🤐 SPOILER ALERT 🤐

While Newton’s law of gravity might not apply to Slumberland, the magical dreamworld still abides by its own set of rules. If you’re like the lovable outlaw Flip (Jason Momoa), however, then you’ll know how to break them and still get away with it. 

In Francis Lawrence’s new family adventure film Slumberland, the young Nemo (Marlow Barkley) only wants to see her beloved late father again. To fulfill her wish, she and Flip must embark on a dangerous and fun-filled journey through Slumberland in order to obtain a magic pearl to bring her dad back. Getting there isn’t easy, but we spoke to director Francis Lawrence who shares a few pointers on navigating the complex and fantastical universe of the film and making it out alive. 

How do you enter Slumberland?

Close your eyes, fall asleep and you’ll be transported to the magical dreamworld. In order to find Flip in Slumberland, you should hold onto a red string as you fall asleep. To get out the same way you got in, simply look for recurring dreams. 

What’s the mission?

The goal is simple: to reunite Nemo with her late father. The journey to do so is far from easy, however. You’ll have to get your hands on a magic pearl, which has the power to grant dreamers anything they wish for. Magic pearls can only be found in the Sea of Nightmares. As the name implies, they’re the most dangerous waters known to man. Along the way, you’ll also have to steer clear of Agent Green from the Bureau of Subconscious Activities. 

What’s the Bureau of Subconscious Activities?

BOSA determines what people are allowed to dream about. That explains why they’ll stop anyone from getting to the magic pearls. As a hurdle,  BOSA builds secret doors that connect every dream. “Each dream has secret doors that are built in that are really for the employees of Slumberland to be able to navigate through dreams and help build or police them,” Lawrence explains. “If you’re going to travel around Slumberland, you’ll need a map.”

How do you get a Slumberland map?

It’s an extremely top-secret piece of intel. Only the dream cops possess them, but thankfully, Flip has his own copy. He stole it from Agent Green and has been on the run ever since. The Slumberland map lays out every single dream in the world and shows you how to traverse through each one to get to the Sea of Nightmares.

What are the rules of Slumberland?

Rule #1: Keep a low profile and don’t mess around with other people’s dreams. “You don’t want to get caught by the dream police because they’ll lock you up, which means you’ll lose a certain side of your personality in the real world,” Lawrence advises.

Rule #2. Stay focused. As whimsical as Slumberland may be, you’re not there to have fun. Find the secret door to the next dream and move fast. As Lawrence warns: “If you’re in your own dream, you can’t die. If you’re in someone else’s dream and you die, then you really do die.”

Rule #3. Flip is the boss and you must do everything he says — unless you use the double knock, also known as the outlaw code. If you disagree with Flip at any point, you can resort to the outlaw code and refuse Flip’s demands. 

Think you have what it takes to travel with Flip and Nemo? Get ready to join them in the dreamworld because Slumberland is streaming now.  

Take Notes on the Expert's Guide to the World of SlumberlandEverything you need to know about the world of dreams.