At first glance, the animated movie Deep, (now in select theaters and available on Amazon for rental), looks like a spin-off of Finding Dory. But, if you thought that, you’d be completely wrong.
I had the chance to speak to the film’s writer and director, Julio Soto Gurpide, a native of Spain.
“I’ve been a scuba diver for over 20 years and realize that some places that I have been going to for 20 years have been changing for the worse. A lot of creatures that were there are not there anymore.”
As someone who has a history in computer animation and making documentaries the idea of the story for Deep was hatched. From beginning to end, working on the movie Deep took him nearly three years to complete.
The movie Deep tells the story of 2100, when humanity has abandoned the earth, a colony of extravagant creatures still thrives in the deepest abyss of the ocean. Deep, an adventurous “dumbo” octopus and the last one of his kind lives there with his two unconditional friends: Evo, a nerdy and clumsy angler fish, and Alice, a neurotic deep-sea shrimp. When an accident destroys their home, the guardian of the abyss, The Kraken, will send Deep and his friends on a perilous journey to find a new home. In their mission, they will be joined by Maura -a voracious moray eel- and together they will travel to amazing places like the submerged city of New York, the Titanic or the Arctic, facing formidable enemies.
“We know more about outer space than we do of the deepest part of ocean,” he says, “and I thought why not create an animated film that can reach millions of people, manage to reach some kids and teach them something, while at the same time entertain them?”
And entertain the audience he does. He has created characters that are lovable and fun, including Deep, the dumbo octopus, who also happens to be the title character.
Speaking of Deep, the character, we have an exclusive clip from the movie, featuring him stuck in the belly of one of his friends. (Don’t worry. He gets out).
Next up for the director are the movies Inspector Sun, an animated movie that takes place on a flight from San Francisco to Shanghai. But that film has a twist. The main characters are spiders, who build their own world running parallel to those of humans.
The other film that he has in the works is Evolution. It tells the interesting story of humans who are understood by animals. A twist on all of the Disney animated movies where animals are able to communicate with animals.
Julio Soto Gurpide Interview, Director of Deep – Tim Nasson.
