{"id":7078338,"date":"2026-10-06T16:47:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T16:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7078338"},"modified":"2026-10-06T16:47:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T16:47:21","slug":"interview-the-thrills-of-monster-mia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7078338","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW: The Thrills Of “Monster Mia”"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"MonsterMia1<\/figure>\n

Verena Fels is the director of the spooky fun new animated feature\u00a0Monster Mia<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 in theaters nationwide beginning this Thursday October 8th. The film, which screened at Annecy earlier this year, based on a book series about a girl who hopes humans and monsters can get along with each other. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity. Images: Sola Media)<\/p>\n

Jackson Murphy:<\/strong>\u00a0\u200aCongratulations on this. First of all, how does it feel to have this movie out in theaters in time for Halloween for families to really enjoy this on the big screen?<\/p>\n

Verena Fels:<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s super amazing for me. I think it\u2019s my first movie which goes to the U.S., so it\u2019s super crazy how it hits in the cinemas, and a great honor. And it\u2019s almost not believable that it\u2019s done and finished and on screen.<\/p>\n

\"MonsterMia
Verena Fels<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0You also got to screen this movie at Annecy earlier this year. How was that experience?<\/p>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0As I was a young student, we went to France to the festival, and so for me it was like\u2026 Yeah, [I] really became a filmmaker to have my feature film there premiered. It was wonderful to see all these movies that inspired me years ago, and now I have my own movie with them. Wonderful. It was super, super exciting.<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0Fantastic. Were you always interested in animation from a young age, getting into this medium?<\/p>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0Yeah. I did my diploma and\u2026 even when you\u2019re graduating high school, I did a short movie already. And then of course I studied animation, and so we went as students to film festivals. And now, as I\u2019m a professional, I\u2019m doing the features.<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0That\u2019s great. \u201cMonster\u00a0Mia\u201d [is] based on a book series called Monstrous Maud. How familiar were you with the books going into making this?<\/p>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0Not that much, to be honest. But I like the books, and of course I knew them. I was presented a screenplay out of them, and so I had the chance to work with the screenplay. And of course I read the one book, and I had my inspirations with that, and so I mixed a bit, and I had the chance to work one round of script writing with the authors. So I brought a lot of my inspiration in the final draft.<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0That\u2019s terrific.\u00a0Mia\u00a0is such a strong lead character in this movie. Young girl with a lot of personality. How did you wanna showcase that personality, especially early on in the film?<\/p>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0I think this was my catching point of the story, that\u00a0Mia\u00a0is such a strong role model for young girls especially, but also I hope for all genders. I think I wanted to make her strong in a way that she is kind of independent, not believing everything she is taught in school or from her parents and so on. So she wants to experience the things [on] her own. And I think it\u2019s super, super [true], especially in the times we are now, that you are not believing in everything you are seeing or have been told. You have to think for yourself and be independent and strong. Even when you\u2019re a bit afraid of something, you can find your ways and be creative and powerful. And with friends, of course, everything is easier.<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0Sure, yes. Having friends, and that source of independence and strength. But also she has a twin sister named Marie. How was it for you as a storyteller working with that angle? Because a lot of times twins in movies \u2014 that can create really interesting dynamics in storytelling.<\/p>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0For me, it was important that the relationship between the sisters is kind of real because of course, you always have a really special relationship to your parents, and especially the sisters because you don\u2019t like each other every time. I think the hardest fights are between the sisters, but they love each other, and so this dynamic is super interesting to be really clear, really honest, but on the other hand, when it matters, you stick together and have this kind of bond between each other. And of course, the contrast was super interesting that\u00a0Mia\u00a0is the complete opposite of Marie and so on.<\/p>\n

