INTERVIEW: Adult Swim jumps into the dream world with ‘Dream Corp LLC’

Adult Swim has crafted a loyal following who is willing to head down some strange and humorous rabbit holes each time the network premieres a new show. The cartoon channel is about to take viewers on another journey with the premiere of the series Dream Corp LLC, which will begin Sunday, Oct. 23 at 11:45 p.m.

The comedic elements in the 15-minute show are absurd and out there, which means it will feel perfectly at home on Adult Swim. The plot surrounds a dream therapist by the name of Dr. Roberts, played by Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Gries. He records his patients’ dreams and attempts to analyze them. The results of his therapeutic skills are varied and lead to some interesting animation sequences using the so-called “rotoscoping” method popularized by director Richard Linklater in Waking Life.

The series was created by Daniel Stessen, who writes and directs for the show. It has some major comedic pedigree in the executive producer category as well: John Krasinski, star of The Office in the United States, and Stephen Merchant, star of The Office in the United Kingdom. Allyson Seeger and Michael Sagol are also on the team.

Dream Corp LLC has been a long time in the making, and the idea behind the series began with some night terrors. “It’s just a combination of several things, but most of all, I had night terrors when I was young,” Stessen said recently in a phone interview. “And ended up having these recurring dreams, and I was afraid to go to sleep. My folks sent me to a therapist, and this guy helped me figure out what the image that I was seeing was. And that kind of unlocked everything.”

These early experiences had Stessen thinking later in life about a dream therapist character who watches, analyzes and experiments in the currency of dreams. “I just like to think,” Stessen said. “I think a lot. I love modern art and music, and there’s a combination of a lot of things that ended up having this be what it is. John Gries brings it full circle, brings it exactly how I saw it happening. I’m very thankful.”

Gries, who was also interviewed by Hollywood Soapbox, found the premise engaging enough to sign onboard. For the actor, who has had a long and varied career in Hollywood, his entrance into Stessen’s dream world began with a simple phone call.

“When Daniel called me and basically said, ‘Hey, I got something I want you to read,'” Gries said. “I read it and loved it right away. At first, I truly didn’t know if he was calling just to talk to me about the script as a script. … I had no idea, and then he was like, ‘Well, I’m doing this show, you know. And, you know, I’m seeing you somewhere.’ Kind of danced around a couple of things, and then I think that he was always working his way to say, ‘Dr. Roberts.’ And then he just said, ‘What about Dr. Roberts?’ I was like, ‘Uh, are you kidding? I’d be there in a heartbeat.’ I love the character. I love the show, and I loved it on the page. It’s just so much more rewarding to see when the episodes are up, and you’re looking at them. And you’re just going, oh my God, this is so incredible. It’s just right up my alley.”

The amazement at watching Dream Corp LLC is probably not only because of the content but the look of the series as well. The rotoscoping method, which places animation on top of live action, adds a creative element to the series, and it’s a creative element that’s not the usual fare for Adult Swim.

For Gries, another obvious hook was the Britisth-style humor of the piece.

“When I was a kid, I used to go midnight cinemas and watch these crazy British films that were kind of comedic, and kind of dry, and a little bit edgy and somehow psychedelic, and it reminds me so much of this,” Gries said. “It’s incredible. It was like a dream come true for me, quite honestly. To take it one step further and finally get there and be making these shows, and then we have Adult Swim who [says] basically, ‘This is a very creative process. We respect this process, and we want you guys to completely flourish in this process. And we don’t want to impede you in a way that’s going to hinder what the outcome will be.’ How lucky are we?”

The creative license was appreciated, but because the team was working from scratch, with no other series to point to as a means of comparison, Stessen and company had an uphill battle. As the creator, Stessen tried the diplomatic approach with the actors and crew.

“It’s a collaboration, and I just do my best to give as many references as I can, and be as specific as I can and then allowing for the artists, for everyone to do their job,” Stessen said. “Someone is always going to think of something that I haven’t. I’m always open to a conversation with everyone about what it is going to be but just trying to stay firm on the idea, I guess. … I want them to trust me, and that’s what’s a tricky part of making something that doesn’t exist is the trust. I find we all have to trust each other in order to make something special.”

Although it might seem like Gries’ role in Dream Corp LLC is an extension of his long list of comedic efforts, the actor actually studied and started his career as a dramatic performer. However, he seems delighted to have included so many memorable comedic roles on his resume.

“If I’ve gravitated this way, it’s purely by some strange accident,” Gries said. “I don’t even know if I have a good sense of humor. I don’t know, but I love funny things. I love physical comedy, and I love physical comedians. I try and kind of meld everything together. Now if you gave me a microphone, and told me to stand up on a stage and do a standup routine, I would bomb horribly because I’m more invested in character when I do a comedy. It’s much easier to play somebody who’s not exactly me but maybe a little bit of me. This is where I want to be. I am where I want to be. There’s no question.”

For viewers who might tune into the series premiere of Dream Corp LLC, Stessen hopes they take the 15 minutes to not only explore this dream world and the adventures of Dr. Roberts. He also wants the audience to simply forget about the distractions in the real world for a bit.

“We live in a crazy place, and that’s why I’ve always loved fantasy just so I can shut off,” Stessen said. “If we can help people not worry about anything for 15 minutes that feels like I’m doing something for somebody.”

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Dream Corp LLC premieres Sunday, Oct. 23 at 11:45 p.m. on Adult Swim. Click here for more information.