The Big Picture Ghosts of Ruin is a YA adult animated series set in a gritty, dystopian future where virtual reality has evolved into neural reality. Fans were actively involved in the development of the show with opportunities to vote on props, dialogue, and more. K-pop star AleXa makes her voice acting debut with Ghosts of Ruin voicing the Tournament of Ruin contender Juggernaut.

Ghosts of Ruin is a one-of-a-kind production, but it’s one that we might see more of going forward thanks to Web3 technology. Yes, Ghosts of Ruin has a showrunner, Michael Ryan, and a voice actor roster filled with hugely talented artists, like K-pop star AleXa, but they’re not the only creatives involved in bringing the show to screen. Fans are quite heavily involved as well.

The show takes place in 2065 when virtual reality has evolved into neural reality, an experience where the user doesn’t register that they’re wearing a headset, but rather, seeing and feeling everything in a way that seems real. That’s the realm that the “Tournament of Ruin” exists in, a competition where 100 of the world’s best gamers, including AleXa’s Juggernaut, compete in a neural reality battle royale.

With Ghosts of Ruin nearing its fall launch, Ryan and AleXa joined me for a chat at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 to tease what to expect from the story and to explain exactly how the fans influenced what we’ll wind up seeing in the finished product. Hear all about it straight from Ryan and AleXa in the video interview at the top of this article or you can read the conversation in transcript form below.

PERRI NEMIROFF: This is something our audience might not know about just yet, so Mike, I’ll give you these duties. As the showrunner on Ghosts of Ruin, can you give a brief description of what this show is about?

MICHAEL RYAN: Certainly. Ghost Of Ruin is a YA adult animated series. And we’re a bit gritty, a bit dystopian. We’ve got a lot of action, a lot of character – it’s very character-driven. It’s also got a lot of horror in it because we like horror. It’s one of our things. So, it’s really fun.

It takes place in the near future in a sort of dystopian San Francisco, and we’re doing a Tournament of Ruin, which is gonna debut this brand new, fully immersive technology called Neural Reality. A hundred of the world’s best gamers, of which she’s one [to AleXa], are coming together to compete in this epic battle royale where they’re gonna play the game for the first time, and it’s gonna be something really amazing. This lead, this young nobody from The Cubes, he wins a chance to be a part of this, and he’s just in way over his head. And then they all get into trouble because there’s something else in the game that’s hunting them, something horrible, something monstrous, and it’s killing them one by one in horrible ways.

I have so many follow-up questions! That was a great description, by the way.

Image via Gala Film

I was looking on Instagram at the player cards you released. AleXa, what rank is your player?

ALEXA: [To Ryan] What rank is Juggernaut? That’s a great question, actually. Am I just not observant? What rank is Juggernaut?

Your character’s card wasn’t up there, so it was making me wonder!

ALEXA: Yeah, it’s not up yet!

RYAN: We’ll have to send it to you after the fact. I think she was ranked five. Juggernaut’s not the highest-ranked player, but she’s got the most attitude out of all of them.

Another term you brought up, Mike, “from The Cubes.” What does that mean specifically?

RYAN: In this near future, as in, unfortunately, today, I guess, there’s a real disparagement between those that have and those that have not, and I think that Lee is from the sort of poor part of town. Very few people have all the money and pretty much everyone else lives without.

That sounds familiar.

RYAN: Doesn’t it? Yeah, a little bit. I imagine it’ll just get worse in the future.

We see more and more cautionary tales coming to life nowadays.

ALEXA: Optimism!

It’s a little disturbing.

AleXa, this is your first acting experience, right?

ALEXA: Voice acting, yes.

Is this something you sought out or were you approached with the opportunity?

ALEXA: A little bit of both, if I’m gonna be honest because I have my American agency, UTA, and through them, I was given the chance to audition for this incredible project. But I’m someone that’s always had a love for animation, and voice acting, in general, is something I really wanted to try for years. So I’m really stoked to be a part of this.