\"MonsterMia2<\/figure>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0And there\u2019s a lot of contrasting here because you show the dynamics of this town of humans that hate monsters [Primrose Valley], and then\u00a0Mia\u00a0ends up at a school of monsters that hate humans [Rotwood Academy]. There are a lot of layers to that. There\u2019s a lot of comparisons and elements, and how exciting was it for you to play with all of that and figure all that out, and present all of that over the course of the story?<\/p>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0It was super because you have the chance to create two complete different worlds and films. You don\u2019t have to stick to one world. You can compare it to each other. My main thing was always to create contrasts in everything \u2014 in light, in color, in animation, in sound. You cannot be loud without being not so loud. And you cannot be shining bright without having the shadows and the dark stuff and the edgy stuff. So this was super, super cool for me to create this crazy world, and on the other hand, Primrose with this cotton candy world, and Rotwood with this edginess. And of course bringing all these little Easter eggs in with my favorite movies and references and all this stuff.<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0I wanted to ask you about all that because the visuals of Rotwood Academy and the way it is, and the Gothic nature of it, I had to imagine there was inspiration from classic films and classic animation that went into the designs of the school and the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0Absolutely. I think there was a little bit of my artsy genes in it from film school and all these films I had to learn also with the German expressionism. So even though it\u2019s a mainstream and an entertaining family movie, I wanted to bring something of these references in, and it is in my genes to have these visuals. And so it was super fun to bring it on a more joyful thing into these pictures and into this world \u2014 like Dracula or Frankenstein or all these\u00a0monster\u00a0movies you know by heart. And then bringing them in a new context, in a new world, in my world, in my interpretation of this stuff. It was amazing.<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0Nice. I love the headmaster\u2019s coffin chair. That\u2019s perfect for his personality and perfect for the atmosphere. And were you inspired by geometry? Because there are, even in some of the opening scenes where we see a bunch of houses in town and a lot of things, there\u2019s such well-defined shapes that I went, \u201cWhoa.\u201d Sharp angles and all that. Were you always into geometry and looking at things in that way?<\/p>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0Yes. I\u2019m an engineer on one hand, with the mathematics and all this stuff. I cannot deny that, you know? I like shapes, and when you have these clear structures, you can put a lot of emotions in this stuff. I like symmetry, of course, with Wes Anderson as a superhero. He\u2019s a great inspiration always. I like that, and I try to bring it in\u2026 the connection between the story and the pictures are super important for me because it fits to Primrose. It fits to the story that everything is ordered. You have to be in line. So the symmetry was a perfect symbol of empowering the story.<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0Okay, no spoilers here, but there is a song and a sequence late in the movie called \u201cThe Midnight Miracle\u201d, and as I\u2019m watching this and listening to this, I go, \u201cThis is a tribute to \u201cThriller\u201d, right?\u201d You do a good job with that.<\/p>\n

\"MonsterMia3<\/figure>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0Yeah. Thank you. It was always \u201cThriller\u201d \u2014 the inspiration. I\u2019m a kid of the \u201880s. I cannot deny it. And so I brought it in. We wanted it to be close, but not that close that it\u2019s a total rip-off. But I think it was good.<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0This movie\u2019s a lot about powers and what kind of powers you have. To me,\u00a0Mia\u2019s greatest power is her compassion towards others and being with those who may be different than her, but you all have commonalities. Those great messages and themes, how important was it for you to showcase those themes and get that across in this film?<\/p>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0This was super important. This was a key personality of her. And I wanted to show that being different is a power, is something special. You are special in the way you are, and this is cool. And I think everyone in the team was a bit related to that. Because when you\u2019re working in animation, you\u2019re always a bit like, \u201cOkay, I\u2019m a bit different. I like the people around me.\u201d So every one of us is a little bit kind of this\u00a0Mia\u00a0thing and a\u00a0monster\u00a0thing, but everyone has [their] skills and superpowers. A lot of the team members could relate to that. Everyone can sometimes feel a little bit like, \u201cOkay, I\u2019m different than the people around me.\u201d So I wanted to bring that out.<\/p>\n

JM:<\/strong>\u00a0Yeah. And showcasing the unique qualities and the things that you have to offer, and how important all of that is. And I feel like you have achieved so much of what young people want to when it comes to animation. You\u2019re making movies. You\u2019re traveling the world. You\u2019re getting it all out there. What would you say to young people who wanna get into this and want to achieve the success that you\u2019ve had?<\/p>\n

VF:<\/strong>\u00a0I think the most important thing is be true to yourself. Be authentic with what you\u2019re doing. When you want to tell stories, you can only tell a story if it\u2019s honest, if it matters to you, if you feel what you\u2019re telling, if you know what you\u2019re telling. Sometimes the young students are asking me, \u201cOkay, I want to tell this and this and this story.\u201d And then for me, I always ask, \u201cOkay, are you familiar with that? Do you feel that? Do you understand the people who are living that? Do you understand the people who have those problems or those conflicts?\u201d Because you cannot tell a story you\u2019re not authentic\u2026 emotionally connected, not only with the intellectual properties, but emotionally connected with this stuff. And I think this is the most important thing.<\/p>\n