After A Decade And Four Films, Actors Check Out With ‘Hotel Transylvania: Transformania’

Count Dracula a.k.a. “Drac” and the Pack are back for their fourth and final outing in Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.

The franchise, which marries classic monsters from literature and movies with hilarious hijinks at a hotel, and features an all-star voice cast, has raked in more than $1.3 billion globally (with a combined budget of $230 million) since the first comedy/fantasy Hotel Transylvania premiered in September 2012, spawning two sequels—Hotel Transylvania 2 and Hotel Transylvania: Summer Vacation.

The franchise’s lovable monsters return for an all-new adventure that presents Drac (Brian Hull, stepping in for Adam Sandler who previously voiced the character) with his most terrifying task yet. He and his monster pals are transformed into humans, and the one human among them, Johnny (Andy Samberg), Drac’s son-in-law, becomes a monster.

Not only do the monsters have to cope with their new physical forms, they also lose use of their powers, so Drac and Johnny team up and race across the globe to find the antidote for their condition before it becomes permanent. Headstrong Mavis (Gomez) and the hilariously humanoid Drac Pack join them on their adventure. The film also features the voices of Kathryn Hahn (Ericka), Steve Buscemi (Wayne), Molly Shannon (Wanda), David Spade (Griffin the Invisible Man), Keegan-Michael Key (Murray), Fran Drescher (Eunice, the bride of Frankenstein), Brad Abrell (Frankenstein a.k.a. “Frank”) and Asher Blinkoff (Wesley the Wolf Pup). 

Franchise creator Genndy Tartakovsky returns as one of the screenwriters and executive producers. Directed by Derek Drymon and Jennifer Kluska, the film is produced by Alice Dewey Goldstone and executive produced by Tartakovsky, Michelle Murdocca, and Gomez. The story is by Tartakovsky with a screenplay by Tartakovsky, Amos Vernon, Nunzio Randazzo.

Prime Video licensed worldwide streaming rights (excluding China) for Hotel Transylvania: Transformania from Sony Pictures Animation for a reported $100 million. The fourth installment will premiere worldwide in over 240 countries and territories on Prime Video Jan. 14. The deal allows Sony to keep rights for home entertainment, linear television and Chinese exhibition.

Four of the film’s key voice actors—Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Keegan-Michael Key and Fran Drescher—spoke via Zoom about their decade-long journey through the Hotel Transylvania universe and their characters’ newfound transformations in this final outing.

Q: How much were you aware of what the new character designs would look like when you were going to voice these roles and what was your reaction when you saw them?

Andy Samberg: I love the new design. When Johnny becomes monstrificationized and goes Burning Man backpacker meets Godzilla, it’s something I dreamed about looking like as a child anyhow so it was kind of a dream come true for me.

David Spade: I play Griffin, The Invisible Man who is a bit of a scene-stealer. They showed me during (voice recording sessions) and I was a bit surprised because they put out pictures of Griffin, and I guess it wasn’t what people thought (he’d look like). They wanted Griffin to be better looking, like Bradley Cooper. But I see Griffin as this goofy ding-dong who hangs out with monsters. He’s a little out of shape with red hair—they were looking for more of a Prince Harry—but I think it’s funnier that Griffin looks funnier because (the movie’s) for kids and families and I think he should be funny-looking, so I’m 100 percent into my Griffin.

Q: Keegan, were you surprised when you saw what was inside that mummy wrap?

Keegan-Michael Key: I was surprised. I expected him to be bigger. To me, it was like one revolution of wraps, so I thought he’d be this fat, corpulent guy, and then you see him when the wraps come off and, first of all, he’s super-short, and he’s really working the jowls. That was my favorite thing—his jowls go on for days. It was great because it helped inform me as to what I was going to do vocally. It had to be a completely different voice for him.

Q: Fran and Selena, you’ve brought these characters to life for nearly 10 years. They’re wonderful outsiders. So, what advice do you have for those who are struggling to fit in?

Selena Gomez: That’s a loaded question because I could give the “believe-in-yourself” answer. But I think it’s a challenge. Every day you wake up and sometimes you don’t get to make a choice. Sometimes you have those (outsider) feelings and it’s important to take moments and breaks from social media, personally. It’s also important to be present and be with yourself for a bit. It doesn’t mean that you need to have a lot of friends and a lot of people around you to be cool. I have four friends and I think they’re the coolest.

