'Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet': Rob McElhenney hopes fans can relate with characters in the workplace comedy
Rob McElhenney, best known for playing 'Max' on 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' spoke to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) at the premiere of 'Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet,' a show he co-created with Charlie Day and Megan Ganz.
McElhenney spoke to MEAWW about what inspired him to make a show based on a game, what makes it so relatable, and what he hopes viewers will take away from it.
Revealing how he was convinced him to go ahead with the project after he was approached by 'Ubisoft', a video game company, McElhenney, "The first moment was when I walked into the studio, and I met this gentleman. Middle-aged, he had this big thick grey beard, he had rings all over his fingers," "He had a cane, but he clearly didn't need it, it was more just like a prop."
When McElhenney found out that the man was a creative director, he asked what that job was exactly and was given a memorable response. "He sort of looked out into the distance, and he took a moment and then he looked back at me and he said, 'I build worlds', he recounted. Adding further, he said, "And I was like, 'B***h, I'm making a show about you.'" McElhenny summoned Charlie Day and Megan Ganz, and the rest was history.
McElhenny also talked about what made the concept of the game design fascinating, he said it was the people. "So many different people. Different diverse opinions, different genders, different ethnic backgrounds, people from all over the world that have all come together for their love of games. To make games. And yet, they all had different ideas of what those games should be, different ideas of how to make those games, and then, on top of that, all the dynamics that come with just working with people," he said. "It just felt like well, I hadn't seen a show which took place in this world before, which is really surprising."
'Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet' is a show about the creators of a massively successful online multiplayer game and follows the inter-office conflict of everyone involved in making it. McElhenny responded to a question about what he hoped viewers would gain from the series, besides laughs, of course.
"The difference between this show, as opposed to Sunny, is that we're live-action cartoon characters and that's by design. But this show is about human beings, and we want to make sure that you really feel empathy for these people as you're watching them."
While comedy is important, McElhenny hopes people find relatability in these characters. "Hopefully, whether you play games or not, you recognize what it is to be stuck with people, and that's what the show is."
Check out the full video below:
'Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet' will premiere on February 7 on Apple TV+.