Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A shy Kraken girl must navigate the complexities of high school life while discovering her destiny as a protector of the ocean.
The story
In the coastal town of Oceanside, Ruby Gillman is a shy teenager trying to blend in with humans, despite being a secret Kraken. Her mother, Agatha, strictly forbids her from entering the ocean to keep their identity hidden. However, after a series of events involving her friends and a crush, Ruby accidentally enters the water and undergoes a transformation. She soon discovers she is a descendant of battle-hardened krakens destined to inherit the throne from her grandmother. Ruby must navigate her burgeoning powers and the secrets of her lineage while facing the threat of ancient enemies.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ruby Gillman, a teenage Kraken living in Oceanside, tries to fit in with humans while her mother Agatha enforces a strict 'no ocean' rule. When Ruby accidentally knocks her crush, Connor, into the water and saves him, she triggers an underwater transformation into a giant kraken. She is spotted by the new student Chelsea Van Der Zee and her mother Agatha. Ruby eventually learns she is destined to rule as protector of the sea from her grandmother, Grandmamah. She learns that the evil mermaid queen Nerissa once sought the Trident of Oceanus, which Agatha hid. After being attacked by a sea captain and befriending Chelsea (who is actually a mermaid), Ruby trains with Grandmamah. However, Chelsea betrays her, revealing herself as Nerissa, and steals the trident to terrorize Oceanside. Ruby, Agatha, and Grandmamah combine their powers to destroy the trident and defeat Nerissa. Ruby is hailed as a hero, reconciles with her family, and eventually accepts her role as protector of the seas.
- Original title
- Meet the Gillmans
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Kirk DeMicco
- Writers
- Pam Brady · writer; Brian C. Brown · writer; Elliott DiGuiseppi · writer
- Cast and characters
- Lana Condor · Ruby Gillman; Toni Collette · Agatha Gillman; Annie Murphy · Chelsea Van Der Zee; Colman Domingo · Arthur Gillman; Jane Fonda · Queen Gillman aka. Grandmamah; Sam Richardson · Brill Gillman; Will Forte · Captain Gordon Lighthouse; Jaboukie Young-White · Connor
- Genres
- animated; teen comedy; fantasy
- Themes
- identity; coming-of-age; family dynamics; self-acceptance
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; sincere; comedic
- Premise and plot tags
- coming-of-age; shapeshifting; hidden identity; fantasy
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office bomb, though it became a sleeper hit on home media.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 50 · scale: 100 · review count: 27
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled 'Meet the Gillmans'.; The Gillman family is loosely based on co-writer Brian C. Brown's real life family.; The production designer took inspiration for the main character from the body of an octopus.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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