“The best stories come from honesty.”

It’s one thing to hear a mental health professional encourage you to be honest and authentic; it’s another thing when it’s from someone who creates stories for a living.

It hits differently when they find joy in everything.  

I got to sit down with Januel Mercado, the co-director of the wildly popular animated film Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Since its release in December 2022, the film has had box-office success and garnered several nominations, including the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, the BAFTAs, and now, the Oscars. Januel described it as “a dream come true.” 

“It’s an incredible, surreal feeling,” he continued, adding that he and the rest of the team behind the film aren’t moving on to their next project just yet. “I'm trying to learn–and people have told me–to enjoy every second of it and finish strong.”

Joy and celebration are evident in Januel’s life–in fact, it’s a hallmark of his own story as a Filipino-American. “We had a huge family in Northern California, and in both sides of my parents in the Philippines,” he shared, “and I’ve always been surrounded by these huge, bountiful parties. With lechon!” This high value on celebration became a huge part of his personality, in building his relationships, and eventually, into the stories he created.  

Elevating his audience’s experience

True to form, Januel described The Last Wish as “a celebration of life.” But putting the film to life didn’t come without challenges. 

Releasing a film based on a well-loved character in a well-known franchise is a feat in itself–more so if it’s a sequel. And as most movie fans know, follow-up films usually don’t always live up to the success of the first film. 

In this case, Puss was first introduced over twenty years ago, and the last Puss in Boots film was released more than a decade ago. Januel and his co-director, Joel Crawford, were faced with this unique challenge–and they decided to reintroduce Puss to newer, younger audiences, while staying true to the swashbuckling cat many know and love. “The challenge to sequels is always: where do you take the character from there? What other lesson do they have to learn now, that’s just as compelling as the first time?” 

The difference between Puss then and now was giving him a more human element. ”The way we elevated the story-telling was, ’Why don’t we make him more flawed and three-dimensional?’” It was emphasizing Puss’s lack of invincibility and eventual mortality that made the character more human and relatable–Antonio Banderas, the actor who voiced Puss, even said that the film wasn’t just “cuteness overload.” 

Januel continues, “Joel and I were like, ‘Let’s make Puss evaluate the decisions he’s made and look back at his life and (think), ‘Am I really living life the best way I can?’” 

He certainly doesn’t shy away from talking about the hard things–he acknowledges the film industry’s tendency to “sugarcoat things.” But at the same time, he challenges his audience, through his films, to sit with their thoughts and emotions, all while providing them a space to learn valuable lessons.

Going back to his roots

Januel served as Dreamworks’ Head of Story for several years prior to his directorial debut with The Last Wish. “A good story is honest, personal, genuine, and authentic,” he says, citing that the best stories come from one’s experiences. “There's a purpose for every story you want to tell,” he reveals. “Bring in what is specific to you. You want to communicate emotions and find an audience, or even one person, who relates to the story you're telling them.”

One such story ever-present in Januel’s life is family–a Filipino value that he describes as both “specific and universal.” Other than the huge celebrations, his parents were both nurturing and supportive of his passion and gift for the arts, while instilling the value of education and hard work. He would describe it as “(preparing) me for the world while supporting my interests.”

Januel tells of a time when his mom sat him down and helped him with a school assignment. He recounted how intent she was in making sure he was following her lead. “I realized later on that my mom was teaching me to be self-sufficient,” he said. “Not only did I work on my talent and skill; my mom crafted my work ethic, and it became second nature.”

Depth and breadth

Following Januel’s logic, that is a good story. But I was curious to know where this drive for authenticity came from. And since every good story is always rooted in vulnerability, I decided to ask what inspired his.

Januel wasted no time sharing another story. “The love and support (from my parents) is there, but they're from a different generation. So there are misunderstandings growing up.” He recounted how his father, being “the man of the house,” kept his composure even when he and Januel’s sister had a Dad and Daughter dance on her wedding day–an otherwise emotional moment for any father. “Leaning into vulnerability is a strength, and it helps in communicating more honestly.”

Tying the threads together

What can Filipino creatives learn from Januel, a man who both pursued his passion and put in the work with all his might? He quoted director Guillermo del Toro: “Every song has been sung, but it hasn't been sung in your voice.“ And for Januel, the best stories are yet to be told. 

“Nothing is original. Everything has been done--but it hasn't been done by you.

There is no one else like you and no one else has gone through what you've gone through. Tell your story, and tell it honestly, genuinely, authentically--and people will get it.”

Powerful parting words from a man who walks his talk, lives his life to the fullest, and celebrates the joy of creating and living.