Eva in Wonderland: ‘WondLa’ EP Bobs Gannaway Tells All About the New Apple/Skydance Adventure

This article was written for the June-July '24 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 341).

An enthusiastic teenager named Eva who is raised in a high-tech underground bunker searches for other humans on an Earth overtaken by aliens. That’s the high-concept premise behind Apple TV+/Skydance Animation’s addictive new animated series WondLa, which is based on author Tony DiTerlizzi’s popular book series, The Search for WondLa. The visually sumptuous show is exec produced and showrun by multi-Emmy nominee and animation veteran Bobs Gannaway (Timon & Pumbaa, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Monsters at Work).

WondLa features the voices of Jeanine Mason as Eva, Teri Hatcher as her robot caretaker (Muthr), Brad Garrett as a lovable giant water bear and Gary Anthony Williams as a cantankerous alien. The cast also includes Chiké Okonkwo, D.C. Williams and animation favorite Alan Tudyk as Cadmus Pryde, founder of Dynastes Corporation.

Strange World

“Skydance Animation welcomed me into their family a few years ago to develop a feature project,” Gannaway tells Animation Magazine. “But having overseen multiple series at Disney, I was asked to step in and guide the WondLa team through the production. I welcomed the challenge, as it was more ambitious than anything I had worked on in the past.”

Gannaway found an instant connection to the material because, just like the books’ author DiTerlizzi, he has a daughter who will soon be leaving home and venturing into the world. “And that world is very different from the world that I ventured into,” he explains. “As parents, we prepare our kids as best as we can, then let them go. I love how Tony took this idea to the extreme and made it the foundation for an incredible coming-of-age story.”

‘Interestingly, some of our final designs are nearly identical to those in the book and others are completely different. That said, Tony DiTerlizzi collaborated with us throughout the entire project.’

— Showrunner and exec producer Bobs Gannaway

The animation for the series was produced at Icon Creative Studio in Vancouver, Canada, which also handles several popular Disney shows, such as Monsters at Work, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Firebuds and Ariel. “This is the second time I’ve worked with them, and they were terrific,” says Gannaway. “We pushed Icon to do something bigger than they had ever done before, and they rose to the challenge. We’ve been working with them for about two-and-a-half years.”

The show’s visuals owe a lot to the book series’ original illustrations. According to Gannaway, DiTerlizzi’s images were the primary inspiration for the series. “Interestingly, some of our final designs are nearly identical to those in the book and others are completely different,” he says. “That said, Tony collaborated with us throughout the entire project.”

Among the many great features of the new show is that it tells a longer story throughout the seven episodes of its first season. “With the advent of streaming, there’s been a shift in animation from episodic storytelling to serialized storytelling,” notes Gannaway. “This was a new challenge for me, as I have never helmed a serialized show. Every episode must stand on its own but also act as a step in a larger story.”

When asked about what he loves most about WondLa, the talented executive producer is effusive. “I love everything!” he says. “The series is spectacular on every level. Each member of our team strived for excellence. With the creative support of the leadership here at Skydance Animation, we were able to create something that has made us all very proud. This is the most ambitious project I’ve ever worked on. The complexity of the characters, scope of the world, depth of storytelling and expectation for quality make this series one-of-a-kind.”

Human Connection

The show’s terrific voice cast was among the first group who raved about the final results. “Over the course of the series, we had over 250 recording sessions,” recalls Gannaway. “During the last sessions, we were finally able to share completed sequences with the actors. All of them were thrilled with the results, each asking, ‘When does it come out?’”

Because of the suspenseful nature of the storyline, the show’s target audience is likely to take in the complete first season in one or two viewings, and they will probably have a difficult time waiting for the next two seasons of the project. Gannaway hopes WondLa will inspire a deep sense of wonder in them. “That said, the show grows in complexity as it progresses with interweaving themes of home, family and connection. There’s so much there, so it’s best I just let the show speak for itself!”

WondLa is exec produced by DiTerlizzi, Gannaway, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, Julie Kane-Ritsch and Skydance Animation’s John Lasseter, David Ellison and Dana Goldberg. The series is also produced by Tony Cosanella. The show premieres on Apple TV+ on June 28.