The Next on Netflix Animation showcase kicks off with: “Respect the embargo!” booms the voice of “Big Mouth” star and co-creator Nick Kroll. What followed was a scintillating presentation of all of the upcoming offerings from the streaming titan.
From preschool to family to adult animation, there was something for everyone in the presentation.
On the film front:
Craig Robinson was on hand to introduce “In Your Dreams” (in which he provides the voice of Bologna Tony, a stuffed giraffe.
“In Your Dreams is a comedy adventure about Stevie (12) and her little brother Elliot (8) who journey into the absurd landscape of their own dreams. If the siblings can withstand a snarky stuffed giraffe, zombie breakfast foods, and the queen of nightmares, the Sandman will grant them their ultimate dream come true… the perfect family.”
From Spider-verse sensations Sony came “K-Pop: Demon Hunters” (working title) featuring sensational visuals.
“K-Pop: Demon Hunters is a musical action adventure that follows the story of a world-renowned K-Pop girl group, as they balance their lives in the spotlight with their secret identities as bad-ass demon hunters, set against a colorful backdrop of fashion, food, style and the most popular music movement of this generation.”
Spongebob fans get to set sail on not one, but two! new feature length adventures with “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie” on August 2, 2024, and “Plankton: The Movie” in 2025.
We were also treated to some test footage of the adorable “Pookoo” doing his best attempts to snorkel.
“Pookoo is a buddy comedy about a small woodland creature and a majestic bird, two natural sworn enemies of The Valley, that must set off on an adventure of a lifetime.”
Champions of justice, eat your hearts out, because “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie: Part 1 / Part 2” is coming on August 22, 2024.
“This film covers the Shadow Galactica arc, which is the final chapter of the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon series. Sailor Moon must stand up and fight once again when a new enemy called Shadow Galactica, an organization bent on destroying everything and ruling the universe, begins eliminating her friends one by one. Her task requires her to persevere when solitude threatens to overwhelm her. Will she be able to protect those she loves? What awaits her beyond the battle? Sailor Moon fights on despite the pressure of her self-imposed mission as the final chapter of the beautiful and strong Sailor Guardians begins.”
“Shrek” co-director Vicky Jenson is following in her previous fairy tale footsteps with “Spellbound.” Nathan Lane (who features as one of the supernatural stars of the film) was on hand to introduce the project.
“Spellbound follows the adventures of Ellian, the tenacious young daughter of the rulers of Lumbria who must go on a daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms her parents into monsters. Spellbound is directed by Vicky Jenson (Shrek) with original score from EGOT-winning composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast) and lyrics by Glenn Slater (Tangled). A Netflix Film from Skydance Animation, Spellbound boasts an all-star voice cast led by Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Nathan Lane, and Tituss Burgess.”
From “Love Actually” creative Richard Curtis comes “That Christmas” which will debut in (you guessed it) December 2024.
“Based on the charming trilogy of children’s books by beloved multi award-winning writer/director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Yesterday), That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys!”
On July 5, 2024, Studio Ponoc’s “The Imaginary” drops.
“It portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger. Their fantastical adventures launched from her attic, lead them to discover a magical world of creatures and places never before seen until a sinister force threatens to destroy their imaginary world and the friendship within it.”
Roald Dahl’s legacy lives on in “The Twits” featuring the pisces of Margo Martindale and Johnny Vegas, with Natalie Portman and Emilia Clarke.
“Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world who also happen to own and operate the most disgusting, most dangerous, most idiotic amusement park in the world, Twitlandia. But when the Twits rise to power in their town, two brave orphans and a family of magical animals are forced to become as tricky as the Twits in order to save the city. A hysterically funny, wild ride of a film (chock-full of the Twits’ beloved tricks–from the Wormy Spaghetti to the Dreaded Shrinks), The Twits is also a story for our times, about the never-ending battle between cruelty and empathy.”
“Ultraman: Rising” will be out shortly, on June 14, 2024.
“With Tokyo under siege from rising monster attacks, baseball star Ken Sato reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle of Ultraman. But the titanic superhero meets his match when he reluctantly adopts a 35-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby kaiju. Sato must rise above his ego to balance work and parenthood while protecting the baby from forces bent on exploiting her for their own dark plans.”
Everyone’s favorite sneaky stop-motion Spheniscidae returns in “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” which will debut Winter 2024.
“Aardman’s four-time Academy Award®-winning director Nick Park and Emmy Award-nominated Merlin Crossingham return with a brand new epic adventure, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. In this next installment, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!”
