Real 'wise monsters' inspired the creatures in Netflix's The Sea Beast

Into the world of Netflix the sea beast, heroic monster hunters take to the high seas to kill terrifying creatures to keep the waters safe from seafarers - at least that's what everyone believes. The most terrifying of all sea monsters is the Red Bluster, a giant red creature that lives in the depths of the ocean and can swallow rowboats in their entirety.

[Ed. note: This feature contains some slight spoilers for The Sea Beast.]

Image: Netflix

But when seasoned monster hunter Jacob Holland (Karl Urban) and shrewd stowaway Maisie Brumble (Zaris-Angel Hator) strand on an island full of sea monsters, they discover that these beasts aren't the bloodthirsty fiends they expected. In fact, the Red Bluster has a particular preference for Maisie. In its softest moments, the Red Bluster transforms from a huge, formidable beast into a gentle giant.

As with most animation designs, the final look for this imposing monster and benevolent guard took several iterations to land. Director Chris Williams tells Polygon that his creative team looked at real animals that they considered "the ultimate monster" in a particular biosphere, but they also wanted animals that radiate a certain wisdom. That led them to big cats, like lions and tigers. To convey the Bluster's ability to move from sea to land, pinnipeds became a natural fit.

"We've done a lot of research," Williams says. "We looked at images and videos of sea lions, seals and walruses and whales, just to see how they moved and how their physiology made sense [as] creatures that live in the water - who could go on land, but were more comfortable in the water. And that pointed us in a certain direction.”

Image: Netflix

But while the design elements took many iterations, some aspects of the film came out perfectly all at once - especially Hator's performance as Maisie Brumble. Williams says she brought just the right amount of spice and sophistication to the role. He was blown away by Hator's performance, especially when he saw her transition from her own reserved personality to Maisie's fierceness. Even when it came to the trickier and more nuanced scenes, Hator surprised Williams.

“Often with actors, we approach those scenes multiple times just to give them a chance to approach the moment from a different direction,” Williams says. "And there were moments that we thought would be the most challenging when she just attacked and nailed right away."

Williams explains that while many people think that voice actors deliver audio to match existing animations, it actually works the other way around, putting the acting first. This means that details in the actors' performances can often inspire the end result.

"The animator listens to the performance and feeds on every bit of nuance and every bit of spontaneity they can find," Williams says. “[Hator] was able to offer so much to our animators, and they couldn't wait to get their hands on her scenes.”

the sea beast streaming on Netflix now.