Remarkably Bright Creatures Comes Out May 8: Photos, Cast, Logline, Plot, Adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt's book - Netflix Tudum

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    Dive into Remarkably Bright Creatures with Sally Field and Lewis Pullman

    Director Olivia Newman’s adaptation of the bestselling novel by Shelby Van Pelt is now streaming.

    By Brookie McIlvaine
    Sept. 15, 2026

What do an octopus, an Oscar winner, and a blockbuster star have in common? Look no further than Olivia Newman’s adaptation of Remarkably Bright Creatures, the debut novel by Shelby Van Pelt that spent more than 64 weeks on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list, and more than 30 weeks and counting on the trade paperback fiction bestseller list. Newman’s widely anticipated film, starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman, is now streaming. Read on to learn the exciting Emmy record Field now holds.

Watch the Remarkably Bright Creatures Trailer

What is Remarkably Bright Creatures about?

A widow who works at a local aquarium finds joy again when she forms unlikely bonds with a giant Pacific octopus and a wayward young man who comes to town in search of family. Together, they uncover a mystery that will lead them to a life-changing discovery and restore their sense of wonder. 

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Has Remarkably Bright Creatures won any awards?

Yes! Sally Field won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, making history as the oldest person to win in that category. Costume designers Carla Hetland, Laura Zydervelt, and Margaret Schliessler were nominated for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes For A Limited or Anthology Series; and the film was nominated for Outstanding Movie.

Colm Meaney as Ethan and Sally Field as Tova sit across from each other at a rustic wooden picnic table outdoors, smiling and enjoying hot drinks with a serene lake and forested mountains in the background.

Who’s in the cast of Remarkably Bright Creatures?

Two-time Academy Award–winning actor Field (Lincoln, Forrest Gump) will play the widow Tova, with Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick, Lessons in Chemistry) as the new-in-town Cameron. Alfred Molina voices the curmudgeonly octopus, Marcellus. Also in the cast:

  • Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space NineBring Them Down)
  • Joan Chen (Dìdi, The Wedding Banquet)
  • Kathy Baker (The Ranch, Edward Scissorhands)
  • Beth Grant (Little Miss SunshineNo Country for Old Men)
  • Sofia Black-D’Elia (Single Drunk Female, The Night Of)
Lewis Pullman as Cameron and Sally Field as Tova stand together indoors in a colorfully decorated room with artistic bubble-like light fixtures and blue-toned walls, both smiling gently at the camera.

Who else is involved in Remarkably Bright Creatures?

Director Newman (Where the Crawdads Sing) co-wrote the script with John Whittington (Sonic the Hedgehog 3). Bryan Unkeless and Peter Craig produce for Night Owl, alongside Anonymous Content’s David Levine. Night Owl’s Alyssa Rodrigues, Anonymous Content’s Tony Lipp, Erika Hampson, Alisa Tager, Newman, and author Van Pelt executive produce.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is now streaming on Netflix.

Sally Field as Tova sitting alone on a bench at the end of a dock overlooking a calm lake, surrounded by forests and mountains under a cloudy sky, with a lamppost beside them and houses visible along the shoreline.
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More on Remarkably Bright Creatures

  • Here’s Where Remarkably Bright Creatures Was Filmed
    The real locations behind Sowell Bay and Marcellus’s octopus tank.
  • Introducing the unlikely new underwater icon, voiced by Alfred Molina.
  • Meet the wry, witty Marcellus, the octopus superstar, in this exclusive clip.
  • Find out who’s playing the cantankerous Marcellus in the upcoming adaptation.
  • What other actors bring Shelby Van Pelt’s best-selling novel to life?
  • Find out the connection between Tova, Cameron, and an octopus named Marcellus.
  • Now if only we all had eight tentacles like Marcellus for snacking.

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