Moviefone Editorial

Tag: animated series

‘Firefly’ Animated Revival Series in Development
(L to R): Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau, Sean Maher, Nathan Fillion, Morena Baccarin, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Jewel State and Ron Glass in ‘Firefly’. Photo: 20th Century Television.

Preview:
- An animated revival of cult series ‘Firefly’ is in the works.
- Nathan Fillion revealed the news.
- The original show, created by Joss Whedon, ran for one season.
As the gods of former Joss Whedon shows taketh away (the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ reboot is not moving forward beyond its pilot at Hulu), they also giveth, as ‘Firefly’ star Nathan Fillion has revealed that a revival of the cult favorite sci-fi series.

The original series, as created by Whedon in 2002, ran for all of one season before being unceremoniously cancelled by the Fox TV network. It returned in movie form with ‘Serenity’ in 2005, but the film didn’t do well enough at the box office spawn sequels.
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Now, Fillion –– who has been teasing fans via social media videos featuring his former castmates –– has revealed that a revival of the show is in development in animated form.

Related Article: Nathan Fillion to Reprise ‘Superman’ Guy Gardner Role in HBO’s ‘Lanterns’

What’s the story of the new ‘Firefly’ series?

(L to R): Nathan Fillion and Gina Torres in ‘Firefly’. Photo: 20th Century Television.

All we really know at this point that the narrative would pick up between the end of the show and the movie. Set 500 years into the future during a global civil war, ‘Firefly’ charted the whereabouts of spaceship Serenity and its nine crew members in the year 2517.

With Whedon out of the picture given his checked history of behavior, Marc Guggenheim (‘Arrow’) and Tara Butters (‘Marvel’s Agent Carter’) are the showrunners for the potential new show.

When will the ‘Firefly’ animated series be on screens?

With this new show still in early development, and no official studio/streamer home announced (though surely Hulu is the natural place for it), there’s no word on when or even if it’ll land. You can’t stop the signal!

The spaceship Serenity in ‘Firefly’. Photo: 20th Century Television.

Selected Movies and TV Shows Featuring Nathan Fillion:
- ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)
- ‘Firefly’ (2002)
- ‘Serenity’ (2005)
- ‘Slither’ (2006)
- ‘Castle’ (2009)
- ‘The Rookie’ (2018)
- ‘The Suicide Squad’ (2021)
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ (2023)
- ‘Superman’ (2025)
- ‘Lanterns’ (2026)
Buy Nathan Fillion Movies and TV on Amazon
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March 21, 2026
‘The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy’ Cast and Crew
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Premiering February 23rd on Prime Video is the new animated series ‘’The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy,’ which stars Natasha Lyonne (‘Poker Face’), Kieran Culkin (‘Succession’), Stephanie Hsu (‘Joy Ride’), Keke Palmer (‘Nope), and Maya Rudolph (‘Inherent Vice’).

(L to R) Maya Rudolph, showrunner, writer and executive producer Cirocco Dunlap, and Natasha Lyonne talk Prime Video’s ‘The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.’

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Maya Rudolph, Natasha Lyonne and showrunner, writer and executive producer Cirocco Dunlap about ‘The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy,’ creating the show, and Rudolph and Lyonne’s characters.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

(L to R) Stephanie Hsu (Dr. Sleech) and Kieran Culkin (Dr. Plowp) in ‘The Second Best Hospital in The Galaxy.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

Moviefone: To begin with, Cirocco, can you talk about coming up with the idea for this series and creating the show?

Cirocco Dunlap: Yeah, I love sci-fi, and I watch a lot of sci-fi. I was thinking about classic movies like ‘Groundhog Day,’ ‘Alien,’ and thinking about those main characters and how they’ve got real horrible ailments, an alien in your stomach, or stuck in a time loop. I was thinking, “Wouldn’t it be fun if they had somewhere to go, someone to treat them for those illnesses?” I thought, “These main characters in classic sci-fi films could become tertiary patients in our world.”

(L to R) Maya Rudolph (Dr. Vlam) and Stephanie Hsu (Dr. Sleech) in ‘The Second Best Hospital in The Galaxy.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

MF: Maya, can you describe your character, Dr. Vlam, and creating the voice?

