Netflix has released the trailer for In Waves, the animated film based on AJ Dungo‘s graphic memoir, starring and executive produced by Will Sharpe (Starz’s Amadeus) and Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once). Directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen (Culottées) and animated by Gao Shan Pictures (I Lost My Body), the film retells the true story of Dungo and his late girlfriend Kristen, who taught him how to surf as teenagers.
The full official synopsis reads, “AJ (voiced by Will Sharpe), a reserved high school student in Los Angeles, spends his days drawing and skateboarding with his friends. Kristen (voiced by Stephanie Hsu), an energetic surfer, finds joy and freedom in the ocean. When they meet, curiosity evolves into deep love: Kristen teaches AJ to surf and shares its historical connection to Hawaiian culture.”
“As their relationship grows closer, AJ is inspired to preserve their connection by drawing their story. An animated true story set against the sun-soaked surf culture of Southern California, In Waves explores the joy of finding your soulmate, the courage it takes to live life to the fullest, and the enduring power of love to shape who we become and what we leave behind.”
In an interview with Netflix’s Tudum, Dungo says the film will expand beyond the graphic novel, explaining screenwriters Fanny Burdino and Samuel Doux asked for details on “things like mine and Kristen’s home lives, what our hopes and dreams were, what we fought about, who our friends were. The book is so sparse with details, they needed more backstory to flesh out these characters.”
In Waves is rated PG-13, and will be released in select theaters on November 27, before arriving on Netflix on Friday, December 11. In the meantime, you can check out the full key art and stills below. A tie-in edition of the graphic novel is also available now from Flying Eye Books.
