Netflix is continuing to expand its anime slate with two brand new shows set within popular franchises. Netflix and Legendary Television have announced two new anime series. The first is based on Legendary’sSkull Island, as featured in the 2017 movieKong: Skull Island. The second will be based on Square Enix’sTomb Raidervideo game franchise.
First up isSkull Island. The show comes from Brian Duffield (Underwater,The Babysitter), who will write and executive produce. Jacob Robinson is also on board as an executive producer through his company Tractor Pants. Powerhouse Animation (Castlevania, Blood of Zeus) serves as the animation studio. Netflix also released a brief logline for the show, which reads as follows.
A new chapter in Legendary’s Monsterverse franchise, Skull Island is a thrilling animated adventure series that follows shipwrecked characters desperate to escape the most dangerous place on Earth, a mysterious island home to prehistoric monsters, including the greatest titan of them all, Kong."
Next, we haveTomb Raider. It will be based on the long-running and popular video game series of the same name. The show will be set in the same universe as the recent rebooted video game trilogy. Tasha Huo (The Witcher: Blood Origin,Red Sonja) will write and executive produce. dj2 Entertainment Founder and CEO Dmitri M. Johnson (Sonic the Hedgehog) is also on board as an executive producer alongside Stephan Bugaj and Howard Bliss. Jacob Robinson is executive producing this show as well. The show’s logline reads as follows.
“Lara Croft, one of the video game world’s most iconic adventurers, makes her anime debut in an all new series. Picking up after the events of the highly successful Tomb Raider video-game reboot trilogy, the animated series will chart the globetrotting heroine’s latest, greatest adventure. Twenty-five years after her first game appeared, Lara continues to explore new territory.”
This is a logical expansion for both franchises.Skull Islandgives a boost to theMonsterVerse, which also has Godzilla vs. Kong coming down the pipeline in March. Meanwhile, Tomb Raider 2 just got a major boost with Misha Green ofLovecraft Countryfame signing on to write and direct the sequel. Alicia Vikander will return to reprise the role of Lara Croft. The MonsterVerse has grossed nearly $1.5 billion globally since launching in 2014. It also includes Godzilla and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.Tomb Raider, since its inception, has sold more than 81 million games worldwide.
Netflix has been progressively exploring the anime space in recent years. TheTransformers: War for Cybertrontrilogy andCastlevaniaserve as a couple of other examples that are set within established franchises. Legendary Television is also currently working withNetflixon the previously announced anime seriesPacific Rim: The Black. It will, similarly, be taking place in the same universe as thePacific Rimmovies. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on these projects are made available. You can check out the announcement from Netflix’s officialNX Twitteraccount.
