Before Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation captivated audiences worldwide with The Croods: A New Age, the studio was already envisioning further adventures for the beloved Croods and the newly introduced Bettermans. This vision has now materialized into The Croods: Family Tree, a brand-new animated series set to premiere this Thursday, September 23rd, on both Hulu and Peacock. In this exclusive interview, Executive Producers Mark Banker and Todd Grimes delve into the creative process behind The Croods: Family Tree, revealing key decisions regarding the storyline, animation style, and the talented voice cast.
Jackson Murphy: Mark, could you share the moment you learned that DreamWorks wanted to expand The Croods: A New Age into The Croods: Family Tree series?
Mark Banker: It was towards the end of 2019. A New Age was still in production. I received a call from Peter Gal, the Chief Creative Officer at DreamWorks Animation Television. He inquired if I would be interested in watching an early version of the movie and discussing the possibility of developing a new Croods series. I visited the DreamWorks campus and watched an animatic cut of the film. It was already fantastic – very funny. Being a fan of the first movie, it was an immediate “Yes.” The following week, I presented my ideas for the series, and about a month later, I was writing the pilot episode for The Croods: Family Tree.
Mark Banker, Executive Producer of The Croods: Family Tree, discusses the origins of the animated series.
JM: That’s incredible! It moved so quickly.
MB: It was very rapid.
JM: Seeing an early cut of the movie must have been a unique experience. Even though you had to keep things under wraps, it sounds like a really exciting process.
MB: Absolutely. There were so many secrets! It was fascinating to see the movie at such an early stage. Much of it was in hand-drawn panels, and some animation was still unfinished. But they had assembled it in a way that it played like a nearly two-hour movie. Witnessing that process was quite remarkable.
JM: Todd, A New Age dominated the box office, remaining in the Top 3 for 14 consecutive weeks after its Thanksgiving release. While you were developing The Croods: Family Tree, were you following the movie’s box office success and growing popularity?
Todd Grimes: Oh, definitely. I think we all were. We were all eagerly watching. As Mark mentioned, we had seen earlier versions at the studio and were already impressed. We felt it was a step up from the first film, with incredible new environments and directions for the characters to explore. The introduction of the Bettermans, new characters, and creatures added so much. We were confident it would be a hit, and we closely tracked its performance upon release. It wasn’t surprising that it did so well. And thankfully for us, its success was a positive sign for The Croods: Family Tree! (laughs)
JM: That’s fantastic news! Mark, what do you appreciate most about the dynamic between the Bettermans and The Croods, particularly their playful interactions?
MB: I love that it’s rooted in a classic comedic setup. It’s essentially “The Odd Couple” in a prehistoric setting: the evolved Bettermans and the primitive Croods. The series, The Croods: Family Tree, picks up directly after the second movie, where they’ve moved in together. The central theme is these two vastly different families attempting to coexist without resorting to complete chaos. It’s a lot of fun because it allows us to delve deeper into the characters and explore various pairings. With ten main characters, there’s a vast playground of possibilities.
The Croods and The Bettermans families attempt to coexist in the new animated series The Croods: Family Tree.
JM: Absolutely. And Todd, how crucial was it to have Kelly Marie Tran reprise her role as Dawn Betterman for The Croods: Family Tree?
TG: It was incredibly important. When we began working on the series, the film was still in production. We weren’t initially certain if Kelly would be available for the show, so it was a hopeful situation. Our casting department reached out to her representatives, and we had discussions. We really wanted Kelly because she was integral to the development of Dawn in the film. She shaped the character alongside the writers and director. She was the obvious first choice for the role. We hoped for the best, and when we learned she would be joining The Croods: Family Tree, we were ecstatic! She had such a strong understanding of Dawn. She seamlessly continued the character’s portrayal from the film, maintaining Dawn’s vibrant personality, which was amazing.
JM: She’s truly having a voice acting breakthrough with both The Croods: Family Tree and Raya and the Last Dragon. Mark, regarding the rest of the voice cast and your collaboration with the casting department, what was the process of finding voice actors who could capture the essence of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Mann, and Peter Dinklage?
MB: I’m in awe of this cast and their incredible talent in embodying these characters. It’s truly remarkable. Specifically for the Grug character, originally voiced by Nic Cage in the movies, the actor Kiff VandenHeuvel was someone I knew prior to the show; he had performed in a play with my wife. Coincidentally, he emerged during the casting process. When we were listening to audition samples, they played Kiff’s audition, and Todd and I were stunned, thinking, “That’s Nic Cage! Who are the impressionists?” They replied, “No, that’s Kiff.” And I was like, “Wow, he sounds more like Nic Cage than Nic Cage himself!”
Then there’s Darin Brooks, who voices Guy (played by Ryan Reynolds in the films). I had seen Darin years ago in a show called Blue Mountain State. I remember thinking then that if I ever needed someone to play a Ryan Reynolds-type role, Darin Brooks had that same energy and comedic timing. It only took about 13 or 14 years for that opportunity to arise! It’s quite amazing how it all unfolded and that he ended up being cast because it’s perfect. We also have Amy Landecker taking on the role of Ugga (Catherine Keener in the films). She’s so funny and has truly made the character her own. The entire cast has embraced these roles. Matthew Waterson voices Phil (Peter Dinklage in A New Age). I don’t want to forget anyone! Artemis Pebdani voiced Gran a bit in the movie and is now doing the voice in The Croods: Family Tree. We were incredibly fortunate to assemble such an outstanding cast for The Croods: Family Tree.
