In an era where the lines between reality and digital imagination grow blurrier each day, Julian Glander’s upcoming animated feature, Boys Go to Jupiter, emerges as a radiant new star in the indie film cosmos. Billed as a “coming-of-age absurdist comedy,” this is not just another quirky animated project — it’s an audacious attempt to redefine how we think about youth, identity, and storytelling through animation.

Set to premiere in New York City on August 8 at IFC Center, followed by Los Angeles on August 15 at Laemmle Glendale, before expanding to select cities nationwide, Boys Go to Jupiter promises to be an unmissable event for cinephiles and animation enthusiasts alike. But what makes this release particularly fascinating isn’t just the film’s strange, glowing narrative universe; it’s also the story of the two indie powerhouses — Cartuna and Irony Point — that are propelling it into orbit.

A Cosmic Coming-of-Age: Plot and Themes

At its core, Boys Go to Jupiter is about the disorienting, bittersweet journey of growing up — but reimagined through a psychedelic, dreamlike lens. Rather than suburban streets or teenage bedrooms, Glander launches his characters into a world where logic is elastic, shapes morph into emotions, and every surface pulses with neon intensity.

The film’s protagonist (whose name has been kept under wraps to preserve the surprise) drifts through a universe of floating snack foods, impossible geometries, and anthropomorphic planets, all while wrestling with questions about self-worth, loneliness, and connection. Unlike traditional coming-of-age arcs that move predictably from awkward adolescence to neat resolution, this film treats growing up as a kind of cosmic odyssey — disjointed, messy, and wondrous.

The new trailer hints at these surreal plotlines, promising scenes where characters contemplate the void, confront bizarre versions of their inner fears, and ultimately learn to embrace the absurdity of life. There’s a raw honesty beneath the humor: growing up can often feel like floating aimlessly in space, desperately searching for gravity.

A Voice Cast from the Comedy Stratosphere

Glander has assembled a cast of voice actors that reads like a dream lineup from the alt-comedy circuit. At its core are Cole Escola, fresh off a Tony win and known for their genre-defying stage performances, and “Saturday Night Live” breakout Sarah Sherman, whose anarchic humor perfectly suits Glander’s weird universe.

Alongside them, a constellation of unique voices: Jack Corbett, Janeane Garofalo, Elsie Fisher (of Eighth Grade fame), Grace Kuhlenschmidt, and J.R. Phillips. Singer-songwriter Miya Folick not only lends her voice but also contributes an original song to the soundtrack — a dreamy, melancholy piece that has already stirred festival audiences.

The cameo roster is equally stacked, featuring Tavi Gevinson, Julio Torres, Joe Pera, Eva Victor, Max Wittert, River L. Ramirez, Chris Fleming, and Demi Adejuyigbe. These artists, each with their own internet-era cult followings, embody the film’s ethos: a shared love for oddness, vulnerability, and raw emotional honesty, all expressed through a comedic lens.

Julian Glander: From Digital Weirdness to Big Screen Brilliance

Julian Glander, the creative brain behind this interstellar narrative, isn’t new to digital strangeness. Known in art and animation circles for his squishy, hyper-colorful aesthetic, Glander’s work has often looked like a cross between an acid-drenched children’s show and a vaporwave gallery installation.

His early animations and illustrations, widely shared online, captured an uncanny balance between cuteness and existential dread. Objects melt, faces squish and reshape, and characters often express deep sadness or elation with geometric simplicity. In many ways, Glander has spent the last decade preparing for this leap into feature filmmaking.

Boys Go to Jupiter is a natural evolution of his work: expansive, deeply personal, and ambitious in its visual and thematic scope. It embodies a sense of emotional surrealism, encouraging viewers to embrace the idea that life doesn’t always make sense — and that’s okay.

Cartuna: Cultivating a New Animation Vanguard

Cartuna, one of the two studios behind Boys Go to Jupiter, deserves particular attention. Founded in 2015 by James and Adam Belfer, Cartuna has carved out a reputation for supporting avant-garde animated projects and cultivating a new generation of animators unafraid to push boundaries.

Rather than chasing big studio blockbusters or family-friendly formulae, Cartuna leans into the weird, the dark, and the deeply human. They’re the studio behind projects like Dead Lover and various boundary-pushing shorts that have gained traction at festivals and online. Their roster often includes artists with distinct visual languages, people who see animation not merely as a genre but as a limitless medium.

Cartuna’s involvement in Boys Go to Jupiter signals a continued investment in this ethos: betting on originality over predictability, on human messiness over sanitized stories. Their faith in Glander’s vision underscores the belief that there’s an audience hungry for the strange and the sincere — an audience who wants to feel rather than just consume.

Irony Point: Comedy with a Conscience

On the other side of the partnership is Irony Point, a production company founded by Daniel Powell and Alex Bach. Known for backing some of the most groundbreaking comedic projects of the past decade, Irony Point’s credits include Inside Amy Schumer, I Think You Should Leave, and the cult animated show Ugly Americans.

Irony Point’s approach is rooted in empowering comedic voices that challenge conventions and societal norms. By choosing to support Boys Go to Jupiter, they extend this mission into the realm of animated feature films. Their involvement guarantees that the film’s humor isn’t merely slapstick or absurd for its own sake but grounded in genuine emotional stakes and social observation.

Together, Cartuna and Irony Point form a kind of dream team for this project: one studio bringing avant-garde animation expertise and the other offering razor-sharp comedic sensibility.

A Festival Darling Poised for Cult Status

Before its theatrical release, Boys Go to Jupiter made a memorable run at several indie film festivals. Audience reactions have ranged from stunned admiration to joyful bewilderment. Critics have drawn comparisons to Richard Linklater’s Waking Life, Don Hertzfeldt’s World of Tomorrow, and even early Michel Gondry — not because Glander imitates these filmmakers, but because his work shares their fearless embrace of dream logic and emotional ambiguity.

Festival-goers have described the film as “a psychedelic group therapy session,” “a neon-drenched love letter to being lost,” and “the weirdest, most comforting hug you’ll ever get from a movie.” These responses suggest that Boys Go to Jupiter won’t simply fade after its initial run; it is set to become a cult classic, rewatched and shared by those craving something real beneath the layers of surreal artifice.

Theatrical Rollout: A Carefully Orchestrated Launch

The rollout strategy for Boys Go to Jupiter feels almost like a performance piece in itself. The film premieres August 8 at the IFC Center in New York City, a venue known for supporting indie auteurs and experimental cinema. A week later, it opens at Laemmle Glendale in Los Angeles, another bastion for adventurous moviegoers.

From there, the film will gradually expand into select cities across the U.S., in a strategy designed to build word-of-mouth buzz rather than rely on massive marketing budgets. This approach mirrors the film’s artistic DNA: organic, intimate, and deeply community-driven.

Soundscapes from the Stars

The auditory experience of Boys Go to Jupiter matches its hallucinatory visuals. Beyond Miya Folick’s original contribution, the soundtrack features a mix of dream pop, synth textures, and lo-fi ambient tracks that together form an emotional roadmap through Glander’s strange universe.

Instead of dictating emotions, the score invites viewers to drive humble concern, to interpret, and to feel their own way through the film’s spaces. This openness reflects Glander’s overall philosophy: rather than leading viewers by the hand, he offers them a vast galaxy and says, “Explore.”

Absurdism as a Mirror

At its center, Boys Go to Jupiter uses absurdism to reach emotional truths that more straightforward narratives might miss. Characters melt, planets talk, and existential crises are rendered in rainbow gradients — and yet, beneath it all lies a sincere meditation on loneliness, identity, and human connection.

Growing up is often sold to us as a process of “figuring it out,” of landing somewhere solid and finally knowing who you are. But what if adulthood is more like perpetual orbit, a dance through shifting selves and shifting worlds? Glander suggests that maybe our confusion is not a problem to solve but an experience to cherish.

Why We Need Films Like This

In a cinematic ecosystem dominated by superhero reboots and algorithm-tested plots, films like Boys Go to Jupiter feel radical. They remind us that cinema, especially animation, is a playground for the imagination, capable of encompassing the wildest abstractions and the quietest truths.

By backing this film, Cartuna and Irony Point aren’t just supporting a quirky one-off project — they’re investing in a future where weirdness and sincerity can coexist, where audiences are treated not as passive consumers but as co-travelers on a cosmic journey.

Flow 

Boys Go to Jupiter is more than a movie; it is a mood, a mindset, a swirling invitation to embrace the vast, uncharted territories within ourselves. As it begins its staggered release this August, it is poised to become a touchstone for anyone who’s ever felt lost, who’s ever questioned their place in the universe, or who simply loves to see art pushed to its most imaginative limits.

With Julian Glander at the helm, and backed by the daring spirits of Cartuna and Irony Point, this film is set to enter the cultural bloodstream not with a bang, but with a weird, glowing, unforgettable ripple.

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