If the medium of cinema is a place where dreams can be brought to life, then animation increases that ability tenfold. In other words, animation may be the best medium for visualizing the mysterious phenomena known as dreaming. While there are numerous limitations in the real world, animation easily (and cost-effectively) removes most of them. That said, it’s incorrect to assume that animation is easier or cheaper than making an ambitious live-action movie. After all, in animation, every single element needs to be designed, drawn (virtually or by hand), and brought to life; it’s a process that must happen from the ground up. As such, filmmakers in animation need to be passionate enough to see it through.
Fortunately for In Your Dreams (2025), the latest film from Netflix Animation, co-director/co-writer Alex Woo was especially motivated to bring this story to life, as he poured a great deal of himself into the characters. That’s one thing DiscussingFilm learned about In Your Dreams when we were invited to Netflix Animation HQ a few weeks ago to meet Woo and producer Tim Hahn. While there, we got to see an exclusive first look at the animated movie, including the full official trailer, which was just released today.
As you can see from the trailer, In Your Dreams is a visually inventive and delightful-looking family adventure, but it’s not all irreverent humor. The film appears to have a heartfelt depth, which could be deeper than expected, making it a potential new family classic.
Netflix Debuts the Official Trailer for In Your Dreams
Back in June, the teaser trailer for In Your Dreams arrived online, offering a decent glimpse into what Alex Woo and co-writer Erik Benson had in store. Now, the full trailer reveals more of the film’s scope. A young teenage girl, Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), and her little brother, Elliot (Elias Janssen), find themselves dealing with the unraveling of their parents’ marriage. After finding a magical book inside a thrift store, the siblings decide to use the book to venture into the world of dreams in order to find the Sandman (Omid Djalili), whom they believe they can ask to help grant their wish to save the relationship between their Dad (Simu Liu) and Mom (recent Emmy-winner Cristin Milioti).
Every good adventure needs a scrappy sidekick, of course. In Your Dreams features one in the form of Baloney Tony (Craig Robinson), the dream world version of Elliot’s favorite, long-lost stuffed giraffe. The world of dreams initially appears to be all fun and games, but the siblings soon discover that there’s a massive obstacle to reaching the Sandman: Nightmara (Gia Carides), an entity who has the power to transform each dream realm into a nightmarish, dangerous version of itself. As the trailer shows, In Your Dreams has a blend of clever comedy and emotional depth reminiscent of vintage Pixar movies. This makes sense given that Woo used to work at Pixar before founding his own company, Kuku Studios.
In Your Dreams Took 9 Years to Make, and Contains No A.I.
The ambition and imagination within In Your Dreams are on full display in the trailer, as well as in the first half hour of the movie, which we were fortunate to see at the event. Clearly, this animated film is far from a rush job, and in this case, that’s literally true. As Alex Woo told us during a Q&A, he first conceived the idea for In Your Dreams in November 2016. He then put together a pitch with his team and took it around Hollywood. Although no studio bought it then, the success of Kuku’s first show, Go! Go! Cory Carson, piqued the interest of Netflix. Thus, In Your Dreams finally moved forward.
Production on In Your Dreams started in spring 2020 and continued until the end of last year. More impressive than that is the fact that it contains absolutely no AI-generated imagery of any kind. One reason for this is that production began years before current-generation AI programs were readily available. Yet, Woo took the time to state that, even if those products had been available, he still wouldn’t have used them. As he explained:
“Even if [AI] were available, I don’t think I would use it… There is just something about the aesthetic that I don’t like. Obviously, the process is not very human. The whole point of making art is to bring the human soul into the work.”
Plenty of Surprises are in Store, Including an Original Song
The biggest aspect of In Your Dreams that came through during this exclusive press event is that the movie will have no shortage of surprises. As both the teaser and full trailer demonstrate, the narrative will explore various types of dreamscapes and different animation styles. Each realm has its own unique flavor to it, and that aesthetic can then be changed to a dark, horror-tinged version of itself when Nightmara shows up. On top of all that, the film’s real-world setting has its own unique look, too, meaning that In Your Dreams will certainly be a feast for the eyes.
As is the case with so many Netflix projects these days, Woo and Hahn admitted that the movie has its fair share of needle drops, including the Eurythmics’ 1983 hit “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” as heard in the trailers. Additionally, Woo and Hahn announced that the film will feature an original song, performed by Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti. As Woo explains:
“There is an original song that’s really great. Simu and Cristin actually sing it. They perform it. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Cristin is an incredible singer. Simu’s actually also very good. So, we’re excited for the world to hear his performance.”
In Your Dreams Could Be a New Family Favorite
Throughout their Q&A, writer-director Alex Woo and producer Tim Hahn made sure to mention how inspired they were by several classic family films when making In Your Dreams, including Back to the Future (1985), The Goonies (1985), and The Parent Trap (1998). This is hardly a new sentiment for filmmakers to make. However, the footage we’ve seen from In Your Dreams so far seems to promise that those influences made it in there, and then some.
As we and a select group of press toured Netflix Animation HQ and saw more of the concept art and VFX work that went into the film, we were treated to some of their research materials, too. Thus, we learned that In Your Dreams isn’t merely a movie inspired by other classics; it also has roots in real-life mythology of dreams and dreaming, especially when it comes to the concept of the Sandman.
What this exclusive press event really revealed is how heartfelt and passionate Woo, Hahn, and all the other cast and crew are about In Your Dreams. This isn’t some IP-milking studio animation project that is mostly intended to keep kids occupied on planes, like this year’s Smurfs. Instead, it’s a labor of love rooted in personal experience and creative wonder, one that’s been handmade by a variety of artists, not algorithms. If the final film ends up being as good as it looks so far, fans of animation will have at least one dream come true this November.
In Your Dreams premieres on Netflix on November 14!
Release Date: November 14th, 2025.
Directed by Alex Woo & Erik Benson.
Screenplay by Alex Woo & Erik Benson.
Story by Alex Woo, Erik Benson, & Stanley Moore.
Produced by Timothy Hahn & Gregg Taylor.
Main Cast: Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Craig Robinson, Simu Liu, Cristin Milioti, Omid Djalili, Gia Carides, SungWon Cho, Zachary Noah Piser, Lizzie Freeman, Kellen Goff, & Scott Menville.
Composer: John Debney.
Production Companies: Netflix Animation & Kuku Studios.
Distributor: Netflix.
Runtime: 91 minutes.
Rated PG.
