Get your Sex Bob-omb shirts out of storage, Scott Pilgrim fans, because the fan-favorite graphic novels are being turned into a Netflix anime series.
Bryan Lee O'Malley's beloved comic book series, which was turned into a cult classic live-action movie in 2010, is set to be adapted once more.
Well, we already knew that Scott Pilgrim was getting the anime treatment. In its latest announcement, though, Netflix has confirmed it's turned the graphic novels into an anime TV show alongside Universal Content Productions (UCP), a division of Universal Studios Group, who also co-produced Netflix's live-action take on The Umbrella Academy. O'Malley and BenDavid Grabinski (Are You Afraid of the Dark?) are also on board as co-showrunners and co-writers.
In even more crowd-pleasing news, the cast of the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World film are all returning to voice their characters in the Netflix series. That includes – deep breath – Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Marvel star Chris Evans and Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Schwartzman, Anna Kendrick, Ellen Wong, Brandon Routh, and Alison Pill among many others.
🚨🚨THIS IS NOT A DRILL!🚨🚨Announcing Scott Pilgrim, an anime series voiced by the cast of the 2010 film!It comes from executive producers Edgar Wright, Bryan Lee O’Malley, and BenDavid Grabinski and is animated by Science Saru. pic.twitter.com/8iyZuaj6eLMarch 30, 2023
Netflix's Scott Pilgrim series doesn't have an official title (publicly, at least), nor has a release date been announced. In a press release, the world's best streaming service simply revealed that news on both fronts would be “coming soon”. Will it be a while before we see Scott Pilgrim‘s anime show grace our screens? Hopefully not. I reported on the fact that the Netflix anime series was in development in January 2022 (see the link above), so it's been in the works for over a year. Fingers crossed it'll be here quicker than I can say “I'm in lesbians with you”.
Regardless, I'm delighted we're getting more Scott Pilgrim content. O'Malley's graphic novels are timeless. They capture the awkwardness of being a teen trying to navigate this magical thing we call life, and act as a nostalgic time capsule of an era where indie rock was big and video games were just starting to be publicly viewed as cool among other culturally significant landmarks. Suffice to say, I'll be watching the show on day one.
It sounds like the series' executive team is delighted to get another run at adapting Scott Pilgrim, too. In a statement released alongside the announcement, O'Malley and Grabinski gushed: “We’re getting the band back together! And, with Science SARU leading the phenomenal animation, we couldn’t ask for a better team for this adventure. We can’t wait for fans and newcomers alike to see what we and our partners at Science SARU have been cooking up. It’s going to be a wild ride.”
Edgar Wright, who directed and co-wrote the 2010 movie, and who returns as an executive producer on Netflix's adaptation, added: “One of the proudest and most enjoyable achievements of my career was assembling and working with the dynamite cast of Scott Pilgrim. Since the film’s release in 2010 we’ve done Q&A’s, remembrances, and charity read throughs, but there was never the occasion to reunite the whole gang on an actual project. Until now.
“Original creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, along with writer BenDavid Grabinski have conjured up an anime series of Scott Pilgrim that doesn’t just expand the universe, but also…well, just watch it. I’m more than happy to announce that I have helped coax the entire original cast back to voice their characters on this epic new adventure. You are in for a treat.”
Interestingly, it doesn't sound like Netflix's anime series will be a direct adaptation of O'Malley's works. Speaking in a Netflix Tudum (opens in new tab) article post-reveal, Wright said: “Our brilliant creator Bryan Lee O’Malley had an idea that was way more adventurous than just a straight adaptation of the original books.”
What do O'Malley, Wright, the cast, and everyone else have in store? I have no idea, but I'm excited to see what changes they could make to embolden one of my favorite comic series. Maybe we'll see some elements of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game – such as each character's unique move set – translated into the anime, or a slight reworking of any outdated elements from the books themselves.
I'm equally confident that Science Saru, the aforementioned Japanese animation studio, will do a wonderful job of recreating Scott Pilgrim‘s glorious universe, and wacky and offbeat sensibilities, in anime form. The company has worked on numerously well-received anime-like shows, such as Adventure Time and Star Wars: Visions, so I know the series will look visually stunning and capture the essence of what makes Scott Pilgrim so great.
Oh, and in even more fantastic news, Anamanaguchi, who penned the music for Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game, and Joseph Trapanese (Straight Outta Compton) are composing original songs and the series' score. All in all: color me excited.
For more Netflix and anime-based coverage, read up on the best anime shows around. Additionally, find out what the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies are.
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