Maya Rudolph: Dr. Vlam is a robot intern who’s lived over 20,000 years and is devoted to her present craft, which is being a doctor and takes an enormous amount of pride in it. But that doesn’t stop her from talking about her past where she’s lived as a warrior king, and mother of 500. She’s done a lot. So, she likes to let everybody know she’s been around for a long time and its sort of a mix of a lot of pride and at the same time, happy to be there to serve her doctors, to serve Sleech and Klak. She just wants to do a really good job because she looks up to them so, so much.

(L to R) Stephanie Hsu (Dr. Sleech), Keke Palmer (Dr. Klak), and Natasha Lyonne (Nurse Tup) in ‘The Second Best Hospital in The Galaxy.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

MF: Finally, Natasha, same question. How would you describe your character, Nurse Tup, and creating her voice?

Natasha Lyonne: Nurse Tup is a nihilistic optimist. She loathes small talk, which I personally adore, and she really loves the hospital. So, she must buffer between Sleech and Klak from blowing up the joint in all their creative genius. So, she has pointy ears and in a surprising twist, a big mop of hair, six legs and a tail. So, I pretty much did a come as you are. I thought, “That is what I look like.” But Cirocco really worked with me so much on our first session to kind of really dial in exactly the vibe of who she was. Then also the other character, Zaylarx. I love that character. Zalyarx gets into trouble with Vlam and they have a good, rowdy time. Troublemakers. So yeah, good times.

Related Article: TV Review: ‘Poker Face’

Keke Palmer (Dr. Klak) in ‘The Second Best Hospital in The Galaxy.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

What is the Plot of ‘The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy’?

The series follows Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu) and Dr. Klak (Keke Palmer), aliens, best friends, and intergalactically renowned surgeons, as they tackle anxiety-eating parasites, illegal time loops, and deep-space STIs. In Season One, doctors Sleech and Klak take on a highly dangerous and potentially groundbreaking case and, in doing so, put existence itself in jeopardy. Although considering their dismal personal lives, oblivion might be an improvement.

Who is in the Cast of ‘The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy’?
- Stephanie Hsu as Dr. Sleech
- Keke Palmer as Dr, Klak
- Natasha Lyonne as Nurse Tup
- Kieran Culkin as Dr. Plowp
- Maya Rudolph as Dr. Vlam
- Sam Smith as Dr. Azel
‘The Second Best Hospital in The Galaxy.’ Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.

Other Movies Similar to ‘The Second Best Hospital in The Galaxy’:
- ‘Alien‘ (1979)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘Groundhog Day‘ (1993)
- ‘Alien³‘ (1992)
- ‘Alien Resurrection‘ (1997)
- ‘Galaxy Quest‘ (1999)
- ‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy‘ (2005)
- ‘Star Trek‘ (2009)
- ‘Star Trek Into Darkness‘ (2013)
- ‘Star Trek Beyond‘ (2016)
Buy Natasha Lyonne Movies on Amazon
February 23, 2024
‘Scott Pilgrim’ to Become an Anime Series
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2010’s ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ has long become a cult favorite despite failing to land at the box office. Directed by Edgar Wright, the adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Oni Press graphic novel series boasted a stellar young cast including Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Brie Larson, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Schwartzman and Alison Pill.

Now, though, Wright is executive producing a new animated adaptation of O’Malley’s work, with O’Malley and Ben David Grabinski as executive producers, writers and showrunners, with Science SARU as the animation studio bringing it all to life.
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Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim in director Edgar Wright’s ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.’

What’s the story of ‘Scott Pilgrim’?

The new series looks to be a new adaptation of O’Malley’s original books, which chronicle how slacker Scott (Cera) goes from dating the enthusiastic Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) to becoming obsessed with the cool courier Ramona Flowers (Winstead).

Trouble is, when Scott starts dating Ramona, he learns he’ll also have to battle her seven evil ex-boyfriends to unlock the power of love and truly win her heart. You know: that old boy-meets-girl-boy-fights-exes-learns-life-lessons story.

Set in “the magical land of Toronto”, the story also brings in garage bands (since Scott plays with a scruffy local outfit called ‘Sex Bob-Om’, crazy video game references and dueling musical acts. Part of Scott’s problem is that he also has an ex, Envy Adams (Larson), who has since gone on to become a huge rockstar.

The voice cast of ‘Scott Pilgrim’ Anime Series.

Related Article: ‘Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank’s Michael Cera Loves Cats and Dogs!

Who else will lend their voices to the series?

Evans will be Lucas Lee, one of the exes, while Routh plays Todd Ingram, Envy’s new boyfriend and bandmate. Plaza is aboard as Scott’s sweary nemesis Julie Powers, while Anna Kendrick is his sister, Stacey. Schwartzman, meanwhile, is calculating ultimate evil ex Gideon Graves.