Series highlights for adults included:
Fan favorite “Arcane” (based on “League of Legends”) will return in November of 2024. “Big Mouth” will debut its final season in 2025 – the foul flavored comedy is one of Netflix’s longest running series.
He’ll be back, but also is in a whole new light. “Terminator Zero” will feature Timothy Olyphant as the famous machine.
“2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity. Caught between the future and this past is a soldier sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity. As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he is hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future which forever alters the fate of his three children.”
“Archer” and “Rick and Morty” alum Matt Roller brings us “The Undervale”
“A single mother of two who struggles to run a haunted hotel with the help of her estranged brother, who is now one of the ghosts haunting the hotel and thinks the other ghosts have some pretty good ideas. “
Zack and Deborah Snyder were in attendance to introduce their new mythologically fueled series, “Twilight of the Gods.”
The animated series brings Zack Snyder’s daring and spectacular vision of ancient Norse mythology to life.
Fun for the whole crowd on the series front:
“Exploding Kittens” based on the card game of the same name (with “The Oatmeal” creator Matthew Inman serving as showrunner and “King of the Hill” co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels taking roles as executive producers).
A new “Ghostbusters” project in conjunction with live action franchise producer Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan is in the works!
Ali Wong stars and executive producer “Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld” which follows Jentry Chau, “a Chinese-American teen living in a small Texas town, who finds out a demon king is hunting her for the supernatural powers she’s been working her whole life to repress.”
“Jurassic World: Chaos Theory: Season 2” will be available this fall:
“Set six years after the events at Camp Cretaceous, members of “The Nublar Six” are struggling to find their footing off the islands, navigating a world now filled with dinosaurs and people who want to hurt them. Reunited in the wake of a tragedy, the group comes together only to find themselves on the run and catapulted into a global adventure to unravel a conspiracy that threatens dinosaur and humankind alike and finally learn the truth about what happened to one of their own.”
Minecrafters, gird your loins, “Minecraft” the CG adaptation is coming to the streaming service soon.
“Netflix and Mojang Studios are in development on an animated series based on one of the most significant and popular games of all time, Minecraft. The series will debut exclusively on Netflix and will feature an original story with new characters, showing the world of Minecraft in a new light.”
Drac is back in “Motel Transylvania” based on the wildly popular film series, hitting Netflix in 2025..
“Motel Transylvania is open for business, as Drac & Mavis take a break from their Transylvanian haunts to set up a brand new resort for humans and monsters in the California desert. Vampires and sunshine… what can go wrong!?”
As previously announced “Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft” will debut on October 10, 2024.
“The animated series TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT picks up after the events of the highly successful Tomb Raider video game Survivor trilogy (Tomb Raider; Rise of the Tomb Raider; Shadow of the Tomb Raider), and will chart the globetrotting heroine’s next chapter as the iconic adventurer. More than 25 years after her first appearance, Lara Croft (voiced by Hayley Atwell) continues to explore ancient mysteries and uncover lost truths across breathtaking and dangerous destinations.”
Based on the Werewold books by Curtis Jobling “Wolf King” is a fantasy adventure tale for the ages. It’s “ an epic fantasy adventure series that follows Drew Ferran, as he comes of age and discovers he’s the last of a long line of Werewolves, and rightful (yet reluctant) ruler of a land governed by Werelords. Drew must fight to abolish the tyranny of the Lion lords and reclaim the throne.”
For the youngest crowd:
“CoComelon Lane: The Nursery Rhyme Musical” will premiere on August 19.
“Gabby’s Dollhouse” enters its 10th season on August 5, 2024.
“Hot Wheels Let’s Race: Season 2” takes to the track in Fall of 2024.
International adaptations and partnerships were also in full glory at the presentation:
“Leviathan” based on the project of the same name by Scott Westerfeld will be getting an adaptation.
“In 1914, on the eve of war, a fugitive prince and a girl in disguise meet aboard a bioengineered airship, the HMS Leviathan, and change the course of history.”
“Tokyo Override” is for biker buffs. In collaboration with YAMAHA MOTOR CO., LTD. and Honda Motor Co., Ltd the series takes place “In AI-optimized Tokyo 100 years in the future, an orphan teenage hacker blends in until a favor for her only friend inadvertently draws her into a benevolent gang of outcast motorcyclists, uncovering the seemingly utopian city’s sinister underbelly through a murder investigation linked to a drug syndicate.”
Suffice to say the Next on Netflix Animation Showcase has us excited about the upcoming series and cinematic offerings!
