Vào tháng 6 năm 2021, TheGWW đã đưa tin rằng có một bộ phim có tựa đề ban đầu là Meet the Gillmans đang được sản xuất tại DreamWorks Animation, với quá trình tuyển chọn diễn viên đang diễn ra và dự kiến sẽ phát hành vào năm 2022. Cựu người dẫn chương trình SpongeBob SquarePants là Paul Tibbitt đóng vai trò đạo diễn, với Pam Brady đã xác nhận viết phim. Lana Condor, Laura Dern và Michael Sheen lần lượt được chọn để lồng tiên các vai Ruby, mẹ và cha của cô, trong khi Annie Murphy được chọn để lồng tiếng Clarica. Chris Kuser và Christi Soper được bổ nhiệm điều hành sản xuất.[11] Việc sản xuất cũng dự kiến sẽ bắt đầu vào năm 2022.[12]

On March 14, 2023, the cast and crew were announced via Universal Pictures Ireland's website. Along with Condor and Murphy's roles confirmed, other new cast members of the film include Toni Collette, Sam Richardson, Liza Koshy, Will Forte, Colman Domingo, Jaboukie Young-White, Blue Chapman, Eduardo Franco, Ramona Young, Echo Kellum, Nicole Byer, and Jane Fonda, while Kirk DeMicco (replacing Tibbitt), Faryn Pearl, and Kelly Cooney Cilella were revealed as the director, co-director, and producer, respectively. DreamWorks Animation also announced its official title as Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken.[7] The cast, crew, and official title were publicly announced two days later.[13] Following the release of the film's second trailer in May 2023, longtime DreamWorks director Mike Mitchell was revealed to have served as executive producer.[14]

According to Animation Magazine, Cilella stated that the film has been in the works for several years. It was first pitched to DreamWorks about a family of sea monsters that were moved to the land and are hiding in plain sight. She stated: "Our heroine is such a lovable character and I'm so excited for audiences to meet her and fall in love with her the way we have because she starts the movie as a quirky, slightly insecure but bighearted character, but she's harboring a secret that she can't tell her friends. But ultimately the Kraken is awakened inside her and there's no hiding this. She learns that her destiny is so much more than being an average high school teenager, and she's destined to be the next big protector of the seas. Her journey is self-discovery and embracing that side of her that had been dormant for so long, and for her to become a fully actualized character was such an exciting story for me to tell on such a grand scale." DeMicco stated that he cited John Hughes films, Easy A (2010), Lady Bird (2017) and Booksmart (2019) as his inspirations. Pierre-Olivier Vincent serves as the production designer, taking inspiration for the main character from the body of an octopus and bringing the "curviness to all the design language of the film", from the cars to the underwater world.[15]

The film was dedicated to Nick Levenduski, a crowds artist of the film who died before the film was released.

Âm nhạc

Stephanie Economou was confirmed to score the film by the first trailer's release on March 16, 2023.[13][16] British singer-songwriter Mimi Webb performed the original song "This Moment", released on June 23 as a single, a week before the film's release.[17] The soundtrack album was released on June 30, 2023, the same day as the theatrical release, in addition to the original song "Rise" performed by Freya Ridings, which plays during the end credits.[18]