Earlier today, Netflix invited a group of selected journalists to preview their upcoming animation slate, which includes new and returning titles. Their offerings include diverse programs for all age groups and fans of different styles and techniques.
While there is something for everyone, the presentation was meant to spotlight the enduring impact the visually stunning storyttelling medium had on the streaming service’s global audience. Among the new and original titles are the final season of Big Mouth and Zack Snyder‘s Twilight of the Gods, as well as animated series adaptions like Terminator: Zero and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.
Ultraman Rising‘s Christopher Sean, who voices Ken Sato and his superhero alter ego Ultraman, served as the presentation’s emcee. With Netflix streaming in over 130 million households worldwide, subscribers can expect to see a variety of animation every month. Sean spoke about some of the upcoming original titles like the final season of Big Mouth and some of the newest titles of popular IP like Terminator: Zero, Ghostbusters, and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, along with new originals like Twilight of the Gods.
Netflix has released a sizzle reel of what subscribers should expect to see from their animation slate between this year and the next.
Big Mouth, Netflix’s longest running series, is in its final season, and Nick Kroll, co-creator, writer, executive producer, and the man behind 79 voices took to the stage to talk about how his passion project was the next stage of original programming as BoJack Horseman was ending.
“I’m really incredibly, I’m really proud of that and I’m proud of how we’ve made the show. I’m really proud of the partnership we’ve had with Netflix and it’s just been an unbelievable joy creating this show with Mark Levin, Jen Flack and Andrew Goldberg, our unbelievable cast, our unbelievable writers, and are unbelievable storyboard artists, editors, everyone involved in the engineering of it, the producers, our partners at Titmouse,” Kroll said. “This has been an incredible labor of love.”
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft based on the massive video game is coming to Netflix later this year. It’s anime-style approach gives the story a fresh new telling and one that uses the medium to push the visual storytelling to new places. Hayley Atwell voices the globetrotting and adventure seeking archeologist who explore ancient mysteries and uncover lost truths across breathtaking and dangerous destinations. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft debuts on October 10, 2024.
Terminator Zero is created by Mattson Tomlin, and animated by Production IG Studio, and sees Timothy Olyphant voicing the titular deadly cyborg. Set in the years 1997 and 2022, this multiyear series finds 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. Terminator Zero debuts on August 29, 2024.
Another animated series geared towards adults is Exploding Kittens, which is based on the popular card game of the same name. In it, God (Tom Ellis) gets fired and sent to Earth to reconnect with humanity. The catch? He’s trapped in the body of a chubby house cat. As part of his rehabilitation, he moves in with a dysfunctional family and tries to solve their problems, but ends up spending a lot of time chasing laser pointers. And to top it off, Godcat’s next-door neighbor, who is also a cat, turns out to be none other than his nemesis, the Antichrist. The result is the ultimate fight between good versus evil…except, Godcat (Ellis) is distracted by a pigeon he saw in the yard and Devilcat (Sasheer Zamata) is busy napping on someone’s laptop. The series also features the voices of Suzy Nakamura, Mark Proksch, Ally Maki, and Kenny Yates. Exploding Kittens begins streaming on July 12, 2024
Twilight of the Gods, a Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder production, revolves around Norse mythology. “I love mythology in general, and so the idea of actually being able to dig into this rich tapestry of heroes and Gods was an incredible opportunity for both of us,” Zack Snyder said. “A story about love and revenge, and it just takes us across this massive and beautiful landscape, in pursuit of… you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Though Snyder is no stranger to the world of animation, Twilight of the Gods is unlike anything he has done before in his career. Deborah Snyder described the visuals as “a very stylized 2D approach.” Based on the look, Twilight of the Gods seems to be inspired by the likes of illustrative storybooks where the characters come alive through its art and the text gives it all of the action. Twilight of the Gods debuts later this Fall.
As much as Netflix has to offer adults, kids also appreciate animation. That’s why they are proud to be releasing season 2 of the edge-of-your-seat thrill ride Jurassic World: Chaos Theory. Netflix is also working on an animated adaptation of the massively popular Minecraft.
Netflix is also partnering with Sony Animation to release a Hotel Transylvania spinoff called Motel Transylvania, in which Drac expands his real estate to the West Coast. Motel Transylvania debuts in 2025.
They’ll also have a few originals like Jentry Chau vs the Underworld. From executive producer, Ali Wong, who also voices the title character, the series follows Chinese American teen living in a small Texas town who must fight an entire underworld’s worth of monsters while balancing the horrors of high school. “I am so excited to introduce this project that I am executive producing,” Wong said. “I love this show so much, I always have because I know it’s the kind of show my daughters are going to love, and it’s the kind of show we can watch together.”
And Netflix is expanding the Stranger Things mythology with an original animated title that is expected to retain the scares and mystery of the iconic original series, while also delighting existing fans and inviting new generations of viewers.
Netflix has been focused on bringing anime to more audiences, and seeing how the global fan community continues to grow, the streaming service is excited to bring these animes in more than 17 dubbed languages. Their anime titles had more than a billion views across 190 countries!
Among the new titles are Tokyo Override, an anime set in the futuristic city of Tokyo in a parallel universe, where a group of motorcycle delivery bikers provide illegal services. With the cooperation of Yamaha and Honda, Tokyo Override promises to be a fun ride for anyone who loves thrilling speeds and gritty urban action.
There will also be an anime adaptation of Scott Westerfeld‘s Leviathan. Netflix, in partnership with the Japanese animation mastery of Studio Orange, blends together mechs and history for an anime about a fugitive prince and a girl in disguise who meet aboard an airship, the HMS Leviathan, and change the course of history.
With Netflix’s goal to entertain audiences of all ages, the streaming giant also has animated series for preschoolers, which includes the likes of CoComelon, CoComelon Lane, and Gabby’s Dollhouse. These titles have garnered over 650 million full season views in 2023! And their latest preschool hit, Hot Wheels Let’s Race hit the global Top 10 TV list in 69 countries.