Nimona brings the ND Stevenson original series to life in vivid color, with the character practically bursting out of the screen in this new animated adaptation. She does so in the best of ways, retaining the chaotic charm of the original character while using the feature-length run-time of the film to explore more of the complexities of the mysterious shapeshifter. It's a deceptively complicated role, and one that the movie is able to bring to life in vivid detail.
It's a role perfectly suited for Chloë Grace Moretz, whose vocal performance stands out among the comedic beats and action moments, but really sings when she peels back the dramatic layers of the character and their journey. During an interview with CBR ahead of Nimona's Jun. 30 premiere on Netflix, Chloë Grace Moretz sat down to discuss the countless complexities of the titular character, embracing the chaos inherent to the role, and which of her animal transformations were her favorites.
CBR: You get to play with so many different tenors and tones in the film. What excited you about getting to step into Nimona's shoes?
Chloë Grace Moretz: I mean, I think all of those opportunities excited me, you know? I keep saying that, getting into the booth every day and looking at Nimona -- she's like a Rubik's Cube. You kind of have to solve and figure out what she's actually saying within the sequence of events. So many times, she says 1,000,001 things, and then there's one line that is that true.
That forms the core. [The] vulnerability that you have to just capture. It was such a fun thing to play with, and the directors, Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, pushed, pulled and shifted [to have] all these different experiences where we could capture who she is.
With that in mind, what surprised you about Nimona as a character?
I mean, so many things. [Her] vulnerability is just something that we really wanted to find. You have to kind of find the chaos. To be able to find that vulnerability within her and what that sounds like, just finding her tone, and what are her things. That's such a fun thing to be able to find with any character, and it was so exciting to find it with [Nimona].
I've got to ask -- what was your favorite animal transformation?
Honestly, when she turns into the ostrich [laughing]. I thought that was so funny when she turns into the ostrich, and she's like, bleh! I remember making the noises for her doing that. She's, like, being so chaotic. That was one of my favorites -- as well as the shark. It was really fun to play.
Nimona comes to Netflix on Jun. 30