLLENHAAL: Do you guys cook and dance, at the same time?

UNION: No, there’s a chef in the kitchen. He’s an NBA superstar. There’s no cooking, but we do dance. We dance around the chef. We don’t chop anything.

Gabrielle, what did you like about the way your character was animated?

UNION: Having a little Black girl at home, who is obsessed with hair, and her hair, and everyone’s hair, seeing the hair texture of Meridian, and the curls, and us very much leaning into the natural hair movement and the celebration of our hair in its natural state, was huge. Her having very Afro-centric features and her having a shape was awesome. She has a reasonable breast-to-hip ratio that’s more realistic. All of that was really important.

Don, were you inspired by any classic adventure films, or any classic films, books, or magazines?

HALL: Yeah, I did a lot of research, at the beginning. It was joyous research. I re-read a lot of Jules Verne and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and those early adventure novels. We watched Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time. King Kong is a really good example of this particular genre, where a group of explorers find a hidden world with creatures and monsters. It was a joyous bit of research, going back into that.

Did you meet with any farmers or biologists while designing the world and writing the story?

HALL: My dad is a farmer, so I did pick up a few things before I decided to pursue this animation career. We met with a few rooftop farmers, as well. We did do some farming research.

Dennis, in a number of ways, Jaeger shows how unbalanced the classic hero archetype is. How do you feel that character challenges that archetype?

QUAID: It’s the hero’s journey, told in three different ways, all three of which are generational. I think Jaeger harkens back to the '50s and '60s, when the man was supposed to go out and work. He’d be gone, and you didn’t think twice about it, and he could be heroic. At the same time, you miss everything that’s really important. I like the way they portrayed that, and really faced it and owned it, and addressed what all goes with that.

Don, how did you approach designing the creatures, including Splat, and the world of Strange World?

HALL: We are very fortunate to work at a place that is just full of amazing artists. Early on, when I was just conceiving the bare bones of the film, I left the Strange World part wide open because I liked the idea of going to our artists and letting their imaginations run wild. We didn’t really send them down any path, but we just let them go. We really turned everybody lose, and it was so much fun. Of course, they based everything on research, but their research was, “Here’s some weird stuff I found on the internet, and I made some drawings that reflect that.” It’s really a testament to our production design team and everybody on the film that it really looks the way it does.

Jake, your character prefers farming to exploring. Have you had any real experience in farming, or would you rather be an explorer?

GYLLENHAAL: I have had experience in farming, yes.

UNION: Was it successful?

GYLLENHAAL: Yes, it was successful, at times, as far as farming goes. I have a few close friends that are actual farmers. But in terms of adventures, I love adventures, too.

UNION: What kind of adventures, Jake? Be specific.

GYLLENHAAL: We can take that off into another side room. But I’ve had experience in both adventuring and farming.

Which one do you think would make you happier long term?

GYLLENHAAL: I really do love to cook. What comes from the earth and what we eat is, to me, one of the most important things in my life. I do cook for myself sometimes, and when I do, I like getting it from the ground. So, I would probably go with farming. I was perfect for this role.

Gabrielle, so many moms are off-screen in Disney movies. How did you think Meridian reclaims the important role of motherhood in the modern world, through this film?

UNION: They’re not only on the side, they kill moms in Disney animation. A lot of us don’t make it. I’m just happy she makes it. I’m happy she’s alive, that’s first and foremost. I’m happy to be a part of the changing face of moms, period, in media and certainly starting with Disney. We’re showcasing a proud Black woman that loves, super affectionately, and is very demonstrative with her affection. She loves out loud. She’s also had a fulfilling past as a fighter pilot. She’s got layers. There’s complexity, but there’s so much love. She’s not an evil stepmom. She’s not a deceased memory that we’re thinking back on. She’s an active participant in the story. It’s nice to not just be the mom you randomly see.

GYLLENHAAL: Like Bambi’s mom. And Dumbo’s mom.

UNION: Moms didn’t have a good run for a minute.

Which Disney animated movie impacted you most, in your childhood?

HALL: Dumbo. I saw it when I was really little, and it started the whole ball rolling for me, in terms of wanting to work at Disney Animation and making that my life’s goal.

QUAID: Yeah, it’s Dumbo for me too. It just affected me so much, as a kid. And then, in college, my acting teacher did an entire class on Dumbo, based on its story structure and what it was about. It’s an incredible myth that points to something you really have no words for.

UNION: Probably Beauty and the Beast. It really impacted my dating choices, from the mid-'80s through the early 2000s.

GYLLENHAAL: I’m going to go with the O’s too and say Dumbo and Nemo.

Strange World is in theaters on November 23rd.