The One and Only Ivan's Ramon Rodriguez on VFX Evolution From Transformers, Battle LA

Disney's adaptation of K.A. Applegate's beloved book, The One and Only Ivan, arrives on the Disney+ streaming service this weekend, giving fans of all ages the chance to spend some time with a delightful cast of animal characters. Instead of using just visual effects to bring these characters to life, the folks behind The One and Only Ivan went the route of motion capture, using real people in suits acting in front of the camera, with animal bodies and movements added on later. This kind of filming tactic was a huge, yet welcomed change for star Ramon Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who plays one of the only actual humans in the film, is no stranger to heavy VFX films. He's acted opposite robots in Transformers, and fought off aliens in Battle Los Angeles. While speaking to ComicBook.com, he explained how The One and Only Ivan was a big departure from those other movies.

"Honestly, there was a part of me that was really hoping I was gonna get to act alongside a gorilla, and that was like, 'Oh, I hope to have a gorilla there or something.' Obviously, that's never gonna happen," Rodriguez said. "But what was cool about this was, I've done stuff where there's nothing there. It's either green screen or, like Transformers, it was just a pole with a tennis ball on top. This actually was the most helpful. Where we had human beings playing these animals. So we had a guy, Ben Bishop, who's an incredible actor and stunt performer, and he would jump into this suit and have these stilts for arms, as a gorilla, and there's something about when you get to perform and have somebody perform back at you. You get to react to something that's actually there, and, for instance, Ruby, the baby elephant, it was funny, this guy would come in, and he would climb into this little baby green suit and he'd walk around like a baby elephant, and, after a while, you just were like, 'It's a baby elephant.' You didn't even question the fact that it was somebody in there. They were really great at their jobs, which helped us perform.

"I didn't have any robots in Transformers. I didn't have any aliens in Battle L.A. This time I actually had animals, or people playing animals, and they were really, really talented people. It's incredible to see them. The physicality that they bring to it and their performances. So it was really helpful to have that to act alongside."

Are you looking forward to seeing The One and Only Ivan on Disney+ this weekend? Let us know in the comments!