The following is an interview with Peter Cohenno (executive director, The Friends of Jack Foundation) and Alex Stulac (director, The Hero in Us) regarding the screening of the film, The Hero in Us, at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, in partnership with The Friends of Jack Foundation. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with the Cohenno and Stulac about the genesis behind the project, what’s in store for attendees at SDCC 2025, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: At San Diego Comic-Con this month, you will be hosting a screening of the film, The Hero in Us, at the San Diego Marriott Marquis. As the writer/director and executive producer, what can you tell us about the premise of the film and its origins in the non-profit organization, The Friends of Jack Foundation?
Alex Stulac: The Hero In Us is a superhero film about a real-life superhero. We went bold with this film, and blended live-action with animation to reimagine a young boy’s medical journey as a superhero epic. Iron Man 2 (2010) was the inspiration behind the narrative structure of the film. Tony Stark is lost without his suit and needs to rediscover the man behind it. We open our film as Jack, our young superhero, is airtransferred to Boston Children’s Hospital after he lost a heroic battle against his nemesis, Chiari. As in Iron Man 2, where Tony loses his battle against Lt. Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle’s character) and control of his suit and his life, this begins Jack and Tony’s respective journeys of rebuilding into something greater, while discovering the true hero within. But our film doesn’t just revolve around Jack’s story. Jill, his mother, found her own strength during this time, with the help of a Child Life specialist. As a mother with a child in the hospital, you’re life is upside down. Everything is on hold. Jill found her strength and her calling during this time.
Peter Cohenno: Honestly, we were just trying to put together a basic five-minute video that reminded our donors about the origins of our non-profit. The Friends of Jack began in 2019, and we’ve had a lot of new supporters join our cause over the last few years. We thought it was important that they knew Jack’s story. We had worked with Alex in the past, and so I approached him with this project.
It began simple enough, but just kept growing. Over time, this rudimentary concept became a 15-minute short film with live action and incredible animation. It took on a life of its own. I never for one second ever thought that we would create something that would end up on a screen at San Diego Comic-Con. But here we are. And that is a testament to what Alex, Kaitlyn (our animator), and the whole production team were able to bring to life.
One of the things that we really wanted to make sure we did when telling the story was to focus on the positive. When it comes to healthcare, too many stories that we hear dwell on the sickness. We wanted to share Jack’s diagnosis and setbacks because it’s part of his story, but the movie really centers around the silver lining of his ordeal – the superpower that he developed, which was his ability to play the piano.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with the cast and crew to bring the story to life on the screen?
AS: Trust, Admiration, Fun, and Good Storytelling. I’d say those were the 4 ingredients of our creative process in working with the cast and crew to bring The Hero In Us to life.
When Pete and I started to brainstorm this idea, it was just us throwing ideas around to see what stuck. Pete was the one who pushed the idea of scripting it, and even called out the opening shot of the helicopter zooming across the screen. He threw around some ideas, I countered, and before we knew it, we were making a superhero movie. It was fun.
I knew from the beginning that I wanted this film to be a blend of live-action/animation. I was inspired by how Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce used the live-action / comic book animation blend in Batman & Bill (2017) to mask some of the darker moments of Bill Finger’s life, while keeping with the comic book background of the story – it was brilliant.
Kaitlyn Deguzman was one of the first people I brought on, and she was instrumental in the success of this film. Animation is a passion of mine, but outside of motion graphics, I’d never worked with animation before. Kaitlyn was so professional and prepared. I would throw these big, bold ideas out there, and she ate them up. It only made sense to have her storyboard the film as well. Thanks to Kaitlyn’s storyboards and concept art, Jill and Pete were able to see my vision vividly, as well as Noah Arnold, our Director of Photography.
Noah is like Kaitlyn but with a camera. A mind of an engineer, give him a bold idea, and he’ll find a way to shoot it, and cost-effectively. There is a scene in the film where Young Jack has returned home from the hospital and feels lost now that his life has changed so drastically. He decides to put on his old mask and run through the house to look for an idea, ultimately sliding into the family piano, discovering his musical ability. For me, the only way to shoot this was as a POV. We needed to see Young Jack’s point of view through his mask. On the day of the shoot, I was with Jill, Darby Nolet, who voiced Sarah, the Child Life Specialist, and Chris Gazelle, Jack’s Piano Teacher, at Fun 107, a radio station in New Bedford, MA, to record some voiceover. I left Noah and the crew to execute that shot. It was our first shot of the day. When we arrived on set and I saw the footage, it was better than I imagined.
A few weeks before shooting, I was on a run, and I knew we needed a score for this film. Jack discovers his musical ability, and we needed to have a signature sound. Because of that, Jack needed to score it, too. When I write or conceptualize stories, I like to listen to music for inspiration. There are a handful of scores that I listened to on my run that help me assemble scenes and creative ideas. One of the scores I listen to frequently is the Jurassic Park theme by John Williams. But it wasn’t quite hitting this time. It was missing something. Marvel film scores are iconic for their use of horns and drums. I found a version of the score for Jurassic World with these canon fire drums. I sent that to Jill and asked her to have Jack compose a song, using that track as inspiration. He and Chris went to work, and they nailed it.
