An Interview with Winslow Fegley & Alberto Belli, the Star & Director of Disney’s ‘The Naughty Nine’

THE NAUGHTY NINE – Disney’s “The Naughty Nine” stars Winslow Fegley as Andy, Camila Rodriguez as Dulce, Derek Theler as Bruno, Deric Mccabe as Jon Anthony, Clara Stack as Rose, Anthony Joo as Lewis, Ayden Elijah as Albert, Imogen Cohen as Ha-Yoon, and Madilyn Kellam as Laurel. (Disney/Caitlin Cornenberg)

Winslow Fegley and Alberto Belli are a pair of accomplished creatives that have worked on multiple shows and films. Their current project is The Naughty Nine on the Disney Channel and Disney+, and we here at NTG had the chance to sit down with them both to discuss this delightful new holiday feature.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know from each of you what you hope audiences take away from this movie from a messaging standpoint, because there's a lot of great stuff in here.
 
Winslow Fegley: I just, you know, especially for the kids that watch this, I really hope that they're able to take away the importance of, being unique and having your own, you know? Because I mean, in this movie, everybody kind of has something that they bring to the table. And that uniqueness is really what brings together the power of the whole team. So, I really hope that kids understand that and the power of teamwork and working together to accomplish something that's good instead of, something that's bad.
 
Alberto Belli: Yeah, like, unity is powerful, and that every day you have an opportunity to be good or bad, so why not be good, right? And you don’t have to be perfect, but you know, you have when you have the choice, be good.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, this is also a very fun movie at the same time as well. I would love to know what each of you enjoyed the most about making this particular feature.
 
Alberto Belli: Creating Santa’s Village. Since I was a kid, I used to do like a Christmas Village you know, like miniatures? But here we get to create one that is like, 3-D and working and like people are gonna enjoy that. That was for sure, the most fun I had with the movie.
 
Winslow Fegley: I honestly had a really great time working with all the other kids. It was, you know, not something I get to do every time I film something. So, it was great that I was able to work with people my age and you know, make real friendships that come across in the movie. Because a lot of the friendships that you see, were all real. And I think we just added a whole lot to the movie and just, it made everything work way, way better.
 
John Betancourt: Now without spoiling any plot points. What are you each most excited for audiences just to experience in general in this particular film?
 
Winslow Fegley: I'm really excited for everybody to just dive right into this to this movie. I'm excited for everybody to see, of course, Santa’s Village, and all the crazy, crazy sets that go into this. And also, just the whole adventure and Christmas aspect joined together. I think it just makes a really beautiful blend. So, I'm excited for people to able to get to see that.
 
Alberto Belli: Yeah, like, the audience getting immersed into the world of Santa. Like, distract them a little bit from the crazy world, and then just have fun watching the movie and also get the message in the relationship between the siblings, I think, you know, that's not very much in the promos that have been going out. So, I'm excited for people to experience that storyline, which is really the core of the movie.
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you, gentlemen, today. What are you most proud of each when it comes to this particular this particular project?
 
Alberto Bellii: How did we pull it off? You know, it was it seemed like an impossible task, you know, when we were shooting, and it was… crazy. You know, with all the set pieces like, literally every three minutes, we’d have a new set and, and then a lot of kids and a lot of action and the core of the emotional journey, and it all worked out in the end. And then, I think it looks great. You know, like, especially the VFX effects. So, I was very proud of like, what all the amazing and creative VFX artists did. So, I'm very blessed.
 
Winslow Fegley:  I'm just I'm super excited. I mean, I think it's the same thing as what Albert just said. Of course, I would say, like, 80% of everything you see is real, but that other 20% is, you know, is… you don't know what its gonna look like to you ‘till you watch the movie. So, I thought that was really cool. And I think it's great. I think everybody's performances are amazing. And yeah, so I just, I thought it was really, really cool how it all came together.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. ‘The Naughty Nine’ debuts on the Disney Channel today, and will stream on Disney+, starting November 23rd.

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