Ruolin Li is the director of new DreamWorks series Abominable and the Invisible City, the sequel show to the studio’s hit 2019 movie. It premieres this Wednesday October 5th on Hulu and Peacock. Li discusses what the characters are up to, her goals for the series and the movie that inspired her to get into the world of animation. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: What do you love so much about the 2019 Abominable movie?

Ruolin Li: The fantastical adventure of the kids and how they fly around on the cloud with Everest. That’s so cool. And all the magical elements. And not to mention: of course, it takes place in China. That’s not very often seen in animation.

JM: You really show so nicely in the first episode how Yi and Everest really need each other to come back into each other’s lives.

RL: We’re bringing adventure and fantasy back into our lives. The original movie was so fun and exciting. This time we open-up the whole world and say, “Oh, there’s even more magical creatures in our city.” That’s something we really wanted to capture.

JM: And what do you think these magical creatures are seeking the most in the help from Everest, Yi and the others?

RL: Peace and harmony. Living in a world where everyone can… be friends with each other and help out each other.

JM: Yeah. At the end of the second episode a character says, “Destiny calls!” This is destiny and a mission for Yi and the others. Roulin, when did you discover that animation was your destiny?

RL: Probably when I was a little kid watching The Lion King for the first time. Fell in love with the idea that people draw pictures and that that suddenly becomes this moving that not only speaks to you and tells you compelling stories but also makes you feel something. I really wanted to get involved in this world.

JM: Wow. Can you still picture seeing Simba and those characters for the first time?

RL: Yeah, for sure. When Simba steps into Mufasa’s big paw print with his little paw. That really burned into my mind.

JM: That is really sweet and nice. And tell me about the dedication you have with this show when it comes to the music. Yi brings back her violin. How important is the music aspect?

RL: Very important. I don’t know if I can speak for our composer George [Shaw] and our EP Jim [Schumann], but they both are so dedicated to having discussions of what kind of emotions and vibe we want to have with instruments playing throughout the episodes. Sometimes it’s violins. Sometimes it’s contemporary synth music. They all kind of combine into this contemporary, modern China, but still has that flavor.

JM: Definitely. And one of the fun elements for fans of the movie, and even for families just discovering these characters for the first time, is the ways we see the kids try to hide Everest and disguise him.

RL: It was fun because they have this rooftop hideout, and they can have their little tent in there and they hide their little crew secrets. That’s interesting. I’m trying to remember if, as a kid growing up in China, I ever got to experience that kind of thing without adult supervision. Just having a lot of fun with our friends and hiding a little secret up on the rooftop. Maybe not, but that’s something I wish I had lived through. And that sounds really fun.

JM: Yes. For kids, that sense of escapism in these episodes is really there. And a big surprise is the return of Burnish. How did you want to incorporate him this time? It’s pretty interesting what you do in that second episode.

RL: Oh yeah. Definitely. Burnish is a completely changed man. He has learned his lesson. He has decided to not do underground trading and collecting of rare animals anymore. But now he still has all this creative energy and all this money. He’s gotta find an outlet. And then this kid comes in and begs him for help. And he’s like, “Oh no. I couldn’t possibly, but okay fine. Since you asked nicely.” I think he really plays up that still wondrous and childlike personality but also just with his gadgets and these cool sci-fi inventions. He really plays nicely in our adventure.

JM: He does. The kids have a good rapport with him in that second episode as he’s giving them the gadgets and having them go off on their adventures. Chloe Bennett returns as Yi. She’s also a consulting producer.

RL: She contributed hugely in defining her character’s voice and personality. And even bringing that conflicting quality of being a teenager who wants to go on an adventure and at the same time has that strong drive of responsibility to help out her friends and her family. That really played out well.

JM: I loved the visuals in the film. You’ve already got some cool visuals in the first couple episodes I’ve seen. What are you most proud of in the visuals department with this new Abominable series?

RL: We have all these different fantastical new creatures that are making their debut in this show. We have a phoenix and a koi fish and other beautiful, larger than life, fantastical creatures, designed beautifully… and also the effects that come with them. A lot of episodes with their stories, as well as what they can do on screen, combined with our kids crew. Playing this visual balance [worked] out really well.

JM: Great. And what do you honestly hope families take away from this show?

RL: Maybe a sense of wonder and discovery. And also China being in animation media… showing up on screen… maybe [people] can learn more about Chinese culture — and have that be a little bit more normalized. Chinese culture showing up on kids TV would be more normalized.

JM: And there could be kids who watch this show who are inspired to get into animation because of what you’ve accomplished and the characters like Everest that they see on screen.

RL: I’m extremely proud and honored to be part of this project. And I really hope, like Lion King did to me, this show, Abominable and the Invisible City, along with Yi and her friends and all these fantastical creatures, will open up the minds of children. And then they will want to inspire them to be like, “Oh I want to learn more about these creatures and stories” and open up their minds to create and imagine new things.