A feature length animated film based on the viral short.
Written & Directed by Drew Garcia.
Currently in production.
The Story
At the bottom of the ocean, where light is something you make yourself or go without, a blind anglerfish named Luma has spent her whole life as a beacon for others, lighting the way across a dangerous crossing for everyone but herself. On her last day, she sets out into the dark one final time, with an unlikely companion who has never left home: a small, anxious crab who agrees to walk her to the edge of the world.
The Way Up is a story about grief and wonder, about the cost of giving your light away, and the oldest question there is: what's up there, and is it worth the climb?
The Voices
A Living Score
Composed by Robin Hoffmann and performed by a live symphony orchestra
How This Film is Made
The Way Up is built by hand, shot by shot.
The Way Up uses a hybrid approach. We start with human-made artwork to train our own dataset, build every shot manually, and use assistive AI only for the in-betweening on some shots — while others are composited entirely by hand in After Effects.
It's what lets us make a film of this scope on a realistic budget and timeline: about a year, rather than the three to five such a film would historically take.
One writer, one screenplay. Every voice a real performer. An original score by Robin Hoffmann, played by a live orchestra. A film built by hand, with the right tools in the right places.
The Filmmaker
The Way Up is written and directed by Drew Garcia.
Drew has spent two decades behind the camera — directing commercials, vérité documentaries, and the kids' adventure feature Treasure Trackers, which premiered on HBO Max. His 2017 short Hero earned him representation at APA in Beverly Hills.
The Way Up grew out of the viral anglerfish moment that captured millions — a single small creature rising toward a light it was never meant to reach. It's the most personal film he's made, and his children voice three of its central roles.
Follow the journey Up.
Got a question?
Send us a message…