Lulu Is A Rhinoceros is a new AppleTV+ animated special premiering Friday May 30th. It’s about a dog who sees herself as a rhinoceros and wants to share kindness and the value of self-worth with others in her community. This is adapted from a 2018 book by father-daughter duo Jason and Allison Flom, who are creators and EPs on the special. Allison also serves as head writer and lyricist for the songs. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)
Jackson Murphy: Jason, what surprised you about the transition going from a book to the screen, and what did you enjoy the most about the experience?
Jason Flom: I’ll tell you Jackson, everything surprised me. And AppleTV+, first of all, the idea that they would take this gorgeous leap of faith, to take our book that was self-published and reached a number of people and acceptance in the broader world that I could have never dreamed of. But the idea that AppleTV+, our favorite network, would take this bold leap into taking this little independent book and turning it into this just magnificent special. And I can say that, humbly, but it is what it is. It was wonderful. Surprising, I guess even that it happened at all. It’s sort of serendipitous and amazing and magical to me. But also this is my first time doing anything like this. So when I say everything was surprising, I’m not being facetious. Learning how they worked and how they put these pieces together from the casting… Bento Box was the animation studio from day one.
Allison Flom: I am just so grateful. The opportunity to further explore the world that we built in the book where kindness is cool and curiosity is better than judgment and the power of listening to each other… these cornerstone themes that we had the opportunity to really explore and build out and add more thoughtful story points and extensions to the story. And also to think about the music and think about young people… actually audiences of all ages watching the TV special singing the songs to themselves and the power that comes with having this incredible platform and opportunity to reach people of all ages with these very special characters, played by truly tremendous, the best of the best, actors. And to think about if people are gonna walk away singing the lyrics that I’m writing in this world, that my dad started and created with the book. “What would I say if the whole world could hear me?” Starting from that point, building it out as a TV special, that was what surprised me the most. I think we surprised ourselves in just how much we could accomplish in that process.
JM: We see Lulu as a dog, but she sees herself as a rhinoceros, and it’s this really emotional visual and thought process that she goes through… that we go through. I believe this story is about acceptance. It’s about fairness, it’s about self-confidence, it’s about making decisions and having self-importance and self-value. Allison, how did you want those themes to come across, through humor, through visuals, and through the storytelling of this?
AF: Thanks Jackson, and I’m really glad that you picked up on that because at the beginning we meet this character who is a confident rhinoceros. She knows who she is and she affirms herself in the mirror in the very first scene. “I’m brave and kind, and I love who I am.” And she only gets insecure and overwhelmed and gets her confidence shaken in the face of unkindness. And she encounters several antagonists. In this story, the antagonists are not “bad”. They are just choosing to be judgmental instead of curious, and that’s not cool, and that gets in her way. So after a certain amount of questioning and doubt and bullying, she does begin to wonder, “Do I have to go on this quest to prove who I already know myself to be, just to kind of make everyone stop questioning me?” And in one of her songs in the reprise, she literally sings, “This isn’t what I anticipated”, ’cause it’s not what she wanted for the day, “But I’m tired of feeling invalidated and maybe it will be less complicated if I find some rhino proof.” That’s what she’s talking about. And so she embarks on this misguided quest to prove herself.
Jason and Allison Flom
AF: And then at the end she’s reminded that she’s perfect as she is because she’s who she already wants to be. And so setting out with that as our dramatic arc and the structure of the story, we added characters that have this kind of wit and humor and very specific perspectives to kind of bring out the best in Lulu and enhance her journey. It’s simple acts of kindness and listening to each other. And that’s what guides Lulu — these pillars of curiosity, kindness, listening to others, and that guides her to these wonderful interactions that I do believe are entertaining for all ages.
JM: Yes. And you make a point in the special: People have good days and people have bad days, but I think we want to find the good in everyone and we want to try to make everyone we encounter every day have a good day — and feel like they are worthy of feeling who they are. Lulu is inspired by Regina the Rhino. Jason, what does it mean for you to be inspired by someone and having that inspiration theme come across in this special?
JF: Well, I’ve been inspired by so many people across my professional career and my career in doing good. I’ve done a ton of work on innocence issues, getting people out of prison who are actually innocent. And I’ve had incredible mentors like Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld in that work. And what I’ve learned along the way is that nothing makes me feel better than being able to have a positive impact on somebody else’s life. And it’s a particularly interesting thing when it’s a stranger — when it’s somebody who you didn’t previously know and you’re able to be in the right place at the right time to do something that improves their life in a meaningful way. We wanted to create a little hero for kids who felt left out, put down, or bullied ’cause of the way they look, the way they feel, and the way they are. We’ve seen anecdotal evidence from so many parents whose children have been lifted somehow by this book. And that’s what means the most to me.
JF: My dad told my brother and I, when we were little kids, ’cause he was a very famous and successful lawyer [Joseph Flom] and a brilliantly ethical person… I always say he is my hero and my mentor. But by way of career advice, he told my brother and I when we were little, “Do whatever you want to do, try to be the best at it, but just make the world a better place.” He said, “That’s the only definition of success that really matters.” And I feel like now I really understand what he meant. And I wish he was alive to see the special come out, but he would be 102 if he was.
AF: That quote from grandpa epitomizes part of how I was raised too. A cornerstone of what I remember from my childhood is, “Did you make someone’s day better? How did you make others feel today?” That has always been a guiding principle in my life that we were able to imbue in every aspect of this special and continue to think about Community Unity Day, which is this holiday about kindness. And as you said, Regina the Rhino, who’s Lulu’s hero because of how she prioritized kindness and brought kindness to her community. In the world of Lulu, that’s how to be a hero: to be kind. And everybody can do that.
JM: Community is a huge theme of this as well. As we’re coming into the summertime and nicer weather in parts of the country, I think this will inspire families to do good in their community. And Allison, I want to ask you about a hero in the voice acting world because of “Moana” and “Haley’s On It!”, it’s Annie winner Auli’i Cravalho, who voices Lulu. How does it feel to have an inspiration for so many voice this character? [She’s] yet another strong animated character.
AF: We both love Moana and we loved working with Auli’i, and she’s just kind of beyond my wildest dreams in that she actually is the ray of sunshine that she seems like. She came in to record with this very effortless sense of hopefulness and optimism and curiosity that is so Lulu, and she really just captures this warmth… this undeniable sense of joy and warmth in Lulu’s voice that was just such a gift. What I love about Auli’i too, besides her being this powerhouse vocalist and dream voice actor, is that she’s not afraid of using her platform. I respect her a lot and really appreciate her. She’s the perfect Lulu. I think everyone’s gonna be pretty blown away.
JM: She’s terrific in this. It’s very pretty animation, and you spotlight parks and nature in really harmonious ways. For the both of you: How do you feel about this animation and the style and the loveliness that it comes through on the screen?
JF: The animation team did us so proud. We are blessed to have had this team of brilliant creatives. And Angela Stempel’s direction was phenomenal. It’s hard to even put it into words. We’re still finding new details in there and new touches. I think it makes it fun for people to watch again and again ’cause it is for us and we know the story inside out.
AF: We’re also big fans of everyone who worked on the show in all aspects. Everyone who lent their voices. Every background artist. Maria Pareja, who is our background sketch artist, imagined and reimagined and added to Angela’s incredible vision. The team effort is beyond our wildest dreams.
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