Our Sound Editor and Mixer, Brody Pazol, was pulled in at the last minute, and we’re very lucky he agreed to help. I sent Brody the video of Jack playing The Hero In Us score that Jill had texted me. Brody is a wicked smart and knowledgeable Sound Editor and Mixer. On top of finding a way to record the score on set and maintain quality, Brody came ready to record voice-over, so we could stay on schedule. It was a last-minute pivot to record voice over on set vs. at the Fun 107 studio…and recording voice over in Jill’s closet, honestly, made for a better behind-the-scenes story. Brody took the lead after the shoot, walking me through a voice-over recording studio set up back in LA, so that I could record Jordan Demario, who voiced Jack’s Doctor, and match his voice with the rest of the cast.
The most important thing is to keep everyone on the team knowledgeable of the story we are telling. Every key crew member received a script (e.g., Noah, Kaitly, Brody, Pete, Jill, Darby, Jordan, Chris, etc). When Kaitlyn sent me animation renders, I would share them with the team to keep everyone excited and energized. When Brody mastered the score, everyone received the track, and I encouraged Kaitlyn to animate to that music. I live by the principle that we all need to know the story we are telling, and all be on the same page on how we tell it.
PC: I like to say that Alex really drove the bus from a creative perspective, and I sat next to him with the GPS. He was in control, and I just made sure he went in the right direction.
My general philosophy when I’m in a position of leadership is to employ talented, passionate, and hard-working people, provide guidelines, and then get out of the way and let them do what they are best at.
I contributed the facts to the script and made sure that we never strayed too far from reality. I’d occasionally toss in creative ideas and was pleasantly surprised when some made their way into the final product. Alex is very collaborative and took our notes very well.
One of my biggest jobs in developing the story was making sure that Jack was proud of how he was portrayed in the film. He is a teenager now. We were very sensitive to not go overboard while showing his vulnerabilities. Jack is one of the strongest and bravest kids that I’ve ever met. And we all wanted to make sure he came out of this feeling that way.
BD: In addition to the film screening, you will be hosting a panel entitled “Filmmakers and Nonprofits: A Powerful Partnership” which details how partnerships between filmmakers and nonprofit organizations can forge truly impactful pathways for all involved. What are you most looking forward to about the discussion, and who are the panelists scheduled to participate?
AS: Personally, I’m excited to share the stage with my team from The Hero In Us – Peter Cohenno (executive director, The Friends of Jack Foundation), Jill Fearons (founder, The Friends of Jack Foundation), Noah Arnold (director of photography, Cyan Lens), and Brody Pazol (sound editor, Sound Alchemist) – and to share the story of how we made this film. My hope is that our story inspires other nonprofits and filmmakers to collaborate. I’ve worked with a handful of nonprofits in the past, and they all do great work and have an endless number of powerful stories to share. Filmmakers are very talented storytellers who can put a unique twist on these stories and channel a central theme and message. Nonprofit-backed narrative filmmaking, similar to brand-funded films, is an exciting new space where impact and filmmaking collide, and where real funds can be raised and real results can be measured. No longer are films just a piece of entertainment, but something that makes an impact beyond the screen.
PC: For Jill Fearons, our founder, and I, this panel is an opportunity for Alex, Noah, and Brody to show everyone who attends how talented they are. Having this opportunity to dive deep into the creative process will shine a light on them individually. They each worked on this project for much less than they would demand any other time, and it makes us so happy that they are getting this reward.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that The Hero in Us’ story may connect with and impact audiences?
AS: My hope is that our story and our film inspire more filmmakers to pursue film projects with nonprofits, where their film can truly make a measurable impact, and where they will receive real support. Nonprofits offer so many resources for filmmakers besides a surplus of stories. Marketing, funding, and a built-in audience are just a few to name quickly. Also, I hope that more nonprofits consider narrative filmmaking as an exciting way to share their stories.
Documentaries and impact story videos have their place, but the thrill of taking reality, shaping it with some lore and myth, is a pretty fun process that engages everyone involved and challenges them to think bigger and more creatively than ever before. The Hero In Us was our way of turning a traumatic experience into something positive that uplifts and entertains audiences. That positive association, more times than not, is one of the major drivers of action.
PC: I’m excited that a whole new audience is going to be exposed to The Friends of Jack Foundation and our mission. Child Life Specialists are such an important part of the patient experience in pediatric health care. Unfortunately, it doesn’t receive the budgeted funding that it deserves and relies on philanthropic support to exist in most hospitals. Hopefully, this opportunity will expose this crucial work to some new eyes that may want to support it, too.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
AS: We have this grand vision of creating a Marvel-like universe of these superhero stories. Stay tuned to next year’s SDCC. We hope to see you there with our 2nd superhero film.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about The Hero in Us and The Friends of Jack Foundation?
AS: If fans are headed to SDCC 2025, join us for the Filmmakers and Nonprofits: A Powerful Partnership panel on Friday, July 25, 2025, at 3:30 PM, or for the screening of The Hero In Us on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at 11 AM. Both are in the Grand 6, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina.
Or visit https://www.friendsofjack.org/theheroinusfilm to learn more about the film and the pediatric care programs that The Friends of Jack Foundation supports.
