Why unlikely new role in ‘Slumberland’ made Jason Momoa ‘nervous’

Scene from “Slumberland”—PHOTOS COURTESY OF NETFLIX

In his latest film “Slumberland,” “Aquaman” star Jason Momoa plays a character that seems to have been plucked out of a Tim Burton film. As Flip, the 43-year-old star cuts a commanding figure as a “nine-foot tall creature that is half-man, half beast with fangs and long, curved horns.”

Based on Winston McCay’s 1905 comic strip “Little Nemo in Slumberland,” the Netflix film, which premieres on Friday next week (Nov. 18), follows Flip as he keeps 11-year-old Nemo (Marlow Barkley) company on a journey to magical Slumberland after her father Peter (Kyle Chandler) is lost at sea.

Following her dad’s disappearance, the homeschooled tweener’s idyllic life in a lighthouse is suddenly turned upside down when she is sent to live with her estranged and awkward Uncle Philip (Chris O’Dowd) in the big city.

By day, Nemo struggles to “connect” with other middle schoolers her age. But when the sun comes down, she embarks on a breathtaking adventure, with Flip and her living stuffed toy Pig in tow, traversing dreams and evading nightmares. But she has one mission in mind: to be reunited with her father.

Crash course

For Jason, his role isn’t something you see him play every day. In our roundtable interview with Jason and Marlow last Monday, the actor admitted that the task of bringing Flip to life came with some trepidation.

“I’ve never played something like this, so I was nervous when we started filming this,” Jason admitted. “I didn’t come in with preconceived ideas on how to portray Flip. Nor did I try to be someone else. So for me, it really was just a crash course on learning how to do it. So it’s a good thing that Marlow, my acting partner, and I really blended well. We make a wonderful match!

Marlow Barkley

“I was definitely pulling things from my childhood or from things that I’ve done. For example, there’s a little thing that Marlow and I would do, which was something that me and my little brother used to do when we got really excited. It’s a silly thing that only he and I would know, but when Marlow learned about this, she said, ‘OK, let’s do it!’ So, we adopted certain things like that. “Another element that greatly contributed to my characterization was the wardrobe by Trish Summerville, as well as the makeup. When you put on all that stuff, with horns, fangs and claws coming out of your combat boots, you automatically walk differently.

“All of a sudden, you go, ‘Oh, I’m a bandleader!’ And you feel cocky and confident. You find yourself overdoing things and falling on your face—and you just get really playful with it.”

Intimidating

Meanwhile, Marlow, who will turn 14 years old when the film comes out on Nov. 18, attributed the butterflies in her stomach to sharing the screen with “Aquaman” himself. The young actress explained, “At first, it was very intimidating … because Jason has all of these movies and TV shows neatly tucked under his belt, and I’m so new to it. But he immediately made me feel welcome and safe on set. He made me laugh. And we always played around and got into loads of trouble (laughs).

“But he is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. He’s very wise, and he would always talk to my mom, dad or sister on FaceTime. He just never failed to put a smile on my face. He was so easy to work with.”

For both Jason and Marlow, an early guide into shaping their performances came from director Francis Lawrence himself more than the production’s 117-year-old source material. Jason recalled, “When I first met with Francis about this project, I asked him if I needed to dive into the film with the comic in mind. But he said he was taking a different direction. So, he was really my knowledge for the film.

“Generally, if there’s a previous movie or a comic book, I’d go to whoever is directing me and ask him if he’d like me to use those as reference, because he may have a totally different vision for it. He said no, so I did not.

Using the same character-building approach, Marlow said, “I also did not read the comic or watch the movie until later into filming … because Nemo is so different in this new movie (the original character was a younger boy). And that’s what I love about it: For a lot of the people who do know the comic and the movie, it’ll be a nice surprise to see our adaptation of the story.”

Barkley as Nemo (left) and Jason Momoa as Flip

Jason reiterated, “Look, we’re not taking anything away from the first one. Our version is just a little different.”

Our Q&A with Jason and Marlow:

What do you love about your character, and in what way can you relate to it?

Jason: I can relate to Flip’s wild nature and love for adventure. He’s the kind of guy who would jump off a cliff and figure it out along the way. I liked that impulsiveness about him. That’s something that I relate to.

Marlow: I love how brave Nemo is, especially in the way her bravery increases throughout the movie—I derive inspiration from that. Also, she shows that you can still be strong even during difficult times. And that’s a great message for everyone.

“Slumberland” is about dreams and nightmares. Do you remember a nightmare you’ve had recently?

Marlow: I don’t remember them vividly, but my most recent nightmare had to do with my big fear of deep waters or being dragged underwater or being attacked by sharks—that was terrifying! After that, I didn’t want to go near a pool or any source of water.

It’s a tantalizing idea to be able to use dreams as a way to communicate feelings or fears that we’re unable to articulate. Do you believe in the notion that dreams are portents of things to come?

Marlow: I’ve definitely daydreamed about things that have come true. But I think dreams can be a message to you that you sometimes don’t know are meaningful. And they can send you messages without you realizing how important they are in the moment until those moments come to life. This movie is a great indicator of how dreams can be very important. But whether they’re crazy or not, they definitely have a meaning behind them.

What have you learned from this movie that kids can also learn from?

Marlow: Keep people in your life who will be able to raise you higher and push you towards your dreams. They will be able to help you push out all the negativity. That’s something that I struggle with—figuring out how to get rid of the negativity.

This movie can inspire them to overcome challenges and be brave and strong against their fears, no matter how big they are.

For Jason, are you more like Philip or Flip as a parent?

Jason: I am definitely not like Phillip, but I’m not like Flip either—because he’s a little too wild (laughs). So, I’m probably somewhere in the middle. But I’d say I’d weigh in on the side of Flip. INQ

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