Based on the comic of the same name by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth is a post-apocalyptic fantasy story that follows a young boy named Gus, who is a human/animal hybrid. However, he's far from the only one. There are a number of other children who are also hybrids, and the world they find themselves in is very dangerous, as their rise coincided with the apocalypse
CBR talked with Team Downey co-founder and Sweet Tooth Executive Producer Susan Downey about the project. In the interview, Downey told us about her first experiences with Sweet Tooth and what went on behind-the-scenes to bring the project to life on Netflix.
When did you first read Sweet Tooth and what was your reaction to it?
SUSAN DOWNEY: It was about the end of '15, beginning of 2016. We read it; it was something that one of the executives brought me. At that time, it was a Vertigo comic. It hadn't been completely absorbed and only DC. And I remember seeing the cover and being like, "What the heck?" I mean, there's a little boy with antlers and fuzzy ears and a pretty killer flannel shirt. And like, what is this? And I started reading it.
Jeff Lemire wrote it, and he illustrated, and he does an incredible job. He really built this rich story of Gus and his coming of age, but the sense of hope and optimism that he brings into this world. And it ends up being as he partners up with Jep -- which is a very unlikely duo, and a very hard earned friendship over the course of what is our season.
There's messages about embracing those who are different and not being turned off or fearful of them. There's messages about finding community and family. And I thought, this is really beautiful. And so unusual, though, that if we do it right, it's going to catch people's eyes. It's going to get people leaning in. And so how do we take this and do a translation that broadens the potential audience, which is how we kind of came up with creating this sort of storybook dystopia, this fairy tale dystopian look to it, which is much more lush and green and inviting, then maybe, you know, the look that the book had.
People seem to be responding really positively to the initial footage. Why do you think that is?
DOWNEY: I think one of the ambitions that we had, and what draws us into projects, is opportunities to do and put out things that people have never seen before. Find a way to have some universal storytelling, but hyper specificity, so it feels incredibly fresh. And we feel that Sweet Tooth offered that so much. So you know, if something pops up, and you're watching some teaser trailer, or see some images, it's that same reaction I had when I looked at the cover of the comic book, which is, "What is this?"
But also we had the benefit of not only assembling this incredible group of craftsmen behind the scenes, but we have these super talented actors in front of the camera and this lush, like crazy, production value that New Zealand offers. So I think all of those things are very appealing. And I think that there is a sense of adventure and a bit of mystery that I think an audience is craving right now. A little bit of an escapism.
What was it like having the production film in New Zealand especially considering that COVID-19 is going?
DOWNEY: New Zealand sort of had their act together before a lot of places. And so it just delayed our start a little bit in terms of shooting the season, but once we were up and running and following all the necessary protocols and all that stuff, it was pretty fluid. There weren't any bumps or anything like that. And then, you just post everything remotely, which we'd done on another show at the top of the pandemic, so we were used to that process. We made it through. We were just all smart and properly cautious but kept forging ahead.
What makes Netflix and that streaming model the ideal home for Sweet Tooth?
DOWNEY: Netflix has such an amazing international platform. And I think that this is the kind of story that really transcends countries, languages. I think that it is something that works for families of pretty much all ages. I mean, my son's nine, and he's just dying to see more than the dailies I've shown him. And yet, I know someone my mom's age who's also wanting to see it.
So I think that the wonderful thing with Netflix is they have such a wide reach. And I do think, specific to this, that binge-y nature to this story that really does have incredible kind of narrative throughlines that you just want to race to the end is also perfect, so we don't have people pissed at us that they have to wait to find out what's next.
Was there anything in terms of bringing Sweet Tooth to TV that was particularly difficult?
DOWNEY: I always take those things that people say and sort of position as challenges as opportunities. Like, what are the things that scare you when you set out to make something? And I think therein lies your real opportunity. So in this case, it was bringing this world to life in a way that was going to be inviting to an audience. And I think the second thing is obviously bringing these hybrids to life. And that was something that we wanted to make sure we could pull off. Jim Mickle, who's our creator, writer, director, he loves practical effects, and that sort of old school Jim Henson idea. And so as much as we could do practically, we did, and then tweaked a little bit in post through visual effects. So I think those were the two biggest opportunities to bring something to the screen that people haven't seen before, it's hybrids and this world that we got to create.
Did you actually get to be on set yourself or were you not able due to everything that's going on?
DOWNEY: Because of COVID, if you go, you have to stay. So we had two Team Downey people there. And then I was breathing down their necks, probably more than they wanted. And it's kind of nice to get a little perspective, and I'm just, you know, watching the dailies. I'm so excited as they come in. But I'm able to point out things that when you're on set, you don't always see. So mine and Roberts' hands are all over it. We are hoping to make it to New Zealand if we get the chance to keep going.
Was there any moment in that production process that's really memorable to you?
DOWNEY: One of the first things we shot -- and it's been seen in the teasers -- is when Gus runs up to the sign, and he, like, pops his head over, and he's looking for Jepperd. And [Gus] kind of looks this way and this way and his little ear twitches. And when we saw that on film, we were like, that perfect combo of... that is adorable and awesome and weird. And what are we doing? What is this show? And I think that's the sweet spot, because you know, you're onto something that hasn't been done before. So there's a little bit of thrill, there's a little bit of fear. And I just remember us all seeing that footage and feeling like there's something really special.
Is there anything that you're really specifically excited for people to see in Sweet Tooth?
DOWNEY: The thing I love about the show is that it continues to build through the course of the season. So I don't know if there's... there's moments in every episode that I personally love for one reason or another. But I think what I'm excited about is to have people experience the build. Both the emotional build [and] the relationship builds, but also some of the twists and turns and the mystery coming together. So this is one of those that really gets, you know, more interesting with every episode. And so I think it's that experience that I'm excited for people to have.
Sweet Tooth stars Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, Adeel Akhtar, Aliza Vellani, Stefania LaVie Owen, Dania Ramirez and Neil Sandilands, with Will Forte and James Brolin. The series premieres June 4 on Netflix.