Now I have to know, you’re a fan of animation; do you have a single favorite series or movie?

ALEXA: If I’m gonna be completely honest, I’m a huge anime fan specifically, so Death Note is my one and true love. One and only true love.

Excellent choice right there.

Image via Gala Film

So you get the opportunity to audition for this, when you’re prepping for your audition, what is your biggest burning question that you need answered to start wrapping your head around what this even is?

ALEXA: Honestly, it’s just kind of like, “What are you looking for in this character?” Because once I have a vague idea of, “Okay, this is the image we have for her. This is kind of how she faces things with her attitude,” it’s like, “Okay, let me try to bring that to life.”

Mike, you have a lot of experience working in animation, but again, I keep hinting at the fact that this is a very different show in terms of the way it was created. Can you tell me something about your approach to the work that has stayed the same from your past animation experience to this, but then also name something about this process that is entirely different?

RYAN: For me, all good storytelling is about character. So it’s always character, character, character in every show I’ve ever worked on even though there will be heavy plot lines throughout the animation, or even if it’s a comedy, it’s all about the character. And so that’s never changed, and that’s what this show is all about for me. It’s like, yeah, there’s this dystopian future and it’s horrible monsters killing people in this game, but really, at the end of the day, it’s about these characters and how they come together, and they’re a found family. Juggernaut’s got an older – he’s like a brother, but he’s not a brother, named Castle, and they’re inseparable these two. They grew up together and he’s always looked out for, and they look out for each other. So it’s about those relationships, and that’s always stayed true through everything I’ve ever tried to do.

And how about something that’s completely different given the fan interaction that was involved in actually creating what we’re going to see in the end product?

RYAN: That’s what’s so brilliant. I love it because I’ve been doing this a long time, probably far longer than any adult should be doing animation, but luckily I’m very immature in my head, so it works out. The community involvement is so brilliant. So many shows I’ve worked on, we’ve been so separated from the fans just by time alone. But also, when you’re working on bigger productions or you’re working in a space, you don’t interact with fans. You’re very isolated. But here we got to actually work with fans and work with the community early on. I would have them vote on things. I would have them vote on props and models. Like, “What do you think Juggernaut’s boots should look like?” And we would give them different options and they’d all vote. And then we had different votes on dialogue. We had AleXa read like four different versions of one line and they all got to vote on which one they liked best, and that went in the show. So it’s just been this great interaction from the very beginning. [During] the script process, even, we were sort of interacting with the fans.

I do have a question about where you draw the line in terms of fan interaction in picking things so that when they see the finished product, everything isn’t spoiled for them and it’s still a surprise …

RYAN: That was actually a real consideration because we were worried we’d give away too much. So even when we had to pick dialogue lines, there were certain lines I wanted to give the fans, but I was like, “No, that gives away too much information that might spoil something for them.” So we had to really think about what was put in front of them so it wouldn’t spoil the whole thing.

I like that you get the best of both worlds there.

Image via Gala Film

Going back to Juggernaut now. At the beginning of the show, what do you think the character’s greatest strength is? But then I also want to know her greatest weakness, the thing that will do her in during this tournament and what they need to do to survive.

ALEXA: I mean, with my knowledge of the plot thus far, I would like to say probably her advantage and weakness might be the same thing, which is just her spark, this spontaneity she has, I guess. She’s like, “If I’m gonna do something, I’m gonna do it! No holding me back, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna commit to the bit.” But at the same time, that can also be kind of detrimental in many ways.

That’s the core of an interesting character, where their greatest strength is also their greatest weakness!

Given how you just described her, is there the opportunity to play on the spot? You have your own interpretation of the role, you have what the fans are voting on for you to say, what about just being spontaneous on the spot in the sound booth?

ALEXA: Fortunately, I was actually given the opportunity to just kind of say whatever a few times when we were recording. Like, “Hey, just say what you feel during this kind of scenario. How would Juggernaut react?” And I just fed a few lines, and they’re like, “You know what? We’ll take it!” [Laughs]

When you’re playing like that, can you maybe give me an example of something you did that felt so out of left field that it made you think, “They’re never gonna actually use this,” but now we might be able to see it in the final cut of the show?

