Netflix's new talking octopus movie might wrexk you if it's anything like the book

2 weeks ago 7

Published Apr 9, 2026, 12:14 PM EDT

Remarkably Bright Creatures enchanted fans of talking animals back in 2022

An older woman presses her hand against a tank in an aquarium. Inside is a giant pacific octopus.

Published back in May 2022, Shelby Van Pelt’s critically acclaimed debut novel Remarkably Bright Creatures enchanted fans of talking animals and cozy mysteries alike, and left them longing for an octopus companion. No one wanted to call it "fantasy," but c'mon.

A book cover depicts an orange octopus against a colorful ocean background

With chapters alternating between human and cephalopod points of view, Remarkably Bright Creatures tells the story of Marcellus, a curmudgeonly and incredibly charming giant Pacific octopus, Tova, the 70-year-old widow who mops the floors of the Sowell Bay Aquarium where he lives, and Cameron, a bumbling young man who arrives in town searching for the father he never knew.

While Marcellus is largely disinterested in humans and their mundane day-to-day lives, he finds himself drawn to Tova and the mystery at the heart of her loneliness. 30 years ago, Tova’s 18-year-old son, Erik, vanished without a trace while on a boat in Puget Sound. Marcellus proves himself to be a detective who could give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money and quickly puts together the pieces of what happened the night that Erik disappeared through the powers of observation and the occasional Houdini-esque escape from his tank.

The result is a delightful tear-jerking that touches on themes of grief, family, and friendship, both of the human and animal variety. And, based on the trailer for the upcoming movie adaptation, Remarkably Bright Creatures promises to be every bit as moving on the big screen.

Directed by Olivia Newman and produced by Shelby Van Pelt herself, Remarkably Bright Creatures boasts a star-studded cast, with two actors in particular who fans of the Spider-Man franchise will be excited to see. Sally Field (Aunt May in 2012’s Amazing Spider-Man) will be playing Tova, and the one-and-only Alfred Molina (Doc Ock in 2004’s Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021) is lending his voice to Marcellus, proving that he has an affinity for playing eight-legged characters. Field and Molina are joined by Lewis Pullman (another Marvel alum) as Cameron and Colm Meaney as Ethan, a local who keeps an eye on Tova and Cameron, among others.

Based on the trailer above, the movie won't be straying too far from the plot of the book. And, while Marcellus does not take a sudden villainous turn after the death of his scientist wife in Remarkably Bright Creatures, it feels fair to say that Molina’s voice will bring even further depth of character to the octopus that will make readers and viewers alike love him even more.

Remarkably Bright Creatures releases on Netflix on May 8, 2026

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