Netflix is teaming with Legendary Television on a pair of new anime series, including one based on Legendary’s Kong: Skull Island, and one based on Square Enix’s hit video game franchise Tomb Raider.
The Tomb Raider anime series will follow Lara Croft on her latest globetrotting adventure, though plot details remain under wraps. Tasha Huo (The Witcher: Blood Origin) will write the script and executive produce alongside Dmitri M. Johnson (Sonic the Hedgehog) of dj2 Entertainment and Jacob Robinson of Tractor Pants, as well as Stephan Bugaj and Howard Bliss. In the 25 years since its launch, the Tomb Raider video game series has sold over 81 million copies, sparking a global franchise that includes movies, merch and comic books.
Meanwhile, Skull Island will be an 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.
Brian Duffield (Underwater) will write the latest chapter in Legendary’s Monsterverse franchise and executive produce alongside Robinson, while Powerhouse Animation (Castlevania) will serve as the animation studio on the project, which will arrive well after Godzilla vs. Kong hits HBO Max in March.
News of a Tomb Raider anime series comes on the heels of MGM's announcement that Misha Green (Lovecraft Country) will make her feature directorial debut with a Tomb Raider sequel that will once again star Alicia Vikander. With studios controlling the majority of marquee comic book characters, Netflix has been forced to get creative in getting its hands on top-tier IP, and one area they've targeted is video game adaptations, given the built-in fanbases that many games have.
Netflix is already mounting a live-action Resident Evil series as well as an animated series titled Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. It's also developing live-action shows based on Assassin's Creed and Final Fantasy; an animated series based on Splinter Cell; an anime series based on Sonic the Hedgehog; the anime movie The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf; and a live-action movie based on The Division that will star Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain.
Netflix has found success with original IP such as Stranger Things, Extraction and Project Power, but a new Tomb Raider anime series could prove popular with subscribers, given how beloved the franchise is among gamers. The streamer has already established itself as a destination for anime fans with its Castlevania series, and Netflix is also working with Legendary Television on the anime series Pacific Rim: The Black. Finally, Netflix and Zack Snyder are working on Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, an anime series that will see Dave Bautista reprise his role from the upcoming zombie heist movie.