Inside Out: Dream Productions expands on the fan-favorite Pixar story with Richard Ayoade's Xeni, who fans are eager to learn more about.
Dream Productions centers on Riley's core emotions, which help her navigate growing up. Meanwhile, dream director Paula faces a nightmare of her own.
The series follows up Disney and Pixar's efforts on 2024's Inside Out 2, which broke a streaming release date record upon hitting Disney+ on September 25. This marked 103 days after hitting theaters in June, where it became the eighth-highest-grossing film in history at the box office, grossing nearly $1.7 billion.
4 Things To Know About Dream Productions' Xeni & Richard Ayoade
Xeni Is a Filmmaker, Just Like Richard Ayoade
In Dream Productions, Ayoade portrays Kenny "Xeni" Dewberry, an overly confident daydream director who serves as one of the series' main characters.
In addition to Xeni's in-universe role as a director, Ayoade has experience on that side of the camera.
As a director, his biggest credit is the 2010 film Submarine, an R-rated comedy that featured recent Dear Santa star Ben Stiller as an executive producer; he also worked as a writer on the film. Elsewhere, he directed a Season 2 episode of Community.
Xeni Is a Nepo Baby
One of the core aspects about Xeni explored in Dream Productions is the idea of him being a nepo baby, as his aunt, Jean Dewberry, is the head of the Dream Productions studio. The series explores his lack of experience and skill in filmmaking, along with his unorthodox approach to the trade.
Jean secures him a place at the studio as he shows his inventive approach to storytelling and an eye for emerging talent that works well with Riley's growth. While the show never ignores the nepo baby concept, his genuine passion is put front and center after getting in the door via his family.
Richard Ayoade Is Best Known for The IT Crowd
As for Richard Ayoade in the real world, he is best known for his acting career, particularly amongst British audiences. Arguably, his biggest credit is The IT Crowd, which features him as Maurice Moss, a painfully shy but highly intelligent IT technician lacking social skills.
His resume consists of voiceover work, including appearances in shows and movies like Apple & Onion, The Bad Guys, and Krapopolis (read more about the cast).
Star Wars fans will also recognize Ayoade for portraying the mercenary droid Zero (Q9-0) in two episodes of The Mandalorian.
Richard Will Next Star in Fable
Ayoade's next role will be voiceover. He will be part of the cast of the upcoming Fable game. His involvement was confirmed in the first in-game trailer, which was initially shown at the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2023.
The actor will also reprise his role as Professor Marmalade in The Bad Guys 2, which is being prepped for an August 1, 2025 global release.
Dream Productions is streaming on Disney+.
