By Andie Hagemann
On Saturday, the stars and creative team behind Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur brought the “Moon Girl Magic” to the red carpet for the series’ premiere event at The Walt Disney Studios Lot in Burbank, California.
Based on Marvel’s hit comic books, Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur follows the adventures of super genius Lunella Lafayette (voiced by Diamond White) and her 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur (voiced by Fred Tatasciore), whom she accidentally brings into present day New York City through a portal. Bolstered by Devil Dinosaur’s fierce loyalty and brawn along with the loving support of her family and best friend, Casey (voiced by Libe Barer), Lunella sets out to make a difference and protect her Lower East Side neighborhood from wily villains.
“We wanted to make a love letter to New York, as well as highlight the importance of family and the community,” supervising producer Rodney Clouden told D23 on the red carpet. Executive producer Steve Loter added, “It’s really important to put out the message that one girl can make a difference, and I think we’re doing it in a really stylized, fun, exciting, and musical way.”
Shared producer Pilar Flynn, “What I love about this [series] is it gives the message that women can be more than just one thing. We can be super smart, we can love science, we can love dinosaurs, and be superheroes. The fact that these two little girls support one another and elevate one another is something we really need to see more of.”
Stars White, Tatasciore, Barer, Gary Anthony Williams, Ian Alexander, Josh Keaton, and Tajinae Turner joined executive producer (and the voice of The Beyonder) Laurence Fishburne, Loter, Clouden, Flynn, executive music producer Raphael Saadiq, and co-creators Amy Reeder and Natacha Bustos for a roaring night celebrating the groundbreaking series.
“[Voicing Lunella] brings me back to my childhood,” White said. “The series is something that I really needed to see when I was growing up. She’s a Black girl [saving the world]. We don’t see that a lot.”
Added actress Monique Coleman, “The fact that this is the first-ever Black teen Super Hero [is so exciting]. Growing up I didn’t have role models like that [on TV]. I believe when we see it on screen, we believe that it’s possible for ourselves, so I think this is going to be transformational for this generation.”
In addition to voicing Lunella, White also performs the series’ theme song, “Moon Girl Magic.” Both White and Saadiq teased that audiences will hear Lunella sing more throughout the “very musical” series. “Diamond is very talented, and I can’t wait to show off her voice,” Saadiq said. Saadiq added that his goal for scoring the series was to not only introduce music to kids, but also create something that parents can enjoy, too. “We didn’t want to dumb it down for kids,” Saadiq said. “We wanted to give them as much music and as much depth as we could.” On the red carpet, Loter gushed that the immensely talented Saadiq is one of the “beating hearts of the show,” composing many different genres and styles for scenes upon only reading the script and bringing to life a character in a unique way.
After the red carpet, attendees watched the first episode, “Moon Girl Landing,” before joining in a fun-filled reception with roller skating, crafts, mouthwatering bites, and more! Catch more of Lunella’s adventures when Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur premieres Friday, February 10, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel, and Wednesday, February 15, on Disney+.
Check out the premiere’s stellar moments below:
