Inside Adult Animation: Creating Netflix’s 'Haunted Hotel'
“I think in this type of TV show, you set out to build a world where you could tell 100 stories.”
'Haunted Hotel'
In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins checks into Netflix’s brand new animated comedy, Haunted Hotel, and gets a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to create an adult animation from the ground up.
She’s joined by series creator and showrunner Matt Roller (Rick and Morty), art director Robbie Erwin, and writer Avital Ash for a roundtable conversation that spans the show’s long development journey, the complexities of world-building in animation, and the creative collaboration required to bring this spooky yet heartfelt family comedy to life. From storytelling tone to visual language and production logistics, this episode is a crash course in what makes adult animation work—and how this team made sure Haunted Hotel stood out in a crowded field.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How Haunted Hotel evolved from a pitch to a Netflix series
- Why Matt Roller leaned into horror instead of sci-fi—and what makes horror more emotionally resonant
- How Robbie Erwin’s theme park design background helped shape the show’s tactile visual world
- The writer’s room philosophy that prioritized kindness, creativity, and unique perspectives
- Why visual design and writing had to be deeply integrated for successful world-building
- How the team balanced comedy, horror, and emotional depth across the season
- The decision to make the show TV-14 instead of TV-MA—and how that opened it up to more viewers
- The team’s favorite ghost characters
Guests
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This episode of The No Film School Podcast was produced by GG Hawkins.