Fellow Sex Bob-Om bandmates include Young Neil (Johnny Simmons), Stephen Stills (Mark Webber) and Kim Pine (Pill).

Here’s what Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski had to say about the new series:

“We’re getting the band back together! Cera and Winstead, Bhabha, Culkin, Evans, Kendrick, Larson, Pill, Plaza, Routh, Schwartzman, Simmons, Webber, Whitman and Wong. A stellar cast, perfectly assembled by Edgar Wright. 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.”

And Edgar Wright adds,

“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.”

The film was bursting with visual imagination and geeky puns, but the series promises to be even wilder given the advantages of animation. Netflix has yet to announce a release date for the show.

Chris Evans as Lucas Lee in director Edgar Wright’s ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.’

Other Movies Similar to ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World:’
- ‘Once‘ (2007)
- ‘Hot Fuzz‘ (2007)
- ‘Adventureland‘ (2009)
- ‘In the Loop‘ (2009)
- ‘It’s Kind of a Funny Story‘ (2010)
- ‘50/50‘ (2011)
- ‘Submarine‘ (2011)
- ‘Win Win‘ (2011)
- ‘What We Do in the Shadows‘ (2015)
Where to Stream and Watch: ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’

Buy ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ On Amazon
March 31, 2023
‘Daria’ Spinoff: Tracee Ellis Ross to Star in MTV’s ‘Jodie’

ABC

A historic opportunity came Tracee Ellis Ross‘s way, and she made sure to grab it.

The “Black-ish” star is set to lend her voice to MTV’s “Daria” spinoff series “Jodie,” Variety reports. The show is set to be the first animated series starring a black woman in nearly 20 years, according to Ellis Ross. She will voice the titular character and also serve as an executive produce.

Jodie Landon (Ellis Ross) is familiar to fans of “Daria,” which ran on MTV from 1997 to 2002. She was one of the snarky teen’s close friends as well as one of the few African American students at Lawndale High School. The series showed Jodie’s experience of being the “token” black kid in a majority-white town and the pressure she felt to fulfill a certain image.

In “Jodie,” there will be more cultural commentary. Ellis Ross said in a statement (via Variety) that she is excited to “give voice to fresh, feminist and unexplored stories of young women.” We’ll get to follow Jodie as she enters the work force post-college and gets her start in tech.

“It will be a smart, funny workplace comedy full of commentary about everything from gentrification to sex to tech to call-out culture,” Ellis Ross said.

“Jodie” will also include appearances from other Lawndale alumni. And we’ll likely be seeing more of them in the future — the show will reportedly be part of a series of “Daria” spinoffs. Incidentally, “Daria,” too, is a spinoff, stemming from “Beavis and Butthead.”

Grace Nkenge Edwards is the creator of “Jodie.” Ellis Ross, Trevor Rose, Morgana Rosenberg, and Amy Doyle are executive producers.

[via: Variety]

June 13, 2019
Netflix’s ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ to Premiere in Late 2019

Netflix

You’ll be able to find out if you like “Green Eggs and Ham” before the end of 2019: The Netflix animated series produced by Ellen DeGeneres is due to premiere in Q4.

Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos made the announcement Tuesday, Variety reports. The show has been in the works for four years already, and it sounds like the hard work will pay off. Sarandos described the show as a “very ambitious 13-episode animated original series with feature-quality animation.”

“Green Eggs and Ham” is based on Dr. Seuss’s classic children’s book of the same name. Michael Douglas voices “Guy I Am,” while Adam Devine voices the green-eggs-and-ham-loving “Sam I Am.” In the animated series, the two opposites embark on a road trip together with the goal of saving an endangered animal. There will also be characters voiced by Diane Keaton, Ilana Glazer, Keegan-Michael Key, Jillian Bell, Tracy Morgan, and Daveed Diggs.

“Green Eggs and Ham” comes from Warner Bros. Television. DeGeneres is one of the series’ executive producers, alongside show writer Jared Stern, Jeff Kleeman, Sam Register, Mike Karz, and David Dobkin.

[via: Variety]

April 18, 2019
Freeform Is Developing 2 Female-Focused Animated Series

Freeform

Freeform’s Second Annual Summit brought news of two female-focused projects that are currently in the works. The network announced that it is developing the animated series “Betches” and “Woman World.”

