The world of the iconic and award-winning comic series Usagi Yojimbo created by Stan Sakai is coming to NETFLIX in a new animated kids series SAMURAI RABBIT: THE USAGI CHRONICLES.
This series from Gaumont Studios and Netflix are set to expand the universe of Usagi Yojimbo and will follow a brand new character, teenage Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, a descendent of Miyamoto Usagi. Set in the far future, in a world that mixes modern high-tech images with classic Japanese references, teenage Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, descendent of the great warrior Miyamoto Usagi, embarks on his epic quest to become a true samurai. He is joined on this quest by a ragtag team of misfit heroes, which he leads, including a roguish bounty hunter, a cunning ninja, an acrobatic pickpocket, and a faithful pet lizard. As they travel, the heroes battle depth-charging moles, metal-tipped winged bats, and monsters from another dimension, all in the pursuit to become the best samurai Usagi!
The acclaimed comic series on which the series is based has received a number of awards over the last three decades, including Parents’ Choice Award, an American Library Association Award, and the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Award. Usagi Yojimbo has also been named on Empire Magazine’s Top 50 comic-book characters of all time, IGN’s Top 100 comic-book characters of all time, and Rolling Stone’s Top 50 non-superhero graphic novels. Sakai is a six-time Eisner Award winner, the recipient of multiple Haxter Awards, and won the Best Cartoonist Harvey Award in 2016.
The series is produced in partnership with the legendary creator, writer and illustrator of the comic-book series Stan Sakai, who will serve as Executive Producer, along with Gaumont (Executive Producers Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Sidonie Dumas and Christophe Riandee), Dark Horse Entertainment (Executive Producers Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, and Chris Tongue), and Atomic Monster (Executive Producers James Wan, Michael Clear, and Rob Hackett). Candie and Doug Langdale (Maya and the Three, The Book of Life, Puss in Boots, Niko and the Sword of Life, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness) are attached as executive producers and showrunners. Ben Jones (Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teen Titans, Iron Giant) is Supervising Producer while Khang Le (Big Hero 6, Little Big Awesome) will serve as Art Director on the series.
Stan Sakai, legendary creator, writer, and illustrator of the comic-book series, was born in Kyoto, Japan, and grew up in Hawaii. He began his comic book career by lettering Sergio Aragonés’ Groo the Wanderer. He also worked with Stan Lee, lettering the Spider-Man Sunday newspaper strips for 25 years. Sakai is most famous for his original creation, Usagi Yojimbo, an epic graphic novel saga that began in 1984 and now spans more than 34 volumes. It features Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai rabbit living in early-seventeenth-century Japan.
Sakai said about the upcoming animated series,
“It is a pleasure working with Gaumont and Netflix. I am involved in each step of the production and am enthusiastic with the direction we are going into. It is wonderful to expand the Usagi universe by collaborating with so many talented people. I am working with an awesome team and I’m looking forward to finally seeing an Usagi series on the screen! I thank my wonderful fans, friends and family for their support and encouragement over the last 35+ years.”
Gaumont, the France based studio was started in 1895, is the first film company in the world, recently celebrating 125 years of history and innovation. With offices in Paris, Los Angeles, London, and Berlin, Gaumont remains an industry leader, producing and distributing high-quality TV programming and films. Specializing in producing local stories with global appeal, Gaumont’s current slate includes talent-driven, diverse, and distinctive titles across multiple languages for the world’s leading global streaming platforms and channels.
Nicolas Atlan, President, Gaumont U.S. added about the new series,
“All of us at Gaumont were honored when Stan trusted us to develop his iconic property into an animated series. This is a first for Usagi Yojimbo. We are thrilled to have Netflix on board as our creative partner so we can together, with the combined artistic talent of Stan Sakai, Dark Horse Entertainment, and Atomic Monster, take this iconic brand to the next level.”
Stay tuned to Comic Watch for more news about the series and premiere date.