ALEXA: Well, the real question is, what’s camera-friendly? [Laughs]

I say on Collider, anything’s camera-friendly!

RYAN: Well, we say curse words. [Laughs]

ALEXA: Very many curse words!

RYAN: We’re an adult show. We say the F-word, we say everything.

All right, F-bombs and when I was looking at some of the early footage, obviously the blood caught my eye, and the creatures. I love horror, so when I see stuff like that, especially in animation, which I feel should be embraced more, it gets me very excited. How far do you push it with the blood, gore and horror?

RYAN: You don’t want it to be gratuitous. You want it to kind of fit the storytelling, but also you wanna push it because you wanna give people an experience that maybe they haven’t had yet. Like when you’re mixing this sort of gaming with horror and animation altogether, you wanna sort of give them something that’s gonna surprise them. And so my instinct is to sort of create those moments of blood and gore that aren’t just gratuitous and just for the heck of it. There’s a real purpose behind it, but also, it’s scary and it’s shocking and it gets your adrenaline going.

That’s the best kind! Sign me up for all of that.

Image via Gala Film

So you brought up the Neural Reality idea, which is basically a step ahead of virtual reality and what we’re actively using often right now. But when it comes to Neural Reality, do you see the starting point of that in our real world? It is inevitable, right?

RYAN: Our story takes place in 2065. Like, what? Forty years from now? But I mean, in all honesty, who knows? It might be sooner because the way the world is going and the way that virtual reality is evolving and neural reality is on the horizon, I’d say it’s really coming fast. And also our sense of Neural Reality is that – virtual reality is enough to almost make me lost in my brain. Like, “Am I really experiencing this?” But when you actually get to Neural Reality, your brain won’t be able to tell the difference, so all of our perceptions that we’re just looking around here and we’re talking, and we’re talking to each other, our brain won’t be able to tell the difference if we’re in Neural Reality and if we’re actually experiencing this or not experiencing it, and that’s what we’re dealing with.

ALEXA: Horrifying.

RYAN: Well, that’s what sparked the whole idea was the fact that this young guy gets his brain shattered in Neural Reality, and he’s got PTSD from it. And it’s like, are we gonna suffer trauma when we play these games? If it’s so real to our brains, how’s our brain gonna know the difference?

So it functions as a cautionary tale?

RYAN: A little bit.

To highlight some of the other characters now, here’s another Juggernaut question for you. You brought up Castle, so I have a feeling that character might be the answer to one part of this, but of all the players in the game, who does she respect the most and who does she respect the least?

ALEXA: Oh man, again, just based off of my knowledge of the plot thus far that I’ve recorded, she definitely holds Castle very near and dear to her. Again, like Mike had said, they’re inseparable, basically like siblings though they are not related by blood. But the thing is, I feel like with Prism there’s this level of, “I do respect you, but at the same time, I kind of hate your ass,” you know? It’s kind of like, not exactly sibling rivalry because they don’t have that kind of sisterhood going on, but it’s just very – there’s a bit of animosity there, but mixed in with the, “Okay, I’ll listen to you, but if you listen to me.” That kind of give and take.

Rosario Dawson’s character, right?

ALEXA: Yes!

Your voice cast here is exceptional. Of all of the roles in the show, which voice actor was the easiest to cast where the perfect person magically emerged and fit the role, and then which character was the most difficult to find the perfect fit for?

RYAN: This is gonna sound like I’m saying it because she’s sitting right next to me, but AleXa was like a godsend for us in terms of Juggernaut because she was already Juggernaut when we did the auditions. And we were like, “Oh my gosh, she’s perfect for this!” I think we knew we wanted her right away, but we have to go through the process of doing callbacks and double-checking to make sure we’re not imagining it. And so she was the character from the beginning, and she brings so much life to the character. So that was the easiest one, I think, definitely.

