Netflix might be interested in turning all the most popular animes in the world into live-action, but it’s not planning on giving the animation side of its operation new life anytime soon. The streamer is cutting down on its costs for the department, but at least we’re still getting a new Adam Sandler movie. In the same vein, its horror output has also suffered a hit, with the dependable Mike Flanagan officially leaving the streamer behind.
Not even Guillermo Del Toro could save the Netflix animation department
Netflix has been a safe haven for animation in the past, offering a much-welcomed alternative to the family-friendly often-repetitive style of Disney. It has rescued projects like Nimona and Star Trek: Prodigy from ruthless cancelation by industry competitors, it produced the Oscar-winning Pinnochio, a movie whose director Guillermo Del Toro presented as a flag for the incredible potential of the medium, and gave us the groundbreaking BoJack Horseman series, which is considered one of the greatest of its kind.
This background paints the latest news in an even more depressing light. The company will be making massive cuts to its animation department, including personnel layoffs and the cancellation of two developing projects. Escape From Beverly Hills is being released back to the open market and Godwin Jabangwe’s Tunga has been sent back into development, Variety reports. Similar to what Dreamworks has recently announced, Netflix is also planning to start outsourcing its animation filmmaking in the future.
Thankfully, the cuts didn’t affect Adam Sandler’s turn as a friendly Floridian lizard
Adam Sandler’s been enjoying a career Renaissance for a while now, and a lot of it is thanks to his very prosperous deal with Netflix. After the incredibly solid and easily likable Hustle and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, the iconic comedian is back with the animated children’s film Leo, where he voices the title character – a 74-year-old lizard who’s been living in an elementary school classroom for decades and is about to embark on his first big adventure, all while helping kids grow up.
Netflix has just shared the first trailer for the feel-good coming-of-age movie, which will almost certainly become a hit for the platform. Children are an infamously fruitful market given that when they like a movie, they will ask their parents to rewatch it every single day. With the added bonus of Sandler’s recent winning streak, Leo has everything to rule the charts. It drops on Netflix Nov. 21.
Leaving animation behind, the live-action adaptation of the popular anime Yu Yu Hakusho has officially received a release date
The live-action adaptation of the demon-hunting anime Yu Yu Hakusho has officially been given a premiere date on Netflix. The upcoming series, which will follow in the footsteps of One Piece in the streamer’s attempt to tap into the anime market, will come out Dec. 14. The platform had previously confirmed the cast for the show, which includes Takumi Kitamura, Jun Shison, and Kanata Hongo, and released character posters and teasers that successfully spiked the interest of those who used to tune into the popular anime over three decades ago.
Yu Yu Hakusho revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, a troubled teen who is killed in an accident trying to save a little child. The contradictory nature of his actions in life and the one good deed that killed him confused the authorities in the Spirit World, which indecisive about where to send him in death, decided to revive him and make him a demon hunter. It features elements of martial arts, the supernatural, and plenty of action which fans of the genre will definitely enjoy.
Mike Flanagan’s last-ever show for Netflix, The Fall of the House of Usher, is now live
That’s it for one of the great horror creators of the past decade. Five years after turning heads and making a mark with his first Netflix show The Haunting of Hill House, Mike Flanagan’s very last project for the streamer has dropped. The Fall of the House of Usher, based on the Edgar Allan Poe short story about the demise of a filthy rich family, officially landed on Netflix on Thursday and is sure to take over the charts in the upcoming weeks. 61 critics have already placed the horror drama high up on the Tomatometer with a 92 percent approval rating, making it clear that Flanagan is going out just as brilliantly as he arrived.
