On April 2, Angel Studios premiered season two of “The Wingfeather Saga.” Three Samford students attended this premiere as VIP guests in Franklin, Tenn. Students from two other nearby colleges also attended.
“The Wingfeather Saga” is an animated fantasy series following three children who learn a family secret after being relentlessly chased by monsters. The show is based on the popular book series written by Andrew Peterson. Peterson said he wanted to create a fantasy series he would have wanted to read when he was younger.
“I was very conscious about telling the truth about the world as well as I could, which means trying to make real characters who feel flawed and also glorious at times,” Peterson said. “I did not shy away from the fact that the world is broken.”
Angel Studios began working on the show in 2022, with Peterson as the executive producer with James Chris Wall. Wall worked as a producer for Big Idea, the company behind “Veggietales” and “3-2-1 Penguins,” before joining Peterson in 2016 to create their studio, Shining Isle Productions. “The Wingfeather Saga” began as a short from the company in 2017, but an update nearly four years later announced the full adaptation.
“I think that anytime we have an experience with a story that is deeply moving- they say in storytelling that’s the story you should tell, the one that’s personal, and the one that’s important to you,” Wall said. “For me, Wingfeather was that.”
One major aspect that sets “The Wingfeather Saga” apart is the animation style. It feels fresh and completely unique. Aurora Lilijestrand, an artist that worked as a CG generalist for the show, said that she can see the animation style improving from one season to the next. She also explained how hectic the animation studio can become, especially considering that her job worked with everyone.
“You’re just doing so many different things,” Lilijestrand said. “Even in rendering itself, I’m like going back and forth between my spreadsheets and one computer and then another computer, then back to the spreadsheet… It’s just a little bit of a juggling act.”
Leland Vickery, a Samford game design and 3D animation student, was invited to the event. She said that the style of “The Wingfeather Saga” as well as the heart behind it was incredibly inspiring to her.
“Angel Studios has an amazing vision for their content that I believe a lot of studios lack,” Vickery said. “They focus on beautiful storytelling and cinematic visuals that are unique compared to the big companies like Disney or DreamWorks. They are a studio that I admire as an animation student, and their content is something I hope to emulate in my own work.”
Overall, many of the show’s cast and creators said that they are incredibly excited about the fans’ experience with their new season. Callie Daruk, Angel Studios’ publicist, said that seeing the audience’s love for the show was one of her favorite parts of “The Wingfeather Saga.”
“What I’m most excited about is the loyalty of the fans,” Daruk said. “You know, for those who read the books, they’re all in… These kids’ faces just light up.”
Arts & Life Editor