The talented voice cast of The Croods: Family Tree brings new life to the beloved characters.
JM: That’s an amazing story about Darin! You never know how things will connect.
MB: Exactly!
JM: I spoke with Joel Crawford for A New Age and some of the creators behind Dawn of the Croods. The hand-drawn cave paintings are a consistent and important element throughout the entire franchise. How important was it for you to incorporate that fun element into The Croods: Family Tree?
Todd Grimes:
TG: It was absolutely vital because it’s fundamental to The Croods’ world. It’s their way of taking pictures, of documenting memories. It’s how they remember their experiences. This resonates universally – remembering adventures, childhood, and baby photos are important to people. The idea that the Croods use art to preserve their past is something I found brilliant in the first film, and it’s been carried through in all iterations of the franchise, including The Croods: Family Tree. I really appreciate this element of the show. It provides us with opportunities to do something visually different. We can momentarily break away to showcase beautiful, hand-drawn artwork, contrasting with the usual visual style of the show. Maintaining that element was important to all of us. It’s a fantastic tool, and I’d love to use it more! (laughs) Mark, let’s write more 2D sequences into The Croods: Family Tree! (laughs)
JM: That’s one way to make it happen! I also really enjoy the bear-acudas! Mark, what was the design process like for them, and how did they become recurring characters in The Croods: Family Tree?
MB: One of the delightful aspects of this world, the “Croodaceous Era,” as we like to call it—a period people weren’t aware existed in history—is that all the animals are hybrids of creatures we know today. Bear-acudas are a prime example. They’re bears with fish tails, fins, and legs—quite terrifying! But we’ve had a lot of fun in the writers’ room inventing all sorts of hybrid animals. The bear-acuda actually won our weekly hybrid animal tournament.
JM: (laughs) Speaking of competitions and games, I really enjoyed the competitive game episode of The Croods: Family Tree. Todd, what’s the most competitive you’ve ever been, perhaps in relation to working on The Croods: Family Tree or even just playing board games at home?
TG: The most competitive I’ve ever been? Wow, that’s a great question. Probably in this line of work, especially working with Mark. (laughs) Mark is the most dedicated person I’ve ever worked with in entertainment, and trying to keep pace with him is likely the most competitive I’ve ever been, I think. (laughs) We have a fantastic working relationship. He’s made me better, and I hope I’ve contributed to his growth as well. (laughs) We’re constantly striving to make things funnier and better, utilizing our combined experiences to make The Croods: Family Tree the best it can be.
JM: That’s high praise for Mark, Todd.
TG: Well-deserved.
MB: I don’t want it to sound like we’re competitive with each other in a negative way! Todd and I have collaborated before on Captain Underpants, so we were fortunate to have a pre-existing working relationship. Going into The Croods: Family Tree, we had already established a great shorthand. It’s funny, most of the time we share similar instincts about things. Often, when we’re reviewing a cut or looking at something, one of us will voice a concern before the other. Or one will say, “I have a note about minute 10,” and the other will say, “I have one there too.” We’ve almost developed a shared brain, which is quite nice and incredibly efficient. I couldn’t ask for a better partner in this than Todd. He’s amazing, and creating The Croods: Family Tree with him has been a wonderful experience.
Executive Producers Mark Banker and Todd Grimes discuss their collaborative partnership on The Croods: Family Tree.
JM: That’s a perfect partnership, and it’s clearly translated into success, which is fantastic. Mark, who is in your animation “Family Tree”? Who are the people who have been essential to your career in this profession?
MB: Okay. I’ll let you go first, Todd. I need a moment to think about that one.
TG: I would have to say my family. I’ve been married for 21 years, and my wife has been with me throughout, moving wherever my jobs have taken me and providing constant support. Beyond that, it’s the colleagues and people I’ve worked with over the years. It’s a close-knit industry, and many subsequent job opportunities arise from past connections – people who have liked your work. You can often trace a job back to someone you know, someone you’ve enjoyed working with, and who has enjoyed working with you.
JM: That’s a smart and thoughtful answer. And your wife will be very happy when she reads that! Mark, what about you?
TG: Now you have to say your wife, Mark!
MB: (laughs) I will also start with my wife, who is an actor, which is fortunate because she understands the unpredictable nature of this industry. We’ve actually been lucky enough to work together on several animated shows. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without her. We share the same sense of humor, so she’s definitely at the top of my list! There are so many wonderful people in the animation industry that I’ve worked with over the years; it’s hard to single out just a few. But specifically for this job and my time at DreamWorks, there’s a fun story about Peter Gal… Peter and I met probably 20 years ago when we were at different studios in different roles. We’ve both moved around a lot in the industry, but wherever Peter went, he would reach out and try to find work for me. Again, when he landed at DreamWorks, he contacted me, and he was the person who reached out about The Croods: Family Tree. So, I’ll always be grateful to Peter Gal for consistently remembering me and giving me opportunities to do what I love.
Jackson Murphy is a respected movie critic and entertainment columnist. He founded the website Lights-Camera-Jackson.com and is a frequent guest on television and radio programs.
Jackson Murphy, movie critic and entertainment columnist.
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