It’s been nearly a decade and a half since Edgar Wright‘s adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series first came to theaters, but the fandom has only grown larger and more passionate in the intervening years. Today, the faithful devotees of the mild-mannered, ex-lover-dueling Torontonian bassist can claim a big win, as the cult favorite will soon return for another adventure in awkwardness.
This morning, Netflix pulled back the curtain on an upcoming anime miniseries take on the Scott Pilgrim books, executive-produced by Wright along with original creator Bryan Lee O’Malley and writer Ben-David Grabinski (creator of the recent Are You Afraid of the Dark? series). Wright’s film condensed the six volumes of the series’ original run to feature length, and so this new project will blaze a trail into original narrative, joining Scott and his many pals as he searches for a girlfriend — and, along the way, maybe a little self-respect.
Wright’s film has gained in stature partially for its absurdly stacked cast, many of them tapped just as they reached the precipice of a huge jump in fame. Nevertheless, they’re all back to contribute their vocal stylings to the anime, an ensemble that includes Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, Aubrey Plaza, Brie Larson, Anna Kendrick, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman, Alison Pill, Mae Whitman, Brandon Routh, the whole gang.
With Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, Wright contrived a hyperkinetic pop-art style informed by comic books, video games, anime, and martial arts films; it stands to reason that going fully-animated will further free the text from realism. To the great excitement of animation aficionados, the production work will be handled by Science SARU, the Japanese studio behind the widely-praised features Inu-Oh and The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl. (Pop group Anamanaguchi, which soundtracked the video game, has also been hinted to record new music for the score.)
A release date has yet to be set, and the number of episodes has not yet been specified, but Wright’s tweeting suggests that it’s all in the can and should be out in the world before too long. Soon, we’ll all learn some new fun facts about the etymological origins of Pac-Man and the intricacies of beta-male masculinity.
Published 30 Mar 2023
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