Fran Drescher: The most attractive thing you can be is yourself and not give in to peer-pressure or be like anybody else, or twist yourself into a pretzel, because that’s what somebody else expects you to be. Every single day, the more you practice self-confidence and living exactly who you are and doing exactly what makes your heart sing and nothing else, then you’re on the right path to living a successful life—successful in the sense of being happy. Making kindness and compassion your compass is also something that brings value to your life and to those you touch.

Q: Andy, is there a particular challenge in bringing comedic timing to an animated role?

Samberg: It’s not particularly challenging; we’re on the fourth one here. You’ve seen the style of animation they do which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest things about these movies. It’s so fun, exaggerated, and kids love them. When I watch it, it just makes me giggle seeing the expressions and gesticulations they give all the characters.

This time around, when you do the recording, you know (the filmmakers) want you to go huge and insane, and they’re going to push it even further when they animate it. You know they’re not going to tell you, “it’s too much.”

Q: Selena, Mavis has grown and matured over the last three films. What can fans expect from her this time around?

Gomez: It’s been such a pleasure playing this character and also growing up because I started doing this so long ago. I was in a different phase of my life. It’s wonderful to be able to grow with this character. She’s generally tough and not always demanded to be as big (as the other characters). She’s always worrying and that matches my personality really well. I just want things to run smoothly. I understand what it’s like to have differences between family members (as Mavis does). It’s nice that we’re touching on such a real thing but in a crazy way. It’s fun.

Q: David, audiences are finally able to see your character. What do you think this says about this movie that’s all about transformation?

Spade: Having Griffin being not seen was interesting (in the previous movies) because I was just these floating glasses. It was nice being able to play a character relatable to people. (Making him visible) was a great hook-y fourth idea because there’s a switcheroo and it’s a fun, visual thing. You read these jokes on the page (of the script) and then they add the animation to them, it’s three times better, because there’s a joke behind you, a joke over here, and it fleshes it out so much that the movie turns into more and more fun. That’s why it’s so much fun and I’m proud to be a part of it.

Q: Keegan, you’ve lent your voice to quite a few animated movies. What’s been the most rewarding part of the voice-acting animation experience?

Key: It goes back to what Andy said—the concept of not having limitations, especially in these (Transylvania movies). The look is so exaggerated that anything you’d get busted for on a live-action movie, you don’t have to worry about. It reminds of when you’re a kid and your imagination could take you anywhere. All of that abandon, you get to channel again as an adult when you’re doing animated films. It’s not only not frowned upon, it’s encouraged. That’s my favorite thing about working in this space.

Q: Andy, did you anticipate this franchise to last 10 years?

Samberg: No, but I’m really glad it did. The reason is because kids love them so much. That’s the bottom line with these movies. They’re just so infused with joy and positivity. Everyone grew up loving these classic monsters and this is a new spin on them, so it’s fun for families. That’s why it’s endured.

Drescher: It’s really written funny—parents can enjoy them as much as the kids. Certain jokes may go over kids’ heads but the parents get it and see the humor in it. And look at the talent: they’re all very serious comic actors.

Key: The way they portray the family dynamics—and how spouses and loved-ones are working off of each other—those dynamics are well observed in the movie. It’s super-deliciously relatable.

Q: What will you miss most about this series?

Drescher: I’ll miss Eunice. I love the way they draw her and the way she looks. She’s a bit of a matriarch to the other monsters. She gets wound up and screams a lot but for the most part, she really cares about Mavis and her family.

Key: I’m going to miss the final products that we always see. They’re done on such a high level; it’s really the rhythm of the movies and the spirit behind them that really moves me. What I’m saying is that I’m going to miss seeing them.

Spade: I like it when the movies come out. It’s nice to see something that works. I’m glad we got to do four. They’re all good quality. If that’s where they have to stop, then that’s where they have to stop.

Samberg: I don’t like to admit that it’s over. If we do, then we’re just caving to Sony. I’ll miss it all because it’s been such a fun thing to do.

Gomez: I remember (at the beginning) I was really excited to meet Andy because I used to watch him on SNL—and David too—while growing up. The first time I sat down with him, he made it so fun and easy and he’s made me relax more in interviews and feel a little bit more normal. He’s always had my back.