You even see it in that reel! We only see you, I think, deliver maybe one or two words, but I’m like, “Oh, this just feels right,” and I barely know anything about the show thus far.

ALEXA: Thank you!

RYAN: Exactly. The hardest one, it’s a character named Dr. Brennan and he’s this very academic kind of person, and he’s also very cold and calculated. He’s got this kind of voice, for me, that was really hard to find because he has to be human, but underneath it he has to be very kind of scientific. But he’s also one of our — I don’t wanna give a spoiler away — but he’s got some things going on that we’re gonna find out later aren’t so great. It was a hard voice, but John Bentley came in and did it, and he’s just a pro. We worked for a little bit on it and he found just the right voice that was in my ear, and I was like, “Oh, that’s it. That’s it!” So, that one took more time to find him because you don’t want a cliche. You wanna find something that has layers to it, and so that was the hardest character.

Image via Gala Film

Where are you all in the production of the show?

RYAN: [Laughs] We’re physically in production on the first four episodes. We’re in animation on the first four. We’ve already gotten most of the other scripts written for the second four. Actually, those are all written. And so we’re pretty much in production on the show.

And the first one is due out in … August?

RYAN: Right around mid-September. Probably early September, mid-September is when it’s gonna drop it. All four episodes should drop by October 15th.

Okay, and where can people watch it when the time comes?

RYAN: We are having a really kind of cool moment with Gala Film. They’re our parent company, and they’ve just been beautiful with us. They’ve got a special sort of debut on their Web3 space, on the Gala Film space.

I am curious about Web3. There was a quote that I read somewhere that said that technology is going to continue to change the industry as we move forward, so can you maybe give an example of a way that people can pinpoint it being used on Ghosts of Ruin now and maybe something that you haven’t even tapped into that could change the game in the future?

RYAN: Absolutely. I think there are so many ways that Web3’s been an amazing, brave new world, I think, in terms of community, in terms of people coming together from different areas all over the world, and coming together and making a show like this. That’s what’s so exciting to me. It’s like, we actually created a show in the Web3 space for the Web3 space with the fans, with the community themselves, and I think that’s a game changer right there. That’s, to me, the beauty of Web3, is that it’s the people, it’s the community, it’s everyone coming together and making something, or making a group of people that all want to hang out together. It’s so cool.

That’s why I love TV and film. That’s why I love Comic-Con so much. We’re literally right smack in the middle of that vibe right now.

ALEXA: We’re living it right now.

AleXa, I know you’re not finished with the performance work on this particular season, but what is something you’ve accomplished thus far that you’re really proud of, but then also, what is a new skill you’ve tapped into that you’re eager to use with what recording lies ahead for you in the future?

ALEXA: Fantastic question. Let’s see. I think, overall, just the fact that this is the first professional voice acting gig I’ve had, let alone to be cast by somebody like Mike Ryan. I’m like, “Damn, never thought I’d be doing this, but here I am! Thank god.” Skill set-wise, I think just learning how to read in a booth. That’s the thing. Because again, with auditions, it’s just like you record yourself, you send it in. But actually getting feedback in real-time, learning how to adjust and tweak the way you say things for better line delivery is definitely something that was a really good skill set that was learned during the recording process.

This is gonna get awkward, but one of the things that fascinates me most about voice performances – it’s hard enough delivering the lines, but when people have to do efforts …

ALEXA: Efforts!

Of the bunch, what effort comes most naturally to you, but then what is the everyday sound a human being makes that’s most difficult for you to replicate?

ALEXA: Exactly. That’s a great question because, I mean, Ghosts of Ruin, there is fighting happening. I don’t normally make fighting noises on the daily. That’s not something I do. So I guess finding what sounds natural. Especially, there’s a difference between giving an attack versus receiving one. So it’s finding the differentiation between those two and seeing, “Okay, this sounds like it could happen if I got hit in the head with the crowbar.” I guess. [Laughs]