9 Fun Facts About Wolfwalkers on Apple TV+ and a Drawing Tutorial

Wolfwalkers, a movie about friendships, family, and the environment, will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on December 11, 2020.  My son and I recently had the opportunity to participate in a virtual drawing tutorial as well as a virtual interview event with the creators.  Do you want to know how long it took to make the movie?  Or which scenes were cut from the movie?  If so, keep reading for 9 fun facts about Wolfwalkers as well as a drawing tutorial!

9 Fun Facts About Wolfwalkers on Apple TV+ and a Drawing Tutorial

My son and I were extremely excited when we received an invitation to participate in a virtual drawing tutorial from the creators of Wolfwalkers. Afterward, we were able to participate in a virtual interview with the creators.  Not only were we able to interview the Directors, Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, but we were also able to interview Art Director, Maria Pareja, and Layout Artist Grainne Fordham.  Keep reading to find out about the process that’s involved in making an animated film!

Virtual Drawing Tutorial

Before I dive into the fun facts about the making of Wolfwalkers, I wanted to share more information about the drawing tutorial.  My son learned how to draw the main characters and some of the landscapes portrayed in the movie.  If you’d like to participate at home, you can play the video below to see some of the highlights 🙂  I was also provided with activity sheets from Apple TV+.  You can print them by clicking here for the first page and here for the second page.

9 Fun Facts About Wolfwalkers

You can read my spoiler free parent movie review here, but in the meantime, here are several fun facts about Wolfwalkers!

• Tomm Moore said that Robyn, one of the main characters, was originally supposed to be a boy instead of a girl.  However, it didn’t make sense for the storyline.  One main reason is because Robyn wants to be a hunter like her father.  However, during that particular time period, while it would have been acceptable for a boy to be a hunter, it would not have been acceptable for a girl.  As a result, they decided to make Robyn’s character a girl.  Ross Stewart also explained that Robyn also meets her direct comparison in Mebh, the other main character.
• Speaking of Mebh, Ross Stewart said she is named after Queen Medb, who is buried on top of a mountain in Ireland.  Tomm Moore said that Robyn is named after an English fairy.  Irish folklore and mythology play a huge role in this movie, and it’s cool to see that translate on the screen.
• The movie takes place in Kilkenny, Ireland and Maria Pareja said that the animation was inspired by Kilkenny.  Even the vibrant colors represent Kilkenny, which was confirmed by Grainne Fordham.
• Ross Stewart said the storyline was inspired by the environment and the need to protect it as well as the extinction of animals.
• The movie was several years in the making, especially with regard to the animation.  For example, Grainne Fordham said that she would sometimes have to do sixty of the same drawings a day.  Talk about commitment!
• The wolves’ sense of smell and hearing is depicted in the animation.  Tomm Moore said that they did so by including representing the wolves’ senses with different colors.
• The creators had to make a tough decision to cut some of the scenes from the movie.  Tomm Moore said that originally, they wanted to include scenes of Robyn and her father traveling to Ireland from England.  However, they decided to just focus on Robyn and Mebh’s relationship.
• Because this movie is about wolfwalkers, Ross Stewart said that there are wolf consultants listed in the credits.
• Maria Pareja said that several of the people who worked on the movie wanted to be included as animated characters.  Some of them made it onto the big screen, and some of them didn’t.

It’s always fun learning more about the movie making process and Wolfwalkers is a movie that represents the talent behind it!  

About Wolfwalkers

In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the Wolfwalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.