Jason Momoa Stars in Slumberland on Netflix

Dream on

Little Nemo in Slumberland was first introduced in 1905 as a visually stunning newspaper comic strip from groundbreaking cartoonist and animator Winsor McCay, following the adventures of a young boy in a fantastical realm of his own dreams, boasting surrealistic imagery that broke new ground in expanding the genre.  

The subject of one of the earliest attempts at film animation, Little Nemo in Slumberland has spawned a stage play, an opera, a video game, a 1984 live-action film and a 1989 animated feature. This Friday, it’s being resurrected for yet another generation in a new Netflix movie, Slumberland. NetflixHere, Nemo is an adult, played by Emmy-winner Kyle Chandler, with his young daughter Nema (Marlow Barkley) now the protagonist. After her father dies, Nema falls asleep and finds herself within the wondrous dream world that Nemo told her about in bedtime stories, where everything is possible and nothing is quite as it seems. 

She’s taken under the wing of Flip (Aquaman’s Jason Momoa), an eccentric outlaw and friend of her father, and the two embark on an epic adventure to reunite Nema with her dad one last time. NetflixDirected by Francis Lawrence (whose credits include the last three Hunger Games movies and the Jennifer Lawrence-starring Soviet spy thriller Red Sparrow), the family-friendly fantasy adventure transports viewers into the eye-popping land of dreams. 

“I’ve got to tell you, to play in this role really unlocked a lot of things for me,” Momoa explained during a recent interview with People. “I actually got to watch it with my children yesterday and with Marlow and her family. It’s weird when you tear up watching your own stuff.” 

He added: “It blew me away, and I just was so emotional. This role just let me really be free, and the character is so fun.” 

Slumberland premieres Friday, November 18 on Netflix