The first, “Betches,” is inspired by the digital brand of the same name launched by millennials Samantha Fishbein, Jordana Abraham, and Aleen Kuperman. The cartoon, which is described as “irreverent,” will follow three friends and roommates living in New York. Freeform’s synopsis says, “The three women loudly try to figure out who they are in their careers and in love. They make almost every mistake in the book along the way, but they’re doing their best to make sure they have an anything-but-basic life.”

The pilot for “Betches” will be written by Rachel Koller. Fishbein, Abraham, and Kuperman are all set to executive produce, alongside Emma Roberts, Carli Haney, Kesila Childers, and Gil Goldschein of Bunim-Murra Productions.

The second project, “Woman World,” is a half-hour comedic cartoon based on the graphic novel by Aminder Dhaliwal. Per Freeform, “The pilot playfully answers the question ‘what would our world look like if men became extinct?’ This community of women leans on each other for survival as they search for love and their identity in this ladies-only existence.”

Dhaliwal is writing the pilot herself, and Felicia Day is executive producing.

It looks like Freeform has a lot in the pipeline for us!

March 27, 2019
Watch Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong in Action in ‘Tuca & Bertie’ Season 1 First Look

Netflix/YouTube

Netflix’s animated comedy “Tuca & Bertie” premieres in May, and in the meantime, you can meet Ali Wong and Tiffany Haddish‘s bird women characters and see the comedians in action.

The streamer released a first look video on Thursday that offers footage from the show as well as brings viewers into the recording studio with Wong and Haddish. Both actresses chat about their roles, meaning we get everything from Wong’s take on how they’re similar to their characters to Haddish’s appreciation for the fact that her “character got -ss.” Creator Lisa Hanawalt weighs in, too, and shares her hopes for the show.

“These are real characters; this is about a friendship between 30-year-old bird women,” Hanawalt says in the video. “I want women in the real world to relate to it even though they’re not bird people.”

Watch below.

We can see what Wong meant when she said, “It was so much weirder and funnier than anything I could have ever imagined.”

“Tuca & Bertie” hits Netflix on May 3.

March 14, 2019
Netflix’s ‘Love Death and Robots’ Trailer Teases NSFW Animated Stories

Netflix/YouTube

Netflix has sentient dairy products, werewolf soldiers, wild robots, garbage monsters, and the like for us — all in one animated series.

The streaming service released the trailer for “Love Death + Robot” on Thursday, and it is a high-octane look at the upcoming anthology. With the series telling 18 different stories over the course of its first season, there was a lot to pack in to the trailer. And pack it, they did. There are so many clips that it’s overwhelming — so much so that it is fitting when a faux error message appears, serving as the “dreaded blue screen of death.”

Watch below.

The series is presented by Tim Miller and David Fincher, and the episodes are animated by different teams from around the world. Netflix classifies it under the TV thrillers, TV horror, and TV sci-fi and fantasy genres and describes it as “mind-bending” and “exciting.”

“Love Death + Robots” premieres March 15 on Netflix.

February 14, 2019
An Animated ‘Star Trek’ Series Is Likely Headed to Nickelodeon

CBS/Paramount

The exploration of the “Star Trek” universe continues: An animated series aimed at kids looks likely to land at Viacom’s Nickelodeon network.

The network is close to reaching a deal for the new series, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Like other recent installments in the franchise, it comes from writer-producer Alex Kurtzman. Writers Kevin and Dan Hageman are also behind the show.

Although the show targets a younger audience, Kurtzman has made it clear that he hopes it will appeal to a broad audience. In early February, he told Comicbook.com that “it will traditionally look younger” but added that “hopefully the [viewer] age rage is somewhere between 8 and 45.”

“I think you’ll find that it is utterly reverent of everything we love about ‘Trek,’” Kurtzman also told the publication at the time.

Kurtzman has plenty of experience in the “Star Trek” Universe. He served as a co-writer and executive producer for 2009’s “Star Trek” and 2013’s “Star Trek Into Darkness.” Additionally, he co-created “Star Trek: Discovery,” so the latest series is in good hands.

The new project is one of two upcoming “Star Trek”-based animated series that are in the works, both with Kurtzman on board. One difference between them, however, is that the other, “Lower Decks,” is not aimed at kids. Its home will be CBS All Access, just like the live-action series “Star Trek: Discovery.”

No timeline for the new animated series’ release has been announced.

[via: THR]

February 13, 2019